DIMITRI VANGRUNDERBEEK (BE)
biography | cv
exhibitions

​_born in 1964, Brussels, Belgium
Lives and works in Beersel, Belgium
​
On the one hand, my artistic work takes form from a natural drive to manifest myself spatially, and, on the other hand, through an interest in the analysis of the formal qualities of objects and materials. The way I manifest myself spatially originates in sculptural acts carried out on mostly ordinary objects using ordinary and everyday materials. By doing so, sculptures and installations arise that have a strong spatial impact. I create a new reading of the formal appearance of objects and materials by means of a specific physical experience. Human proportion and human scale play an important role in the way the works are presented and experienced. The acts that I come up with originate from the formal, material and spatial qualities of the investigated objects. These acts can be extensive and radical in the sense that I remove the function of the object in the search for qualities of materiality, form and volume. My interest in the ordinary object is about the aspects of (collective) memory that it possesses.​​
_solo and duo exhibitions
​
2021
Rencontre(s), together with Sébastien Pauwels at valerie_traan gallery, Antwerp, BE
Art au centre, together with Ane Vester, curated bij Philippe Braem, Liége, BE
Soft Fold, together with Hans Demeulenaere on invitation by Emergent, Veurne at Gallery Fred&Ferry, Antwerp, BE
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2020
Cornerspace – Cornerplace, together with Hans Demeulenaere, CC De Schakel, Waregem, BE
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2015
Dealing with Ordinary Form, Netwerk centre for contemporary art, Aalst, BE
​
2011
Tracing Form, Gallery Annie Gentils, Antwerp, BE
​
2009
Surfacing, The Studio Meets Artis, Artis den Bosch, ’s-Hertogenbosch, NL
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2006
Iets over het lichtjes gecorrigeerde toeval, over het aanbrengen van dunne lagen plaaster op het moment van stolling, en over het schilderen van ruimte, Herman Teirlinckhuis, Beersel, BE
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2004
Le Gruyère Coloré, Children pavilions for Les Halles de Schaerbeek, Brussels, BE
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2002
Dimitri Vangrunderbeek, M HKA, Antwerp, BE (catalogue)
Dimitri Vangrunderbeek & Ane Vester, CC Strombeek, Grimbergen, BE
​
2001
Klein Kunstencentrum van het Zoniënwoud, Groenendaal, BE
​
1997
Gallery Vincenz Sala, Brussels, BE
​
1996
Kunstlerhaus Palais Thurn und Taxis, Bregenz, A
​
1995
Gallery Rodolphe Janssen, Brussels, BE
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1994
Dialogue, Dimitri Vangrunderbeek & Franz Ackermann, Das Belgische Haus, Cologne, D (catalogue)
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1993
Etablissement d’en Face, Brussels, BE (catalogue)
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_public art commissions / Projects / Editions / Co-creation / …
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2021
Promenade Circulaire, Hans Demeulenaere and Dimitri Vangrunderbeek, edition of 40 +5 AP, Design by Leroy Meyer
​
2019
Co-curator of the Artefact exhibition on the occasion of the 6th CA²RE conference for Artistic and Architectural Research at the faculty of Architecture, KU Leuven University, Belgium. Hosted by Luca school of Arts, Ghent, BE
Collaboration: Poetic Gestures, ongoing collaboration project between Dimitri Vangrunderbeek and Hans Demeulenaere.
​
2017
Conversation (Dutch) between Dimitri Vangrunderbeek and Hans Demeulenaere for the publication made for Le Nouvel Observateur (link to publication)
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2016
Co-creation: De gevloerde muur, Scenography (together with Arnaud Hendrickx) for installations in/on/with the Kiosk by newly recruited teachers Mixed Media: Ephraim Joris, Riet Eeckhout and Wouter Krockaert. Faculty of Architecture, KU Leuven, Campus Sint-Lucas Ghent, BE​
​
2015
Public art commission: Doorgang/Passage, children pavilion for care centre, Bilzen, BE
Edition: Through and Through, (ed. 125) Published by AraMER, Ghent, BE
Artist Talk: Ermias Kifleyesus and Dimitri Vangrunderbeek, Performing Objests, Artist studio & ERforS HQ, BE
Member of the Performing Objects group, ERforS HQ, BE
​
2013
Curator: Kijken – Herkijken, on systematics and time-space experiences with work by Kasper Andreasen, Aglaia Konrad, Kristien Daem, Koenraad Dedobbeleer, Jan Kempenaers, Bernd Lohaus, Valérie Mannaerts, Ria Pacquée, Dimitri Vangrunderbeek. Herman Teirlinckhuis, Beersel, BE
Collaboration with Koenraad Dedobbeleer in the realisation of several sculptures.
​
2007
Co-creation: Unit(s), development and production of a cupboard with D&A Lab (edition of 30).
