The Antwerp artist duo Daems van Remoortere (Lena Daems, 1988 and Frederik van Remoortere, 1986) develop their oeuvre in two directions: autonomous visual work and multimedia installations in public space. Their multidisciplinary works cross the boundaries of theater, film and visual art. They integrate disciplines such as mathematics, astronomy and physics into their creations. The themes of their work relate to space, especially the tension between public space and the personal environment of the individual. They observe human behavior in the universe, in a voyeuristic way. The audience is often involved in their productions, playing an active and essential role in the work.
In 2018, they organized a solo exhibition on an idea for a sculpture in public space. This sculpture makes it possible to observe a solar eclipse every day at the highest point of the sun. From this idea for an installation with the sun, a new pattern of thought emerged. The duo designed a permanent sculpture called Meetingpoint for the new Haren prison in Brussels. This sculpture aims to make time visible and tangible. In the courtyard, which acts as a passageway between the prison and the visitors' area, they installed a ten-meter-long circular segment, which is computer-controlled to follow the position of the sun. At a rate of four inches per day, the steel arch spans a total height difference of more than eight meters. The blue and yellow painted steps on the arch cause the work to constantly change color, just like nature during the seasons.
For this exhibition, Daems van Remoortere delved further into the relationship between human and time. They are fascinated by how human behavior is affected by light and the seasons. Knight night refers to the moment when one realizes that the light of sunset has disappeared for 8 minutes before it is perceived by the human eye. Venus refers to the wordly female nude in Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, using symbols to tell a nocturnal story set between sunset and sunrise.
The Meetingpoint trajectory continues this summer with the new installation Sundance during the group exhibition Museum Spelen at M HKA.