Michaël Borremans
Four Fairies
27.06. – 15.08.2004

Art fairs offer a good overview of current developments in the art world. Not only are works by classic and established artists shown at fairs, but also works by new, young, and often still unknown artists. At least in Germany, Belgian artist Michaël Borremans belongs to the latter group. Born in 1963 and based in Ghent, Michaël Borremans has enjoyed an impressive exhibition career in recent years. After completing his art studies in Ghent in 1996, he participated in exhibitions at the Austin Museum of Art in Texas and the Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston as early as 2002. This was followed by an exhibition at the Hauser & Wirth collection in St. Gallen, Switzerland, and his first solo exhibition in the USA in 2003. Another solo exhibition is planned for the end of this year at the Museum für Gegenwartskunst in Basel. In this country, however, Michaël Borremans is still largely unknown. The Kunstverein noticed Michaël Borremans’ paintings last year at Art Basel. The exhibition at the Kunsthalle Bremerhaven presents the artist’s work for the first time in Germany.

What sets Michaël Borremans’ paintings apart from the abundance of images by other artists is a heaviness of color, a seriousness and intensity that evokes memories of pre-modern painting in the viewer. His mostly dark works convey the impression of long-gone photographs from the mid-20th century or neorealist film style through their lighting, brown and ochre tones, and purple shadows. This impression is reinforced by the choice of motifs. The artist often uses existing image material as a starting point. It is not uncommon for illustrations from contemporary magazines or photo books from the first half of the 20th century to serve as models. This pool of images serves as a source of motifs that are not copied, but altered and distorted. The drawings in particular take on the appearance of documents from a bygone era or sheets of paper found by chance. They maintain a fascinating and curious distance from the viewer.

The motifs are mostly people. Looking more closely at the motifs, their clothing, hairstyles, posture, or reserved seriousness, one is reminded of middle-class manners, restraint, order, and moderate behavior that have often been forgotten. In the paintings in particular, the choice of motif, painting style, composition, and muted colors complement each other perfectly. However, the psychological undertones sometimes give the images an oppressive quality. The subjects become surreal visual worlds, ghostly dream images in which people appear like arranged objects. With their absurdity, their trace of sarcasm, and, not least, their humorous overtones, Michaël Borremans’ images appear to be part of a long Belgian artistic tradition.

Curated by Klaus Becké.