Is the city still a dream? - PBF03 /
Philippe Calandre
16 November to 20 December 2018
After his critically acclaimed work on Venice, Philippe Calandre has now turned his lens on Brussels, reinventing its shapes and perspectives via a combination of conventional silver-based photography and digital photomontage.
The artist was invited by Hangar to made a photo project about Belgium in the context of the PhotoBrussels Festival 03. He created his series Belgica Paradise and his first eight images of Brussels.
Holding faithfully to his method, Phillipe Calandre stalks the city intuitively, photographing its inner workings, interweaving industrial wastelands, historical and contemporary buildings. Through this vibrant mix of architecture and streetscapes, this back-and-forth between past, present, and future, Philippe Calandre deconstructs and freely reconstructs the city. He invites us to observe its strange typological architectural alchemy. These contemplative images are sometimes reminiscent of paintings from the romantic school of the 19th century, or even certain etchings by Piranesi. This very singular approach to Brussels reminds us of just how magnificent this iconic capital city is as it constantly reinvents itself. The spectator recognises without recognising. The shapes weave their magic spell.
