FLANDERS TODAY arts AUGUST 29, 2012 WEEK IN ARTS New York’s Flemish master & CULTURE Legendary Italian film Marc Van Cauwenbergh has found success in a tough market of critics and buyers composer Ennio Morricone will make a personal appearance Leo Cendrowicz in Antwerp’s Sportpaleis on 22 December to conduct a tribute t seems apt that Marc Van Luc fine arts school, where he excelled to his many celebrated scores. Cauwenbergh’s apartment in in woodcuts. (A remnant from that The 81-year-old is best known Idowntown Manhattan overlooks era is a small woodcut on his desk for his work on the films of Flanders Square. No matter that this featuring an explicit sexual act.) Sergio Leone, such as A Fistful of small corner of City Hall Plaza is But work was scarce after graduation, Dollars and The Good, the Bad named after forgotten broadcaster so Van Cauwenbergh auditioned for and the Ugly. He will conduct Steve Flanders, it is now home to the opera-ballet in Ghent, where he the Il Novecento orchestra and a perhaps the most famous Flemish danced for two years on a programme choir of 100 singers. New Yorker today. covering opera and operetta, jazz, Van Cauwenbergh has lived in modern styles and tap. As for his Works on the digging of a storm New York for two decades, and in painting: “I just kept working,” he says. basin by the Vaartkom in Leuven that time his abstract paintings of “It was tricky because there was not were interrupted last week when figurative forms dancing over multiple much spare time.” workers came upon the remains intricate layers have earned him a As he built his portfolio, he also of part of a river wall dating cult reputation amongst the city’s reached out beyond Flanders, back to the 15th or 16th century. art cognoscenti. Although his recent eventually moving to New York in 1987, Samples of the wall will be taken exhibition in Ghent was a rare return where he completed a Master of Fine before work goes ahead. to his home region, he enjoys regular Arts at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. shows across America, including He briefly returned to Europe – three The Antwerp-born actress one currently running at the Pratt years in Brussels – before making New Maïté Nahyr has died in Manhattan Gallery. York his permanent home in 1994. Marseilles at the age of 64 after At this moment, however, he is simply It was then that the abstract took hold. a long illness. She had roles in enjoying New York’s balmy summer. Van Cauwenbergh began exploring films starting in the 1970s to Sporting a white T-shirt and denim cascading colours and jostling forms. the year 2000, including Roman shorts, he beams as he welcomes “I was probing more inside the psyche Polanski’s The Tenant and me into his apartment. “There is in Ghent and Brussels. Here, it is Federico Fellini’s City of Women. something about the spectacle of busier and more aggressive, with the New York that I really like,” he says, influences of New York’s chaos and Radio stations Nostalgie, MNM gesturing out of the window to the energy,” he says. and Radio 1 all saw increased view of the crowds thronging through listener numbers in the months the park below. Layering in wait from April to June, according Van Cauwenbergh’s studio, part of his Each element, though, still represents to the Centre for Information apartment, is littered with his works an organic being – “a sculptural on the Media. Nostalgie saw its in progress, their forms and colours presence of a form,” he says. “There share go up from 6.5% to 7.7% for at once alien and familiar. Splashes, was always a silhouette sitting or its classics playlist. MNM went smears, drips and veils of paint half standing on a neutral background.” up 1.3 points to 9.5%, while Radio evoke figures and actions, yet remain Indeed, the movement of the forms, 1 rose only 0.6 points to 8%. The deliberately evasive. their delicate balance and rhythm Cauwenbergh often has many latter two stations are broadcast “They are inspired by my experience of seems sometimes to recall his own canvases on the go at the same time. by the public broadcaster VRT. life in general,” he says. “I’m affected dance heritage. As for colours, Van “I let things rest as I freeze the motion, by my surroundings. The mood in a Cauwenbergh uses the weave, texture but it’s not always practical,” he says. Geert Noppe, keyboard player work will evolve, like how life evolves and absorbency of the canvas linen “It does not have to be completely dry, with the Flemish pop group and changes. They explore the darker Yevgueni, will stand for election spaces within relationships, how in October as a candidate for the troubled or joyful you can be, and “They explore the darker spaces within Groen-SP.A coalition in Beveren, that might be reflected in chaotic East Flanders. The musician structures.” relationships” Marc Van Cauwenbergh’s “The Eclipse” (top); said his platform would include the artist in his Manhattan studio better cycle paths, car-free The dancing painter – adding washes of oil paint directly but I need to balance the movement. streets around schools and a The 58-year-old’s journey to onto the canvas – creating more I want to let it sink in enough so that one that he relishes as he continues to ban on heavy goods traffic in the Manhattan from his hometown of subdued, less vibrant tones that mix the paint sticks to the previous layers, explore the interaction of form and town centre. Ninove, East Flanders, has taken many intriguingly with his signature green- and then I can work on it again.” colour. turns. He focused on art at school, yellows and Venetian reds. It is a relentless process, notes the A 15th-century triptych painted while also taking dance classes, before The layering of translucent paints artist, surveying the unfinished ` www.marcvancauwenbergh.net by a follower of Rogier Van der earning a degree from Ghent’s Saint- can be time consuming, and Van canvases spread around his studio, but Weyden has been returned to its place in Sint-Pieters Church in Leuven. It was removed in 2007 for restoration and then formed part of the opening exhibition in the city’s Museum M. The Festival memories at Rock Werchter X Edelheere Triptych was painted for the family of the same name he festival Rock Werchter may the biggest music festivals in the world. hanging on a wall. It turned out to be a in 1443 and is a copy of Van der take place only four days in July, This evolution is shown through photos, death notice.) Weyden’s “The Descent From the but now you can experience clippings, posters and memorabilia Rock Werchter X also displays the Cross”. T collective memory of festival visitors, its positive vibes all year long at the such as tickets, caps and wristbands. exhibition Rock Werchter X set up at On a jukebox, you can choose your brought together in the “anecdotes Brothers Stijn and Steven the cultural centre Jack-Op in Werchter, favourite song played at Werchter. forest”, where everyone can reminisce Kolacny, founders and directors which is a district of Rotselaar. This Movies filmed backstage and interviews about their Werchter adventures. The of the choir Scala, were last week former brewery site once housed the with employees of the festival offer a collection includes a small note from made honorary citizens of the festival administration. view behind the scenes. You can have Maria Verbist, mother of Schueremans, choir’s home town of Aarschot “Rock Werchter X is not a museum your picture taken with stars such as who describes how she used to light in Flemish Brabant. Since its exhibition,” assures Maria Lauwers of Nick Cave and Chris Martin – or at least candles to pray for good weather on the creation in 1996 the all-female the Rotselaar tourism office. “It’s an with their cardboard cut-outs. crucial days. choir that covers pop and rock experience centre for those who want Key moments in the festival’s nearly The exhibition is open from Wednesday songs has gone on to become to relive their time at the festival – and four decades are highlighted, such as to Sunday until 30 September and then an international sensation. for those who haven’t experienced that the transition from black-and-white to permanently on Sundays only. Visitors Receiving the honour, Steven atmosphere yet.” colour posters. (That decision, you’ll receive a free Jack-Op beer and a poster Kolacny announced a new Starting in 1975 as a small festival of discover, was taken after director from the early days of Rock Werchter. concert series in December. the local Chiro youth movement, Rock Herman Schueremans, on holiday in Andy Furniere Werchter has grown to be Flanders’ Italy, took a closer look at what he ` www.scalachoir.com biggest music festival but also one of thought was a poster of his own festival ` www.rockwerchterx.be 13.