OPGELICHT
NOW SHOWING: Wouter Van de Voorde’s solo exhibition Opgelicht, until 27 July.
Exhibition details, catalogue and essay by Martyn Jolly at civicartbureau.com
Wouter Van de Voorde is a Belgian living in Canberra. He navigates the tensions of home, migration, and belonging.
Opgelicht, Dutch for “lit-up” or “scammed,” speaks directly to the material nature of this exhibition. The hand-made processes and techniques reflect an embrace of imperfection and human error.
At the same time, Opgelicht refers quite literally to light, the illumination of scenes onto photographic film, or photographic paper being exposed in a wet darkroom. This dual meaning runs through the entire exhibition.
Datura, a toxic, hallucinogenic plant, and noxious weed, recurs in his work, embodying the balance between allure and danger, memory and loss.
Strange scenes from family holidays also recur, with his wife, children and other relatives drifting into view. Misty and dank beaches. Tropical forests lit up. Second World War bunkers. Sandhills on the edge of town. A decommissioned scarecrow. The haunted house and a hole dug into his suburban backyard, it’s rim on fire.
Installation photos by Brenton McGeachie.