Bendt Eyckermans | The Passenger
21.Feb.27
In this solo exhibition, Belgian artist Bendt Eyckermans brings together his most recent work. Alongside his enigmatic and dreamlike paintings, he also presents sculptural elements, a short film, and drawings that offer an unprecedented insight into Eyckermans’ thought process.
Bendt Eyckermans’s (b. 1994, Antwerp) paintings are highly narrative, incorporating elements from his everyday surroundings – objects from his studio, friends, or details from the street – into dreamlike, mysterious compositions.
Although Eyckermans is deeply fascinated by painting, he also draws inspiration from photography and film. By borrowing techniques from these media that suggest movement, the artist circumvents one of painting’s limitations: the static image.
In his recent work at S.M.A.K., Eyckermans alternates between interiors and street scenes. He explores how we relate to the environments we live in and to the objects that surround us. Scaffolding, markings on façades, doors, tarpaulins and construction structures – everyday elements we often pass by without a second thought – take on new meaning in his work. They become carriers of memories and symbols of change, helping to shape how we experience a place and ourselves.
Spatial elements, drawings and short film
The Passenger is Eyckermans’ first museum exhibition in Belgium and brings together mainly recent work. The artist also adds several spatial elements to the exhibition, some of which appear in his paintings, enhancing the sense that we are stepping into his world.
Alongside the paintings and spatial elements, Eyckermans also presents a substantial number of drawings that offer an unprecedented insight into his thought process. At the beginning of the exhibition, visitors can also watch a brand-new video essay that serves as an immersion into Eyckermans’ universe.
