VANISHING POINT

Artist

Hans Op de Beeck

Composer

Sam Vloemans

Musicians

HERMESensemble

For his now third solo exhibition at Galleria Continua in Beijing, multidisciplinary Belgian artist Hans Op de Beeck is staging a print room in the gallery’s monumental downstairs space. His presentation includes an ensemble of 13 large watercolours, as well as a projection room in which his new animated film ‘VANISHING POINT’ will be premiered. In addition, the artist will also be displaying a suite of 20 recent sculptures in the gallery’s remaining spaces.

The title of the new animated film ‘VANISHING POINT’ refers to a point in the picture plane of a perspective view where mutually parallel lines seem to converge. At the level of a vanishing point in the distance, we can no longer perceive three-dimensional depth. Op de Beeck uses the term metaphorically, as a tipping point from which we shift from measurability and legibility into the unknown, indecipherable and incomprehensible, or from the concrete to the abstract, mental or spiritual.

The film starts with the image of a little boy resting peacefully on his back with his eyes closed. Next, we are transported to fictional landscapes, still lifes and figures, musically accompanied by a specially created composition by composer-musician Sam Vloemans, performed by the HERMESensemble. Together with the music, the watercolours that are brought to life create a sweeping, tranquil mood that invites one to briefly disappear into a moment of letting go.