Stef Lemmens
“Within my artistic practice I am researching certain aspects within our society which I find difficult to accept as a valuable contribution to our lives. Whether it being influencers on social media, the intangibility of online hate speech, the alienation from our fellow humans or the absurdity of living in enormous houses with an even bigger debt. Each work originates from the conflict between myself and these aspects which I experience as problematic. For each work a new method is constructed in which I appropriate these aspects to explore what other meanings they can have for us.”
“I see myself as an imagemaker, starting from a contemporary urgency. In my artistic practice I search for ways to experience certain images. My work is inseparable from myself as a person. I see my body as a canvas surrounded with participative installations, mobile constructions or household actions that I (literally) drag with me trough the streets. The image I strive for often contains both something recognizable and estranged. I try to get this balance just right hoping that the curiosity of the viewer will take the upper hand over his initial fear for the unknown. For me an image is a detour for connection, a starting point for a dialogue and an invite for self reflection. The power of my images lies in their public context. This way I want to help them escape museums and galleries so everyone in our society can interact with them.”