Annea Lyvv Dreisz All the Houses (I ever Knew)
The foundation of this exhibition is a series Annea Lyvv Dreisz started years ago in search for proof of her existence. It's a testimony. She walked into Google maps. Back to her roots. She found the first street she ever knew. She took pictures. Printed them. Started painting. Impressed by the transformation life itself got by the act of painting. This exhibition will wander around 21 small works of these houses next to bigger paintings that depict also houses further in her life. She started from a photographic vision, leaving the security of its mechanical perspective, passing into orders of perspective less regulated which left space for creating new realities.
Photographs don't fade into dreams. But paintings, because of their texture and brushstrokes, are... Throughout history and culture the house symbolizes safety, refuge, a sanctuary. Personal identity and memory are formed here, providing a foundation for one’s existence. Dreisz grew up in a Belgian village, in a street where form and architecture was as fascinating as 2+2=5. The pool house next door was an exception, which gave her the confirmation life was full of extraordinary exceptions. One only has to look in a certain way. Belgian village houses are characterized by a variety of architectural styles such as the traditional brick house, often reddish or yellow.
The structures typically feature simple functional designs. It would not seem anything interesting to paint. But the painting itself brought a new perspective. Dreisz’s houses are important as they function as focal points for memory, emotion, and the tension between the real and the imagined, blurring the lines between autobiography, art history, and the collective subconscious. Architecture serves as a physical manifestation of a culture’s identity, values, and historical legacy. Various building styles emerge from the need to express individuality and a collective ethos. For example, Mediterranean villas reflect a cultural appreciation for beauty and communal life whereas a Belgian village house as one's foundation can only lead to a life of astounding absurd situations and sophisticated surrealism.
Versailles! Now!
- Location
- Antwerp
- Date
- Now open: —
- Opening:
- 14/09/2025
Selected Images
