Fragmented Grounds
peaking around the corner of charleroi’s post-industriual structures
In the Ground Movements: Alter-archaeologies studio, this project explores the complex dynamics of Charleroi’s post-industrial landscape peaking around the corners of its fragmented structures. The focus is on a ship-lock that once regulated the Sambre River’s water levels to raise or lower cargo boats. While the structure’s function is straightforward, its architecture resists clear comprehension. The aim of the practise is to study the space by using the dynamics shadows. The practise features a projection onto an axonometric model of the ship-lock, illustrating a transformation between two scenes as the shadows shift in position. How can these temporary occurrences reveal the hidden spatial qualities of the site?
Working with cyanotopy
In early October, I began experimenting with cyanotype printing using leaves and flowers I collected along Charleroi’s Boucle Noire hiking trail. I coated thick watercolor paper with a 1:1 mixture of ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide, let it dry, and arranged the flowers on top before exposing it to sunlight for about 20 minutes. Later, I shifted my focus to experimenting with axonometric models. I returned to cyanotype printing in December, but unfortunately, the sunlight in Gent at this time of year is nearly non-existent. Therefore I continued to work in the LUCA Printmaking workshop and instead of natural sunlight I used the darkroom with UV light to expose my cyanotypes. After several failed attempts and testing different exposure times, I created a large-format cyanotype on textile featuring an inverted image of an axonometric model of the ship-lock in Charleroi. Working with cyanotype is similar to working with shadow studies, but it involves hands-on techniques and physical materials instead of digital modeling. The results are never entirely predictable—sometimes producing blurred images that can evolve into structures open to further interpretation and imagination.
