Podium voor kunsten 

William Sweetlove

William Sweetlove studeerde plastische kunsten in Gent. Hij werd reeds heel vroeg in zijn carrière bekroond met grote prijzen.
In 1998 sluit William Sweetlove aan bij het Noord Italiaanse kunstcollectief “The Cracking Art Group”. Dit resulteert in een eerste uitzonderlijke samenwerking: Cracking Art loves William Sweetlove.
De naam “Cracking Art” ontleent de groep aan het door de kunstenaars gebruikte basismateriaal. Het basismateriaal waarmee gewerkt wordt is afkomstig van aardolie, een fossiel materiaal, ontstaan uit planten en natuurlijke resten. Door het moleculair kraken van het fossiele materiaal (cracking down) krijg je synthetische afgeleiden. PVC, plastiek, polyester en harsen. Door met deze materialen te werken ontstaat een fossiele kunst die biologisch niet afbreekbaar is, en die dus voor eeuwig kan blijven bestaan.

Recensie

Met een statement waar je niet naast kan kijken, slaagt William Sweetlove erin op zijn eigen joviale manier de wereld attent te maken op ecologievraagstukken en recycleert/kloont hiervoor bergen plastiek en brons. Dieren zetten een mens aan het denken.
Anne Van Beversluys

Statement

Temporality and eternity are two concepts that increasingly compete in my work.
I have always been interested in fossils, which I define as the residues of history. The problem
these days is that fossils don’t have to be conserved anymore: everyone conserves what they
consider important and this includes thinking, which I call “fossil thinking”.
What do I consider a fossil in art? I make sculptures in plastic, resin, polyurethane; all of these are
synthetic products made from petroleum, itself a natural, organic fossil. When we crack the
molecules of petroleum we produce hydrocarbons – gasoline, diesel fuel, oils, benzene. When
petroleum products are burned they generate pollution and help to cause global warming.
Ethane and propane distilled from petroleum are the basic material for the production of
plastics, polyesters, nylon – all the products we need for everyday life. What is the basic
problem? All of these products are here for eternity as fossils; nothing can destroy them. In the
past, the human race simply burned them causing pollution and much more. My message is
that we must recycle them and invest in the technology to do so. We will need them in the
future. When we no longer have petroleum, we won’t have any more synthetics.
If climate change continues, the problems will just get worse. As an artist, I try to find solutions.
Darwin taught us that creatures must adapt to their changing environment in order to survive.
Today, the pace of change is so rapid that organisms do not have time to evolve and so they
die out. If temperatures in the African continent were to rise by five degrees Celsius, elephants
would die out so I am cloning them to smaller versions. Soon there will be too much sea water in
the world but not enough drinking water, so I put boots on my dogs, give water bottles to the
penguins and put back-packs on cloned frogs to give them some support.
The best way to keep the audience awake is not to preach but to turn the seats around.
“Standing out” is the message. I use mainly the primary colors: red, yellow and blue. Sometimes
I use colors in between but the primary colors stand out the most (a brown beast in a green
environment would have limited visual impact).
My favorite color red, for example, indicates more interpretation of everything as if the essence
of the work suddenly becomes more valuable.
Some of my recent works are made of recycled bronze. Not the pure, fancy stuff, with which I
have problems anyway – in the end, it’s just metal. I want to minimize that “rich” material so I just
throw a blob of paint over their heads.
Climate change is the basis of my research. I have always been inspired by the concept of art
not busy with aesthetics but where social, political and ecological issues are involved. I am not
a “green” individual and politics leave me cold, but I want to leave a message behind me in the
world without polluting her.

Exhibitions

AUSTRIA
BELGIUM
CHINA
CZECH REPUBLIC
DENMARK
FRANCE
GERMANY
HONG KONG
ISRAEL
ITALY
LUXEMBOURG
NETHERLANDS
SOUTH KOREA
SWEDEN
SWISS
TURKEY
UNITED STATES
URUGUAY

