crox 188. Brainbox (2006). Unit 2: Carlo Mistiaen, Evert Defrancq, Thomas Bogaert.
19 April 2007: After a remark by TB van starts his crox-blog even the same day : 'Thomas Bogaert is approaching and hands over a small blue suitcase: "MATCHBOX" series, collector's case 41. The collection is intended for the project in Oudenaarde.'
Verzamelwoede (2007). Second collaboration with C.O.R.N.E.L.I.A. (Oudenaarde) for the National Heritage Day [Erfgoeddag].
crox 241. MONITOR. Video-installation (2008).
croxcard 64. The Caravan, 2003 (2008).
crox 277-9. Brainbox2 (2008-2009). Unit 9: Bart Lodewijks, Kelly Schacht, Thomas Bogaert.
2009: Ginger Bogaert, daughter of, designs a beer mat with the crox-logo.
crox 314. Zennestraat 17a rue Zenne (October 2009). Video-installation.
brainbox /fragments / author: van
Thursday 28 September, 14:10 > 14:25 /day 28/
Thomas Bogaert
A ghostly, fragmented blackness reigns in the main room. At the back are strange, oblong objects. The darkness, pressingly ubiquitous, is attacked here and there by tiny sources of light. One of those sources coincides with the narrow staircase to the terrace one level up. Thomas is at the roof, or rather at the terrace. He is trying to reduce the incoming light to practically nil.
In the centre of the back of the space, the shrine made of Ytong blocks, or whatever is left of it, has been severely damaged. Nicolas' works have disappeared and also Stijn's interventions have hardly left a trace.
The mass of clay transformed into a cube by Anton is now on the small table, vomitthick jellyfish amorphish. The table sags under its ungiving weight. The second table is somewhere to the right and doubles as a workbench.
Thomas enters crox3, walks to the very back and starts the projectors. One tape has an English lesson, reduced to a recitative. The rattling projector creates a geometric gap of yellowish light against the dark back wall. ‘Je suis arrivé,’ says someone.
The voice of a woman, loud but less forceful than the male voice. The male commentator speaks English, she speaks French.
‘Arriver,’ the lady repeats. Naked and pure essence of the verb without declination. ‘To arrive,’ decides the male partner in the conversation. ‘I arrive.’
The recitative continues uninterrupted, with changing interpunctions, a due voci:
‘J’arrivais’...
‘I arrive.’
‘...Je suis arrivé.’
‘Arrive. To arrive.’
Thomas had been busy in the corridor, probably to check on the effect of the projection. The text streams in bright light and gradually widens like a funnel along the long wall: ‘ARRIVE. I SHE HE IT WE YOU THEY ARRIVE.’
He strides through the large space, kneels next to one of the projectors and adjusts the projection angle.
He presses the button and the wet darkness is flooded away, into the corridor.
‘Yeah... I am on those things... the superfluous things. I'll remove the superfluous things.' is what Thomas concludes. He stares at the shrine of Ytong blocks where, now, there is only a sagging belly of clay, and the film projection.
‘J’arrivais,’ says a woman.
‘To arrive.’
‘Je suis arrivé,’ she explains.
Without explicitly addressing this author, Thomas explains that the other projector shows a recitative based on the verb ‘to prefer’. Because the second sound track is much more silent, it is hardly audible.
Thomas squats next to the apparatus and listens attentively for a while, eyes wide open. ‘I'll wait,’ he says. He uncoils onto his feet and steps on the clay sculpture. ‘I'll wait till Evert starts his projection to decide whether I'll have both projectors. It shouldn't be too much, should it?'
He moves towards the corridor. Just an instant later the room is flooded by bright white neon light.
Thursday 28 September, 15:05 > 15:25 /day 28/
thomas, evert/ track 2: marc coene, ria bauwens
Marc and Ria enter the main space. Thomas climbs a ladder and adjusts the position of the black curtains. In seconds, he hastens to the opposite side of the room to perform some corrective actions.
Marc and Ria study the projection apparatus. Thomas takes a break and ambles to the corridor. The rattling projectors resemble a puppet theatre made out of spots of light.
Ria makes close-ups of the apparatus. Marc concentrates on the projection in the corridor. Thomas is at the terrace. The recitative - delicate shifts in the order of both voices - is everywhere.
Thomas and Marc discuss something. Stijn's wall painting in the corridor is untouched; the film projection crosses it without hesitation.
Close to the source of the projection, where Ria is at work, there is a flash of bright red light.
‘J’arrivais... j’arriverai... Je suis arrivée,’ says the dame.
She repeats what she said sofort: ‘J’arrivais. J’arriverai. Je suis arrivée.’
‘I arrive,’ acknowledges the male conversation complement.
‘To arrive.’
‘J’arriverai...’
Thomas strides through the room, left, circling the central edifice. Marc follows behind. Marc and Ria question Thomas about the film apparatus. A moment later, they concentrate on their camera work. Thomas heads toward the narrow passage, leans against the post and studies the text, stretched like an elastic band.
In the corridor a dark silhoutte becomes visible: Evert. Somebody - Thomas? - has pressed the button, the main room is flooded in bright white neon light. Marc and Ria are taking images of the overall view.
Evert has a small green waterer and sprinkles the clay sculpture.
Thomas and Evert decide what to do with the projections.