​
2005
Public art commission: Boxed in Venus, Kunst op Komst, Province of Flemish Brabant. Landen, BE
Collaboration: Movements for a Sand Carpet, design of a sand carpet for a dance performance, (collaboration with Antwerp School of Dance) live music by Peter Clasen (NEVEN), during Brussel BRAVO, Sint-Lucas Architecture, Brussels, BE (video)
Provincial price for visual arts, Flemish Brabant, BE
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2004
Le Gruyère Coloré, children pavilions for Les Halles de Schaerbeek, Brussels, BE
Curator: De tuin van Teirlinck, Group exhibition with Lieve D’hondt, Gabriel Lester, Perry Roberts, Dominique Thirion, Harald Thys, Dimitri Vangrunderbeek and Heidi Voet. Breugelproject, Herman Teirlinckhuis, Beersel, BE (catalogue)
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2000
Public art commission: Colors and Places for Office Chairs, Concience building, Flemish Community, Brussels, BE (catalogue)
Curator and co-creation: CCNICC, series of artistic interventions made by forty artists in and around a container that was placed on Place Fontainas, 1000 Brussels. During Brussels European Cultural Capital 2000, duration: 3 months (edition)
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1999
Public art commission: Words for Brussels, engraved words on the backs of several public banches (re-installement 2006), Fontainas square, Brussels, BE
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_bibliography (selection)
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2024
Cut Down Build Up – On Abstraction, Authors: Thierry Lagrange, Dimitri Vangrunderbeek, Hans Demeulenaere, Jolien Naeyaert
English, 144 p., 210 x 280 mm, softcover Design: Studio Luc Derycke, Viktor Van den Braembussche Publisher: MER. Books, Art imprint of Borgerhoff & Lamberigts ISBN/EAN: 9789464946215
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​2019
Laurent Jacob, Dimitri Vangrunderbeek, Magasin, 2001, in E2N Archives Actives, En attendant l'année dernière, Espace 251 Nord, BE​
​
2011
Dimitri Vangrunderbeek, Staying Long Enough-Leaving on Time, Open M, M-Museum, Leuven, BE
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2011
Dimitri Vangrunderbeek, Shadowdance, KA series, Kunsthal KADE, Amersfoort, NL
​
2009
Wim Van Mulders, Dimitri Vangrunderbeek, in Kunst en Zwalm 2009.
Gerri van den Hoven, Vangrunderbeek neemt Artis volledig in bezit, Brabantsdagblad, NL, October 2009
Koor Tuitjer, Meubelkunstenaar in Artis, Brabant cultureel, NL, November 2009.
Pauline ’t Hoen, Surfacing, The studio meets Artis, (exhibition text) Artis den Bosch,
’s-Hertogenbosch, NL
Eliane Van Den Ende, Kunst en Zwalm 2009, Een Wankel Evenwicht, hART #55.
Eric Brakke, Huis verzuipt te Meilegem, Kunst en Zwalm ’09, De Morgen.
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2008
Johan Pas, Door beeldhouwers gemaakt, Vormen van sculptuur vandaag, Openbaar kunstbezit Vlaanderen.
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2007
Hans Theys, The Moss Gathering Tumbleweed Experience, hART, March 2007.
Hans Theys, Trage vormen. Over enkele edities van Dirk Meylaerts, hART, April 2007.
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2006
Dimitri Vangrunderbeek, Without Title, Kunst in Opdracht, Vlaamse Bouwmeester.
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2005
Flor Bex, Dimitri Vangrunderbeek, Provinciale prijs voor Beeldende kunst en Vormgeving, Vlaams Brabant, BE
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2004
Dimitri Vangrunderbeek, Magasin and Sand carpet, in No Friture, Mannheimer Kunstverein, Kunstverein Ludwigshafen,
Mark Isitt, Master of space, FORUM, Designmagasinet 0204 Sweden, p. 60 – 71.
Dimitri Vangrunderbeek, Plaats(en) in het Park, Beeldpleister(s), Sixteen manipulated places in Brussels, BE
Dimitri Vangrunderbeek, Viewer, De Tuin van Teirlinck, Herman Teirlinckhuis, Beersel, BE
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2002
Hans Theys, Dimitri Vangrunderbeek, M hka, Antwerp, BE
Dimitri Vangrunderbeek, Water Tables, Tabula, Watou Poëziezomer, Watou, BE
Luk Lambrecht, Dimitri Vangrunderbeek: Relational Objects, Kunst in Opdracht, Vlaamse Bouwmeester, Brussels, BE
​
I’m interested in making installations and objects that allow me to bring together the outcome of these sculptural acts.
Composition, framing and precision in the making are essential concepts to articulate form and material qualities; they allow for a poetic reading of ordinary objects.
​As an artist I work in between two poles. I make installations in which I create a stillness and a frozenness, as to preserve objects and the unknown memories connected to the objects. On the other hand, I also make temporary settings that are very spatial, with visually strong arrangements. Ordinary furniture gives me a feeling of warmth and I choose it because of the beautiful forms it tends to possess. At the same time, however, I use these pieces of furniture as abstract, monumental volumes with which to make temporary settings, occupying and defining the space.
Text fragment from the author's Phd dissertation From Ordinary Object to Sculpture, 2015.
