Ann Veronica Janssens

Ann Veronica Janssens is a Belgian contemporary visual artist born in 1956 in Folkestone, United Kingdom. She lives and works in Brussels, Belgium.[1] Since the late 1970s Ann Veronica Janssens develops an experimental work that emphasises site-specific installations and the use of intangible materials, such as light, sound or artificial mist, where the observer is confronted with the perception of the elusive. The immersive nature of her work is an invitation to ephemeral experiences, which are at times delirious or vertiginous, and lead to the loss of control or landmarks, generating a sentiment of visual, physical, temporal or psychological fragility.[2] Ann Veronica Janssens’ work foregrounds the body’s perception of the world and itself in it. She often uses light, natural optical phenomena or glass as a medium. Her works exude the impression of great simplicity, yet create vivid experiences of the act of seeing, evoking a heightened awareness of the changeability and fleetingness of the individual perception.

Ann Veronica Janssens
Born30 July 1956
Folkstone, England
NationalityBelgian
Known forSculpture
MovementAbstraction, Minimalism, Light and Space

Ann Veronica Janssens has collaborated on several occasions with choreographers such as Pierre Droulers and Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. In 2009, she initiated with Nathalie Ergino the Brain Space Laboratory of the Institute of Contemporary Art of Villeurbanne, an interdisciplinary project that explores practical and theoretical research connecting space, time, body and brain, by bringing together artists and researchers in neurosciences, astrophysics, biology, geology, art history and philosophy.[3]

After graduating in flexible sculpture from La Cambre-ENSAV in Brussels, Ann Veronica Janssens taught sculpture at the École de Recherche Graphique (ERG) in the Belgian capital.[4] In 2012 she was appointed Head of Studio at the National School of Fine Arts in Paris, France.[5]

Work

Janssens' work is nourished by decisive visual experiences. The artist relates that the variations in the atmospheric light in Kinshasa, the city in Congo where she grow up, made a deep impression on her, as did the handling of geometry and light in Mies van der Rohe's work, notably his Barcelona Pavilion. Originally she wanted to be an architect, like her father, but she began to move away from this discipline as it struck her as rather too functional, and as she explored artistic discoveries that included sculptures of Henry Moore, and under the influence of Maria Wierusz Kowalski (known as Tapta), with whom she had worked as assistant at La Cambre art school in Brussels.[6]

Ann Veronica Janssens mainly does site-specific works. She is neither sculptor nor architect. Taking a specific space as her starting point, she adds forms and volumes to the existing architecture. For this, she sets out discreetly: she submits herself to the given space, to the given architectural forms. Often she chooses for unexpected, unobvious places like a stairway, a ceiling or a window ledge. Her interventions bring the specific qualities of an environment to light. She sets out signposts, intended to let viewers define themselves against reality. In what way does our point of view determine our perception? How does the viewer relate vis-à-vis a specific place? Originally she worked chiefly with industrial materials – concrete, wood and glass – and primary forms. Since 1990 her work increasingly displays a more immaterial character: light, sound and fog instead of rough building materials. These works lead to a drastic total-experience that completely changes our perception of the space.[7] Her contribution to the 48th Venice Biennale (1999), where she represented Belgium with Michel François, for example, filled the space with thick mist that served to disorient the viewers. In 2013 she added colorful glass monoliths to the windows of the Chapelle de Grignan in Provence, transforming the interior space of the XVIIth century Roman chapel into a constantly changing color environment. The 2012 work L’ODRRE N’A PAS D’IPMROTNCAE, a neon installation on top of a building in the lakefront district in Plaine de Plainpalais in Geneva, altered a well-known slogan into an enigmatic light installation.[8]

Exhibitions

Solo exhibitions

Ann Veronica Janssens' work has been the subject of numerous institutional solo exhibitions such as «Hot Pink Turquoise» at South London Gallery, UK, and Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark (2020); at the Museum De Pont, Netherlands (2018); Museum Kiasma, Finland; The Baltimore Museum of Art, USA; «mars» at Institut d’Art Contemporain, Villeurbanne/Rhône-Alpes (2017); Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas, Texas, USA (2016); «yellowbluepink» at the Wellcome Collection, London, UK (2015); S.M.A.K., the Museum of Contemporary Art, Ghent, Belgium (2015); «Philaetchouri» in collaboration with Michel François at Foundation d’Enterprise Hermès, Brussels, Belgium (2015); Museo Capella San Severo, with Nord Project, Naples, Italy (2014); Eglise Sainte-Honorat des Alyscamps, Arles, France (2013); FRAC Corse, Corte, France (2013); The Beppu project, Japan (2012); Ausstellungshalle Zeitgenössische Kunst, Münster, Germany (2010); «Are you experienced» at the Espai d'art contemporani Castelló, Spain (2009); «Serendipity» at WIELS, Brussels, BE (2009); «An den Frühling» at Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen, Germany (2007); «Aux Origines de l’Abstraction 1800 /1914 – Rouge 106 – Bleu 132» at Musée d’Orsay, Paris, FR (2003); CCA Wattis Institute, San Francisco, USA (2003); the Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, UK (2002); Kunsthalle Bern, Switzerland (2002); «Works for Space» at Kunstverein München, Munich, Germany (2001); «Light Games» at the Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin, Germany (2001) and « n the absence of light it is possible to create the brightest images within oneself» at Salzburger Kunstverein, Austria (2000).

