VOYELLE

The East Belgian artist Francis Schmetz (*1957, † 2022) was known for his drawings, collages and prints. After he died unexpectedly in 2022, IKOB wants to take on the task of bringing his rarely shown Super 8 films back into the collective memory. In his works, he grappled with the question of being and what it means to be alive, re-formulating it again and again.

The twelve short films in Voyelle show existence in all its facets: “boredom, killing time, being tired of life”. Ecstasy and despair always lie side by side for Schmetz. The motifs range from everyday situations, such as kneading dough or a plastic bag blowing in the wind, absurd and comical moments, to situations of voyeurism. Schmetz exploits the full range of feeling in the search for meaning in his films with vital intensity.