PHILIPPE VAN WOLPUTTE
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Temporary Penetrable Exhibition Space 02
intervention
2005

The T.P.E.S.'s are site-specific interventions that occur in vacant disuses spaces. Like many cities in Belgium, the city of Antwerp has many derelict, vacant buildings and spaces. These spaces are sometimes inhabited by the homeless. As a result these buildings are typically demolished by developers and city councils as quickly as possible. What is not generally acknowledged is that these deteriorated spaces serve an important function in the memory and social landscape of the city and in a way possess a beauty of their own. The rapid measures taken to demolish these unused spaces are a way to exclude everything that is irrational, chaotic and seemingly unreasonable in urban planning. Philippe van Wolputte’s interventions draw attention to the existence of these spaces by making them accessible again for a short period of time, and he approaches his subjects with an almost Freudian-like obsession. Using narrow corridors and holes, he creates new passageways and infiltrates nearly impenetrable spaces, giving them a new temporary function as a fictional exhibition space. The artist’s interpretation of his experiences in creating his interventions and the intimate manner of viewing these spaces characterise his work, expressed in beautiful graph like photographs, videos and collages. T.P.E.S. 2 was a house in Mechelen, penetrated and temporary partly re-opened for public in 2005. The entrance to this space was just a re-opened door. The covered windows got spray painted with patterns as an indication for the event. The existence off this location got mentioned by an email send out as a fwd. message.