Philippe Van Goethem

°1972, Elsene, BE
Lived and worked in Belgium.

Philippe Van Goethem studied art in Antwerp and Brussels. The influence of Belgian painter Renée Magritte and the art group «vache» can still be discerned in his work. One can reproduce the same model exactly a hundred times. Nice, but there is still a difference between an art and art. Art and quality are ideas, just as an idea in itself is quality.
They are stories. One can have the idea of seeing art, or name something as quality based on a name. Just that is what Van Goethem sees in reverse. It is the idea in itself that causes a thought dynamic and provides real communication between artist and audience.
And that’s what art has been for centuries.

Never view a single work , view several, enter another world and stimulate your brain. Bet that boredom will never be able to strike again.

His work can be found in collections such as Museum Eperon D’or, The gallery du Roi in Brussels and Villa Servais.

At first glance, his work seems quite basic, but make no mistake. When one begins to look at it, one is drawn into all sorts of potential scenarios that are behind his absurd-looking scenes.

And then the realization dawns that actually most of the world around us is just pleasurably disturbed or not. If we really wanted to, we could just do whatever we think of. We can just pull someone’s hair walking by, but we can also realize by seeing the silly what is really good. There is a message behind this : be stubborn.

No matter how complicated or contradictory things may seem, those who stubbornly pursue their own idea argue for originality. After all, counterfeiting is still something man should be protected from.

He does not want to shock with this. Shocking is a one-time event without consequence. He wants to involve man in finding ideas from unexpected quarters.

SELECTED SOLO AND GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2023
Gallery du Roi Brussels – Paintings BE
Villa Servais Halle – Paintings and objects BE

2022
Eperon d’or – Museum – Group exhibition about brush art 2021
‘Paintings at the Renovation Company BE

2019
Gallery National 55 – Prekersstraat 55 Antwerp Gallery Expose’m – Zwijndrecht BE

2018
Gallery Expo18 Oostende BE
Rendez-vous gallery Resonans – Gent BE

2017
Groepsexpo – Kunst in het dorp – Bellingen BE N°13 objectengalerij Oostkamp BE
Kunst kraakt fabriek – Halle – oud belgaomgebouw Maf gallery – keistraat 1 – 2000 – Antwerp BE
Expo L’amateur – oude beurs – Antwerp BE

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