'Landscape of the Imagination' - Watou Arts Festival

curated by James Putnam
Watou village  and Castle de Lovie, W.Flanders
July 6-September 1, 2024

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The city of Poperinge, inspirator Koen Vanmechelen and curators James Putnam and Michaël Vandebril present the 2024 edition of Watou Arts Festival.Artists and poets showcase the power of the imagination, in dialogue with each other and with several unique locations in and around the village and castle De Lovie.

Many of the artists developed their works in dialogue with Watou's locality. In the spring of 2023, a record number of 200 artists registered for the open call ‘Patchwork’. An international jury - chaired by Koen Vanmechelen and consisting of Dirk Draulans, Jo Coucke, Marjan Doom, James Putnam, Edith Doove, Michaël Vandebril, Sabiha Keyif and Loes Vandromme - selected the participants for the summer camp. Their ideas ‘flow’ from the landscape, which resulted in some twenty new realizations. As a result, the artworks are sometimes playful, but at the same time thought-provoking.

The interconnectedness between the village, the landscape, the poets and the artists is what makes this festival so unique. Curator Michaël Vandebril selected new creations by twenty poets, who enter into conversation with the work of the visual artists and with the village.

During ‘Landscape of the Imagination’, artists and poets approach the concept of "imagination" as an inner psychological landscape that exists between people and the physical spaces around them. Through words and images, they aim to make us aware of the power imagination possesses to transform and make a difference. Their work will be on display in several locations in and around the village. Castle De Lovie in Poperinge once plays an important role witha new long-term durational performance by artist Mikes Poppe.

Participants:-
Kostya Benkovich (ISL)- (Pato Bosich (CL) – Cecile Broekaert (BE) – Monique Broekman (NL) – Chris Bucklow (UK) – Linde Carrijn & Dijf Sanders (BE) – Mat Collishaw (UK) – Matthijs De Block (BE) – Lieze De Middeleir (BE) – Werner de Valk (NL) – Joost Elschot (NL) – Jem Finer (UK)- Karolina Halatek (PL) – Mariko Hori (JP) – John Isaacs (UK) – Lafleur & Bogaert (HT & BE) – Ilya Kabakov (RU) – Carel Lanters & Lee Eun Young (NL & KR) – Mashid Mohadjerin & Jan De Vroede (IR & BE) – Daan Navarrete-van der Pluijm (NL) – Alice Obee (BE) – Panamarenko(BE) Mikes Poppe (BE) – Roundhouse Platform (US) – Marina Resende Santos (BR) – Anila Rubiku (AL) – Sanne van Balen (NL) – Lieke van der Meer (NL) – Lie van der Werff (NL) – Laura Vandewynckel (BE)

http://www.kunstenfestivalwatou.be/en/watou-2024/

Hans Op de Beeck'- 2019 mixed media Installation at Castle de Lovie          

Karolina Halotek 'Double Parallel',2023,LED, steel,acrylic, installation at Castle de Lovie

Kostya Benkovich- 'The Right Hand of God', 2022, iron sculpture installed outside Pastorie, Watou Church

Ilya and Emilia Kabakov - 'The Flying Komarov', 1994, installation at Lovie Castle