Pierre Mertens

In his work Pierre Mertens fills the gap between art and society by looking into what he can bring to the lives of normal people. By involving himself personally he creates and presents images in areas that he has investigated himself. He makes use of materials, objects and symbols that are relevant to that specific context. Examples include exhibitions on site in an old people's home with a patient suffering from Alzheimer's, in difficult districts of Borgerhout and in the law courts of Cambrai. This contrary art, which he calls 'contextual art', started off in the late eighties when the art scene was making a post-modern revival. With his 'contextual art', Pierre Mertens is able to ensure that his art is anchored in society and thus makes a contribution to the public space. In projects such as 'Ruins for the future' and 'For Sale' he exploits the context of the Internet as a public space where people can intervene.