Unique sculpture, mixed media, part of the series ‘PLAYDATE’, 2023.
PLAYDATE
Coppens reinvents discarded and lost objects in associative compositions that drift between the grotesque carnivalesque and pure Zen. Fragments of wooden castles are transformed into new shapes and contain drawings, notes, and (treasure) maps. Gaping mouths, streams of blood, fake party noses, and absurd kinetic interventions unlock the folly of growing up. Through Playdate, the artist takes you to a former hideout, his old playroom. His childhood is a recurring theme for the artist, but never before has he focussed so radically on the days when he could still go and retreat carefree while the world outside rushed by. The toys hold the framework for the false-or-not memory. Averse to nostalgia, he handles the materiality and energy of his found and collected objects, in order to compose them into a story about the present. He appropriates the mementos hidden in the cemetery of abandoned toys into universal stories about life, lust, and love. They become impressive bas-reliefs that hover between magnificent and monstrous, between hilarious and deadly serious.
Material: plastic, paper, metal, ink and plaster.
Measurements: 102 x 54 x 30 cm
Coppens is represented by Gallerie Zwart Huis Brussels. Photo’s by Marc Tops.
