Themes of social, political, and environmental entanglement have been explored by Van Breda during his stay at Gastatelier Leo XIII, which resulted in an exhibition ‘BONANZA; a diorama of the near’. The resulting constellation of works can be best described as a diorama, a three-dimensional created scene which mostly shows a situation, including objects and figures.
During his four-month residency at the Gastatelier Leo XIII, Bram Van Breda went on an expedition through Tilburg, looking for ways to cope with his new environment and a different culture. ‘BONANZA; a diorama of the near’ brings together fragments of the past, present and future as experienced by Van Breda. He took as his main inspiration a skyscraper building which is planned to be built in the city of Tilburg. Breda was fascinated by the way Tilburg's skyline has changed over time. In the past the chimneys of factories dominated to skyline, nowadays it is the skyscrapers that are reflecting the prosperity of the city. Breda adjusted the design of the future building and decided to turn it into a woolen blanket-like tapestry. The woolen blanket and the factory producing these blankets (AAB) are closely linked to the city of Tilburg.
All together, BONANZA becomes a topology of a local environment, which the artist uses to unravel underlying issues of capitalism, ecology and otherness.
During the process of development of Van Breda’s blanket-like tapestry, two most important issues had to be tackled. First, testing of the right colour tone and second, creating the right tightness of bindings in order to be able to brush it without tearing apart the fabric. In the past, these blankets would be brushed with special dry plants that have little spikes to give it its unique softness. To achieve this feeling, Van Breda used a cat's brush and hand-brushed certain parts of the tapestry.
The multi-medial work of Bram Van Breda (1992, BE) is characterised by the continuous exploration of our surroundings. Van Breda's research-based approach leads to site-specific works and temporary interventions. At the core of his work is the strong interest for materiality and the active role object and matter play within social and cultural contexts. Breda studied graphic design at LUCA School of Arts Brussels 2014 and textile design at LUCA School of Arts Ghent 2016.
