Dirk Zoete
Belgium
10 Works exhibited on Kooness
Represented by
Works by Dirk Zoete
Drawing forms the core of Zoete’s oeuvre. He always starts from observation drawings of things that cross his path, like a cactus, a landscape or the human form. Influenced by the theatre sets and costumes of the German Bauhaus and Russian Constructivism of the 1920s, Zoete organizes happenings in his studio in which actors in imaginative costumes pose in front of his camera. Their masks are based on self-portraits from the artist. His drawings are the two-dimensional reports of those events.
From these observations on paper, Zoete lets his imagination run free. He remodels them over and over, until they have evolved into drawings that are far removed from the reality they were originally based on. The artist refuses to determine an absolute, finished form. On the contrary: he is constantly searching for ways of improvement and shows all stadia of his learning process to the viewer. Along the way, Zoete lets himself be guided by chance and coincidence. Although the simplicity of pencil on paper gives him the freedom required for his improvisational method, Zoete also appeals to other media. His drawings can give rise to performances, sculptures, photographs and vice versa.
The drawings that ensue from this practice, have a naive and schematic character. The panoramic landscapes and village scenes are made up of a few simple, clear lines. The views on fields and acres – Zoete comes from a farmers family, hence the recurrence of these themes – have a total lack of depth and perspective. The architectural settings never outgrow the schematic design phase. Furthermore, Zoete’s human figures are far-reaching geometrical abstractions, deprived from any individual features. Their faces are mere masks, with triangular- and rectangular shaped mouths and noses. Both humans and their environment are exclusively shown in frontal view; they stay façades, that never truly come to
life. This two-dimensionality is reflected in Zoete’s sculptures, with their unfinished back sides. These constructions, often existing of metal frames, concrete and removable colour areas, also present themselves frontally to the viewer.
The almost childish drawing style and abstraction add to the enigmatic, sometimes morbid nature of Zoete’s universe, filled with surrealistic scenes depicting an absurd company of characters, primitive animals and their attributes.
Belgian artist Dirk Zoete made successful passages at Be-Part in Waregem (2016) and the SMAK in Ghent (2017). Zoete’s first solo exhibition at Gallery FIFTY ONE took place in the spring of 2018.
selected Solo Exhibitions
2018
A Moment of Collective Concentration during the Expedition, Emergent, (Veurne, Belgium)
Quietly Humming thoughts, Gallery FIFTY ONE (Antwerp, Belgium)
2017
To be determined. According to the situation, SMAK (Ghent, Belgium)
2016
The Stage between the more and less, Galerie Kromus+Zink (Berlin, Germany)
Senhor Palhaço, Small Art Center (Antwerp, Belgium)
In anticipation of improvement, Be-Part (Waregem, Belgium)
Quatro Grãos, billboard series (Ghent, Belgium)
Exercises, Art Rotterdam (performance, Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
2015
Native Constructions (Waldkirchen, Germany)
Various parts, present on al levels, Centrum voor Geestelijke Gezondheidszorg (art integration, Aalst, Belgium)
Collection of Components, Teylers Museum (Haarlem, The Netherlands)
Workshop and walldrawing, Atelier e Galeria Art de Rua Manguecrew (Recife, Brazil)
2014
The Woodcut series, Muziekcentrum De Bijloke (Ghent, Belgium)
2013
S-trails, Loods 12 (Wetteren, Belgium)
The Big Convoy, KIOSK, KASK (book presentation, Ghent, Belgium)
GALLERY FIFTY ONE - FIFTY ONE TOO Zirkstraat 20 - Hofstraat 2 2000 Antwerpen - Belgium +32 3 289 84 58 - info@gallery51.com
2012
The Big Convoy, Galerie Annie Gentils (Antwerp, Belgium)
2008
