22 november 2024, Yves Joris
Everlasting peace in colour and sound
Samuel Vanderveken's newest exhibition, Everlasting Peace, reflects a fascinating new direction that explores the boundaries between visual art and sensory experiences. Building on his previous show, You Are Not Something, You Are Happening, at Shoobil—in which he aspired to achieve meditative silence through paintings rooted in Hindu and Buddhist philosophies—Vanderveken has deepened and enriched his vision. This time, he takes a multidisciplinary approach that invites the viewer to experience colour, sound and silence as elements of a universal whole.
Samuel Vanderveken, Deep blue, 2024, Shoobil
Colour and sound as harmonic frequencies
Since late 2023, Vanderveken has undergone an artistic transformation that has pushed his work towards new dimensions. Inspired by the philosophical belief that ‘everything is ultimately sound’, he began experimenting with video to investigate the underlying frequencies of colour and sound. Inspired by Hindu philosophy, he collaborated with musician Jonathan Poliart to discover how colour and sound possess distinct frequencies that can enhance and complement one another. The result is a series of video works that merge visual and auditory elements into a harmonious symphony of colour and sound, designed to lead the viewer into a meditative and introspective state.
During this creative process, Vanderveken also discovered Solfeggio frequencies, known for their restorative effects on the body and mind. Surprisingly, these frequencies align with specific colour frequencies found in yogic philosophy. This discovery led to a series of video works in which these healing colours and sounds interact, aiming to evoke a profound sensory experience. Vanderveken’s videos draw visual inspiration from pioneers like Oskar Fischinger and John Whitney, who explore abstract animation, and light artists such as James Turrell and Doug Wheeler, who treat light and colour as physical entities. By integrating these influences, Vanderveken creates a unique aesthetic experience in which form, colour and sound converge.
Samuel Vanderveken, Light blue, 2024, Shoobil
Rhythm as a meditative force
The simplicity and slowed movement in Vanderveken’s videos amplify their meditative power. Large geometric planes of colour flow gradually into one another, accompanied by soundscapes tuned precisely to the colours. The slowed pace and minimalist forms evoke a sense of tranquillity that is almost hypnotic, gently guiding the viewer into a deeper inner stillness. The work demands focus, providing a space where viewers can experience fleeting moments of peace.
The notion that rest and balance are not found in stillness but in ongoing movement imbued with calm is visually achieved here. Vanderveken’s videos invite the viewer to release life’s fast pace and immerse themselves in a slower, almost timeless rhythm. Colours merge and fade while healing frequencies envelop the senses, offering an experience that unfolds subtly rather than delivering an overt message.
Samuel Vanderveken, Dark green / Light grey, 2024, Shoobil
From moving image to static canvas
Although he experiments with video, painting has remained a vital medium for Vanderveken. Inspired by the abstract simplicity of his videos, he sought to capture the same sensations of colour and frequency on wood panels (plywood). His new work translates the qualities of simplicity, harmony and rhythm into a static medium without them losing their meditative essence. These paintings reflect a profound study of the relationship between colour and form, influenced by his own meditative practices, such as Vipassana, and philosophies from Theravāda Buddhism.
The paintings in Everlasting Peace reflect the influence of modernist artists like Frank Stella, Kenneth Noland, Stanley Twardowicz, Wojciech Fangor and Josef Albers, yet with a spiritual depth unique to Vanderveken. While the geometric shapes and bold colour compositions echo the modernist quest for purity, they are infused with a spiritual resonance drawn from Vanderveken’s own meditative practices. This creates a dialogue between Eastern philosophies and Western artistic traditions using colour and form as spiritual tools to anchor viewers in the present and accept the everlasting changes of existence.
Samuel Vanderveken, Deep red, 2024, Shoobil
A journey to inner peace without an endpoint
Vanderveken’s paintings are not endpoints, but moments in an ongoing journey propelled by an unceasing flow of cause and effect. As he explains, “Beginning and end do not truly exist; there is only an endless cycle of change within eternal stillness.” This concept forms the foundation of Everlasting Peace and resonates throughout his work. The exhibition invites viewers to embrace the notions of infinity and perpetual motion.
In Vanderveken’s art, the boundary between static and dynamic is blurred. Paintings are not final results, but remain open to interpretation, aligned with the principle that everything is in constant motion. His work shows that peace and balance are not fixed destinations, but ever-changing states. The silence in his art is not passive, but rooted in an ongoing underlying dynamism. True inner peace, he suggests, is not a goal to be achieved, but a process to surrender to without the need for control.
Through this exhibition, Vanderveken offers an intimate glimpse into his artistic and philosophical journey. His work stimulates the senses with colour and sound while encouraging reflection on our own relationship with tranquillity and balance. The exhibition does not provide answers, but creates a space where the concept of peace—carried by life’s eternal flow—takes centre stage. It is an invitation to rediscover silence, not in stillness, but within the constant stream of change.
Samuel Vanderveken, Everlasting peace, Shoobil
