"Life is Performance and Vanity 2: Acts of Contemplation" is the second and concluding part of a series in which Tom Woestenborghs examines vanity in the present day. It is a reflection on how we relate to this concept in a world permeated by social media. A constant presence that continually brings our perception of who we are (or wish to be) to the fore. A game that must be played, or from which it is very difficult to escape.
The first part focused heavily on ostentation and the sensitivities associated with it. In this second part, the focus turns more inwards. Towards the idea of maximum self-development. This is not only because we want it, but also because it has become a requirement: Ever fitter, more intelligent, more attractive... a race against everything and everyone.
Tom Woestenborghs (1978, BE) lives and works in Hoogstraten, Belgium.
He studied Fine Art at Sint-Lucas, obtaining his Master's degree in Painting from the Higher Institute of Fine Arts (HISK) in Antwerp.
Tom Woestenborghs is a Belgian visual artist known for his layered collages that combine photography, painting, and mixed media. Originally trained as a painter, he developed his own visual language by working with self-adhesive plastic films instead of traditional paint, placing his works at the intersection of photography and painting.