What is 'Staging Sea’?
Staging Sea is a total artwork. An interplay between landscape, lanterns, and a pavilion with a fountain. The work shifts in colour and light, as changeable as the sea itself. The fountain visualises the tides of the Belgian coast, with their remarkable five-metre difference. It feels both organic and high-tech at once. Though the sea is (for now) out of sight, its presence is strongly suggested. Two of the pavilion's twelve panels are open to allow visitors to take a seat. This makes the artwork not only an homage to the sea but also a subtle commentary on humanity’s impact on nature. A recurring theme in Filip Vervaet’s work is how we shape – and claim – the natural world.
Artist
Filip Vervaet
Photo gallery
What is 'Staging Sea’?
Staging Sea is a total artwork. An interplay between landscape, lanterns, and a pavilion with a fountain. The work shifts in colour and light, as changeable as the sea itself. The fountain visualises the tides of the Belgian coast, with their remarkable five-metre difference. It feels both organic and high-tech at once. Though the sea is (for now) out of sight, its presence is strongly suggested. Two of the pavilion's twelve panels are open to allow visitors to take a seat. This makes the artwork not only an homage to the sea but also a subtle commentary on humanity’s impact on nature. A recurring theme in Filip Vervaet’s work is how we shape – and claim – the natural world.
Did you know that...
Vervaet doesn’t see exhibitions as static displays of objects but as narratives or ever-changing stage sets? In Inner Garden (Galerie Ron Mandos, 2022), he created a near-theatrical world. Using 150 wooden boards and 6 tonnes of black sand, he created a dimly lit installation populated by sculptures in a science-fiction atmosphere.
he often refers to himself as ‘a landscape painter in sculptural form’? Like traditional landscape paintings, his works evoke spatial experiences that reflect on how we design our surroundings - from cast plants and industrial sand to wind-driven devices.
'how humans shape nature' is a central theme in Vervaet's work? He blends artificial with organic elements, often enhanced with light, sound or wind. That way, the human hand behind the creation is always present.
How to get there?
Kerkstraat 53, 8660 De Panne