1974
kunst haus marl GERMANY
prix international de la peinture casino knokke BELGIUM
actual art gallery knokke BELGIUM
casino knokke BELGIUM
1975
kulac universite de kortrijk BELGIUM
gouvernement provincial bruges BELGIUM
palais des beaux arts bruxelles BELGIUM
musee d’art moderne st maartens –latem BELGIUM
actual art gallery knokke BELGIUM
flat 5 galerie bruges BELGIUM
1976
museum modern art ieper BELGIUM
gouvernement p¨rovincial bruges BELGIUM
gallery zwarte panter antwerpen BELGIUM
gallery declerck knokke BELGIUM
1977
icc - mg group antwerpen BELGIUM
belgische haus koln GERMANY
warande centre culturel turnhout BELGIUM
prix de cagnes chateau de cagnes FRANCE
scarpoord centre culturel knokke BELGIUM
grote kerk centre culturel goes NETHERLANDS
gallery stijn antwerpen BELGIUM
1978
casino prix d’europe ostende BELGIUM
cercle gallery ostende BELGIUM
new reform gallery aalst BELGIUM
1979
prix de la peinture casino knokke BELGIUM
campo gallery antwerpen BELGIUM
cercle gallery ostende BELGIUM
1980
prix d’europe ostende BELGIUM
ado gallery puratos bruxelles BELGIUM
icc schede antwerpen BELGIUM
gallery zwarte panter antwerpen BELGIUM
1981
gallery zwarte panter antwerpen BELGIUM
galerie fabien de cugnac ostende BELGIUM
kredietbank bruxelles BELGIUM
mairie merksem antwerpen BELGIUM
1982
warande centre culturel turnhout BELGIUM
palais des beaux arts liege BELGIUM
cercle gallery ostende BELGIUM
1983
foire d’art palais des beaux arts bruxelles BELGIUM
gallery jl ostende BELGIUM
art expo(gallery jl) art fair dallas USA
1984
brakke grond centre culturel amsterdam NETHERLANDS
musee provincial kunst 80 hasselt BELGIUM
art expo(gallery jl) new york USA
musee municipal prix europe ostende BELGIUM
1985
scarpoord zeeland-vlaanderen knokke BELGIUM
foire d’art gallery jl bruxelles BELGIUM
galleria emicla gaeta ITALY
brakke grond Amsterdam NETHERLANDS
grote kerk goes NETHERLANDS
1986
made in belgium casino knokke BELGIUM
bienale de flanfre st baafs vijve BELGIUM
galerie isy brachot bruxelles BELGIUM
galleria emicla gaeta ITALY
brinkman gallery Amsterdam NETHERLANDS
pressclub casino ostende BELGIUM
1987
podium 81 campo antwerpen BELGIUM
actual art fair palais des beaux arts bruxelles BELGIUM
made in belgium palais des beaux arts bruxelles BELGIUM
articulture ii mariemont BELGIUM
bienal de flandre scarpoord knokke BELGIUM
musee d4art moderne ostende BELGIUM
1988
de stoute jaren vub bruxelles BELGIUM
galerie d’eendt amsterdam NETHERLANDS
new reform gallery aalst BELGIUM
icc- collection musee pmmk ostende antwerpen BELGIUM
bogaerdenkapel bruges BELGIUM
galery christine brachot bruxelles BELGIUM
uit festival Amsterdam NETHERLANDS
centre culturel tournai BELGIUM
musee provincial hasselt BELGIUM
gallery moving space gand BELGIUM
galerie koma mons BELGIUM
1989
galerie charley chevalier paris FRANCE
fenetres en vue liege BELGIUM
chambres d’artistes hotel siru bruxelles BELGIUM
rempart projects binche BELGIUM
galerie petit pont FRANCE
campo gallery antwerpen BELGIUM
gallery geo gyselinck kortrijk BELGIUM
1990
gallery moving space gand BELGIUM
l’escaud installation bruxelles BELGIUM
monumental iii chateau malou bruxelles BELGIUM
galerie koma mons BELGIUM
1991
monumental iii kinepolis bruxelles BELGIUM
lineart galerie artiscope bruxelles BELGIUM
galerie bureaux et magasins ostende BELGIUM
galerie koma mons BELGIUM
1992
reflex art gallery amsterdam NETHERLANDS
musee bommel van dam pop&artvertising venloo NETHERLANDS
museum modern art ankara TURKEY
musee pmmk modernism in painting ostende
gallery geo gyselinck kortrijk BELGIUM
1993
musee bommel van dam modernism in painting venloo HOLLAND
musee pmmk 7 crimes one case ostende BELGIUM
art is life museo de l’automobille torino ITALY
art is life musee du design gand BELGIUM
art is life musee pmmk ostende BELGIUM
art is life sothebys London UNITED KINGDOM
art is life sothebys milano ITALY
musee municipal schiedam 7 crimes one case schiedam HOLLAND
scarperentola metropolitan museum new york USA
aspects sebrechtspark bruges BELGIUM
