PAINTINGS SCULPTURES INSTALLATIONS PERFORMANCES PUBLICATIONS FILMS
INSTALLATIONS
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INSTALLATIONS —
A SELECTION OF INSTALLATIONS
Gery De Smet's installation art delves into the intricate relationship between territory, national identity, and collective symbolism. De Smet encourages a critical look at what it means to identify with national or cultural markers in an era marked by rapid change and disillusionment, highlighting the struggles individuals face in forging a sense of community and connection in a society where such identities increasingly seem elusive.
GRONDBEGINSELEN
BASICS
An installation at Museum Gorkum (NL) in 2025.
HOAXES
HOAXES
Territories and national identities shape the essence of Hoaxes. This series features temporary, site-specific installations using colored confetti to create images of flags and coats of arms.
Such symbols have historically served to unite people, fostering a sense of belonging, attachment, and solidarity. By coming together under a common flag, individuals become part of a collective. In Hoaxes, however, Gery De Smet employs confetti as a symbol, highlighting its ephemeral nature. This choice emphasizes the fragility and perishable quality of these symbols, calling into question their reliability and the clarity of their message. Ultimately, it suggests the futility of finding identity in such transient emblems.
Il Potere è Vulnerabile / Kracht ligt in zijn kwetsbaarheid / Strength lies in its vulnerability, 2019 uit de reeks / from the series Hoaxes confetti, 14 x 13 m / 151 x 511 " curator: Georgio De Finis. Macro Asilo, Macro Museum, Rome (IT)
Het symbool van Sicilië in de 10e en 11e eeuw / The symbol of Sicily in the 10th and 11th century The identical lookalike, 2018 uit de reeks / from the series Hoaxes confetti, 2,60 x 2,10 m / 78 x 82,67 " curator: Valentina Gioia Levy. Arts & Globalisation Platform, Manifesta 12, Palermo (IT)
Loving to order, 2018 uit de reeks / from the series Hoaxes confetti, 2 x 2 m / 79 x 79 " curator: Andrea Hilger, Saint James Cavelier, Malta (MT)
Glory to the power of body and soul, 2016 uit de reeks / from the series Hoaxes confetti, 17 x 14 m / 83 x 551 " curator: Tomasz Wendland. IV Mediations Biennial, Muzeum Narodowe w Poznaniu, Poznan (PL)
De goede zaken van het Communisme / The good things from Communism, 2013 uit de reeks / from the series Hoaxes confetti, 6 x 6 m / 236 x 236 " curator: Mayiko Ogawa / Andrey Martynov. Biennale of Moscow, Central Museum for Contemporary History, Moscow (RU)
Inclusie / Inclusion, 2013 uit de reeks / from the series Hoaxes confetti, 17 x 15 m / 590 x 670 " curator: Hilde Van Canneyt. Kortrijk Vlaandert, Budafabriek, Kortrijk (BE)
Far east summit, 2011 uit de reeks / from series Hoaxes confetti, 9 x 9 m / 354 x 354 " curator: Alexander Gorodny. See Something? Say Something!, Museum for Contemporary Art, Vladivostok (RU)
Burgerzin / Civilian Responsibility, Conversations, 2013 uit de reeks / from the series Hoaxes confetti, 8 x 7 m - 315 x 275 " curator: Hendrik Braet. De Ververij, Ronse (BE)
VERBROEDERING MET ANTWERPEN
TWINNING CITY WITH ANTWERP
…
Antwerp tower, Antwerp (BE), 2016
FAMILIEOPSTELLING
FAMILY CONSTELLATION
On 24 March 2017, a procession of 306 people carrying signs with place names ending in “-gem” walked through the town of Waregem (BE). This project aimed to explore borders and nationality. In toponymy, “-gem” means “house of”. Most of these names are in modern-day Flanders, with at least 70 in French Flanders. This work questions the importance and relativity of borders. When the procession reached a canvas factory, boards were added to an installation called ‘Family Constellation’. The procession included majorettes and three brass bands.
Family constellation, Waregem (BE), 2017
SPEL ZONDER GRENZEN
GAME WITHOUT LIMITS
De Smet’s work often zooms in on the paradoxes of western societies, which are redefining themselves as we speak. In addition, the artist tends to raise questions on European identity, a concept that, despite the member states’ enthusiastic attempts, never really produced a feeling of belonging in most European citizens.
Spel zonder grenzen / Game without limits, 2011, various dimensions
DE WANEN IN ONS
THE MADNESS WITHIN
Logo Gery De Smet, at Verbeke Foundation, Kemzeke (BE), 2008, straw in wooden form, 10 m diameter,
OOGSTTIJD
HAY TIME
Logo Gery De Smet, Oostakker (BE), 2006, straw, 10 m diameter,
EEN KWARTIERTJE VOOR GOD
A QUARTER FOR GOD
Lifebuoy of flowers, Oostende (BE), 2000, flowers, 5 m diameter,
TOEWIJDING
DEDICATION
On the floor are broken glass and ashes. On the wall hang paintings, objects and ex-voto’s connected by palm branches and barbed wire. Curated by Walter De Wilde. Campo Sant, Sint-Amandsberg (BE), 1999
APOLLO UNITED
APOLLO UNITED
The soccer match on the specially designed square soccer field, a 1997 work. The field was meticulously crafted based on a square painting of a soccer field, which had been first recorded in 1993.
HET PERSONEEL HEEFT GEEN SLEUTEL VAN DE KLUIS
THE PERSONAL HAS NO KEY OF THE SAFE
As if in an attack, glass bottles filled with paint were thrown at the facade of an abandoned factory. The result was a space of destroyed metal and stones painted with soft colors. This contradiction was the point.
For the exhibition Anti-chambre, Ghent (BE), 1986
