Augustijnen, Sven

In the work of Brussels-based artist Sven Augustijnen, we find a concentration on the notion of the portrait. Using a hybrid of genres and techniques, he explores the boundaries between fiction and reality and plays with the viewer’s expectations. Sven Augustijnen studied in Brussels (1992) and Maastricht (1997-1999). His video work is shown in the contexts of both installation and cinema screening. After concentrating his early work on juggling words and texts, exploring the properties of his material, he has been making series of ’portraits’. Augustijnen plays with different ways of approaching that are basic given: docu-soap, human-interest, fake documentary and home movies are juxtaposed and intermixed. The artist misleads the viewer, who becomes a voyeur of acts in which fiction and facts are not easily disentangled. In the video L’Ecole des Pickpockets (2000), for example, he stages a school for pickpockets. The viewer follows how a layman is trained in a few hours to be a great talent. In the false documentary, Le Guide du Parc (2001), a man leads us through the royal park of Brussels, guiding us through its history and the lively gay scene there. In a bitter-sweet, humorous form, Augustijnen again plays with truth and fiction. In portraying his ’non-fictional’ subjects - artist Willem Oorebeek, Ernesto, the young hiphop dancer, or the Les Ballets C. de la B. dance company - Augustijnen takes a very subjective position, never keeping aloof or on the surface, but always showing himself as highly sympathetic towards his subjects. He does this in a measured fashion, never imposing himself and seldom intervening. It seems that in these documentaries, the artist knows his protagonists so well that they display themselves in front of the camera in a self-assured way, without hesitation. Augustijnen moreover employs a down-to-earth, sober style, putting things into perspective with irony and humour.

Besides producing video films, he is also deeply concerned with the artistic reality and topical events. A good example would be the publication of Tijd Culture, ’Edition spéciale/Speciale editie, Art Brussels 2002: Le dernier nouveau centre d’art contemporain de Bruxelles/Het Laatste Nieuwe Centrum voor Hedendaagse Kunst in Brussel’, a bilingual newspaper that appeared on May 1st, 2002, and was publicly distributed by various channels. In this ironic publication, Augustijnen pretends to respect the codes and patterns of a newspaper interview, holding a good long discussion about the difficult position of contemporary art in the Belgian capital, while at the same time kicking against the rut into which the national media have fallen. Augustijnen’s work can be summarised as subjective in the literal sense of the word. He walks the boundary between fiction and reality, distorts norms and is keen to break through clichéd roles and expectations. 

Solo exhibitions:
2011: De Appel, Amsterdam (NL) - Kunsthalle, Bern (CH) - Kunst Halle Sankt Gallen (CH) - Wiels Brussels (BE) 2008: Les Demoiselles de Bruxelles, Jan Mot, Brussels (BE) 2007: Mardi de l’Art. Sven Augustijnen Entre Fiction et Documentaire, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg (L) 2006: L’Ecole des Pickpockets, CAC TV - Mardi de l’Art. Sven Augustijnen Entre Fiction et Documentaire, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg (L) 2004: Une femme entreprenante, Argos, Brussels (B), with the premiere of the film at Flagey, Brussels (B) 2002: Mission Mont des Arts, screening at the Palais des Beaux Arts/Paleis voor Schone Kunsten, Brussels (B) 2001: Galerie Jan Mot, Brussels (B) - Escale, Düsserdolf (D) 

