Manon De Pauw 

De près. De loin. De Pauw. 

[From Close. From Afar. From De Pauw.]

In this exhibition, Manon De Pauw continues her exploration of the performed image, bringing together photography, projection, music, and performance. Drawing on the aesthetics of medical and scientific imagery, as well as the history of photography, she creates a journey in which near and far, the visible and invisible, knowledge and memory enter into dialogue.

Alongside rational approaches to visualizing the living, the artist introduces a poetic and sensory dimension by weaving in autobiographical narratives. Through various shifts in scale, she invites us to reflect on the conditions of attentive looking, whether directed inward toward the body or outward toward the vastness of the cosmos.

Artistic Statement

The body as an active subject and as the artist’s manifest presence within the work. Light as a subject of inquiry, a source of affect, and a tangible “material” to be manipulated. The living world, which I observe up close. These are the subjects I explore through an increasingly grounded approach.

Everything begins with the notion of the performed image: I have developed a setup that allows me to manipulate, on the surface of a light table, materials that can be elusive and difficult to control, including acetate sheets, water, watercolour, and various other materials. Through an intuitive process of discovery and low-tech experimentation, my workstation has become a true laboratory where colours, shapes, and my own hands create living, ever-changing scenographies. This visual immersion led me toward macrophotography, allowing me to heighten my sense of wonder.

Over the years, I have carved out a distinctive place for myself as a visual artist within the performing arts. Working alongside artists in dance, theatre, literature, and music, I have continually explored the possibilities and limits of the performed image in resonance with bodies and voices in motion, moving my studio into dance studios, rehearsal spaces, and onto the stage.

In performance, my manipulations unfold in close collaboration with performers and the creative team. At different moments, they become shadow theatres, scenic elements, scores, or sources of illumination. These creations subsequently return to the studio, where I revisit them as I delve deeper into my subject of inquiry. New discoveries emerge, feeding into the next cycle of creation, whether in photography, video, installation, or public art.