Flemish Voodoo, Gallery Annie Gentils (Antwerp, Belgium)
2007
Betonsculpturen, vzw Croxhapox (Ghent, Belgium)
2004
STUK Kunstencentrum vzw (Leuven, Belgium)
2002
Wonen in een hoofd als een huiselijk avonturier, 1:13, Galerij De Lege Ruimte, (Ghent, Belgium)
Selected Group Exhibitions
2019
Thinking With My Hands, Galerie Zink (Waldkirchen, Germany)
This Must Be The Place, Galerie Maurits van de Laar (The Hague, The Netherlands)
2018
Comme les nuages, les formes du monde tournent les unes dans les autres, Centre d'Art Contemporain Chanot, Clamart, (Paris, France)
2017
Façade (Middelburg, The Netherlands)
Adele, Galerie Zink (Waldkirchen, Germany)
Le Nouvel Observateur, Hof ter Saksen (Beveren, Belgium)
2016
Greetings from Ghent, Galerie Zink (Waldkirchen, Germany)
Based on many faces, Coup de ville (Coup de ville version, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium)
Drawing Front, Drawing Centre (Diepenheim, The Netherlands)
GALLERY FIFTY ONE - FIFTY ONE TOO Zirkstraat 20 - Hofstraat 2 2000 Antwerpen - Belgium +32 3 289 84 58 - info@gallery51.com
2015
Vormidable. Flemish sculpture (The Hague, The Netherlands)
2014
Conflicts, Vierkante zaal, Academie Sint-Niklaas (Sint-Niklaas, Belgium)
Een onvervalste leugen, Emergent (Veurne, Belgium)
Separation of Concerns, Villa De Olmen (Wieze, Belgium)
Museum to scale 1:7, project Galerie Ronny Van de Velde (Antwerpen, Belgium) + KMSKB, Brussel, Belgium + The Baker Museum, Florida, USA + Kunsthal, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
De Zee, Galerie Maurits van de Laar (The Hague, The Netherlands)
2013
Constructies, Emergent (Veurne, Belgium)
2012
Façade, vzw Netwerk (Aalst, Belgium)
Duotentoonstelling Martin Assig + Dirk Zoete, Galerie Maurits van de Laar (The Hague, The Netherlands)
Hermetic City, Garage Rotterdam (Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
Arcadian Boxes, Gallery Siakos-Hanappe (Athens, Greece)
2011
Morrens en De Boe Productions, Aux Brasseurs (Liège, Belgium)
Tijdelijk Verblijf, Kasteel D’Aspermont-Lynden (Oud-Rekem, Belgium)
Zweierlei, Klingental (Basel, Switzerland)
2009
Landart project, Art Station Wilheminapolder, (Zeeland, The Netherlands)
2008
Voorkamer (Lier, Belgium)
The hands of art, SMAK (Ghent, Belgium)
The hands of art, MARTa (Herford, Germany)
GALLERY FIFTY ONE - FIFTY ONE TOO Zirkstraat 20 - Hofstraat 2 2000 Antwerpen - Belgium +32 3 289 84 58 - info@gallery51.com
2007
Nieuwe Collectie, Stedelijk Museum Wuyts-Van Campen & Baron Caroly (Lier, Belgium)
Offene Ateliers, Atelierhaus des Bonner Kunstvereins (Bonn, Germany)
Bruegel Revisited, Kasteel van Bouchout, Nationale Plantentuin (Meise, Belgium)
Wat is/Wat zou kunnen, W139 (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
2005
Kunst en Zwalm (Zwalm, Belgium)
Les Ventinelles, Edition 2005 Flandre (Angles, France)
2004
Zie Tekening, Stedelijk Museum Wuyts-Van Campen & Baron Caroly (Lier, Belgium)
Oogst – Récolte – Harvest, Caermersklooster, Provinciale Prijs Beeldende kunst (Ghent, Belgium)
2003
Beeld in Park, Felix Hap Park (Brussels, Belgium)
Fairs
2019 Art Brussels @ Gallery FIFTY ONE (Brussels, Belgium)
Publications
2020 The Cactus Derivatives, Gallery FIFTY ONE Publishing (Belgium)
2018 To be Determined. According to the Situation, SMAK & Mousse Publishing (Belgium)
2017 Not a Day without a Line. We, down the Road (Janssen, Peeters, Zoete), APE (Belgium)
2016 Masks, Notebook 1
The Be-Part Exercises, Roma Publications (Belgium/The Netherlands)
2014 Careful Dressage, Croxhapox (Belgium)
2013 The Big Convoy, Posture Editions #5 (Belgium)
GALLERY FIFTY ONE - FIFTY ONE TOO Zirkstraat 20 - Hofstraat 2 2000 Antwerpen - Belgium +32 3 289 84 58 - info@gallery51.com
Collections
Teylers Museum (Haarlem, The Netherlands)
Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen (Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
Collectie Vlaamse Gemeenschap (Belgium)
Various private collections