exhibition:

Not In My Backyard!

by Kristof Vrancken & Niek Kosten

14 Apr 2023
18 Jun 2023

An invasive alien species is threatening our biodiversity and infrastructure... While many react in panic, photographer Kristof Vrancken and graphic designer Niek Kosten seek to come closer to the Japanese Knotweed.

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Not In My Backyard! - Kristof Vrancken & Niek Kosten Credits: Kristof Vrancken and Niek Kosten  Kristof Vrancken, Niek Kosten

With:
Kristof Vrancken, Niek Kosten

This exhibition is an adaptation of their photography book ‘Not In My Backyard!’. The book collects a wide array of experimental work that explores various visual and imaginative strategies to relate to the issue of invasives. It presents a collection of rhizomatic ideas, invasive insights, and artistic interpretations adapting to a world in transformation. 

If we want to find new ways of living harmoniously together with invasive species, we need to start acknowledging the plant for who it is and what it may mean to us as human beings. Even if it confronts us in our own backyard. Come take a look for yourself in the Sluisdeurenloods.

Kristof Vrancken

Dr. Kristof Vrancken is a visual artist, researcher and lecturer at LUCA School of Arts, where he has been teaching and researching Hybrid media, Artistic Research, and Experimental Photography since 2008. He is also a member of the research group IMS (The Institute for Media Studies – KULeuven) and X-Lab (UHasselt). His research mainly focuses on visualizing ecological issues through organic and photographic methods. In his artistic PhD project ‘The Sustainist Gaze’, which he defended in 2022, Kristof searched for strategies to visualize and agitate against the Anthropocene. He combines various disciplines, including photography, biology, science and participatory design processes. As part of the Inter-Actions research unit, he coordinates the "Future Framing Research Collective", which focuses on image-making at the intersection of art, science and technology.

Niek Kosten

Niek Kosten is a designer, researcher, and lecturer from Belgium. He is currently working on his Ph.D. in the Arts on critically opening up societal issues with vernacular graphic design. Niek teaches in the fields of contextual design, speculative design, artistic and design research, identity, and graphic design at the Product Design program of LUCA School of Arts. He also creates self-initiated and commissioned works as an independent designer.

Information

14 April – 18 June
Tuesday – Sunday
12:00 – 21:00
Free Entry

 

By Emma Van Mol

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Not In My Backyard flyer -

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Not In My Backyard!, Kristof Vrancken & Niek Kosten - Niek Kosten, Kristof Vrancken

With: Kristof Vrancken, Niek Kosten
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Visitors at Not In My Backyard exhibition -

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Not In My Backyard -

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Not In My Backyard -

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Not In My Backyard -

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Not In My Backyard! tip of a knotweed shoot - Photograph of the tip of a Japanese knotweed shoot in front of white background. This photo is part of the Not in my Backyard project by Kristof Vrancken & Niek Kosten Kristof Vrancken, Niek Kosten

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Not In My Backyard!, Kristof Vrancken & Niek Kosten - Niek Kosten, Kristof Vrancken

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Not In My Backyard!, Kristof Vrancken & Niek Kosten - Niek Kosten, Kristof Vrancken

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Not In My Backyard! - Photograph by Kristof Vrancken and Niek Kosten  Photograph of Japanese knotweed shoots in front of white tiled background on top of green "Oasis" cylinder and cube with expanded clay pebbles. This image is a part of the photography book title Not In My Back Yard! page 146. This image was exhibited at Medimatic during the the Japanese Knotweed Festival 2023 . Niek Kosten, Kristof Vrancken

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Not In My Backyard!, Kristof Vrancken & Niek Kosten - Kristof Vrancken, Niek Kosten