1 / 7

Description

JAN FABRE (Antwerp, Belgium, 1958). "De man die de wolken meet", 1998. Bronze sculpture. Exemplary M. P. 7/8. Signed and numbered on the ruler. Stamp of Art Casting Belgium. Attached certificate signed by the artist. Measurements: 298 x 120 x 80 cm. "The man who measures the clouds" is a monumental piece that overflows with poetry. It also leads to biographical reflections of the artist himself. The character who "measures the clouds" (who insists on impossible enterprises) is inspired by the artist's brother, who died prematurely. The features coincide with those of the artist, so that in a way the self-portrait merges with the identity of his brother. This sculpture could be seen at the Venice Biennale, 2019 edition. It was visible from the Accademia Bridge, next to the Grand Canal. The first verison he created in 1998, a life-size realistic sculpture, in polished and shiny bronze, of a man standing on a ladder with a ruler in his hand measuring the clouds. In addition to paying homage to his brother's dreamy character, it expresses the feeling of wanting to master the ineffable, which is innate in every artist. As Fabre stated in an interview "The figure symbolizes my craft. The artist's attempt to control things, but it never goes as planned. The artist measures: he establishes connections - mental, physical, political and philosophical relationships. I constantly measure these kinds of relationships, it's my duty as an artist." Ultimately, the title also refers to the Birdman of Alcatraz, who in the movie based on his life, the character played by Burt Lancaster, declares upon his release from prison: "Now I'm going to measure clouds". Jan Fabre is a playwright, stage director, choreographer and visual artist. He studied at the Municipal Institute of Decorative Arts in Antwerp and at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Between 1976 and 1980 he wrote his first texts for the theater. In 1978 he made drawings with his own blood during the solo performance My Body, My Blood, My Landscape. In 1980 he made the "Bic-Art Room", as an opposition to "Big Art"; he locked himself for three days and three nights in a white cube filled with objects, drawing with blue Bic pens. In 1986 he founded Troubleyn/Jan Fabre, a theater company with extensive international projection. He has been a member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Sciences and Arts of Belgium since 1998 and is a Commander of the Order of Leopold II. In 2008, The Angel of Metamorphosis was exhibited at the Louvre Museum, an exhibition inaugurated by Queen Paola of Belgium. He decorated the ceiling of the Hall of Mirrors of the Royal Palace in Brussels, which he called Heaven of Delights, made of 1600,000 beetle-beetle elytra, which has been widely praised. He also made Totem, a sculpture of a giant insect pierced by a huge twenty-three-meter steel spire, at the Ladeuzeplein in Leuven. The sculpture was erected in 2005 to commemorate the 575th anniversary of the historic Leuven University Library.

64 
Go to lot
<
>

JAN FABRE (Antwerp, Belgium, 1958). "De man die de wolken meet", 1998. Bronze sculpture. Exemplary M. P. 7/8. Signed and numbered on the ruler. Stamp of Art Casting Belgium. Attached certificate signed by the artist. Measurements: 298 x 120 x 80 cm. "The man who measures the clouds" is a monumental piece that overflows with poetry. It also leads to biographical reflections of the artist himself. The character who "measures the clouds" (who insists on impossible enterprises) is inspired by the artist's brother, who died prematurely. The features coincide with those of the artist, so that in a way the self-portrait merges with the identity of his brother. This sculpture could be seen at the Venice Biennale, 2019 edition. It was visible from the Accademia Bridge, next to the Grand Canal. The first verison he created in 1998, a life-size realistic sculpture, in polished and shiny bronze, of a man standing on a ladder with a ruler in his hand measuring the clouds. In addition to paying homage to his brother's dreamy character, it expresses the feeling of wanting to master the ineffable, which is innate in every artist. As Fabre stated in an interview "The figure symbolizes my craft. The artist's attempt to control things, but it never goes as planned. The artist measures: he establishes connections - mental, physical, political and philosophical relationships. I constantly measure these kinds of relationships, it's my duty as an artist." Ultimately, the title also refers to the Birdman of Alcatraz, who in the movie based on his life, the character played by Burt Lancaster, declares upon his release from prison: "Now I'm going to measure clouds". Jan Fabre is a playwright, stage director, choreographer and visual artist. He studied at the Municipal Institute of Decorative Arts in Antwerp and at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Between 1976 and 1980 he wrote his first texts for the theater. In 1978 he made drawings with his own blood during the solo performance My Body, My Blood, My Landscape. In 1980 he made the "Bic-Art Room", as an opposition to "Big Art"; he locked himself for three days and three nights in a white cube filled with objects, drawing with blue Bic pens. In 1986 he founded Troubleyn/Jan Fabre, a theater company with extensive international projection. He has been a member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Sciences and Arts of Belgium since 1998 and is a Commander of the Order of Leopold II. In 2008, The Angel of Metamorphosis was exhibited at the Louvre Museum, an exhibition inaugurated by Queen Paola of Belgium. He decorated the ceiling of the Hall of Mirrors of the Royal Palace in Brussels, which he called Heaven of Delights, made of 1600,000 beetle-beetle elytra, which has been widely praised. He also made Totem, a sculpture of a giant insect pierced by a huge twenty-three-meter steel spire, at the Ladeuzeplein in Leuven. The sculpture was erected in 2005 to commemorate the 575th anniversary of the historic Leuven University Library.

