DANS L’EMPIRE DE L’EMPEREUR TOMATO KETCHUP

Yann Freichels (1996) is one of the most promising young talents from East Belgium, who looks at the present with the eye of a painter and uses the painting styles of his predecessors. He dissects the history of German painting of the early 20th century with irony and wit. His role models are the painters of New Objectivity, such as George Grosz or Otto Dix.

Unlike many German painters, however, he is able to approach these artists without reverence or pathos. The advantage of being German-speaking but not German becomes clearer with him than with any other painter of his generation. The role East Belgium plays in mediating between the French-speaking and German-speaking cultural areas is made abundantly clear in this exhibition.

YANN FREICHELS (*1996) lives and works in Grüfflingen, Belgium. He completed his training in painting at the École supérieure des arts de la ville de Liège (ESAVL) in 2020. His works have been presented in solo exhibitions at La Comète (Espace 251 Nord) in Liège, Belgium, the Saarländische Galerie in Berlin, Germany, and the KABK in Oudenaarde, Belgium. His group exhibitions include "Yann Freichels & Jean-Baptiste Vandevelde" at Gevaertsdreef 01, Oudenaarde, Belgium, "Prix Collignon" at La Châtaigneraie Center Wallon d'art contemporain, Flémalle, Belgium, and "Private views" curated by Yves Randaxhe at La Boverie, Liège, Belgium. His works are also represented in public collections, including the Collection de la communauté germanophone de Belgique and the Collection artistique de la province de Liège.