It is estimated that every day, nearly 100 million selfies are taken worldwide. The human desire to display one’s self is universal, hence shared by artists as well. The modern ‘selfie’ has a striking resemblance to the traditional art form of self-portraiture.
The self-portrait only appeared in Western art towards the end of the Middle Ages, signifying the artist’s self-awareness. Previously, the artist was viewed as a skilled craftsman who executed orders. The artist’s portrait first became visible in religious and historical works of art, where they presented themselves as a silent witness to events, affirming their signature through their hand. Albrecht Dürer was the first artist to assign great importance to the self-portrait. In an iconic example from 1500, he assumes the pose of Christ as the Redeemer. Dissatisfied with the social position of artists at the time, Dürer portrays himself as a significant figure with creative gifts bordering on the divine. With Romanticism, a new vision of the artist’s identity emerged, and the self-portrait was seen as a mirror of the soul. Expressionists then considered it a way study their emotions, considering the self-portrait a direct confrontation with the self. Throughout art history, the self-portrait has remained an important genre, and even today, it remains indispensable. But why exactly? And in what way does the self-portrait resemble the selfie?
The origin of selfies can be traced back to Japanese kawaii culture. In purikura, photo sticker booths, mainly women take pictures and edit them with varied effects to look cute or adorable. Decorative backgrounds, icons, and accessories such as hair extensions and diamond tiaras are used to enhance their appearance. In response to the purikura craze, Japanese and Korean companies started manufacturing mobile phones with front-facing cameras to facilitate taking selfies. With the launch of iPhone 4, selfies became popular worldwide, beyond East Asia. This marked the beginning of a global obsession with enhancing self-presentation in digital photographic form. Although selfies may appear to be more superficial than self-portraits, there is more than meets the eye. In the same way as selfie-takers emphasise their status on social media, artists use self-portraits to determine how they want to be seen. Influencers take selfies in designer outfits to portray themselves as successful members of society, whereas Renaissance artists adorned their self-portraits with costumes and symbols of dignity for the same reason. Apart from being used to manipulate self-image, the self-portrait and the selfie also share a desire inherent in human nature, namely the urge to freeze a piece of one’s life, however artificial, and thus become immortal. In a daily struggle with mortality, it’s a comforting thought for both the selfie-taker and the artist that there is something that will outlast them, that there are things left behind that keep their memory alive.
Selfies” is a dual exhibition that playfully combines self-portraits and selfies. The exhibition showcases intriguing self-portraits of artists that illustrate how they see themselves or how they want to be seen. In addition, the viewer is also invited to contribute to the exhibition. They are encouraged to sit at a table where they can draw their self-portrait using a mirror and then take a selfie with and without their drawn portrait in an ellipse in a photo booth. All diptychs of self-portraits and selfies will be on display on the gallery wall throughout the exhibition, engaging in dialogue with the works of those others, namely the following artists:
Selfies I and II, featuring works by Krista Autio, Tina Berning, Lien Buysens, Laure Carré, Yvonne de Grazia, Tine Delbare, Terry Ekasala, Flexboj & L.A., Liza François, Raymond Fuyana, Gabrielle Graessle, Lisa ijeoma, Klaartje Lambrechts, Benedicte Lobelle, Lize Maekelberg, Steven Antonio Manes, JD Marnix, Takeshi Matsugami, Albert Pepermans, Piet Raemdonck, Madoka Rindal, Randoald Sabbe, Indré Svirplyté, Paulette Taecke, Svelte Thys, Tuyo-art, Janine Vandebosch, Nina Van Denbempt, Thomas Vandenberghe, Sofie Van den Bril, Luis Vidal, Jenny Watson, Jesse Willems, Christina Zimpel and you !
- Text by Roxane Baeyens -