Guillaume Bijl, the Antwerp-based artist known for his sculptures and installations, has passed away.
Guillaume Bijl, "Admiraalskoppel" (© Frederik Beyens, CC BY-SA 4.0)
Bijl’s work was often absurd and humorous and, like any self-respecting Belgian artist should, he dabbled in surrealism. He liked to throw curveballs at his audience and leave them unsure as to what they were seeing was real or not.
For instance, he created a fake lighthouse and observation deck in Vosseslag near De Haan. In Ostend, he placed a bronze statue of a dog on a pedestal and surrounded it with other fake dogs.
Bijl also experimented with ready-mades, an art form popularised by Marcel Duchamp in which everyday objects are taken out of their usual context and combined in a new way. Guillaume Bijl called his ready-mades Sorry because they deviated from his usual work.
This man’s talent can perhaps be underlined by the fact that he was an autodidact when it came to art. Rather, he did theatre studies and worked as a set builder and painter. All the more impressive that Bijl was a part of the 1988 Biennial in Venice, wouldn’t you say?
The artist himself has said that he wanted to show banality, but what a captivating body of work he leaves behind, and a fascinating life.
