Current, by Bert Villa

The landscape in which we roam is filled with objects that often go unnoticed. Transmission masts, antennas, water towers…: they are ubiquitous and inconspicuous, and visually fill the scene in which we act without us being fully aware of their presence. In his work, Bert Villa focusses on these objects and lays bare their potential as small and fragile, vernacular monuments. By subverting the service they provide, they suddenly become noticeable, marked. Friction: as these objects begin to disobey what they were meant to do in the first place, they add a layer of unsolicited and changing meaning to our surroundings.
Current is a decommissioned power distribution box; relieved from its function of reliably providing electric current it enters a different state of flux with water surging from every slit. As such, it sets the environment in which it stands in motion, with unforeseeable effects. Algae thrive. A puddle of water reflects the low autumn sun.

Current: Bert Villa
Text: Arnout De Cleene
Invited by: Milan Gillard, Stefanie De Bakker, Annelore Thijssen