See My Street, My Neighbourhood!
Thomas Verstraeten Tests the Gap Between Art and Community Life
"Art takes a critical look" is a credo many artists adopt while sitting behind tidy desks in cozy studios—without necessarily being part of the world they critique, let alone their immediate environment. Antwerp's Seefhoek is a diverse, socially vibrant neighborhood in the affluent city of Antwerp. It is here that Thomas Verstraeten lives and works, considering his surroundings a "living canvas."
Thomas Verstraeten is an acclaimed theater maker who simultaneously creates art with social impact. This becomes evident when stepping into his compelling exhibition at the Fred&Ferry gallery—one of the few galleries in the country still committed to offering opportunities to underexposed Belgian talent.
The gallery itself has been transformed into a staged simulation of bustling public life, featuring a series of meticulously directed and seamlessly presented scenes. The result is a truly multimedia installation where reality and representation blur.
One striking example is a street football match that Verstraeten orchestrated, arranging for a live broadcast by a local Antwerp TV station. In the tradition of Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno’s phenomenal film Zidane (2006), Verstraeten elevates young football players to stardom for one match. The jerseys of the spirited footballing youngsters hang beautifully against the gallery’s white walls—trophies that Verstraeten purchased from the players, each bearing the names of their football idols.
The gallery floor is covered entirely with a printed carpet depicting the grimy textures of public space, creating a perceptual dissonance between reality and image. I even found myself instinctively kicking at the "trash" printed onto the carpet. Within this staged "street," Verstraeten placed objects and urban furniture that were scaled-down versions of those used in his films.
The manipulation of perspective reaches its peak in Urbi et Orbi, a film set on the Bourla Theater’s stage. A charismatic black preacher, known for his passionate weekly sermons at Astrid Square, now delivers his fervent address on stagebefore a seated audience. His presence is mesmerizing—barely audible, yet utterly captivating. The setting reconstructs his familiar square, once again incorporating props into the gallery space to heighten the illusion. This interplay between reality and representation ensures that the video installations never feel staged or documentary-like but rather immersive and alive.
A standout work is the double-video installation Met de krik ketsen, which references the Flemish origins of cricket—a game exported to England in the 17th century. In the videos, North Afghan youths play cricket in a wide park, with a massive, hand-operated set piece in the background. This moving panorama seamlessly transitions Antwerp’s urban landscapes into English countryside scenes, creating a visually stunning effect.
Thomas Verstraeten masterfully accentuates public life, making the invisible visible to those who have yet to see it. His artistic strategy is deeply theatrical but transcends mere anecdote by exploring universal themes. Nothing is as it seems; globalization has always existed, and the local is constantly exchanged and reshaped.
Verstraeten experiences the Seefhoek firsthand—he lives there, and he portrays it, capturing life as it unfolds while occasionally triggering moments of theater himself. He confronts us with a reality where lifestyle means something entirely different. His work reveals both the essence of his neighborhood and a small utopia of human connection—a word often misused in political discourse to gloss over the failures of social cohesion.
In this exhibition, image and sound are in perfect harmony. Here, art is engaged in a multitude of socially layered reflections. The audience watches—sometimes unaware of what it is missing.
— by Luc Lambrecht