Even though Van Saene uses fabrics and textile, his artistic work has little to do with fashion. His sculptures are neither mannequins, nor statues. They are characters, dressed by him. They question the idea of presentation modules, the use of vehicles. Both mannequins in the world of fashion as well as pedestals in the artworld are architectural objects. They take up space. But in this exhibition, they merely carry themselves. Each sculpture has its own aura, but always dependent on imagination and creativity.
The artworld uses different criteria than the world of fashion, something he likes playing with. As a fashion designer, one needs an arsenal of various skills, but also a team of people, while as an artist and a sculptor, Van Saene experiences total freedom. He can answer any question about medium, color or form himself, as there is a much closer and direct relationship with the medium. The material also calls for a different experience. “While I do find the relationship between ‘designer’ and ‘artist’ interesting, I don’t want to dissect my own work too much”, he says. “I wouldn’t call these sculptures pure works of art, but that is not the point either. It's not about what they are, but what they do.”