Studio Michiels & Vansteenkiste
"Botaniek"
site specific intervention, based on dialogue with Hangar K Community, made possible by the intermediary of Arteconomy
The open call from Hangar K & Arteconomy was looking for a partnership with artists and designers who make people and companies involved in its network tangible.
"The network always wins" Peter Hinssen
In these times of social media, networks are becoming increasingly important. Where they used to be physical meetings, the internet makes them less tangible. A network has different dimensions: trust, expertise, detailed knowledge, general insights, technical skills, social skills ... On the one hand there is the network that we know directly and on the other there is the more extensive network: the friends of my friends. In addition, there are various contexts, for example: the family, personal friends and the Hangar Krowd.
Hangar K is more than just a coworking space. It is a co-creation hub where starters, growers and established companies are brought together under one roof with a clear mission: to strengthen entrepreneurship. Hangar K connects starters with growth ambitions and established companies looking for inspiration and innovation, with the aim of stimulating co-creation and cross-fertilization between the different companies.
The people from the business units are the connecting key that forms the community = the KROWD. The KROWD includes the companies that are active within the building, but also those from the area. Hangar K sees itself as a catalyst to involve the companies and other meaningful partners between Ghent-Lille-De Panne-Bruges in the KROWD. All of this requires a strong KROWD ENERGY that CONNECTS people.
Hangar K assumes that artists and designers, among other factors, can play an important role in this and wants to enter into a partnership with Arteconomy to make that KROWD energy tangible.
the concept by the artists Veerle Michiels and Jonas Vansteenkiste
The concept "Botaniek" starts from the "relational aesthetics" of
Nicolas Bourriaud involving cultural and social structures in which we
be examined by artists. The artwork 'materializes
a relation to the world '. In the relationships that exist in such
situations are called up, the participant is detached from
usual cultural codes of conduct. Botanical introduces atypical
co-workers, as constructed identities in the form of
herbal clusters with a virtual identity such as Mr / mss Jiogulan, MssTripmadam,Mr Munt, MSS Rau Ram.
Just like all other users, this Herbs/co-workers
take their place in the co-workspace and take it regularly
contact their colleagues.
In this way a "micro-utopia" is created, which the employees
enables other forms of interaction, commonality
and even find ways of working. These targeted activities
have no intention of overthrowing the prevailing logic but
want to merge or contrast with it.
Jonas Vansteenkiste & Veerle go into their joint practice
Michiels looking for contextual challenges. They leave
from opportunities and limitations of a place and go with it
in dialogue or search for activation. They investigate a form that
brings an immersive experience for visitors and users. Their
intervention always aims at an active dialogue between the spectator /
user and creation.
