Kristof Van Gestel
Picture this: Kristof Van Gestel

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In his work, Kristof Van Gestel experiments with the typical language of modernity: the abstract. Due to their autonomy, their concept of freedom, and their non-didactic and non-anecdotal nature, his sculptures resist overly straightforward interpretation. Simultaneously - and in contrast to much abstract work from the previous century - Kristof Van Gestel avoids the cerebral. His sculptures do not aim to become monuments or icons of a new era. Instead, the sculptures appear somewhat rigid, independent, and social beings full of self-deprecation. Until 2001, Kristof Van Gestel mainly engaged in actions and performances where the measurements of his own body were significant. Now, he feels that the sculptures have taken over his role as a performer.

In his most recent creations, Kristof Van Gestel reveals a fascination for bizarre primal forms such as rocks and meteors, as well as a concern for architecture, design, and art in our contemporary time.

The sculptures that Kristof Van Gestel presents at MDD are enlargements of some of his ideas. By conceptualizing various forms and placing those models together in different ways to explore new relationships, Kristof Van Gestel achieves a desired constellation for the given space. Intuition plays a decisive role in this process. Both color, form, material, and technique must provide enough contrast, creating a unique tension. The scale of the works is adjusted to fit the space.