In 1999 she represented Belgium at the 48th Venice Biennale with Michel François, and her work was part of many other international biennials such as The Sharjah Biennial 14 (2019); Manifesta 10, St-Petersburg, RU (2014); 18th biennale of Sydney, AUS (2012); Manifesta 8, Murcia (2011); 5th International Media Art Biennale Seoul, KR (2006);[9] 11th biennale of Sydney, AUS (1998); 5th International biennale of Istanbul, TR (1997) and the 22nd International Biennale of São Paulo, BR (1994).

Group exhibitions

Since 1985, Ann Veronica Janssens has participated in major group exhibitions such as "Perspectives minimales en Belgique" at le Delta, Namur–BE (2022), "Light & Space" at Copenhagen Contemporary, Copenhagen–DK (2021), "Space Shifters" at Hayward Gallery, London–UK (2018), "Le musée absent" in Wiels, Brussels–B (2017), "Illumination" at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Humlebæk–DK (2016); "Another Minimalism" at the Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh–UK (2015); "Zehn Räume Drei Loggien und Ein Saal" at the Sprengel Museum, Hanover–DE (2015); "Simple Forms" at the Centre Pompidou Metz–FR and the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo–J (2014); "Light Show" at the Hayward Gallery, London–UK, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Sydney–AU and the Sharjah Art Foundation–UAE (2013–2015); "Dynamo. Un siècle de lumière et de mouvement dans l'art 1913-2013" at the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais, Paris–FR (2013); "Fruits de la Passion" at the Centre Pompidou, Paris–FR (2012); "unExhibit" at the Generali Foundation, Vienna–AT (2011); "Universal Code" at The Power Plant - Contemporary Art Gallery, Ontario–CA (2009); "Ecstasy, In And About Altered States" at MOCA, Los Angeles–USA (2005); "Natuurlijk" at the Kröller- Müller Museum, Otterlo–NL (2002); "Stimuli" at the Witte de With and Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam, Netherlands (1999).

Collections

Ann Veronica Janssens' works are held in the following permanent collections:

Further reading

Artist’s books
  • Ann Veronica Janssens. Chapelle Saint-Vincent Grignan, Ronny Van De Velde ed., Berchem, 2013
  • L’éclipse de l’objet, l’éclipse du sujet, l’éclipse de l’âme comme la neige, Nico Dockx, Ann Veronica Janssens, Jan Mast, Krist Torfs, 2010-2011
  • Experienced, Base Publishing, Brussels, 2009
  • 0032 2, Edition Camille von Scholz, Brussels, 2001
  • Het raadsel van de verdwenen kat/l'énigme du chat perdu, Ann Veronica Janssens / Hans Theys, Ministerie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap, Brussels, 1999
  • Maroc 1993, Michel François / Ann Veronica Janssens, Fondation pour l'architecture, Bruxelles, 1993
  • Éclipse. Les artistes/the artists, Monika Droste / Michel Francois / Luc Grossen / Ann Veronica Janssens, Brussels, 1981

Essays
  • «Physical Realisations of the Unthinkable / Concrétisations physiques de l’impensable », Guillaume Desanges, Catalogue S.M.A.K, 2015
  • «Women’s work Is never Done, An anthology», Catherine de Zegher, 2014
  • «Physical realisations of unthinkable», Guillaume Desange, 2015
  • «Endless andness the politic of abstraction according to Ann Veronica Janssens», Mieke Bal, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2013
  • «Expérience esthétique et art contemporain», Marianne Massin, Presses Universitaires de Rennes, 2013
  • «Woman Artists at the Millenium», Carol Armstrong & Catherine de Zegher, MIT press, 2006
  • «Quoting Caravaggio», Mieke Bal, The University of Chicago Press, 1999
  • «Inside the Visible: An Elliptical Traverse of Twentieth Century Art in, of, and from the Feminine », Catherine de Zegher, MIT Press, 1996.
  • «Travelling concepts», Mieke Bal, University of Toronto Press, 2002
  • «Narratology, Intro. to the Theory of Narrative 3rd edition», M. Bal, University of Toronto Press, 2009