Group exhibitions:
2012: TRACK Ghent (BE) - Contour on tour
, De Loketten Brussels (BE) - MAS Antwerpen (BE) - Travelling Rennes (FR) - University of Gorizia (IT) - Vidéo Les Beaux Jours Strasbourg (FR) - Marres & Jan Van Eyck Maastricht (NL)
 - Festival International du Film Policier Liège (BE)
 - IndieLisboa Lisboa (PT)
 2011: De Hallen Haarlem (NL) - Videoex Festival Zürich (CH) - OCA Oslo (NO) - Fotofestival Mannheim (DE) - FIAC Paris (FR) - Witte de With Rotterdam (NL) - Espace Delvaux Watermaal-Bosvoorde (BE) - Studio Skoop Ghent (BE) - Le 102 Grenoble (FR) - Tate Modern London (GB) - Transat Vidéo Caen (FR) - Filmer à Tout Prix (Flagey) Brussels (BE) - RIDM Montreal (CA) - Documentaire sur Grand Ecran Paris (FR) - STUK Leuven (BE) - Vrijstaat O Oostende (BE) - Cinema Zuid Antwerpen (BE) - International Documentary Film Festival Jihlava (CZ) - Viennale Vienna (AT) - Galerie Villa des Tourelles Nanterre (FR) - Ciné 104 Pantin (FR) - Videofid Marseille (FR) - Centre Pompidou Paris (FR) - Festival International du Film de La Roche sur Yon (FR) -
Kinok Sankt-Gallen (CH) - Buda Kortrijk (BE) - Etats Generaux du Documentaire Lussas (FR) - Arenberg Brussels (BE) - FID Marseille (FR) - Cinema Rits, Kunstenfestivaldesarts Brussels (BE) - KVS, Kunstenfestivaldesarts Brussels (BE) 2010: Les Laboratoires d’ Aubervilliers (FR) - National Art Museum of China, Beijing (CH) - Johan, François, Psychiatrisch Centrum, Duffel (BE) - Tegenlicht, SMAK, Ghent (BE) - ABC – Art Belge Contemporain, Le Fresnoy Tourcoing (FR) - Cities Under the Gaze, Murcia (ES) - Auguste Orts: Correspondence, MuHKA (BE) - Belge Avant Tout, Le Fresnoy (FR) - Arthur Boskamp Stiftung Hohenlockstedt (DE)
 - The State of Things. Brussels. Beijing, Namoc Beijing (CH) - De Hallen Haarlem (NL) 
- Courtisane, Ghent (BE) - And the moral of the story is, Witte de With, Rotterdam (NL) - Break Even Shop, IFFRotterdam (NL) 2009: Backsourcing: Video Lounge, Chinese European Art Center, Xiamen (CH) - A Story of the Image, MuHKA (BE) - The State of Things. Brussels. Beijing, Bozar Brussels (BE) - Center for Contemporary Art Ujazdowski Castle, Warschau (PL) - Chinese European Art Center, Xiamen University (CH) - Shanghai Art Museum (CH) - National Museum Singapore (SG) - Vérité Exposée, Ernst Museum, Budapest (HU) - Stutter, Tate Modern, London (GB) - Made in Europe, Marres Maastricht (NL) - The Front Room, Contemporary Art Museum St.-Louis (USA) - Gathering, Espace Ladda, Ghent (BE) - Untitled (Take the Money and Run), De Appel (NL) - La Part des Anges, Le Cuvier, Bordeaux (FR) - Art 40 Basel, Basel (CH) - Report on Probability, Kunsthalle Basel, Basel (CH) 2008: Correspondence, Lux 28 & Tate Modern, London (GB) - Back and Beyond Marcel Broodthaers, PMMK, Oostende (BE) - Weder entweder noch oder, Würtembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart (DE) - Peripheral Vision and Collective Body, Museion, Bolzano (IT) - As It Screams Just Please Love Me, FormContent, London (GB) - A Portrait