Belgium

Decorative artist Camiel Van Breedam (Boom, 1936).

The artwork: 1987

Van Breedam primarily wants to present and use the object itself, unveiled and in its physical and material form. He first creates combinations of painting, collage, and assemblage, to then develop three-dimensional constructions that he will integrate into larger environments. Here, personal and technical allusions are united with historical, geographical, and ecological references.

The visual components, structural elements, color and shape contributions serve the totality of the artwork. This genre was stimulated in the Anglo-Saxon countries by pop art and in France by the movement of "le nouveau réalisme." In his own country, this movement was embodied by artists Vic Gentils, Paul Van Hoeydonck, Remo Martini, and of course Camiel Van Breedam. They share a desire to put the object in the spotlight, but each does so from their own perspective, thus exploiting many other possibilities of this art movement.

With his sculpture "Belgica," the artist wanted to invite the viewer to pause and fantasize about the theme of the famous ship. The square was laid out in bricks from Boom (the artist's birthplace) and forms the general context of the assemblage, which refers both to a metro chassis and to the masts of the boat that bears the same name. This ship explored the polar regions during a voyage led by Baron Adrien de Gerlache from 1897 to 1899 and undertook the first Antarctic wintering.

As a cheerful and fresh contrast to the austere sculpture in Corten steel, the seven arches painted with enamel above the entrance steps of the station reflect the colors of the rainbow. With this natural-geometric construction, the artist refers to the importance of preserving an unspoiled South Pole for the climate and the environment on Earth.

Sculpture in Corten steel and enameled arches.

Davy De Vleeschouwer