LIESBET GRUPPING (BE)
biography | cv
selected works
exhibitions
_born 1984, Belgium
lives and works in Antwerp, Belgium
My artistic work consists of the process of looking at things – impressions, natural and ephemeral phenomena as well as the observation that emerges of those. Through the very undertaking of observing thoroughly I question the (inherent) ability (of an image) to evoke a certain reality and by extension a certain understanding. As Rilke phrased it so appropriately: “These trees are magnificent, but even more magnificent is the sublime and moving space between them, as though with their growth it too increased.” The use of photography and other (visual) instruments - not only to look at, or to look through, or even to look with – in translating ephemeral phenomena and transformations specific to nature reveals not only the pictured, but also the medium itself.
Footnote (Blanca), photo by Emily O’Hara, 2024
By the (unconventional) use of photographic material, such as the adaptation of light sensitive material with a needle, a nail and a hammer, or the opening of a JPG-file in Microsoft Word, I generate images that question the very codes of the traditional or contemporary use of photography. I construct images on the basis of (well-established) concepts and deconstructive methodologies in which the erratic and subjective intervene.“The poetic image […] is not an echo of the past. On the contrary: through the brilliance of any image, the distant past resounds with echoes.” Striving towards the most fitting translation of the phenomena, my work arises from actions and impressions and finds its expression in sculptures, photographs, installations or performances. Using the reproducibility of photography, the same (photographic) image can appear in its original form (positive or negative), or in print, installation, or also in a sculpture.”It is better to live in a state of impermanence than in one of finality.” The process of hunting, discovering, re-arranging and ‘enframing’ – or even the mere searching as such, brings meaning. “Roads no longer merely lead to places, they are places.”
_solo & duo expositions (selection)
2025
Lucciole, Edith Bories and Liesbet Grupping, Violet, Antwerp (B)
2024
Change fair, Liesbet Grupping, Violet, Antwerp (B) Zeewind, brise de mer, Liesbet Grupping, Home alonE, Clermont-Ferrand (F)
2023
The Wedge, Lodewijk Heylen and Liesbet Grupping, Violet, Antwerp (B)
2019
New works, Eline De Clercq and Liesbet Grupping, Brutal, Antwerp (B)
2018
Sights of Light, Nick Geboers and Liesbet Grupping, Tique Art Space, Antwerp (B)
2017
Beauregard, The Living Room: Liesbet Grupping, Air, Antwerp (B)
Newton’s Cradle, Pierre Clement and Liesbet Grupping, Les Ateliers, Clermont-Ferrand (F)
2015
Met Zicht op Zee (With a view on the sea) Lot Doms and Liesbet Grupping, Lux, Ostend (B)
2009
Masters fotografie, Lot Doms and Liesbet Grupping, SecondRoom, Brussels (B)
_expositions, performance and lectures (selection)
2025
The Pencil Show (with Benoit Felix, Elleke Frijters, Hans Demeulenaere, a.o.) curated by Roeland Tweelinckx, CC Zwaneberg, Heist-op-den-Berg (B)
2024
Aussicht mit Zimmer, (with Laura Nitsch & Barbara Juch, Eszra Oezen, a.o.) Fotogalerie Wien (AT)
GLUK GLUK GLUK, Het Orakel / The Oracle Gallery, Antwerp (B)
Matière Critique curated by Marie Papazoglou (with Edith Bories, Dries Segers, Thomas Vandenberghe, Laure Winants a.o.) ISELP, Brussels (B)
Privégesprek with Francesco Del Conte and Vildana Memic, Violet, Antwerp (B)
2023
Huiskamer (with Marie-Sophie Beinke, Gerard Herman, Ria Pacquée a.o.) Huiskamer, Antwerp (B)
2022
Bernd, Hanne, Liesbet. (with Bernd Lohaus, Hanne Lippard and Liesbet Grupping) Violet, Antwerp (B)
2022
Zomerboek presentation by invitation of Sam Watson, Boooooks, Antwerp (B)
Opening Dinner (with Luc Avargues, Martin Belou, Babs Decruyenaere, Lot Doms, Plume Ribout Martini & Hugo Livet, Bruno Silva, Vincent Tanguy, Roeland Tweelinckx and Floris Vanhoof) Violet, Antwerp (B) Preview (with Babs Decruyenaere, Lot Doms, Philip Janssens, Roeland Tweelinckx, Morné Visagie) Violet, Antwerp (B)
2021
