2020. We control. We organise. We forbid. But most of all, we hide. At precisely that moment, Pierre Debusschere shows us Spectrum. Like a band of colours, breaking down the walls of social conditioning. Pierre Debusschere invites us to take a step beyond the current wavelength of a blurred society where we are all affected by generations of stereotyping and offers us another perspective wherein diversity comes in many forms: culture, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation… All the colours of the rainbow are all the colours of the earth.
A scope of ideas
Sometimes we just need to take a step back and examine the presence of diversity in our own life, which certainly helps us to understand why these images are made. It all starts with these dispersed fragments of bodies and objects. They not only echo an interdisciplinary range of relevant theories (gender theory, social constructionism, sophisticated classical sculpture…), but they also provide us a visual spectacle, capturing the human form in a way never seen before, but heavily wanted.
Beyond our way of looking
In doing so, Pierre Debusschere goes beyond our way of looking. He’s not only playing with the codes of gender diversity, visible in coloured skins and personas pictured. He’s also redefining a grammatical structure that turns the photographic into his own personal language. A very refined language of conceptual art based upon what Pierre Debusschere feels and knows, between what sustains him and moves him. A world in which the mimesis of our human behaviour is challenged and reconsidered, as a man-centred, postclassical idea of reconciliation. These objects and human bodies express an inviting psychological disposition.
Figures which are in a counter-pose to a dominant culture, contextualised in an immersive installation wherein the Room itself displays these pieces of art, with emotions, enhanced by colour and form. It’s a specific vibrancy that boosts our mood in this installation and focuses on the interplay between individuals and their surroundings. Pierre Debusschere pushes boundaries and explores combinations in this installation that have never been considered before. His goal is to allow the spectator to feel the representation, to enjoy this work in a more proactive, intriguing and interactive way. As a dialogue about gender diversity for example, this body of work alter perspectives, facilitates acceptance and diminish the misconceptions and prejudices that often fuel discrimination.
Spectrum operates as a comprehensive immersive experience, a visual reminder that no matter how far our society gets engaged in an act of collective blindness, we always need to transform our eye into a willing tool. Diversity is colourful, and with this immersive installation, we celebrate our differences. All these walls are canvases of expression, empowering Pierre Debusschere’s powerful taste, approach and ideals. Always in close proximity to one another and their astonishing beauty over the course of each coming day.
Text by Christoph Ruys, visual consultant.
Have a look at some of the exhibition reviews :
BRUZZ : Pierre Debusschere: visionary artist between Beyoncé’s garden and 254Forest
VICE Belgique : Après Beyoncé et la mode, Pierre Debusschere livre un travail intime sur l’identité de genre
BEHIND THE BLINDS : SPECTRUM – reflections on the abstract body
Le Vif Weekend : L’abstraction des corps
Marie Claire : Fotograaf Pierre Debusschere dient een nieuw perspectief op diversiteit aan
Numero Magazine : Des campagnes Raf Simons aux clips de Beyoncé, qui est vraiment Pierre Debusschere ?
A Magazine : Pierre Debusschere’s new photographic experiments on the abstract body
