The Praise of Folly
With Maud Gourdon, Gaëlle Leenhardt and Jurgen Ots
28 January - 12 March 2022
Beige
Rue Coppens 3
1000 Brussels, Belgium
Jurgen Ots
Gaëlle Leenhardt
Maud Gourdon
Photography: Isabella Arthuis / all images copyright and courtesy of Beige
As the first exhibition of Beige’s 2022 program, Beige is
pleased to present The Praise of Folly, a group exhibition
with Maud Gourdon, Gaëlle Leenhardt and Jurgen Ots on
view from January 28 to March 12, 2022.
The exhibition’s title is borrowed from the satirical writings
‘The Praise of Folly’ by Erasmus who resided once in the
same borough of Brussels in the 16th century where all the
artists in the show have a connection to. In this book, the
author’s oblique attitude and his absurdly light-hearted
expression led a critical mind to take a penetrating look at
the world. The three artists here broadly represent this state
of mind of the time in that they can probe into the prosaic
minutiae of everyday life through their unique artistic
process.
Often presented in minimal and precise arrangement, Maud
Gourdon’s (b.1991, Beauvais, living and working in Brussels)
installations are the result of intimate stories and objects
wrapped up in a play of words, lines and multiple forms.
Gourdon investigates history and traditions for possible
connections - through analogy, homophony, homography,
coincidence, slip of the pen or tongue - and brings materials
together to create fictions of today.
Gaëlle Leenhardt (b.1987, Neuilly-sur-Seine, living and
working in Brussels) builds a strong and intimate relationship
with the context in which her works are created. Leenhardt’s
sculptures are often made from materials from the
construction sector, such as soil, concrete, rock or marble,
which forces her works to remain non-permanent given their
weight and size. In this respect, she uses photography as a
tool to keep track of her work, but also as an essential part of
her sculptures.
Jurgen Ots (b.1978, Dendermonde, living and working in
Brussels) gives new life to used objects by turning them
over, seeking them out and experimenting with them in
assemblages, collages and animations. Crossing a fragile
boundary between sculpture, installation and performance,
Ots creates a singular visual language developed through
repetitive gestures and extended ways of manipulation
while exploring the possibilities of the image.