BAM

bio

Koen Theys has been an important figure for Belgian video art. The international success of his work as a student – his work was purchased by MOMA (NY) at the age of twenty – laid the foundation of the first department for video art at a Belgian academy (University College of Art and Design Sint-Lukas Brussels, 1985).

In 1989, Theys set up the arts centre Argos together with his brother Frank Theys and a few friends. It became an international renowned place for video art and new media. In 2004, he set up the department for video art at the University College of Art and Design St-Lucas in Antwerp, where he remains a teacher unto this day.

Although video and photography remain at the centre of his œuvre, Koen Theys can be considered as a typical post-medium artist – also making sculptures, installation and performance art. In his work we discern a constant occupation with the critical deconstruction of icons of modern culture. Through minimal interventions (displacements, duplications, morphings) these icons are transformed to the extent that they start acting against themselves. The heroes and stars from art history and entertainment culture are made into decorative mass ornaments or fantastic architectonic stage settings. Anti-show shows that aim to oppose modernity and post-modernity.

Solo Exhibitions (selection)

2009

'Sleepless Night', Jericho Ditch, Isle of Wight (VA) (USA)

2008

'Fanfare, Calme & Volupt�', LLS 387, Antwerp (Belgium)
'PATRIA', KunstenfestivaldesArts, Brussels (Belgium)

2007

'Koen Theys', MuHKA Media, Antwerp (Belgium)
'The Many Things Show', Kunsthalle Lophem, Loppem (Belgium)
'The Dynamite Show', Middelheimmuseum, Antwerp (Belgium)
'Fanfare, Calme & Volupt�', Les Brigittines, Brussels (Belgium)

2006

'Girls & Philosphers I', CC Strombeek, Grimbergen (Belgium)
'Girls & Philosphers II', De Garage, Mechelen (Belgium)
'The Vanitas Record', De Kunsthal, Rotterdam (Netherlands)

2005

'The Vanitas record', Kasteel van Loppem, Loppem (Belgium)
Herman Teirlinckhuis, Beersel (Belgium)
argos, Brussels (Belgium)
Haus der Kunst, Munich (Germany)

2003

'Warburgballets', S.M.A.K., Ghent (Belgium)
'My Place', Gemeentemuseum, Schaarbeek (Belgium)

2002

'Etudes M�diatiques', Gallery Xippas, Paris (France)

2001

'The thousand faces of God', Hyper Space, Brussels (Belgium)
'My Place', Paleis voor Schone Kunsten, Brussels (Belgium)

2000

'Les Maternelles', Gallery Xippas, Paris (France)
'De kleuterschool - Les maternelles', Paleis voor Schone Kunsten, Brussels (Belgium)

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Group Exhibitions (selection)

2010

'7th Biennale de la photographie', MAMAC, Liège (Belgium)
'C'est la vie! Vanités du XV au XXI siècle', Musée Maillol, Paris (France)

2009

'De Doorgeefshow', NICC, Antwerp (Belgium)
Bandits-Mages Festival, Bourges (France)
'Instants Vidéo', Marseille (France)
'Nomad', City of Bruges (Belgium)
'Jeugdzonde – about opus 1 and -1', Hedah, Maastricht (The Netherlands)
'Open Lounge', Villa Merkel & Bahnwärterhaus, Esslingen (Germany)
'European Media-Art Festival', Osnabrück (Germany)
'De Donderdagen', De Singel, Antwerp (Belgium)
'Histoires de Crânes', Dix291, Paris (France)

2008

'The Hands of Art', S.MA.K., Ghent (Belgium)
'The Hands of Art', MARTA, Herford (Germany)
'Decollecting', FRAC Nord Pas de Calais, Dunkerque (France)
'Corpus Delicti', Justitiepaleis, Brussels (Belgium)
1° Brussels Biennial, Brussels (Belgium)
'Decollecting', De Garage, Mechelen (Belgium)

2007

Ru-Arts Gallery, 2nd Biennial Moscou (Russia)
'Rencontres Internationales', Circulo de Bellas Artes, Madrid (Spain)
'Variety', Lokaal 01, Breda (The Netherlands)
'Vanaf nu', LLS387 gallery, Antwerp (Belgium)

