Dries Boutsen’s (b. 1993, Hasselt) artistic practice mainly revolves around collages and sculpture. Boutsen creates his collages using paper and other everyday waste material that he collects. Older works can even serve as components for new creations. He deliberately leaves visible traces of wear and tear in the pieces, as a way of alluding both to himself and to the former owners of the materials used. The artist works on these collages for several years, meaning that their visual appearance is constantly changing. These works do not have a strict hanging direction as a result; it is not the artist but the person responsible for the installations who determines the ultimate orientation of these artworks. Along the way, the tactile collages evolved into three-dimensional objects fashioned from robust materials such as wood and metal. For these sculptures too, there is no specific presentation direction. Patina – for example oxidation – once again plays an important role in evoking the history of the materials used and the process behind the making of the artwork.
