The crocodile hides in the water, waiting for a snack. His prey knows nothing, but man knows that it should avoid waters where these dangerous animals have its habitat. The crocodile is the symbol of an invisible, threatening danger in places where man knows it could be dangerous. The border of Brussels and Molenbeek is such a place. Hidden beneath the street there’s a footpath along the canal. This path is only accessible through a few places. It is a place occupied only by them who don’t want to be seen by the eyes of the city, them who have secrets and who are scared. It is a kind of visible but unseen underworld in Brussels. By freeing plastic crocodiles in the water of this canal, we make a direct link with the alligator swamps as we can find in the USA. We use this metaphor to show how unreachable this area is, how this place is being experienced by its inhabitants and by the people from its surrounding city.But our crocodiles aren’t real, they’re plastic toys. They draw the attention of passing-by children and make their parents see that the canal is also a place where life is possible. There aren’t real threats hidden under this surface.
This work was made in collaboration with Sebastiaan Willemen. © Image courtesy of the artists
Biography
Lola Prima Donna Daels °1990, Brussel (BE) represented by Kusseneers Gallery, Brussels. Currently in residency @level five Brussels.
- Contact:
- +32 485 52 61 04
- lola_daels@hotmail.com
- @loladaels
- @level five
- 90.08.11-312.43
- CV
Lola Prima Donna Daels (b. 1990 in Jette, BE) is a Brussels based artist. Leaving from found objects, she poses critical inquiries about the ecological and socio-political situation. By reshaping and integrating her relics into new contexts she questions the concept of authenticity in our globalizing society. She has exponentially gravitated towards researching the human impact from an ecological preoccupation. She works site-specifically, both in research scope as well as in execution.
Daels obtained her master degree in visual arts in 2014 at Luca School of Arts, Brussels. She has been part of several residency programs such as EKWC (NL), Kooshk recidency (IR) and Cité Internationale des Arts (FR). Her work was shown at Bozar (BE), Extracity Kunsthal (BE), Deegar Platform (IR), Art Sonje Center Seoul (KR) and many more.
Her interest in urban complexities led to the collaboration with architect and urbanist Sebastiaan Willemen. She's is a member of Level Five artistic ecology in Brussels. Currently she's represented by Kusseneers Gallery, Brussels.
Upcoming
2024
- Mine Away - Solo Exhibition at M Leuven
March 14th till Sept 5th 2024
- Artist talk
+ screening of the movie ‘Apple Cider Vinegar’ by Sofie Bennoot
Thursday sept 5th 2024
19:00 – 21:50 at M Leuven
Texts and publications
2024
- Interview in Metropolis M by Jasper Delva
"Chocolade zeevruchten van nepmarmer: Lola Daels over haar simulacra-sculpturen"
- Video by Different Class (Jonas Reubens) about my residency at M Leuven.
2023
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Artist of the month, Interview by Elien Haentjens for Collect Magazine
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Lola Daels blaast rocaille nieuw leven, Interview door Cédric Raskin
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Veldwerk Publication 2022, published by Plan B, designed by Brecht Haeyen & Timo Bonneure.
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Brief van Tine Hens aan Shell-CEO Ben van Beurden
2022
- Interview with Subbacultcha, Who decides what’s valuable?
- Interview with Kunstenplatform PLAN B, Het onderzoeksplan: Sebastiaan Willemen & Lola Daels
2021
- Beschouwing Ephemeral Focus, Sofie Crabbé
2020
- Peer Production, Published by AAIR Antwerpen
- Hans Theys, over Le Vrai Fake I
- City Trip, CC Menen
2019
- HART Magazine, Interview Lola Daels
- Extracity Antwerpen, Objects VS Things
2016
- THE WORD magazine, chépas collective
- Rachelle Dufour, Finissage Group Exhibition
2014
- Davis Freeman about a Favela Project
- Marck Verminck, Doelmatigheid zonder doel… voor een doel
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