Estimate 400 000 - 450 000 EUR
Starting price 275 000 EUR

* Not including buyer’s premium.
Please read the conditions of sale for more information.

Sale fees: 24 %
Leave bid
Register

For sale on Wednesday 12 Jun : 14:30 (CEST)
wwwsetdartcom, pays.null
Setdart.com
+34932463241
Browse the catalogue Sales terms Sale info

Delivery to
Change delivery address
Delivery is not mandatory.
You may use the carrier of your choice.
The indicated price does not include the price of the lot or the auction house's fees.

You may also like

JAN FABRE (Antwerp, Belgium, 1958). "De blikopener", 2017. Sculpture in silicon bronze. Exemplary 8/35. Signed and numbered. With stamp of Art Casting Belgium. Attached certificate signed by the artist. Measurements: 108 x 45 x 30 cm; 178 cm (height with base). This sculpture belongs to a series of pieces in bronze of polished and shiny finish of realistic workmanship, in which the portrayed figures, who often assume the features of the artist himself (as in this case), hold utensils that function as metaphorical attributes of the artist's role. The figure wears a suit jacket and in his right hand holds a can opener. The object seems to suggest the role of the artist as the one whose mission is to pierce reality, to "open eyes," to perforate the world and break with preconceptions. "De Blikopener" was exhibited at the Palazzo Merulana in Rome, in the show "Jan Fabre. The rhythm of the brain", curated by Achille Bonita Oliva and Melania Rossi. Jan Fabre is a playwright, stage director, choreographer and visual artist. He studied at the Municipal Institute of Decorative Arts in Antwerp and at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Between 1976 and 1980 he wrote his first texts for the theater. In 1978 he made drawings with his own blood during the solo performance My Body, My Blood, My Landscape. In 1980 he made the "Bic-Art Room", as an opposition to "Big Art"; he locked himself for three days and three nights in a white cube filled with objects, drawing with blue Bic pens. In 1986 he founded Troubleyn/Jan Fabre, a theater company with extensive international projection. He has been a member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Sciences and Arts of Belgium since 1998 and is a Commander of the Order of Leopold II. In 2008, The Angel of Metamorphosis was exhibited at the Louvre Museum, an exhibition inaugurated by Queen Paola of Belgium. He decorated the ceiling of the Hall of Mirrors of the Royal Palace in Brussels, which he called Heaven of Delights, made of 1600,000 beetle-beetle elytra, which has been widely praised. He also made Totem, a sculpture of a giant insect pierced by a huge twenty-three-meter steel spire, at the Ladeuzeplein in Leuven. The sculpture was erected in 2005 to commemorate the 575th anniversary of the historic Leuven University Library.

JAN FABRE (Antwerp, Belgium, 1958). "C'ôte D'Ôr, A Tribute to Begian Congo", 2010. Collage (jewel beetle wings) on wood. Attached certificate signed by Guy Pieters. Measurements: 218 x 165 cm; 228 x 175 x 8 cm (frame). "Gold Coast" refers us to an Edenic and unreal place guarded by an elephant, an animal linked to good fortune in all cultures. Jan Fabre has used beetle wings to create a subjugating tapestry. Beetle wings are a recurring motif in Fabre's work. They symbolize ideas linked to metamorphosis, spiritual transformation, beauty and the ephemeral nature of life. As for the Edenic theme, the artist often raises with a variety of language the possibility of utopia. Jan Fabre is a playwright, stage director, choreographer and visual artist. He studied at the Municipal Institute of Decorative Arts in Antwerp and at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Between 1976 and 1980 he wrote his first texts for the theater. In 1978 he made drawings with his own blood during the solo performance My Body, My Blood, My Landscape. In 1980 he made the "Bic-Art Room", as an opposition to "Big Art"; he locked himself for three days and three nights in a white cube filled with objects, drawing with blue Bic pens. In 1986 he founded Troubleyn/Jan Fabre, a theater company with extensive international projection. He has been a member of the Royal Flemish Academy of Sciences and Arts of Belgium since 1998 and is a Commander of the Order of Leopold II. In 2008, The Angel of Metamorphosis was exhibited at the Louvre Museum, an exhibition inaugurated by Queen Paola of Belgium. He decorated the ceiling of the Hall of Mirrors of the Royal Palace in Brussels, which he called Heaven of Delights, made of 1600,000 beetle-beetle elytra, which has been widely praised. He also made Totem, a sculpture of a giant insect pierced by a huge twenty-three-meter steel spire, at the Ladeuzeplein in Leuven. The sculpture was erected in 2005 to commemorate the 575th anniversary of the historic Leuven University Library.