of the Artist as e Researcher 2.0, Beursschouwburg, Brussels (BE) - Maison de la Culture Frontenac, Montréal (CA) - B-Docs, Kranfilm, Brussels (BE) 2007: Maison Grégoire, Brussels (BE) - Sven Augustijnen. L’Histoire Belge, Jan Mot, Brussels (BE) - Mood Salon, Bios, Athens (GR) - A Story of the Image: Visual Arts as Visual Culture, MuHKA, Antwerp (BE) - LLS 387, Ruimte voor actuele Kunst, Antwerp (BE) - Le Guide du Parc, Kunst op de Wei/AmuseeVous Rock Werchter, Werchter (BE) - Rouge Baiser, Biennale Estuaire Nantes, Saint-Nazaire (FR) - Cher Pourquoi Pas?, Documenta 12, Kassel (DE) - Doc à Tunis, Tunis, in a program of FID Marseille (TU) - Imaginary Belgium, Old Embassy Tokyo (JP) - Factory #2, CC Strombeek, Grimbergen (BE) - Ver Bailar. La provocación en el diálogo entre la danza y las artes visuales, Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo (CAAC), Sevilla (E) - E-Flux Video Rental, Centre culturel Suisse, Paris (F) - Tanzen, Sehen - The Provocation of the Media in the Dialogue of Dance and Fine Art, Museum für Gegenwartskunst, Siegen (D) 2006: Eclipses du Réel, Fri-Art, Centre d’Art Contemporain, Fribourg (CH) - E-Flux Video Rental, Arthouse at the Jones Center – Contemporary Art for Texas, Austin, TX (USA) - E-Flux Video Rental, Extra City – Center for Contemporary Art, Antwerpen (BE) - Jan Mot, Art 37 Basel, Basel (CH) - Crossing Anspach, Brussels (BE) - Freestate 2006, Site Oud Militair Hospitaal, Oostende (BE) - Paperback, CGAC, Santiago de Compostela (ES) 2005: K-Market, Galeries Ravenstein, Brussels (BE) - Argos Festival, Brussels (BE) - Information/Transformation, Extra City (BE) - Manon de Boer and Brussels, Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven (NL) - In This Colony, Kunstfort bij Vijfhuizen, Amsterdam (NL) - Musée d’Art Contemporain de Strasbourg, Strasbourg (FR) - Is dit Belgisch?, MuHKA, Antwerp (BE) - Nederland niet Nederland, Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven (NL) - Bevreemdende Verkenningen, Sint-Lukas Galerij, Brussels (BE) - Brussels’ Topologies, Argos, Brussels (B) - IDYL As To Answer That Picture, Middelheim Openlucht Museum (BE) 2004: Manifesta 5, European Biennal for Contemporary Art, San Sebastián (ES) - Vollevox Lounge, Vanderborght, Brussels (BE) - Une Femme Entreprenante, Argos, Brussels (BE), with première of the film at Flagey, Brussels (BE) - Drafting Deceit, Apexart, New York (USA) - Elders, Galerie Paul Andriesse, Amsterdam (NL) - Zona de Mestizaje, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, Madrid (ES) - Pictura, Dordrecht (NL) - Tour-ism, Fundación Antoni Tapiès, Barcelona (ES) - STUK, Leuven (BE) - Social Affairs, Ministry of Social Affairs of The Netherlands, Den Haag (NL) 2003: International Film Festival Rotterdam, Rotterdam (NL) - Coconut Tour, Centre régional d’Art Contemporain Languedoc-Roussillon, Sète (FR) - Hard Kijken, Festival, Nijmegen, Arnhem (NL) - COURTisane, Victoria, Ghent (BE) - Revolution/Restauration 01, Bozar (Palais des Beaux-Arts/Paleis voor Schone Kunsten), Brussels (BE) - 20th World Wide Videofestival, Amsterdam (NL) - Contour, Mechelen (BE) - Short Filmfestival Grimstadt (NO) - Wiels!, Brussels (BE) - Urban Dramas, De Singel, Antwerpen (BE) - Doc en courts, Cinéma Opéra, Lyon (FR) - 24/7: Wilno - Nueva York (visa para), CAC, Vilnius (LT) - Once