Biography
Since 2001, Bart Lodewijks has been making large-scale, linear chalk drawings in public and private spaces. The drawings can be found on the facades of buildings, in hospitals and offices, but also in private homes and the surrounding streets. His distinctly abstract drawings respond to the social context in which they were made.
In his long-term projects, the artist documents the process in writing, photography and film. Images and texts come together in books, made in collaboration with art publisher ROMA publications; an essay was published in the essay series of the Mondriaan Fund. Film documents were made in collaboration with filmmaker Griet Teck. Lodewijks has also recently incorporated these different media into theatre performances, in collaboration with Griet Teck and Tom Van Imschoot as dramaturge.
The Dutch State Architect and the Flemish cities of Ronse, Genk, Ghent and Brussels have commissioned long-term projects. Emergent gallery (Veurne, Belgium) commissioned drawings in private homes. Lodewijks worked with S.M.A.K. – Ghent (TRACK 2012, Kathmandu Triennnale 2016), Capacete – Rio de Janeiro (2010, 2013), The Model Sligo – Ireland (2013-2016), Whitechapel Gallery – London (2014-2015), BOZAR – Brussels (2016), MMCA Seoul (2016), Calcutta Art & Research Foundation India (2018), KAAP Bruges, Belgium (2019-2021), OCMW Merelbeke, Belgium (2020), Noordereiland Rotterdam, Murals Inc, NL (2020-21), Kinderdagverblijf Bambino/Flemish Community, Belgium (2021), Kunstfestival Watou, Belgium (2021)
In residentie Onder mensen
02.04.2024 – 02.04.2024
Bart Lodewijks is working on a single large-scale, linear chalk drawing that crosses both public and private spaces in various cities and countries. The drawing consists of long straight lines that are not visible in their entirety because they turn corners, continue several streets further or are partly erased by rain. Lodewijks always writes extensively about the people he meets while drawing. In publications, e-books, lectures, newspapers, exhibitions, performances and films, he tells how the encounters with residents influence the drawing.
Onder Mensen aims to bring stories collected through drawing back to the communities where they originated via performative formats. The prison of Haren in Brussels where he drew in 2023/24 is the first in this series of returns. Other communities are Flemish houses (theatre festival), Yenikapi (fishing community in Istanbul), Watou arts festival.