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_group exhibitions (selection)
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2024
Cut Down Build Up On Abstraction, book presentation and exhibition together with Hans Demeulenaere and Thierry Lagrange at Convent, Space for Contempoary Art, Ghent, BE
Hosting, artists from Brussels & periphery at Centrale for contemporary art, Brussels, BE
Het huis en de dingen with Femma Koot, Peter Morrens, Amal Omarf, Dimitri Vangrunderbeek, curated by Mieke van Schaijk at the Van Abbehuis, Eindhoven,NL
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2023
Playground 2023 Live Arts Festival at M Leuven and STUK, Leuven,BE
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2022
Performing Objects, https://www.ccstrombeek.be/expo/performing-objects, Cc Strombeek, Grimbergen, BE
IT DOESN'T WORK, Spoken asbl, BE
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2021
Dobbelganger, Hans Demeulenaere in The Garage, Mechelen, BE
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2020
Verloren voorwerpen - objets trouvé, together with Hans Demeulenaere, Bruges BE
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2019
Nu nog de rest, Emergent, Veurne, BE
Artefact exhibition on the occasion of the 6th CA²RE conference for Artistic and Architectural Research at the faculty of Architecture, KU Leuven University, Belgium. Hosted by Luca school of Arts, Ghent, BE
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2018
“20 YEARS NICC- JUBILEE”, Antwerp, BE
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2017
Drawing Out, in the framework of the exhibition Drawing Ambience: Alvin Boyarsky and the Architectural Association, Vlaams Architectuurinstituut (VAI) De Singel, Antwerp, BE
Still life with The Others & The Rest, The Stable, Waregem, BE
Le Nouvel Observateur, Hof ter Saksen, Beveren, BE (catalogue)
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2016
Mind Fabric, A.VE.NU.DE.JET.TE, Institut de Carton, Brussels, BE
Surprise, Netwerk centrum voor hedendaagse kunst, Aalst, BE
Ladenkastproject, Gallery Phoebus, Rotterdam, NL
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2015
A New Spirit in Booking, MER. Station 17, CC Strombeek, Grimbergen, BE
Performing Objects at Brussels Art Days, Enough Room for Space, Brussels, BE
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2014
Circulus Maximus II , M HKA, Antwerp, BE (catalogue)
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2013
“Seismology of The Times”, Gallery Annie Gentils, Antwerp, BE
Kijken – Herkijken, Herman Teirlinckhuis, Beersel, BE
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2011
Cabanne, Domaine du Château de Seneffe, Seneffe, BE (catalogue)
Staying Long Enough – Leaving on Time, Open M, M-Museum, Leuven, BE (catalogue)
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2010
Shadow Dance, Kunsthal KADE, Amersfoort, NL (catalogue)
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2009
Kunst en zwalm 2009, Zwalm, BE (catalogue)
Jeugdzonde. Over opus één en opus min één, LLS 387, Antwerp, BE (catalogue)
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2008
Superstructuur B, Lokaal 01, Breda, NL
Honorons Honoré, De Garage, Mechelen, BE (catalogue)
Designed by artists, Z33, Hasselt, BE
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2007
25 years Lokaal 01, Breda, NL
The Moss Gathering Tumbleweed Experience, NICC, Antwerp, BE
The Moss Gathering Tumbleweed Experience, spin off, Gallery Manuela Klerckx, Milan, I
​
2006
Provincial Price for Visual Arts and Design 2005, Cultural Centre De Westrand, Dilbeek, BE
25 years Herman Teirlinckhuis, Herman Teirlinckhuis, Beersel, BE
A_Garden, Brussels, BE
​
2004
No Friture, Young Belgian Art, Mannheimer Kunstverein / Kunstverein Ludwigshafen, D (catalogue)
Schöner Wohnen, Be-Part, Waregem, BE (catalogue)
De Tuin van Teirlinck, Herman Teirlinckhuis, Beersel, BE (catalogue)
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2003
Versus, Architectuur versus kunst, Oudenaarde, BE (catalogue)
Superstructuur, Lokaal 01, Antwerp, BE
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2002
TABULA, Poëziezomer van Watou, Watou, BE (catalogue)
25 year CIAP, Cultureel Centrum, Hasselt, BE
​
2001
Ici et Maintenant, Tour en Taxis, Brussels, BE
​
2000
CCNICC, Fontainasplein, Brussels, BE
“La conscience du monde”, Biennale d’Art Contemporaine, Louvain-la-Neuve BE (catalogue)
Bureau augmenté, NICC, Antwerp, BE
Gallery Clo Bostoen, Marke, BE
​
1998
Brussel / Bruxelles, Glasgow, UK (catalogue)
Who loves Brussel, Encore …, Brussels, BE (catalogue)
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1997
Four artists from Brussels, Overgaden, Copenhagen, DK (catalogue)
​
1995
Gallery Rodolphe Janssen, Brussels, BE
Choix de Bruxelles, Gallery Rodolphe Janssen, Espace Jacqmotte, Brussels, BE
Art Hotel, Amsterdam, NL
​
1994
Beeld in Park, Felix Happark, Brussels, BE (catalogue)
St-Lukas Gallery, Brussels BE