Internationally renowned portrait and fashion photographer Charlie De Keersmaecker interprets in the series ‘Down By The River’ (2018) his bygone youthful summers by and on the water of the Scheldt.. His models exude a certain naivety, but can also be suspected of having a touch of condescension towards anyone who does not belong to their circle of friends or was not there that summer on the bank. Even though all faces and bodies are atypical, they seem to pop straight out of a fashion magazine.
According to De Keersmaecker, the series is unvarnished, non-concealing, and certainly personal and aesthetic.
The North Sea breathes the same atmosphere during its summers when flocks of people stay there temporarily; interrupting their ordinary life in order to briefly experience another. At the end of the holiday, new friendships and secret memories go into an imaginary photo album, and people can look forward to that next warm and brash vacation for almost the entire year to come.
The exhibition is presented at the Alberta – Royal Belgian Sailing Club (RBSC)
About Die Plek
Die Plek is an exhibition platform for artists working in the liminal space within photography and contemporary art.
Die Plek’s founding approach makes a bold claim: the work will find its own time and place. Travelling across multiple destinations and diverse, nontraditional sites, Die Plek is born without a fixed address. Upending the classic notions that an artist’s work must fit within the rigid gallery framework and architecture, the space for every exhibition will be custom selected.
Die Plek, translated in English as The Place, is a creative project founded by curator Kaat DeJonghe.
Charlie De Keersmaecker : Down By The River
18 May – 25 June 2023
Alberta – Royal Belgian Sailing Club (RBSC)
Omookaai 2, 8380 Zeebrugge – Port of Bruges, Belgium
https://www.rbsc.be/nl/
