Axel Vervoordt Gallery – Kanaal - Wijnegem

[PARA] Axel Vervoordt Gallery is pleased to present the group exhibition, Vessel of Emptiness in Hong Kong. The symbolic power of the vessel serves as a gateway to understanding the profound concept of emptiness. Centred around five moon jars by Korean artist Kwon Dae-Sup, the exhibition features works by Shi Zhiying, Shen Chen, Otto Boll, Norio Imai, and Yuko Nasaka. These artists collectively explore the delicate interplay between presence and absence, form and void, as expressed through diverse artistic perspectives. [PARA] Kwon Dae-Sup (°Daejeon, 1952), a contemporary master of pottery, reinterprets the traditional Korean Moon Jar from the late 17th to the 18th-century of the Joseon Dynasty. Named for their rounded contours and milky white glaze evocative of the full moon, these jars symbolise purity, modesty, femininity, and fertility. Initially trained as a painter at Hongik University, Kwon encountered a Moon Jar in the 1970s that inspired him to devote his career to ceramics. His Moon Jars embody the duality of fullness and emptiness through their elegant simplicity. With smooth, unadorned surfaces and subtle asymmetries, they reflect the Zen aesthetics of beauty in imperfection and transience. As vessels, they stand as tangible expressions of śū nyat ā —complete in their form yet open to boundless interpretations. [PARA] Complementing Kwon’s exploration, Shi Zhiying (°Shanghai, 1979) offers a visual meditation on the ephemeral nature of existence. Fusing Eastern and Western painting traditions, Shi portrays natural elements—seascapes, rocks, and gemstones—oscillating between emergence and concealment to capture the intimate relationship between objects and their surrounding spaces. Curator Dr. Shen Qilan notes that Shi’s canvasses forge a "new perceptual space," where the dance of form and void evokes both emptiness and fullness. Her brushstrokes, whether monochromatic or vibrant, pulse with an inherent rhythm, inviting viewers to perceive the interconnectedness of all things. [PARA] Shen Chen (°Shanghai, 1955), a trailblazer in Chinese abstract and experimental ink painting, delves into the tension between fullness and nothingness through his layered compositions. Drawing from traditional Chinese ink techniques and the American Colour Field movement, Shen applies acrylic paint in a way that mimics ink’s fluidity. His meditative process—layering vertical brushstrokes over a flat canvas—channels his qi (energy) to create horizontal expanses that suggest infinite space. A work is complete only when Shen senses his qi has dissipated, leaving behind a profound emptiness within the void. [PARA] German artist Otto Boll (°Issum/Geldern, 1952) challenges perceptions of space and form with his minimalist sculptures. Suspended as if floating, these works demand interaction—examination, approach, and shifting viewpoints—to be fully experienced. Boll’s creations hover between presence and absence, materiality and the unseen, with the voids between them acting like silent pauses in a musical score. This interplay of number, direction, and shape forms a tranquil yet polyphonic composition, inviting viewers into a sculptural dialogue with the void. [PARA] Norio Imai (°Osaka, 1946), once part of the avant-garde Gutai Art Association, defied artistic norms by crafting bulbous reliefs that blur the line between object and painting. By placing material beneath the surface, he created monumental monochrome white works from seemingly nothing. For Imai, white is the ultimate colour—a non-colour harmonising all hues, a landscape of nothingness and emptiness. His reliefs serve as vessels that contain and unveil this essence of the void. [PARA] Yuko Nasaka (°Osaka, 1938), another key figure from Gutai’s second generation, is known for her textured paintings of concentric circles that highlight materiality and process. Employing industrial tools like car lacquer and air compressors, she carves reliefs on rotating panels, mirroring life’s cyclical rhythms. Through rotation, her works are infused with movement and time, subtly critiquing industrialisation by revealing organic unpredictability beneath mechanical precision. In the later works from 2015 to 2017, Nasaka eschews coloured lacquer to emphasise raw texture, drawing viewers into her creative act. [PARA] In a world preoccupied with the tangible and the absolute, Vessel of Emptiness offers a sanctuary for contemplation. Each artwork acts as a vessel, beckoning viewers to explore the intricate relationship between form and void. Through their creations, these artists unveil a paradox resonant with śū nyat ā : these vessels, though seemingly empty, overflow with the fullness of existence. By embracing the beauty of the unseen and the interconnectedness of all things, visitors are invited to look beyond the physical and uncover the infinite possibilities within the void.

