Fabrice Samyn

Letter to Pain
2019

Fabrice Samyn

BIOGRAPHY

Fabrice Samyn was born in Belgium and now lives and works in Brussels. Fabrice's work explores questions of ontology - the philosophical study of being - through various media. From painting to sculpture to performance and relational aesthetics. He questions dualities and pushes their boundaries; shadow and light, idol and icon, moment and history, man and woman, sacred and profane, joy and pain.

ART PIECE

When Fabrice Samyn learned that more than 6,000 letters to and from soldiers in the museum's collections had hardly been studied, he decided to create a 'correspondence piece'. The artist, assisted by a group of volunteers dubbed "Cavemen of Joy" for the occasion, read these letters to discover all the possible sources of joy in the midst of pain and violence: the power of comradeship, joy for others, hospitality, comfort, romantic love, love between parents and children, memories, humour, happiness, sensual pleasures and the beauty and wonders of nature.

In the museum, Fabrice Samyn has built a post box in the shape of a pigeon loft. Next to it is a table with paper and writing utensils. An invitation to visitors to write about their moments of joy and pain.

More than 250 visitors took up the invitation and, using what they had learned from their reading, the Cavers of Joy responded with a letter to each of the letters.

MEDIA

wood and paper, variable dimension - site specific, performative and participative

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