for my father

reflections about a private collection by Roeland Tweelinckx and Veerle Wenes

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Valerie Traan (Veerle Wenes) inherited her love of arts from her father. Willy Wenes started collecting works by his contemporaries in the 1960s, including those of artists such as Raoul de Keyser, Roger Raveel, Etienne Elias, and Reinier Lucassen. He had a close bond with many of these artists, as he would later on with Willy de Sauter. Art and life are often intertwined.

Three weeks before the Valerie Traan gallery opened its doors, Willy Wenes passed away. Despite having been an essential source of inspiration for the gallery and having passed on his passion for arts to his daughter, he was never able to see it.

The exhibition (le) SILENCE is a tribute to Veerle’s father. The exhibition broaches the subject of death—and none too soon—like a postponed ping-pong game or a posthumous dialogue. Works from her father’s private collection intermingle with those of contemporary artists he wouldn’t have known of, but which express a similar visual language and sensitivity, breathing fresh life into the collection.

It is an intuitive, subjective selection, and, as is the case with most private collections, it is put together more with the heart than with the head. It is a loose mix of works that range from the figurative (Bart Baele) to the abstract (Etienne Vandoorslaer) and everything in between (Karel Dierickx). The collection also often transmits a sense of silence, modesty and intimacy, as is the case with Annemie Augustijn’s work.

The exhibition is built around two key figures from Willy’s collection: Raoul de Keyser and Roger Raveel. An abstract painting with coloured stripes by the Bosnian artist Kenan Hasimbegrovic is reminiscent of the imagery of De Keyser’s work. But yet again, the white oval in his canvas resembles the work of Raveel, who often made use of coloured figures and mirrors. Equally, the abstract visual language of Geert Vanoorlé reveals an affinity with those artists, albeit with no direct influence. A quasi-abstract work by Vanoorlé transpires to refer to his father’s favourite football team, in the same way as Raoul de Keyser incorporates the chalk lines on a football pitch in an abstract composition. Reality always manages to weave its way in somehow.

Then there is the largely forgotten work by French artist, James Guitet, whose paintings can also be found on the top floor along with drawings by his daughter Laure Guitet, reflecting another father-daughter relationship. The work of Russel Scarpulla is also rediscovered. His canvases, constructed out of thick layers of paint, pair well with De Keyser’s work, pursuing an ongoing dialogue that transcends the boundaries of time and countries.

The opening date of the exhibition is not without its symbolism: the 11th of November—Armistice Day. Willy Wenes was a pacifist who took part in numerous protest marches. Lieve Van Stappen’s installation appears to address this aspects of Willy’s personality. Two megaphones and a set of headphone lie on a pile of stones. The scene seems to express a cold silence, but when you put on the headphones, you can hear the voices of the protestors. Johan Tahon exhibits Memoria, a sculpture that is part of his Albarelli series, which he had exhibited previously in the gallery, and which is reminiscent of the process of anointing.

DD Trans unveils a still-life that defies the laws of gravity.

Roeland Tweelinckx sets the rhythm for the whole with his subtle, minimalist works which bear witness to a well-thought out exercise. To punctuate the silence.