In the desert
I saw a creature, naked, bestial,
Who, squatting upon the ground,
Held his heart in his hands,
And ate of it.
I said, “Is it good, friend?”
“It is bitter—bitter,” he answered;
“But I like it
“Because it is bitter,
“And because it is my heart.”
– Stephen Crane, 1895
Gerda Van Damme is a nomad. Her roots are in Dendermonde, her heart in Wallonia and in Spain. She currently has her studio in Charleroi, in the "la ville haute" district, also called "Charleroi DC" (District Créatif). She works there with artists from the region, in the collective "Grosses Lacunes" and with her husband Guido Janssens in "The Muybridge Collective".
Gerda is active in different media (installations, video, sculptures), but it is mainly with her paintings that she is - over the last year alone! - a finalist in 6 art competitions (including the prestigious international Arte Laguna Prize, twice). She has exhibited a.o. in Venice (Arsenal), Berlin, Brooklyn New York, Almeria, Dordrecht, Ostend, Lièges, Nivelles and Charleroi.
Finalist Arte Laguna Prize 2024
Gerda Van Damme was selected for the second time for the exhibition of the finalists of the Arte Laguna Prize at the Arsenale Nord in Venice. The exhibition took place in November, to co-exist alongside the Venice Biennale.
The selected painting is "Study of a closed can #2", 60 x 80 cm, oil on canvas.
The jury:
David Max Horowitz, curator at Solomon R. Guggenheim, New York. Laura Barreca, scientific director of mudaC | Museum of Arts de Carrara. Giulia Colletti, head of public programmes and the digital sphere at the Castello di Rivoli Museo d'Arte Contemporanea. Krist Gruijthuijsen, director of the Institut d'art contemporain KW. Gonzalo Herrero Delicado, design researcher at Cambridge University and associate professor at Central Saint Martins in London. Lu Peng, artistic director of Yinchuan MoCA.
For exhibition proposals, or if you are interested in the acquisition of an artwork or an artwork in commission, you can contact Gerda Van Damme at gerdavandamme@gmail.com or through the contact page.