JAN FABRE – INSEKTENZEICHNUNGEN & INSEKTENSKULPTUREN 1975-1979

IKOB – Museum of Contemporary Art in Eupen is showing the work of Jan Fabre (b.1958 in Antwerp). Both at home and abroad he is well known as one of the most innovative and versatile artists of the day.

To celebrate the twentieth birthday of IKOB and the 800th anniversary of the city of Eupen, Jan Fabre will be exhibiting early works related to the world of insects, created between 1975 and 1979. This is the first special exhibition dedicated to a body of work that proved decisive for the thematic development of his art in the years that followed. IKOB exhibition JAN FABRE – INSEKTENZEICHNUNGEN & INSEKTENSKULPTUREN 1975-1979 brings together loans from the Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo (Netherlands); the M HKA, Antwerp (Belgium); the S.M.A.K., Ghent (Belgium); the Belfius Bank Collection, Brussels (Belgium); an Italian private collection and Angelos bvba/Jan Fabre, Antwerp (Belgium). Among other things, Jan Fabre is known for his works made of beetles, which he sees as symbols both of life’s beauty and its transience. He began exploring the world of insects over thirty years ago, and the theme still continues to engage him as an artist today.

The IKOB exhibition focusses specifically on Fabre’s early development and his approach to his work as a young artist in the ’70s. With around 130 insect drawings, insect sculptures, a Spiders Heads Theatre and a tent featuring an insect laboratory, IKOB is presenting key works by the Antwerp artist. The eternal cycle of life, death and resurrection, the constant metamorphosis and the visualisation of invisible energies, define and unite the artist’s entire oeuvre. Already in his earliest works we discover his interest in the body and its movement, instinct and intuition.