VINCENT MEESSEN - LES SOCIÉTAIRES / DE VENNOTEN

In his work Vincent Meessen (1971) mainly investigates how realities can be constructed in an artificial way. The idea of ‘disputed spaces’ – territory as a political matter - is related to the question about what it means to be a global citizen in a postcolonial era. Previously the artist showed a preference forphotography, but for the moment he has opted to explore a multitude of media, including video. In Les Sociétaires (‘the Associates’) the format of the African fairytale is used to affect the documentary image, and in this way develop a plethora ofmeanings. In this fable about the relations between art and politics a number of blacksmiths are shown; these have major economic, symbolic and military significance within the African tradition. Les Sociétaires is an invitation to reinvest in wha tis real, in what lies beneath so called ‘small fictions’.

2006, 16’20”, video, colour, sound, Moore spoken, French/Dutch subtitles.