Solo show catalogs
  • Connect, BTS, BigHit Entertainment, Seoul, KR, 2021
  • Chagall, le passeur de lumière, Editions Centre Pompidou-Metz, 2020
  • Hot Pink Turquoise, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art & South London Gallery, Humlebæk - London, 2020
  • Ann Veronica Janssens, Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, 2018
  • Museo Cappella Sansevero, Napoli, IT, edited by politecnica napoli srl, 2017
  • Ann Veronica Janssens, The Nasher Sculpture Center, 2016
  • A - Ayse Erkmen & Ann Veronica Janssens, S.M.A.K., 2015
  • Passie #2, Mu.ZEE, Oostende, 2012
  • Ann Veronica Janssens, Serendipity, WIELS publisher, 2011
  • Ann Veronica Janssens, Experienced, Base edition, 2009
  • An den Frühling, by Hans Theys for Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen 2007
  • 8’26“, Musée d’Art Contemporain, Marseille, 2004
  • The Gliding Gaze. Some proposals by Ann Veronica Janssens, Hans Theys, Middelheim Museum. Antwerp, 2003
  • Ann Veronica Janssens: Lichtspiel, Mieke Bal, ed. Kunstverein München, Berliner Künstlerprogramm DAAD, Berlin, 2001
  • Ann Veronica Janssens. Une image différente dans chaque oeil/A Different Image in Each Eye, Laurent Jacob, La Lettre Volée / Espace 51 Nord, Liège, 1999
  • Ann Veronica Janssens, MUHKA, Antwerp, 1997
  • Ann Veronica Janssens, de Vleeshal, Middelburg, 1996
  • Ann Veronica Janssens, Galerie Alice, Rome, 1989
  • Ann Veronica Janssens, Villa Gillet, FRAC Rhône-Alpes, Lyon 1989

