The Crossroads from the series My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, 2014

Paul Bogaers

Artist Paul Bogaers is roaming the rooms of his exhibition over the Winter Holidays. On the afternoon of Sunday December 27 he can be found in his &lsquo;Bush of Ghosts&rsquo; talking about his work and inspirations. Are you wondering how he created the gigantic mask and where he gets his found objects from? The exhibition is full of large and small works contains a load of secrets and stories.

The title <a href="/museum/programme/paul-bogaers">My Life in the Bush of Ghosts</a>&nbsp;refers to the Geestenbos (Bush of Ghosts) that Bogaers says he visits in his studio on a daily basis. His work illuminates the artist&rsquo;s fascination with African voodoo cultures, as well as the invisible and the supernatural. Association and suggestion were important aspects of Bogaers&rsquo; visual language from the outset. With his combinations of photographs, often using &lsquo;objets trouv&eacute;s&rsquo; such as amateur photographs, pages torn from books and other visual material, he invites the viewer to discover surprising links. Bogaers makes extensive use of paper-m&acirc;ch&eacute;, a material not often embraced by fine artists. As an artist he has never contented himself with the power of photography to reproduce exact representations of the visible world around us. In contrast, he&rsquo;s constantly searching for ways to capture the internal world in images.
<a href="/museum/programme/paul-bogaers">My Life in the Bush of Ghosts</a> presents the work Paul Bogaers created in the last five years. During this period, his work has developed from two-dimensional to the three-dimensional domain of assemblage, sculpture and installation, in which photography plays a vital role. With his combinations of both collected and personal photographs, he invites the viewer to discover surprising links.
ABOUT PAUL BOGAERS Paul Bogaers (Tilburg, 1961) studied at the Academie voor Beeldende Vorming in Tilburg. He previously had solo exhibitions at Nederlands Fotomuseum (Rotterdam), Museum De Pont (Tilburg) and took part in group exhibitions at Foam, W139 (Amsterdam), De Beyerd (Breda) and FoMu (Antwerp). Paul Bogaers has published several books, including the photography book Upset Down (2010) and the literary book Onderlangs (2007). Paul Bogaers is represented by Galerie Pennings in Eindhoven.

<div class="sidebar__content"> Foam Radio with Paul Bogaers 
&nbsp;
<iframe width="150" height="60" src="https://www.mixcloud.com/widget/iframe/?embed_type=widget_standard&amp;embed_uuid=95e81408-d01c-41bc-9d8f-2543cce0a25c&amp;feed=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mixcloud.com%2FRedLightRadio%2Ffoam-radio-w-paul-bogaers-red-light-radio-12-09-2015%2F&amp;hide_cover=1&amp;hide_tracklist=1&amp;mini=1&amp;replace=0" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>

Meeting Paul Bogaers

Join an intimate guided tour with curator Kim Knoppers through the exhibition Paul Bogaers &ndash; My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, followed by a visit to the studio of Erik Fens. 

On Thursday 14 January, Foam organises a guided tour through the exhibition of Paul Bogaers &ndash; My Life in the Bush of Ghosts by curator Kim Knoppers, followed by a visit to the studio of visual artist Erik Fens.
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/113697/576x1004/0936022063/3.jpg" alt="" width="595" height="1037" />
As long as he can remember, Erik Fens is a collecter. Paul Bogaers and Erik Fens go back a long time, and collecting forms the starting point for the artistic practice of both artists. Since 1980 he has been working on his &lsquo;Encyclopaedia of the World according to Fens&rsquo; and &lsquo;Encyclopaedia of the World of Collecting, the Collector and the Collection&rsquo;. In more than seven hundred ring binders his collections are given a place in categories he invented himself. These categories arise from many different aspects, like colour, form, association, emotion, visual rhyme, et cetera. &ldquo;I found more than I could ever have searched for.&rdquo;
<img src="https://a.storyblok.com/f/113697/595x335/83142aa6e0/1.jpg" alt="" width="596" height="334" />
After the guided tour through <a href="/museum/programme/paul-bogaers">Paul Bogaers&rsquo; exhibition</a>, you will have enough time to go to the studio of Erik Fens in Amsterdam. In his studio, Fens will talk about his working process and the role of his collections therein. There is also possibility to ask questions.
ABOUT ERIK FENS Erik Fens (Amsterdam, 1949) studied graphic design at the Rietveld Academie and 1,5 year philosophy at the University of Amsterdam. In 2011 he and Paul Bogaers were, among others, part of the group exhibition VEDUTE in Arcam (Amsterdam). He previously had solo exhibitions at Arti et Amicitiae (Amsterdam), Argument Vertoningsruimte (Tilburg) and W139 (Amsterdam). Fens worked for years as a restorer of antique tapestry in Haarlem and presently works as preserver of art on paper at the Teylers Museum, Haarlem.

