Victor Horta Museum

2018. Nature Of Things II at the Horta Museum, Brussels.

“Nature of Things” title comes from a collection of poems by Francis Ponge, in which commonplace objects carry a philosophical charge.

Marcin Rusak is an artist who, for the past years, devoted his practice to exploring ideas of value and ephemerality by creating works from organic components. Unrestrained by a specific medium, but consistently inspired by the beauty and subtlety of the natural world, Marcin embodies the philosophies of Art Nouveau in a contemporary context, whereby the decorative aspects are a derivative of in-depth research and investigation of natural materials.

Decaying and ageing pieces have an important place in his practice. He develops them from organic ingredients in order to create objects that have en element of life on their own. Nature has been allowed to dictate the processes and outcomes of each piece with minimal interference. Experimenting with the processes of deconstruction, renewal and reconstruction he wants us to focus on the impermanence of objects and therefore our unique relationship with them. By utilising a variety of new materials and techniques to produce objects that alter rapidly in appearance, or simply disappear, Marcin hopes the viewers will pick up the woven threads and discover their own connections between the pieces and the surrounding material world.

“Nature of Things II” correlates with Victor Horta’s philosophy of bringing the exterior of the natural world indoors. Marcin showcases a world of natural elements: conserved and non-conserved, decaying and non-decaying. Sculptures, artefacts, and visual works with unique perishable qualities look like they were dredged from dreams or reference another reality, mirroring the preserved world of Victor Horta’s house.

Presented between 6 September and 7 October, 2018.

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