Catalogue > Un extrait vidéo au hasard

In a Dutch wetland nature reserve we move across the water surface.* The images accelerate and change to infrared; we see the nature sanctuary as through the eyes of the dragonfly that can 'see' many times faster than a human being possibly can perceive. The flight ends where several canals meet; by the water at the foot of a silent witness, a timeless, overgrown bunker. *Striking fact: the former peat exploitation waterways of the Peel bog area have grown themselves into protected nature reserves in the midst of extremely industrial livestock production.

Michiel van Bakel (1966, Deurne NL) studied astronomy (Leiden university) and psychology (Nijmegen university) for several years before he chose for autonomous visual art, at art school (Den Haag and Arnhem). Van Bakel expresses himself through film and videos, sculpture and installations. His work focuses on people and their surroundings, often resulting in a poetic reality. It conveys a fascination for the tension between man and technology, perception of time in our delicate man-made ecosystem.