<div class="sidebar__content">Guided Tour & Studio Visit Info 
Thursday&nbsp;14 January 19.00 - 21.30 hrs. Foam, Amsterdam&nbsp;
&nbsp;
PRICE &euro;10 - regular rate &euro;7,50 - reduced rate (Foam Fan, Club, Fund) Excluding museum entrance. Availability is limited.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
This event is in Dutch.</div>

Guided tour Paul Bogaers &  studio visit Erik Fens

On Saturday 9 januari, Foam organises a visit to the studio of visual artist Paul Bogaers on the occasion of his exhibition My Life in the Bush of Ghosts.

The disparate universe of Paul Bogaers lies in a classroom in a former school building, in the middle of a residential area in central Tilburg. Bogaers loves to surround himself with things that inspire him. His collection is an essential part of his working process, which requires a large reservoir of objects and photos that he can draw upon spontaneously. &ldquo;When I create I try to play instead of think. That&rsquo;s why I want my studio to be filled with possibilities.&rdquo; During the studio visit Paul Bogaers elaborates on his working process and participants are encouraged to ask questions.
After the studio visit you can visit the Textile Museum or Museum De Pont.
ABOUT&nbsp;MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS&nbsp; My Life in the Bush of Ghosts presents the work of Paul Bogaers which he created in the last five years. During this period, his work has developed from two-dimensional to the three-dimensional domain of assemblage, sculpture and installation, in which photography plays a vital role. With his combinations of both collected and personal photographs, he invites the viewer to discover surprising links. Bogaers makes extensive use of paper-m&acirc;ch&eacute;, a material not often embraced by fine artists.
ABOUT&nbsp;PAUL BOGAERS Paul Bogaers (Tilburg, 1961) studied at the Academie voor Beeldende Vorming in Tilburg. He previously had solo exhibitions at Nederlands Fotomuseum (Rotterdam), Museum De Pont (Tilburg) and took part in group exhibitions at Foam, W139 (Amsterdam), De Beyerd (Breda) and FoMu (Antwerp). Paul Bogaers has published several books, including the photography book Upset Down (2010) and the literary book Onderlangs (2007). Paul Bogaers is represented by Galerie Pennings in Eindhoven.

<div class="sidebar__content">studio visit info 
Saturday 9 January 11.30 - 14.00 hrs. Tilburg Station
&nbsp;
PRICE &euro;20 - regular rate &euro;15 - reduced rate (Foam Fan, Club, Fund) including lunch, excluding train tickets
 &nbsp;
This event is in Dutch.
 </div>

Visit to Paul Bogaers' Studio

On December 3, Foam organises an Artist Talk with visual artist Paul Bogaers, on the occasion of his exhibition My Life in the Bush of Ghosts.

