Janssens & Venlet

Chisenhale presents an exhibition of site-specific work by two Belgian artists, Ann Veronica Janssens and Richard Venlet. Their work employs the language of minimalism to effect a process of revelation, encouraging the closer scrutiny of architectural space as an articulation of the structures that simultaneously reflect and maintain certain patterns of human behaviour.

Both artists are concerned with the nature of barriers, with separation and transition between spaces. Venlet’s work particularly involves existing walls, either as a basis for wall painting or wall-mounted sculptures, or as displaced replicas. Ann Veronica Janssens’ work sometimes consists of low walls made from breeze blocks, impeding movement but not obscuring our view.

Natural light is an important medium for both artists and, for this reason, a window in the long wall of Chisenhale Gallery, now screened off, will be exposed. The gallery itself, normally hermetic and seemingly subterranean, will be temporarily transformed as part of the work of these two artists.

Ann Veronica Janssens was born in Folkstone, England, in 1956. She lives and works in Brussels.

Richard Venlet was born in 1964 in Australia and currently lives and works in Brussels.

Supported by British Gypsum, Visiting Arts and The Ministrie van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap, this is the third exhibition in the Prudential Award Programme at Chisenhale.

Janssens & Venlet
(Ann Veronica Janssens, Richard Venlet)