BoeckHerberg, Luca School of Arts, Brussels (B) 2020 The Unruly Apparatus: Between Sculpture and Photography (with Walead Beshty, Anton Cotteleer, Wade Guyton, Thomas Ruff, Sine Van Menxel, Bernard Voïta a.o.) Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp (B)
2020
Behind the glass - online exhibition organised by Jonas Vansteenkiste (B)
2019 - 2020
Public Poems (première) - music-poetry-performance-concert of Liesbet Grupping & Ine van Baelen, production Post uit Hessdalen, with the support of the City of Antwerp, Wintervuur festival, Antwerp (B)
2019
Malenki.NET #1, Tique Art Space, Antwerp (B) Museum Night, presentation of ‘Raamvertelling’ in the exposition Amberes - Roberto Bolzano M HKA, Antwerp (B)
Atviros studijos, Nida Art Colony, Neringa (LT)
Kiosk by Lena Sieder-Semlitsch, Nida (LT) & Putvinskio gatvės diena, Kaunas (LT)
The circle club (with Filip Collin, Henk Delabie, Manu Engelen, Philip Janssens, Timothy Maxim Segers, Boy & Erik Stappaerts, Tamara Van San, David Wauters, a.o.), Pulsar, Antwerp (B)
2018
Open Studio’s, Studio Start, Dominicanenklooster, Antwerp (B)
2017
Futures Now, curated by Geert Goiris, Nico Dockx & Kurt Van Bellegem, Extra City Kunsthall, Antwerp (B) 2016 - 2017 Polar Night (tour), Vienna (AT), Hasselt (B), Antwerp (B), Kortrijk (B), Rotterdam (NL)
2016
The Manama Papers, curated by Wesley Meuris & Pieter Vermeulen, SD Workx, Antwerp (B)
Citadel’Arte (with Atelier Van Lieshout, Line Boogaerts, Lara Dhondt, Lodewijk Heylen, Karl Philips, Post uit Hessdalen, Philippe Van Wolputte, a.o.), Citadel, Diest (B)
Artists for Ringland - A city is Not a Road, Exposition & Auction, Bernaerts Auction House, Antwerp (B)
2015 - 2016
Polar Night (première) - multidisciplinary theatre of Liesbet Grupping, Stijn Grupping, Frederick Meulyzer, Ine Van Baelen and Lucas Van Haesebrouck, production Post uit Hessdalen, coproduction Wintervuur and Muziektheater Transparant, with the support of the Flemish Government, City of Antwerp and the Province of Antwerp, Wintervuur festival, Antwerp (B)
2015
The Gods Must Be Crazy - Part Photography curated by Thierry Vandenbussche, Roeselare (B) (2016) Heist-op-den-Berg (B) 2015 Artist Talk, Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerp (B)
Kijk:papers, Warte für Kunst, Kassel (D)
Happening ‘chamaan maanis komaan bamaan’, Factor 44, Antwerp (B)
Books, books, books - an exhibition about artist books, Tique Art Space, Antwerp (B) 2014 BORG
2014
Midway trough the journey neither here nor there curated by Thomas Caron and Ward Heirwegh, Hal, Antwerp (B)
Youths: portraits of artists, between freedom and fight, Masion Particulière, Brussels (B)
Megaphone-Ensemble - actor in performance/concert, Netwerk, Aalst (B)
Wantee - actor in perfomrance/diner of Laure Prouvost, AIR, Antwerp (B)
All my friends are scientists (with Sven Fritz, Loek Grootjans, Roeland Tweelinckx, John Van Oers a.o.), Cultuurpunt Altena, Kontich (B)
Print Art Fair, Frans Masereel Centre, Kasterlee (B)
2013
All you need is in danger, Entrepot Fictief, Ghent (B) Ignace Cami, Helena Dietrich, Liesbet Grupping, Bert Jacobs, Philip Janssens, Timothy Maxim Segers, Gallery Martin Van Blerk, Antwerp (B)
Selected Prints, Frans Masereel Centre, Kasterlee (B)
2012
Over the fence - expo in three town gardens (with Sven Fritz, Loek Grootjans, a.o.), Breda (NL)
.tiff exhibition - Young Belgian Talent Introduced by FoMu (with Max Pinckers, Hana Miletic, a.o.), Brakke Grond, Amsterdam (NL)
2011
Here we are, coordinated by Lode Geens and Wesley Meuris, NICC, Antwerp (B)
Illusions and Reality - Goldener Kentaur, House of Artists, Munich (D)
You can’t have your cake and eat it, project coordinated by Lieven Segers and Michele Matyn (with Gerard Herman, Nel Aerts a.o.), Cakehouse & Scheld’apen, Antwerp (B)
pARTyGUIDE - happening on the floor of Weiner & Gillick, M HKA, Antwerp (B)
2010
The Sky is the limit - Final Exhibition FrappantXPO, Matter in Progress (Part II) - Liesbet Grupping (Jury: Menno Meewis, Inge Braeckman, Raf Coenjaert, Lieven Segers en Hans Theys), KBC-Toren, Antwerp (B)
The Sky is the limit - FrappantXPO, Matter in Progress (Part I) - Liesbet Grupping (Jury: Menno Meewis, Inge Braeckman, Raf Coenjaert, Lieven Segers en Hans Theys), Diamantmuseum, Antwerp (B)
Lost Hallway (with Chloé Op de Beeck, De Constanten, RE:, Warre Mulder, a.o.), CC Mechelen (B)