Artwork: Attentifs ensemble
Artist: Romain Weintzem
Romain Weintzem grew up in Paris, where art nouveau graces the streets, including Hector Guimard’s iconic metro entrances. Today, the Paravang, a windbreak with green benches overlooking the marina, remains an elegant relic of the belle époque in Blankenberge.
At first glance, Romain Weintzem’s work appears as a beautiful sculpture with nostalgic, gracious shapes inspired by art nouveau. The title, Attentifs ensemble, brings a second reading that is harsher and tinged with violence. This excerpt from a fear-inducing message broadcast on French public transport, urging passengers to look out for each other, inspired the artist to create his work. The structure, consisting of eight chairs separated by steel partitions, invites the user to observe the environment without interacting with their neighbours, revealing the dystopian nature of our surveillance societies. Three structures were placed in the city, intensifying the panopticon effect. In the oeuvre of Romain Weintzem, biting humour and social criticism are never far away.