Association and suggestion have always been important aspects of Bogaers&rsquo; visual language. He used to use photography as a tool to call up associations and create new meanings that went further than anything observable in a photograph, but the discovery of papier-m&acirc;ch&eacute; led him to a new domain: that of three-dimensionality. The exhibition <a href="/museum/programme/paul-bogaers">My Life in the Bush of Ghosts</a>&nbsp;offers an insight in Bogaers&rsquo; disparate universe of sculptures and installations, in which photography plays a vital role. After an introduction by curator Kim Knoppers, Paul Bogaers elaborates on this transition and on the creation&nbsp;of the works on show in the exhibition. Furthermore Bogaers elucidates on his fascination for African art, the central role of his collections, and his self-invented term &acute;Extended Photography'. Of course the audience is encouraged to ask questions. After the Artist Talk it is possible to have a drink at <a href="/about/foam-cafe">Foam Caf&eacute;</a>.
ABOUT MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF GHOSTS My Life in the Bush of Ghosts presents the work of Paul Bogaers which he created in the last five years. During this period, his work has developed from two-dimensional to the three-dimensional domain of assemblage, sculpture and installation, in which photography plays a vital role. With his combinations of both collected and personal photographs, he invites the viewer to discover surprising links. Bogaers makes extensive use of paper-m&acirc;ch&eacute;, a material not often embraced by fine artists.
ABOUT PAUL BOGAERS Paul Bogaers (Tilburg, 1961) studied at the Academie voor Beeldende Vorming in Tilburg. He previously had solo exhibitions at Nederlands Fotomuseum (Rotterdam), Museum De Pont (Tilburg) and took part in group exhibitions at Foam, W139 (Amsterdam), De Beyerd (Breda) and FoMu (Antwerp). Paul Bogaers has published several books, including the photography book Upset Down (2010) and the literary book Onderlangs (2007). Paul Bogaers is represented by Galerie Pennings in Eindhoven.

<div class="sidebar__content">Artist Talk info 
3 December 2015 19.30 - 21.00 hrs. Foam, Amsterdam
&nbsp;
TICKETS &euro;7,50 - regular rate &euro;5 - reduced rate (Foam Fan, Club, Fund) excluding museum&nbsp;admission
&nbsp;
This event is in Dutch.</div>

Paul Bogaers Artist Talk

In the exhibition My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, Foam presents work by Paul Bogaers (Tilburg, 1961) which he created in the last five years.

During this period, his work has developed from two-dimensional studies to the three-dimensional domain of assemblage, sculpture and installation, where photography plays a vital role. Bogaers also uses papier m&acirc;ch&eacute; &ndash; a material not often embraced by fine artists.
Association and suggestion were important aspects of Bogaers&rsquo; visual language from the outset. With his combinations of photographs, often using &lsquo;objets trouv&eacute;s&rsquo; such as amateur photographs, pages torn from books and other visual material, he invites the viewer to discover surprising links. Bogaers has never contented himself with the power of photography to reproduce exact representations of the visible world around us. In contrast, he&rsquo;s constantly searching for ways to capture the internal world in images. Bogaers combines various media in an attempt to push the absolute limits of photography as an artistic medium.
<iframe width="595" height="335" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DQTQp83NpZA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>The title My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (taken from the acclaimed 1981 album by Brian Eno and David Byrne, who in turn borrowed it from a novel by Nigerian author Amos Tutuola) refers to the Geestenbos (Bush of Ghosts) that Bogaers says he visits in his studio on a daily basis. His most recent work illuminates the artist&rsquo;s fascination with African voodoo cultures, as well as the invisible and the supernatural. Foam is supported&nbsp;by the BankGiro Loterij, City of Amsterdam, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, Delta Lloyd, Olympus and the VandenEnde Foundation.

<div class="sidebar__content"> meet the artist in the exhibition 
27 December 2015 14.00 - 17.00 hrs. Foam, Amsterdam</div>

<div class="sidebar__content"> Foam Radio with Paul Bogaers 
&nbsp;
<iframe width="150" height="60" src="https://www.mixcloud.com/widget/iframe/?embed_type=widget_standard&amp;embed_uuid=95e81408-d01c-41bc-9d8f-2543cce0a25c&amp;feed=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mixcloud.com%2FRedLightRadio%2Ffoam-radio-w-paul-bogaers-red-light-radio-12-09-2015%2F&amp;hide_cover=1&amp;hide_tracklist=1&amp;mini=1&amp;replace=0" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>

. The artwork uses C-type digital photo, wood, paper, ink and pigments as the medium.

visible in

Using unorthodox materials, Paul Bogaers tries to avoid the conventions imposed by photography: the flat surface and documentation of reality. He combines various media in an attempt to push the absolute limits of photography as an artistic medium. At first glance, the sculptural form of The Crossroads seems to suggest real, three-dimensional depth but is, in fact, a photograph. This work is part of the series 

 (taken from the acclaimed 1981 album by Brian Eno and David Byrne, who in turn borrowed it from a novel by Nigerian author Amos Tutuola written in 1954), with which Bogaers refers to the ‘Bush of Ghosts’ that he visits in his studio daily.