As a graduate in biological sciences prior to his master degree in art & research, Mark Swysen reflects on human conduct.
Mark embraces the basic proposition of conceptual art: “the idea is the most important aspect of the work”. Wishing to mould this idea into an intriguing shape, the artist is constantly in search of the most eloquent visual stimuli. Any material or object can be an instrument in his visual language.
He snatches everyday objects out of their usual context and charges them with new layers of meaning. The emotional load of the surrounding architecture participates in the lecture: hence his manifest preference for “in situ”-projects.
The artist embraces art philosopher Arthur Danto’s definition: a work of art is like “an awake dream that can be shared with others”. Mark Swysen adds an indefinable sauce of emotion, adventure, poetry, mysticism, fantasy, humour, disequilibrium and unpredictability. His artefacts question the one-dimensionality of our perception and open new possibilities for interpretation.