Story of the exhibition "The greater the distance, the clearer the view: one sees the tiniest details with the utmost clarity." W. G. Sebald, The Rings of Saturn Jaromír Novotný (b. 1974, Český Brod, Czechoslovakia) presents his first individual exhibition at Axel Vervoordt Gallery in Wijnegem, following his earlier solo presentation in Hong Kong in 2020. In these new works, attention turns to the almost imperceptible: the line of a seam, the gentle vibration of light across fabric, the space between one surface and the next. His paintings do not offer images to be deciphered but environments for perception, spaces in which looking becomes a patient and wandering act. Novotný’s practice is guided by a careful listening to materials. Beginning from the reverse side of the canvas, he allows each work to unfold naturally, without forcing an outcome. The resulting paintings are fields of relation: a line shifts in response to light, a colour changes depending on its neighbour, a surface reveals depth when approached. These works echo Georges Perec’s Species of Spaces , in which everyday objects and overlooked moments gain weight through attentive observation. Like Perec, Novotný finds significance in what is often missed: a crease in the fabric, a faint shift in tone, the presence of colour. Recent years have seen a shift from the delicate translucency of organza to the more assertive presence of polyester. Light still passes through, but it is no longer ephemeral; it is tangible and grounded. This change is particularly visible in his yellow series. At first glance, the paintings appear uniform, yet each canvas carries a tone that moves between yellow and green, responding to its neighbours. Together, they form a family, related yet distinct. Their luminous presence contrasts with the reserved subtlety of his earlier works. Growing up under the strictures of the communist regime of former Czechoslovakia, Novotný’s gesture here is measured yet insistent, personal yet relational. Novotný belongs to a lineage of artists who treat painting not as representation but as space for perception. Like Agnes Martin, Robert Ryman or John Zurier, he cultivates attention, restraint and awareness. His works invite inhabitation rather than reading, asking viewers to linger: the crease, the presence of colour, the movement of light across folds. Ultimately, Novotný’s paintings offer an encounter with fragility and nuance. Meaning does not depend on grand gestures, but emerges in fleeting, precise moments, where the world reveals itself. In the space between assertion and subtlety, between the seen and the nearly invisible, his voice is calm, deliberate and unmistakable.

Axel Vervoordt Gallery is pleased to present a solo exhibition by the pioneering, visionary, and influential artist, the late Günther Uecker (1930–2025). This focussed presentation in Kanaal’s Escher Gallery brings together works from several periods of Uecker’s oeuvre, creating a tension between the artist’s early material investigations and his later meditations on nature, memory, and the spiritual dimensions of form. Untitled (Weißes Bild, 1959) marks a formative moment in Uecker’s artistic development... (rest of the description)

[PARA] Story of the exhibition [PARA] Axel Vervoordt Gallery is pleased to present an installation of works by Bosco Sodi (°Mexico City, 1970), which feature various elements of the artist’s practice. Centrally installed in the space known as Ma-ka, visitors first encounter a clay sphere. Sodi refers to these sculptures as “perfect bodies”. The sphere radiates an immaculate stillness, a timeless and almost living presence. With his clay works, Sodi continues to build on an oeuvre in which mystery and contemplation play a central role. His cubes and spheres are made of mud and clay and fired using traditional techniques at his Casa Wabi Foundation alongside Mexico’s Oaxacan coast. [PARA] As often seen in Sodi’s practice, he interrogates the concept of time, as evident in his use of methods and pigments once employed by ancient cultures. These traditions infuse the pieces with a distinct energy that evolves as the organic materials dry, harden, and crack. The work reflects the enduring relationship between humans and clay, a material imbued with the energy of all four elements. Every sphere is shaped by hand and left to dry for approximately eight months before being fired in a rustic kiln. A blend of fibre wood, coconut skin, and jacaranda seeds fuels the process, yielding ever-changing and unpredictable results. [PARA] Framing the sphere and bordering the room with a sense of balance and harmony are two new green paintings made on the Greek island of Folegandros. During daytime hours and viewed with Ma-ka’s overhead skylights, the paintings are bathed in soft, natural light. The radiant, almost emerald-green colour emanates from the surface. Sodi incorporates a wooden branch in each painting. This shows his ability to seamlessly blend organic materials into man-made compositions while honouring the natural order of life and matter. [PARA] Absorbing inspiration from his surroundings, Sodi channels it onto the canvas, then surrenders it to nature, allowing it to dry, crack, and settle into its final form. While many artists strive for control over every detail, Sodi embraces the unpredictable, making nature an unrestrained collaborator in his creative process—each piece a singular, unrepeatable work. Though the human inception is clear, nature is omnipresent.

Otto Piene – White Cube (1990) Otto Piene’s White Cube is a mesmerizing light sculpture that transforms the gallery into a dynamic and ethereal environment. The interplay of light and shadow evokes a sense of motion and fluidity, creating a space that is both expansive and immersive. A co-founder of the German ZERO group, Piene sought to break away from traditional artistic boundaries, engaging viewers in an active dialogue with the forces of nature. With its continuous projections and subtle variations of light, White Cube reflects Piene’s belief in art as a medium for renewal and optimism—a beacon of hope that transcends the confines of the physical world. For Piene, light was more than an aesthetic element; it was a symbolic force capable of transforming perception. His work expands the viewer’s awareness, allowing them to experience space in a new and liberating way. White Cube stands as a testament to his lifelong fascination with light, energy, and their profound impact on human perception.

Vassilakis Takis – Magnetic Forces in Motion Vassilakis Takis’s work delves into the invisible energies that shape our universe, transforming magnetism into a tangible artistic experience. Two of his key pieces, Boule Électromagnétique (1962–1968) and Magnetic Wall (2000), exemplify his radical approach to art, where forces such as magnetism take on an active role in shaping space and perception. In Boule Électromagnétique , Takis makes magnetic energy visible through kinetic elements that respond to their environment, creating an ever-changing relationship between space and movement. Similarly, Magnetic Wall draws attention to the subtle but powerful interactions of magnetic energy, subtly shifting the viewer’s perception of their surroundings. Takis, who famously stated that “energy is everywhere,” sought to reveal the unseen forces that govern our world. His works invite deep reflection, encouraging viewers to reconsider their connection to the fundamental energies that shape our reality. Through his exploration of the metaphysical and physical realms, Takis opens up a new way of experiencing space—one where the invisible becomes tangible, and energy itself becomes an artistic medium.