From 7th June to 5th July, the Musée en plein air du Sart Tilman invites the visual artist Olivier Bovy to create a sound tour on the Liège university campus. After numerous visits to the site and on-site work, the Liège artist’s proposal will consist of installations and sound devices designed for the site, including a new piece created especially for the event. The exhibition will also be an opportunity to highlight a sound sculpture by Olivier Bovy recently installed in the new “éco-quartier” next to the campus as a public commission. This bronze fountain in the shape of a bamboo called “Il y a quelqu’un dans la pièce” is intended to enter the catalogue of the Musée en plein air.
Olivier Bovy proposes installations designed to put the visitor in action in space by catching his attention and trying to influence his body. Thus, some works with sound bring the public to question the source and nature of these noises. Other works also require a precise position to hear the sound.
The question of the relationship of the works to their context is central to Olivier Bovy’s work. It is of particular importance in the context of an open air museum, located in the heart of a historic university complex and an exceptional natural setting. Some pieces thus highlight the relationship between humans and nature or the student context.
Olivier Bovy’s works are also plastic objects with simple shapes that sometimes tend towards abstraction but are often inspired by everyday objects (a table, a top…). Although made of various materials such as wood, bronze or synthetic resin, these pieces show that they belong to the same family of shapes.
In the same way that the form is extremely studied, the sound used in the works is adjusted with great precision to obtain the right nuance. For example, the fountain mechanism and the acoustic parts of “Il y a quelqu’un dans la pièce”, have been tuned extremely finely to obtain the sound of a drop of water falling with a well-defined tonality and texture.
As the works often have a playful side and call for discovery, the visit of the exhibition can be done with the family. It will also be an opportunity to (re)discover the Museum’s collection. A great idea for a cultural outing in a magnificent setting for this end of the school year and the beginning of summer.
The artist
Olivier Bovy (Stavelot, 1979) lives and works in Liège, Belgium. In his research and achievements, he questions the human body or more precisely its position and its interaction with the world. Sober and enigmatic, his works function as aesthetic elements with a communication function. They invite close contact and even active participation from the spectator.
Olivier Bovy holds a master’s degree in painting from Saint-Luc in Antwerp (2003) and a bachelor’s degree in painting from Saint-Luc in Liège (2001). He is the author of several public sculpture integrations, including “Il y a quelqu’un dans la pièce” au Sart Tilman (2019), “Sons de cloche” à Marchin (2019) and the Stavelot roundabout (2017) among others. He has participated in numerous exhibitions, including “Au gré des courants” at the Galerie de Wégimont (2018), “Corps liquide” at the Galerie Juvénal in Huy (2017), “Arts et métaux” at the Château de Jehay (2014), etc. His works appear in several collections including La Boverie and the Space Collection in Liège. Finally, Olivier Bovy was awarded the 8th Prize for Young Sculpture by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (2015).
PRACTICAL INFORMATIONS
Exhibition at the Musée en plein air du Sart Tilman
From 7th June to 5th July 2019
Opening:
Thursday 6th June at 18:00
In front of the “Maison des étudiants” (building B8)
L’Agora 1- Campus du Sart Tilman – 4000 Liège
Bus stop “Amphithéâtres” (line 48)
Commented tour:
Olivier Bovy will be present at the Musée en plein air for a guided tour of his exhibition on Saturday 15th and 29th June.
Meeting at the visitor centre (Rond-point Simone David-Constant – 4000 Liège) at 14:00 or 16:00.
Free and open access:
Monday to Sunday 24 hours a day
Location:
Musée en plein air du Sart Tilman
Quartier Agora – Sart Tilman – 4000 Liège
Starting point of the tour (with a map):
“Amphitheatres” bus stop (line 48)
Quartier Agora – Sart Tilman Campus – 4000 Liège
Access:
Free parking
Public transport: bus line 48, “Amphithéâtres” stop (leaves from the Opera and passes by the Liège Guillemins train station)