2006

'Family Affairs', Paleis voor Schone Kunsten, Brussels (Belgium)
'Les Peintres de la Vie Moderne', Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris (France)
'Construit-Built', Musée d'Art Contemporain, Vitry-Paris (France)
'Rencontres Internationales', Paris/Berlin, Paris (France)
Zebrastraat, Gent (Belgium)

2005

Maison de la Culture, Namur (Belgium)
MuHKA, Antwerp (Belgium)
'Locus Loppem', Kunsthalle Loppem, Loppem (Belgium)
'My private Heroes', MARTA, Herford (Germany)
'Künstlerbrüder', Haus der Kunst, Münich (Germany)
Museum Kunstpalast, Düsseldorf (Germany)

2004

'5', Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst, Ghent (Belgium)
Kunstmuseum, Bern (Switzerland)
'Zona de mestizaje', Museo Nacional Reina Sofia, Madrid (Spain)

2003

'International Filmfestival', Rotterdam (The Netherlands)
'Gelijk het leven is', S.M.A.K., Ghent (Belgium)
'(in search of) The Perfect Lover', MDD Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, Deurle (Belgium)
'Kunstfilmbiënnale', Museum Ludwig, Köln (Germany)
'Art in Belgium after Documenta IX', MuHKA, Antwerp (Belgium)

2002

'Hedendaagse Belgische Kunst', Caermersklooster, Ghent (Belgium)

2000

'Terug naar School', De Vleeshal, Middelburg (The Netherlands)
'Small Stuff II', Herman Teirlinckhuis, Beersel (Belgium)
'Hommages/outrages Picasso', Musée d'Art Moderne et d'Art Contemporain, Liège (Belgium)
'Still/life', Museum Rockoxhuis, Antwerp (Belgium)
'Yellow', geboortehuis van Jan Hoet, Geel (Belgium)
'Hier Nu – Ici & Maintenant', Bâtiment Tour & Taxis, Brussels (Belgium)

biblio

Belleghem, Kurt van 'Buiten en binnen in het werk van Koen Theys', in: De witte raaf, 1993
Lunghi, Enrico 'Réalités et illusions...', in: Luxemburger Wort - sep 1995
Tarantino, Michael, 'Koen Theys - Palais des Beaux Arts', in: Art Forum - jan 1992
Theys, Hans, Kijk en Leesboek, Paleis voor Schone Kunsten, Brussels 1991
Theys, Koen en Hiddleston, Anna, La caisse des dépôts et consignations, photographe, La caisse des dépôts et consignations, Paris 1999
Theys, Koen en Theys, Hans, Les Maternelles/De Kleuterschool, Paleis voor Schone Kunsten, Brussels and Gallery Xippas, Paris 2000
Vande Velde Dries, 'Pablo & Brad' - Kunst Nu, Ghent apr 2003
Doove Edith, 'The other Body' - catalogue 'I(In Search of) the Perfect Lover', Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, Deurle oct. 2003
Theys Hans, 'De tweelingbroer van Picasso' - Nieuw Zuid #13 july 2004
Lambotte Marie-Claude, 'Les Vanités dans l'Art Contemporain' – Ed. Flammarion Paris aug. 2005
Borka Max, 'Girls & Philosophers' - catalogue Ed. BKsm, Strombeek-Bever/Mechelen jan. 2006
Pas Johan, 'ZANG TUMB TUMB!' - catalogue Middelheimmuseum, Antwerp jan. 2007
Poels Anne-Marie, 'The Dynamite Show, 600 jaar Belgische Kunst' - Ed. De Standaard Kunstbibliotheek 2007
De Cauter Lieven, 'De Rotonde als Leegte in het Landschap' - Cahier van de Vlaamse Bouwmeester 2007
Dufour Sophie-Isabelle, 'l'Image Vidéo/d'Ovide à Bill Viola' - Ed. Archibooks, Paris 2008
Poels Anne-Marie, 'The Dynamite Show, 500 Chefs-dœuvre de l'Art Belge' - Ed. Le Soir 2008
Segers Elke, 'PATRIA (Vive le roi ! Vive la république !)' - Catalogue Brussels Biennial oct. 2008
Schemmel Annette, 'Three Ways to appropriate Joseph Kosuth' - catalogue 'Décollecting' FRAC Nord Pas de Calais/De Garage Mechelen dec. 2008