Bernadette

What do you consider as home?
It is funny that you start with this topic. Because I was a lot busy with “home”. It was an essential part of my work. And I really consider Antwerp as my home. My life is here now. When I came, I started first with fashion academy, after that I did sculpture. The first topic in sculpture was home, the environment where I am and where I feel comfortable in. Creating a home with certain objects and where people also play an important part. So my studio was for example never a mere working place, because there were always “homy” elements. In my studio and in my work, I am really into work with hands. But also in daily life. When I bake a cake it is also my practice. When I was in the second year I started to make my own bricks, from ceramics, I tried to build a house. 

And your master project now?
Also home related, for my project I invited 10 artists and we would give each other tasks. An artist and masterstudent of painting gave me the task to create something which is providing, but which also resolves. Then water came into my mind. Cause we need water, we need it in our lives, but you also cannot keep it forever, it also resolves, in my way of thinking. Then I made this “wasbak”.

The starting point was here to come together with 10 people. I can imagine this would not always be the starting point in the process. What would be another starting point, for you?
Yeah so this was not the starting point actually, the process here had already been developed into this come-together with 10 people. The starting point in general is more the surrounding, what is happening between us or in the world. And it was actually corona, because it was so present in our lives. And then there were also other elements: the “wasbak” and the soap, elements that were related to corona. Then the table also referred to the café situation. Like when we could not go to cafés, and missing the contact to other people which you would meet by chance.

And when you start with a sculpture, is it trial and error, or do you start with a drawing, maybe start in some material and then move to another? 
It is more that the idea comes, like for example for the “wasbak” I wanted to make something with water, but it was also related to corona. For this one I did not make a drawing, I like that it is not a perfect sink, but I just start with my hands and then I see what comes out.

You just told me that Antwerp is your home. How was being at the academy here? Maybe you have an advise for people who start now
I really enjoyed my time there. I really loved it. I had a lot of freedom in my development. And advise would be – I have it sometimes myself – not to stress about things. And also not to think so much about the future. I don’t know, maybe that you can find in everything what you do pleasure.

Could you describe thing you are busy with now? Are you taking a break by going to Spain?
For me it is a bit of a break, but also I have still projects like To Be, or now also at the end of October, SNOBS in Het Bos. But now I would like to take a bit of distance, not to run after things but to let things sink a bit before going on to the next project.

Is there a person starting from being a child to now who was important in your creative process? Can also be a thing, a place, an animal…
A lot of things. A lot of people I met on the way. 

Do you make your art also, in a commercial way? Would you like to promote your works on exhibitions for sale? 
That was my conflict. I feel sometimes that I want to do my work, not thinking whether I could sell it. But on the other hand  I feel a pressure to do work I can sell to earn my money. Though now I want to work more in a performative way or non material way. So rather things which are not commercial.

If you have yourself a favorite artist?
I never have one favorite I really look up to. When I could really say some, the thing what inspires me the most, would not be people but nature.

Is that why you picked this place?
Yeah, I have the feeling I can breathe again, that is why I also want to go to Spain, close to the ocean and the countryside.