the happy room gallery Rotterdam NETHERLANDS
scarperentola idea books milano ITALY
1994
international art fair galerie artiscope new york USA
i love works on paper galerie artiscope artissima torino ITALY
scarperentola academia ialiana London UNITED KINGDOM
p&p art promotion bruges BELGIUM
1995
salle st georges mons BELGIUM
bicas art fair special guest bruges BELGIUM
galerie koma mons BELGIUM
ex lanifico lana torino ITALY
riparte art fair galerie artiscope roma ITALY
design and pop art parc sonsbeek NETHERLANDS
carte blanche bulo mechelen BELGIUM
1996
scaroerentola- lane crawford gallery HONG KONG
beelding art fair artiscope brugge BELGIUM
beelding museum bommel van dam venlo NETHERLANDS
fierra del levante –galeria zelig bari ITALY
lart en campagne ariscope st hubert BELGIUM
faculty boston university - brussel BELGIUM
ornamenten cultureel centrum biekorf brugge BELGIUM
zelig art gallery bari ITALY
vrienden van het pmmk- oostende BELGIUM
gastaud&gaillard gallerie st etienne FRANCE
kunst kamert -alfa sablon brussel BELGIUM
kunst kamert -alfa sablon brussel BELGIUM
1997
communicatie creatie de bond brugge BELGIUM
riparte art fair SOUTH KOREA
gyselinck gallery kortrijk BELGIUM
art brussels- galerie artiscope brussel BELGIUM
galerie krief paris FRANCE
lineart galerie artiscope gent BELGIUM
oro (penone,chia,paladino,merz) galerie artiscope brussel BELGIUM
kanal 20- artiscope brussel BELGIUM
1998
art brussels- galerie artiscope BELGIUM
magritte en de hedendaagse kunst- pmmk oostende BELGIUM
artissima torino-galerie artiscope torino ITALY
lineart- galerie artiscope gent BELGIUM
1999
art brussels-galerie artiscope brussel BELGIUM
galerie renate schroder- koln GERMANY
espace kiron paris FRANCE
galerij wijland koksijde BELGIUM
2000
art brussels- gallery artiscope brussel BELGIUM
natua duthil rotterdam NETHERLANDS
multipel 13 knokke BELGIUM
internationale messe gallery r.schroder koln GERMANY
world wide flags liege-aachen-knokke-LUXEMBOURG
galerie eugen lendl graz AUSTRIA
homer gallery new york USA
castello satirana- pavia ITALY
world wide flags-unted nations -rockefeller center new york USA
project engage - NETERLANDS
art brussels- galerie artiscope- bruxelles BELGIUM
artissima -torino-galerie artiscope – torino ITALY
lineart gal. multipel 13 knokke –zoute BELGIUM
galerie krief-paris FRANCE
2001
armory art fair -gallery adam baumgold new york USA
art brussels - galerie artiscope bruxelles BELGIUM
raamwerk oostende BELGIUM
nicc politiek in de kunst oostende_brugge_knokke BELGIUM
12 units – internationaal zuilenproject middelkerke BELGIUM
gallery adam baumgold- new york USA
artefierra –galeria caltex- torino ITALY
fierra contemporanea -galerie artiscope- bologna ITALY
multipel 13 –knokke BELGIUM
box 51- oostende BELGIUM
2002
hofvijver poezie in beeld - den haag NETHERLANDS
nature morte -galerie koma mons BELGIUM
arte fiera –galerie artiscope milano ITALY
couleurs en 3 dimensions –galerie artiscope BELGIUM
(paladino ,haring ,zorio ,bay ) brussels BELGIUM
galerie artdepot -bonheiden BELGIUM
art paris-carroussel du louvre -galerie atiscope-paris FRANCE
artissima torino -galeria zaion biella -torino ITALY
2003
beaufort 2003-crackingart knokke- oostende BELGIUM
art brussels -galerie artiscope -brussels. BELGIUM
galerie koma -mons BELGIUM
vanit2s –centre culturelle -tournai BELGIUM
post-pop gallerie schroder koln GERMANY
fondation cracking art-new entry- biella ITALY
galeria barbara mahler-crackingart- lugano-SWISS
art fair padua-crackingart-galleria santo ficara-florence-padova ITALY
galeria atrium- lecce ITALY
2004
lineart gallery guy pieters gent BELGIUM
galerie artiscope art Brussels BELGIUM
galerie gkm –crackingart group- malmo SWEDEN
art meets inkjet - mutoh- gal box 51-oostende BELGIUM
met kunst aan tafel oostende BELGIUM
galeria santo ficara -crackingart group- florence –ITALY
gallerie guy pieters -st paul de vence -FRANCE
galeria l’elephante -cracking art group-treviso-ITALY
miljonairs fair –gal. delaive - amsterdam-NETHERLANDS
vanites-vanites - ikob eupen GERMANY