Group show catalogs
  • Women in Abstraction, Westbund Museum, Shanghai, CN, 2022 (forthcoming)
  • Perspectives minimales en Belgique, le Delta, Namur, BE, 2022 (forthcoming)
  • Colleción Jumex: Temperature ambiente, Museo Jumex, Mexico City, MX, 2021
  • Dans l’œil de Daniel Pommeruelle, Galerie Christophe Gaillard, Paris, FR, 2021
  • Parier sur le génie. L’art du vitrail, L’abbaye de Fontevraud, FR, 2020
  • Highlights for a Future, S.M.A.K., Ghent, BE, 2019
  • Hors Commerce. Enige bedenkingen over geld en kunst, Galerie Ronny Van de Velde, Antwerp, BE, 2019
  • La lune, Galeries Nationales du Grand-Palais, Paris, FR, 2019
  • Luogo e Segni, Punta della Dogana - Palazzo Grassi, Venice, IT, 2019
  • Belonging, Sharjah Biennial 7, Sharjah, AE, 2019
  • Rosas 2007-2017, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Brussels, BE, 2018
  • La tempête acte II, Centre Regional d’Art Contemporain Occitanie, Sète, FR, 2018
  • Space Shifters, Hayward Gallery, London, UK, 2018
  • Collection 2004-2016, Fonds d’Art Contemporain de la ville de Genève (FMAC), Geneva, CH, 2018
  • La tempête, Centre Regional d’Art Contemporain Occitanie, Sète, FR, 2017
  • Ecce Homo. Zie de mens, Edited by Hannibal, 2017
  • (Un)worldly, Parcum Heverlee, BE, 2017
  • The Absent Museum, Wiels, BE, 2017
  • Intuition, Palazzo Fortuny, Venice, IT, published by Axel Vervoordt, 2017
  • Rave: Rave and its Influence on Art and Culture, M HKA, Antwerp, BE, 2016
  • Van natuur naar abstractie, Ronny Van de Velde, BE, 2016
  • Mer sans rivages, Musée de l’Abbaye Sainte-Croix, Les Sables d’Olonne, FR, 2016
  • Vision and Motion, Ronny Van de Velde, BE, 2015
  • Ann Veronica Janssens & Ayse Erkmen, S.M.A.K., Ghent, BE, 2015
  • Proportio, Palazzo Fortuny, Venice, IT, published by Axel Vervoordt, 2015
  • Another Minimalism, Art after California Light and Space, Melissa E. Feldman, The Fruitmarket Gallery Edinburgh, distributed by Reaction Books
  • + que 20 ans après, edited by Sabine Folie for Generali Foundation, 2015, AT
  • Eppur Si Muove, Mudam, Luxembourg, LU, 2015
  • l’Abstraction géométrique Belge, Espace de l’Art Concret, Mouans-Sartoux, FR, 2015
  • L’horizon nécessaire, le musée Passager, île-de-France, FR, 2015
  • Formes simples, Centre Pompidou-Metz, FR, 2014
  • Light Show, Hayward Gallery, 2013, London, UK
  • Musée échelle 1/7, Ronny Van de Velde; BE Dynamo : Un siècle de lumière et de mouvement dans l'art (1913-2013), by Serge Lemoine, Paris, 2013
  • Neon Parallax, p. 150-158, text by Ami Barak, Infolio et Fonds d’art contemporain de la Ville et du Canton de Genève, 2012
  • Doing it my Way: Perspectives on Belgian Art, Duisburg, GE, 2008
  • Le soigneur de gravité, MAC’s Grand-Hornu, Hornu, BE, 2008
  • Wandering Lines, Towards a New Culture of Space, Scape 2008 5th Christchurch Biennial of Art in Public Space, 2008
  • Losing Control, Cultuurcentrum De Garage, Mechelen, BE, 2008
  • Turn and Widen: The 5th Seoul International Media Art Biennale, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul, KR, 2008
  • Honorons Honoré: Honoré Daumier (1808-1879), Cultuurcentrum De Garage, Mechelen, BE, 2008
  • Collected, Z33 Huis voor aktuele kunst, Hasselt, BE, 2007
  • Sur la route, een Tour van kunstenaars, S.M.A.K., BE, 2007
  • 1:1 x temps quantités, proportions et fuites, FRAC Bourgogne, FR, 2007
  • Merveilleux! d’Après nature, La Moselle, FR, 2007
  • My Home is my Castle, L’Independance Gallery, Luxembourg, 2006
  • Inside the visible, p. 444-449, text by Marie-Ange Brayer, Les éditions La Chambre, Ghent, BE 1994
  • L’oeil moteur, art optique et cinétique 1950-1975, by Emmanuel Guigon, texts by Arnauld Pierre, Les musées de Strasbourg, 2005
  • Aux Origines de l’Abstraction, 1800-1914, Musée d’Orsay, réunion des Musées Nationaux
  • Ice cream, p. 176-179, text by Gloria Sutton, Phaidon, London, UK, 2007
  • Expérience de la durée, Biennale de Lyon, Paris Musées, 2005, pict. pp. 163 – 165
  • Ecstasy, Mark, Lisa (Ed.), MIT Press, Massachusetts, 2005, pict. pp. 8–9, 86, 88-89
  • Des Deux Côtés Du Rhin, Snoeck, Cologne, 2005, pict. p. 113
  • Rundlederwelten, “Anstoss” special number 3, Oct - Dec 2005, Martin-Gropius-Bau, Berlin, 2005, pict. p. 113
  • Einstein Spaces, Yvonne Leonard, Berlin, 2005, pp. 96 – 98

References
  1. "Ann Veronica Janssens: Biography" Galerie Micheline Szwajcer, Retrieved 17 February 2014.
  2. "Ann Veronica Janssens | kamel mennour". kamelmennour.com. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
  3. "Brain Space Laboratory, Cycle". www.e-flux.com. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  4. "Janssens". Bap. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  5. "Ann Veronica Janssens est nommée professeur à l'École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts". Le Journal Des Arts (in French). Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  6. Poirier, Matthieu (2020). "Fleeting Elements" in Hot Pink Turquoise. London: Louisiana Museum of Modern Art & South London Gallery, Humlebæk. pp. 31–32.
  7. "Ann Veronica Janssens". www.muhka.be. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  8. "Ann Veronica Janssens | Biography". Esther Schipper. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  9. "The 5th Seoul International Media Art Biennale - Announcements - e-flux". www.e-flux.com. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  10. Grand-Hornu, MAC’s (8 September 2021). "MAC's Grand-Hornu". Navigart.fr (in French). Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  11. "Collection (FR) - (DU) — en". www.museumofixelles.irisnet.be. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  12. "Œuvre " L'Espace infini " – Musées royaux des Beaux-Arts de Belgique". www.fine-arts-museum.be. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  13. "Sometimes | Museu Coleção Berardo | Lisbon". en.museuberardo.pt. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
  14. "Untitled (blue glitter)". SMAK. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  15. "Corps Noir". SMAK. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  16. "Untiled III (Green)". SMAK. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
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