Upon a Time..., MUHKA, Antwerpen (BE) - Belgian Focus, Argos Festival, Brussels (BE) - Kunstfilmbiennale, Köln (DE) - Another World Museum, gallery Side 2, Tokyo (JP) - 14e Festival International du Documentaire, Marseille (FR) - Beeldenstorm # 2, Buda-eiland, Kortrijk (BE) 2002: L’effet Larsen, Forum d’art contemporain, Casino, Luxembourg (LU) - Transmediale.02, International Media Art Festival, Berlin (DE) - To Die For, De Appel, Amsterdam (NL) - Argos Festival, Brussels (BE) - New space, Opening Show, Galerie Jan Mot, Brussels (BE) - Etablissement d’en Face at MUHKA, Antwerpen (BE) - La Salle de Cinéma, Centre d’art La Passerelle, Brest (FR) - Ramallah International Film Festival (PS) - Mission Mont des Arts, screening at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, Fondation Roi Baudoin, Brussels (BE) 2001: Prix de la Jeune Peinture Belge, Palais des Beaux-Arts/Paleis voor Schone Kunsten, Brussels (BE) - L’effet Larsen, OK Zentrum für Gegenwartskunst, Linz (AT) 2000: Total Blackout, NICC, Antwerpen (BE) - Metro>Polis, Brussels (BE) - Cinémathèque de Toulouse (FR) - Beursschouwburg, Brussels (BE) - TheaterTheater, Mechelen (BE) - Vooruit, Ghent (BE) - Rencontres Urbaines 2000, La Villette, Paris (FR) - ’t Stuc, Leuven (BE) - Filmplateau, Ghent (BE) - Being-together, Marres, Maastricht (NL) - Site, Düsserdorf (DE) 1999: Centre Suzanne Delal, Cinémathèque de Tel Aviv (IL) - Centre chorégraphique national de Rennes (FR) - Les Rencontres du 8ème Type, Tours (FR) - Le Botanique, Brussels (BE) - Freespace, NICC, Antwerpen (BE) - W139, Amsterdam (NL) - Untitled day, Centrum Beeldende Kunsten, Maastricht (NL) - Big Brother, Stroom, Haags centrum voor beeldende kunsten, Den Haag (NL) - De Onzichtbare Stad, Marres, Maastricht (NL) - Mladi Levi, Ljubljana (SL) - World Wide Videofestival, Amsterdam (NL) - 8ème Biennale pour l’image en mouvement, Genève (CH) - Representaties van extreem-rechts, CC Berchem (BE) - Open Days, Jan Van Eyck Academie, Maastricht (NL) 1998: Argos Information Days, Beursschouwburg, Brussels (BE) - W139, Amsterdam (NL) - KunstenFestivaldesArts, Nova, Brussels (BE) - Lost and Found, Maatschappij voor Oude en Nieuwe Media, Amsterdam (NL) - Centre national de la dance, Paris (FR) - Video installation L’histoire, HEDAH, Maastricht (NL) - Open Days, Jan Van Eyck Academie, Maastricht (NL) - T.B. ZES, Antwerpen (BE) - Next of Kinema, Extrapool, Nijmegen (NL) - Third Global Attic, Rotterdam (NL) - Kunstencentrum Vooruit, Ghent (BE) - Videoscene Brussel, Kunsthalle Basel (CH) 1997: Dancing for the camera,International Festival of Film and Video Dance, Durham (USA) - 9th Grand Prix International Video Dance, Grasse (FR) - Videoformes, Clermont-Ferrand (FR) - Hamburgerdansfestspiele, Hamburg (DE) - Video retrospective Les Ballets C. de la B., Vooruit, Ghent (BE) - Dance Lumière, Dancehouse, St. North Carlton (AUS) - MUHKA, De Praktijk, Antwerpen (BE) - Without Title, film installation with Peter Rogiers 1996: Springdance Festival, Utrecht (NL) - Festival International du Film de l’Art, Paris (FR).

Awards:
2011: Evens Prize for Visual Arts - Fernand Baudin Prize for the publication Spectres2001: Prix de la Jeune Peinture Belge, Brussels (BE) 1997: Laureat Belgium Vocation Foundation (BE) 1996: Prix Essai, Festival International du Film de l’Art, Paris (FR).