In his artistic endeavors, Lenglet has consistently grappled with the concepts of security and threat, exploring mechanisms of inclusion and exclusion. Typically focusing on architecture and structures designed to ward off danger, one of his standout works in this thematic series is 'Voliere' (2007), created for Rosa-Luxemburgplatz in Berlin. Inspired by passages from Luxemburg's letters penned in prison to her friend Sophie Liebknecht, recounting the sounds of birds echoing from her cell and evoking memories of walks with the Liebknecht couple in happier times, Lenglet found motivation for this particular piece.
The bird, often symbolized as a cliché of freedom, took on new meaning when viewed through the lens of imprisonment. Lenglet found it challenging to present the concept in any other form than by subverting expectations, depicting the bird in captivity, observed from a perspective of relative freedom. The cage, symbolizing unfreedom, imposes physical constraints without occupying visual space—its transparency allowing viewers to see through it. Yet, a cage can also provide protection by confining danger and safeguarding everything beyond its confines. Similarly, what resides within the cage is shielded from external threats.
In 2020, at the invitation of Welcome Stranger, Lenglet transformed the facade of his own residence into an art installation. Building on his earlier explorations with cage structures, he installed all the windows of his corner house with a red metal mesh grid. This turned his apartment into a symbolic cage, prompting contemplation on the experience of being confined within such boundaries. Everyday objects, such as bed spirals and pillows, metamorphosed into artistic expressions, framing them as works of art. Simultaneously, this artistic intervention tied his home to Amsterdam's social history, as it was the same block where squatter Hans Kok was arrested and who met his tragic end in a police cell.
"I see it as an impetus to think about what position I have in the community I live in: to what extent am I expected to participate, how much from outside do I allow, and what relationship do I enter into with the other?"
The evolution of Lenglet's artwork unfolds in stages, transitioning from the depiction of a cage to an exploration of the (im)possibility of confinement. The stacked cage not only eradicates the potential for captivity but also challenges visitors to engage physically with the artwork. The rigid grid of the cage/mesh invites a rational examination of the emotional states associated with threat and safety, inclusion and exclusion.
In a world grappling with various challenges, including outbreaks of violence in the Middle East and Ukraine and climate change, the questions posed by Lenglet's work concerning freedom and imprisonment, private and public space, inclusion and exclusion, resonate more urgently than ever.