lineart-gallery guy pieters- gent BELGIUM
galerie coin et couleurs -ijzendijke –NETHERLANDS
installation-crackingart group- pmmk oostende BELGIUM
arte fiera bologna-cracking art group gal elephante ITALY
bologna -ITALY
rai _art fair amsterdam gallerie delaive NETHERLANDS
mutazioni metamorfosi museum in motion castel san ITALY
pietro cerro ITALY
2005
lineart gent gallery guy pieters BELGIUM
art_car mercedes terminus- cracking art group BELGIUM
installations tosondoro-golden sheep on the highways- ITALY
crackingart group- torino,milano,venezia,bologna ITALY
le coin couleurs –ijzendijke NETHERLANDS
art at table-oostende (the new saverin) BELGIUM
blue pinguin bridge- cracking art- biella –ITALY
installation red pinguins –canal grande ITALY -
museo santa appolonia venezia_bienale de venezia ITALY
galeria ravagnan venezia ITALY
galleria civica d’arte contemporanea spoleto crackinart ITALY
art verona 2005-galleria elefante,ravagnan,fioretti- ITALY
foire d’art strasbourg-gallerie guy pieters FRANCE
galerie salvador – paris FRANCE
pallazo steline-hommage a da vinci-crackingart-milano ITALY
gallerie le coin et couleurs ijzendijke NETHERLANDS
galleria rosine arte moderna riparte roma ITALY
galeria santo ficara _fierra d’arte bolzano ITALY
arte fiera di verona /galeria fioretti bergamo et
galleria ravagnan cracking art group venezia ITALY
galeria l4elefante treviso ITALY
museo del territorio biellese pria biella ITALY
2006
galerie gkm siwert bergstrom malmo –SWEDEN
stockholm-kungstradgarden-stockholm-SWEDEN
foire dart strasbourg-galerie gkm Strasbourg FRANCE
art paris -gallerie salvador paris FRANCE
centre d’art villa tamaris xpop la seyne sur mer-FRANCE
zoo european centre for contemporary art-la centrale
electrique bruxelles BELGIUM
installations 200 pinguins on thermea beaufort 2006 BELGIUM
ufo gallery oostende BELGIUM
gallerie salvador paris FRANCE
gallerie 51 - ben vautier-le tas desprit paris FRANDE
cracking art revolution installation treviso ITALY
installation terni ITALY
galeria d arte moderna aroldo bonzagni cento ferrara ITALY
museum plaza st louisville kentucky USA
cavour art festival installation terni ITALY
miaert studio mrco fioretti milano ITALY
galeria santo ficara firenze FRANCE
2007
galerie jane griffiths van isere FRANCE
galerie gkm siwert bergstrom malmo SWEDEN
galleria tornabuoni firenze ITALY
installation una mostre bestiale orio center bergamo ITALY
met kunst aan tafel oostende BELGIUM
auction live orler center treviso ITALY
gallerie moderne kopenhagen DENMARK
x-pop soma museum seoul SOUTH KOREA
cracking art chiostro del bramante roma ITALY
gallery barbara mahler lugano SWISS
coin couleurs ijzendijke NETHERLANDS
installation ikob centre culturel eupen BELGIUM
studio fioretti bergamo ITALY
studio orler treviso venete ITALY
galleria barbera mahler lugano SWISS
art fair scope basel- galleria barbara mahler- basel SWISS
bienale de venezia -25 pinguins on the canal grande. SWISS
installation ville de eupen -50 moutons dans la riviereikob
eupen BELGIUM
galleri husset copenhagen DENMARK
2008
installation dans le port de tel aviv ISRAEL
gallery kastell tel aviv ISRAEL
art paris galerie rive gauche strouk FRANDE
edvick kunsthall stockholm ( gkm malmo) SWEDEN
gallerie jane griffiths val d ‘issere FRANCE
art strasbourg galerie gkm malmo SWEDEN
galerie gkm siwert bergstrom malmo SWEDEN
miljonairs fair hallen kortrijk BEGLIUM
eccentric fair knokke –zoute BELGIUM
gallerie 2008 paris FRANCE
gallery 17 venice california USA
chez collette art toy paris FRANCE
christies art toys paris FRANCE
gallery 17 venice California USA
kampa museum praha CZECH REPUBLIC
re-production portofino ITALY
galleri husset copenhagen DENMARK
im moya museum of young art wien AUSTRIA
museum bommel van dam-ikob collection
gulin’art black and white.crackinartgroup milano ITALY
gallerij coins et couleurs ijzendijke NETHERLANDS
gallerie 208 paris et 7 lieux a paris crackingartgroup FRANCE
art elysees gallerie 208 paris FRANCE
foire d’art gkm gallery strasbourg FRANCE
