Wiels | EN

Bosmans (º1990, Lommel, BE) is intrigued by the possibilities offered by diverse techniques and materials and the exhibition contains several new productions, in bronze, enamel, glass and sand. This ambitious and playful exhibition reveals the scope and humour of Bosmans’ original practice.

The exhibition adopts the title Husbandry, a term used to designate care and cultivation, the rearing of animals or growing of crops. At the intersection of nature and culture, husbandry is also the good stewardship of a household and Bosmans’ references are often domestic. He is particularly interested in history “as seen from the kitchen.”

His works take the form of bold murals, installations, sculptures and his signature Legends. These small painted wooden panels fuse formal traditions such as heraldic shields or illuminated manuscripts with an iconography culled from children’s books or digital logos. Avoiding didactic explanation, the Legends offer enigmatic clues to Bosmans’ thought process, while existing as artworks in their own right.

Mixing references from different periods and cultures as a way to tease out their similarities, he highlights our commonality at a time of increasing polarisation. Running like a pink thread through the exhibition are references to queer culture. This takes various forms, for example the suggestively titled Boy Butter, which refers to family stories of butter smuggling while also hinting at sexual activity.

This exhibition is preceded by Bosmans’ first monograph, titled Dovetail, co-published by WIELS with Walther König (2020). Designed by Nerijus Rimkus, it features images of Bosmans’ exhibitions from 2014 to 2020 and several texts: an essay by WIELS senior curator Zoë Gray, an interview with the artist by Martin Germann, and texts by Philip Van Den Bossche, Piero Bisello and Julia Mullié, the book’s editor.

Curator: Zoë Gray