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| drawings from air-pollution on permanent installation for 4 facades, Nieuwland-Brussels |
plexiglas, ferriet magnets, zincor, iron dust
first batch of 18 panels in April 2019
second batch of 59 panels in May 2023
Nieuwlandstraat / Rue Terre-Neuve 194, 1000 Brussels
Colors of Shade features 77 coloured Perspex (plexi) panels that were affixed to the facade of the Nieuwland site in two batches, first in April 2019 and a second one in May 2023.
Ferrite magnets strong enough to attract iron particles from the air are stuck to the back of the panels. Slowly, hidden collages thus become visible on the plexiglass panels that Helbich developed with the children of some of the site's partner organisations: the after-school care at De Buiteling, elementary school Sint Joris, the 'Hoofdstedelijke Akademie' for music and dance, 'Jeugd & Muziek' and MetX.
The collages are divided into 9 series and show landscape images, graphic music scores and a utopian word creation. While the images draw the landscape of Brussels society in its rich diversity, the graphic music scores can be freely interpreted and played by anyone. In turn, the words "Nieuwlucht/Airneuf" refer to the concerns about air quality that the hundreds of underage users of this site share with the whole neighbourhood.
As a whole, the work contributed to the beautification of a tucked-away public space while placing an emphasis on the invisible and how we experience it.
COLORS OF SHADE was commissioned by the VGC and one of the artistic projects developed by David Helbich, together with partners from the Nieuwlandsite. It is related to Helbich's work "What People Say", the blue letters, which have adorned the canopy of the Beursschouwburg in Brussels since 2012.
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Thanks to Ludo De Vleesschauwer, Els de Greef, Jo van Bostraeten, Maryam K Hedayat, Joanneke Jouwsma, Jivan van den Ende, Miriam Rohde, Mohamed Dehqan, Anne van de Star and all the partner organisations and kids!
Kunst In Opdracht - Nieuwlandsite
www.bredeschoolnieuwland.be
www.vgc.be
Batch of 9 series with 59 panels, May 2023:
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| improvising with graphic scores: rehearsal for kick-off event (5/2023) with children from the Hoofdstedelijke Kunstacademie |
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| first batch right after installation, April 2019 |
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| translation of the cardboard collages with magnets |
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| view from Avenue de Stalingradlaan |
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| the collages of De Buiteling, naascholse opvang Nieuwlandsite |
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| the collages of De Buiteling, naascholse opvang Nieuwlandsite |