miljonair fair amsterdam NETHERLANDS
edvisk konsthall galerie gkm stockholm SWEDEN
2009
avenuel SOUTH KOREA
installation centrale electrique st anne brussels BELGIUM
gallerie artiscope crackingartgroup bruxelles BELGIUM
gallerie tournesol st etienne FRANCE
galeri gkm malmoÅN SWEDEN
art fair scope miami galerie barbara mahler –miami USA
victoria park stockholm SWEDEN
park gansbeek installation crackingart group brussels BELGIUM
chateau de fernelmont BELGIUM
installation grande place chartres france(crackingart group) FRANCE
installation le printemp paris (crackingart group) FRANCE
installation g8 siracusa sicilia italia crackingartgroup ITALY
foire art elysees- galeri gkm paris FRANCE
fiac installation devant grand palais crackingart paris FRANCE
exentric fair knokke BELGIUM
overbrugd temse BELGIUM
kasteel gaasbeek brussels BELGIUM
vin expo bordeaux FRANCE
olympic instute beiying CHINA
olympic prints galleria marino roma ITALY
galleria alquindici piacenza crackingartgroup ITALY
chesa san remo 59 festival della canzone crackingartgroup ITALY
pet therapy crackinartgroup galleria novalis torino ITALY
re-wind crackingartgroup rivolto ITALY
2010
crackingartgroup et marc jacobs au printemps paris FRANCE
galleria mandelli seregno ITALY
art elysee galerie gkm paris FRANCE
show off -annual art crackingartgroup paris FRANCE
galerie artiscope bruxelles BELGIUM
guy pieters gallery foire de strasbourg FRANCE
installation crackingart chiocciole piazza de la scala milano ITALY
installation chiocciole treviso ITALY
pet therapy installation crackingartgroup ter duinen koksijde BELGIUM
kunstmuseum boÅNras SWEDEN
chateau sainte rosseline installation dans l’abbey le muy FRANCE
installation crackingartgroup regeneration treviso ITALY
galerie 208 st germain paris FRANCE
galerie gismondi paris FRANCE
bienale international de sculpture boÅNras SWEDEN
galerie bacchus boÅNras SWEDEN
installation sos planet breskens NETHERLANDS
installation cracking puteaux paris FRANCE
international sculpturfestival boras SWEDEN
guy pieters gallery st paul de vence ITALY
black white galleri bergstrom bastad SWEDEN
william sweetlove in designcenter loderup SWEDEN
galleri jeanette olund boras SWEDEN
dany liehrmann galerie liege BELGIUM
naturellement galerie artiscope bruxelles BELGIUM
ethias trophy mons BELGIUM
galerie bruyistens pan fair Amsterdam NETHERLANDS
galerie gkm in pontus Stockholm SWEDEN
installation crackingartgroup miami basel art fair Miami USA
2011
galerie birch 4x xpop kopenhagen DENMARK
galerie db new york USA
beach art fair / gallery david debuck miami USA
gallerie artiscope / auctions berges BELGIUM
galerie gkm - bergstrom malmo SWEDEN
lionel gallery laren NETHERLANDS
galerie zimmermann-heitmann dusseldorf GERMANY
galerie 30 works koln GERMANY
gallery guy piters / le cannet des maures FRANCE
gallery guy pieters / vinexpo bordeaux FRANCE
renee bruyistens art fair den bosch NETHERLANDS
exposition “o” centre culturel namur BELGIUM
lo= fine art gallery bien SWISS
54 th bienal venice/ cracking art group museo naturali torino ITALY
installation crackingart group /bebek parc istanbul TURKEY
resegna internationale di scultue –casina valadier roma ITALY
installation crackinart group martina franca ITALY
guy pieters gallery vinexpo bordeaux FRANCE
installatie augustijnenklooster gent BELGIUM
januari 2012 galeria Tierra Negra - Jose Ignacio
januari 2012
Diego & Laura Montero - La Barra
januari 2012
Bertoni - Punta del Este
Januari 2012
Pueblo Garzon (Alium)

Links

VIDEO: William SWEETLOVE in Uruguay @ Montevideo Carrasco airport
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjeMsg64LSU

William Sweetlove in het Augustijnenklooster te Gent
http://www.nieuwsblad.be/article/detail.aspx?articleid=BLSGE_20110716_001

INTERVIEW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjLWiJvUODU

El País Digital
‘Sweetlove es un artista belga que llevó el mensaje ecológico al aeropuerto.’
http://www.elpais.com.uy/suplemento/quepasa/viaje-animal/quepasa_607043_111119.html