Opening 'Antennae' by Valérie Mannaerts and presentation of M-resident Judith Van Oeckel
Elias Derboven voor M Leuven
About 'Antennae'
Valérie Mannaerts’ versatile oeuvre is shaped by intuition, material and sensory experience. In her work, she explores questions such as: what is the autonomy of an object? What story can an object tell? And how does sculpture relate to space and the viewer?
In ‘Antennae’, Mannaerts reflects on thirty years of artistic practice while also presenting new work. The title refers to the feelers that insects use to explore their environment; on the other hand, it also serves as a metaphor for her own artistic sensitivity: how she forges subtle and complex connections between her world, her work, the viewer, and the exhibition space.
A publication by Walther König Verlag will be released to coincide with ‘Antennae’.
'Antennae', Valérie Mannaerts, 2025, © the artist
About M-resident Judith Van Oeckel
Judith Van Oeckel’s presentation marks the culmination of her five-month residency at M. In her practice, she explores the tension between dance as a living art form and the need to record, archive, and preserve intangible artistic practices – independent of the physical presence of the body.
Chronic migraines radically changed Van Oeckel’s relationship with movement. Coming from a background as a dancer and performance artist, she was compelled to re-evaluate the limits and possibilities of her body. This led her to explore how choreography can be preserved without losing intensity, vulnerability, and physicality.
