BRUSSELS.- Over the course of two weeks, the ‘Artists in Architecture’ project put 6 artists to work with outstanding examples of 20th century architecture in Belgium, Italy, Romania and Spain. Each artist developed a unique idea in the form of a video, sculpture, model, folio or photos which are being presented in the Horta Hall in
BOZAR. These contemporary creations are intended to refresh our curiosity regarding this special heritage.
Six artistic residencies took place in six private homes in different parts of Europe. All of the houses are of special architectural significance, were designed by avant-garde architects and were often occupied by culturally-significant figures. These houses include:
• The Strebelle House in Uccle, previously occupied by the sculptor Olivier Strebelle; architects: André Jacqmain and Jules Wabbes (1955-1958).
• The Willy van der Meeren House in Tervuren (1956-1959): designed and occupied by Willy Van der Meeren.
• The Marcel Iancu House in Bucharest (1935): designed and occupied by Marcel Iancu, founder of Dadaism and leader of the Constructivist movement in Eastern Europe.
• Casa LeWitt (1980) in Praiano, designed by Sol LeWitt among others. The house is still owned by the LeWitt family.
• Casina Fiorelli in Pompeii, an antique house in Pompeii, once occupied by Giuseppe Fiorelli, the father of modern archaeology
• Casa Vilaro in Barcelona (1928-1930): designed by Sixte Illegas
Following a selection process, artists and architects such as Jacques Ligot, Something Fantastic & Fernanda Tellez, Susanne Mariacher & Helene Schauer, Luke James, Elena Mazzi and Ben Weir were invited to explore these homes. They were charged with the task of breathing new life into these less well-known examples of European heritage by using their artistic practice to bring out the most interesting aspects and the history of the house. Each artist developed a unique proposal in the form of a video, a sculpture, a model, a folio or photographs that BOZAR now presents as a wall project in the Horta Hall.
