BELGIUM: Last exhibition for Belgian creator of da Vinci-like dream machines, Panamarenko

Halfway between physics and dreams, real flying machines and art, Belgian artist Panamarenko has spent most of his life creating strange machines: magnetic flying saucers, parachutes with aerodynamic propellers, "zeppelin-like planes clouds" or magic insects. The purpose of his work is as much to get the machines to fly as to make people dream. Like a contemporary Leonardo da Vinci, he likes to use science and techniques to serve his visionary art. But these machines are the last flying out of the artist's imagination; Panamarenko, on Thursday (September 29th), announced his retirement while launching his ultimate exhibition at the Royal Museum of fine arts of At 65, one of Belgiam's most well known and honoured artists is displaying his last public exhibition. Born in Antwerp, Panamarenko, real name Henri Van Herreweghe, has had a successful and innovative artistic career spanning forty years. His machines have been exposed in the world's most prestigious museums. "I have been everywhere in the world, I have been in every museum, you can not even name one museum where I didn't exhibit my work," the artist told Reuters. "But you have to stop somewhere. It has been enough. Create fifty more art works? No thanks! I am not a painter, they never stop. This is my last exhibition." With 90 works and 130 drawings displayed, his last exhibition took more than 3 years to prepare. People viewing his work may wonder if Panamarenko is an eccentric inventor or an artist. He is in fact a little bit of both. ENDS.

ITN Source | October 8, 2005

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