Isabel Miquel Arques

Traces of Memory

She is mostly a self-taught artist. Growing up in a very rich cultural environment but spartan way of living, shaped her way of seeing life and applying photography.

She spent a long time trying to find her own way -between tradition and modernity- creating a path where her photo- graphic work is strong influenced by the art of painting in textures, colours and composition.This is first to perceive in her photo book “Portret met garnaalkroket” (Portrait with schrimp croquet) published by Ludion, where she reflects the artistic Belgian scene by making the portraits of some of their most emblematic members, like Luc Tuymans, Jan Hoet, Michael Borremans, Stephan Vanfleteren, Dirk Braeckman, Jan Fabre...

Some of her most relevant exhibitions: “Portrait with schrimp croquet” Gallery Van De Weghe (Antwerp) “Portrait with schrimp croquet”, Soledad Senlle Gallery Amsterdam. “Agitation” Ingrid Deuss Gallery – Antwerp “Here be lions” Ingrid Deuss Gallery – Antwerp; “Après l’Averse/After the Downpour” Ingrid Deuss Gallery – Antwerp

Lucie, 2018
Lucie, 2018
Him, 2018
Him, 2018

I am on the extension of history.
I am part of what remains.
I am made from what has been.
I am what floats after the sinking.
I am a letter, a prayer, a musical phrase, a piece of work.

These lines belong to the artist statement of my exhibition “Agitation”. Since then my work is bound to the perception of time and how it shapes our present. It’s bound to the time’s spectrum, immediacy, nostalgia, known, unknown, possibility and future.

This line of thought continues through another of my exhibitions “Here be lions”: “In today’s world, which appears to be fed by the imminent, the notion of “longing” seems to be part of the dictionary of forgotten words. In my mind however, longing is this fascinating, lengthy process fi- lled with desire, exaltation, doubt, disappointment, contradiction, poetry and hope. It’s a pursuit. It’s a thought on the move and yet steady. Delighting, enlightening and dark all together”.

What we call the past, travels and melts repeating itself changing colour and shape, becoming the present.

In “After the Downpour” we travel with and from the light, to and from the darkness.

The past is never over.

La Ruina de la Memoria - fotofever 2019

Isabel Miquel Arques

Traces of Memory

She is mostly a self-taught artist. Growing up in a very rich cultural environment but spartan way of living, shaped her way of seeing life and applying photography.

She spent a long time trying to find her own way -between tradition and modernity- creating a path where her photo- graphic work is strong influenced by the art of painting in textures, colours and composition.This is first to perceive in her photo book “Portret met garnaalkroket” (Portrait with schrimp croquet) published by Ludion, where she reflects the artistic Belgian scene by making the portraits of some of their most emblematic members, like Luc Tuymans, Jan Hoet, Michael Borremans, Stephan Vanfleteren, Dirk Braeckman, Jan Fabre...

Some of her most relevant exhibitions: “Portrait with schrimp croquet” Gallery Van De Weghe (Antwerp) “Portrait with schrimp croquet”, Soledad Senlle Gallery Amsterdam. “Agitation” Ingrid Deuss Gallery – Antwerp “Here be lions” Ingrid Deuss Gallery – Antwerp; “Après l’Averse/After the Downpour” Ingrid Deuss Gallery – Antwerp

Him, 2018
Him, 2018
Lucie, 2018
Lucie, 2018

I am on the extension of history.
I am part of what remains.
I am made from what has been.
I am what floats after the sinking.
I am a letter, a prayer, a musical phrase, a piece of work.

These lines belong to the artist statement of my exhibition “Agitation”. Since then my work is bound to the perception of time and how it shapes our present. It’s bound to the time’s spectrum, immediacy, nostalgia, known, unknown, possibility and future.

This line of thought continues through another of my exhibitions “Here be lions”: “In today’s world, which appears to be fed by the imminent, the notion of “longing” seems to be part of the dictionary of forgotten words. In my mind however, longing is this fascinating, lengthy process fi- lled with desire, exaltation, doubt, disappointment, contradiction, poetry and hope. It’s a pursuit. It’s a thought on the move and yet steady. Delighting, enlightening and dark all together”.

What we call the past, travels and melts repeating itself changing colour and shape, becoming the present.

In “After the Downpour” we travel with and from the light, to and from the darkness.

The past is never over.

La Ruina de la Memoria - fotofever 2019