CAR MAUSOLEUM

Part of the group show 'Family Affairs' at the Brussels arts center Bozar in Brussels (Belgium), and the group show 'Kunstlerbrüder' in Haus der Kunst in Munich (Germany)

Design team : Erik & Harald Thys + Richard & Danny Venlet

"My brother Richard and I were separated several times during our youth, because of the roaming of our family and a divorce, but we always remained pretty close. As an artist he’s not forced to come up with a solution with every new project: holding a mirror to the public can be enough. But CarMausoleum, in collaboration with another duo from the arts world, the brothers Erik & Harald Thys, comes pretty close to a real solution to a real problem. The installation was created for Family Affairs, an exhibition that focused on brothers and sisters in art, from early history till today. The car serves as a backdrop and platform for some of the most important episodes in our lives. As a result, many have a close emotional bond with their car that is comparable to that of a family member. And yet: there’s no graveyard where we can preserve and visit them, once they’re out of function. Cars are a typical victim of consumer society. We therefore proposed a model for a CarMausoleum, where one would be able to stock his beloved car, in concrete niches that measured 5 by 3,4 and 2 m. The niches would be stacked on top of each other, creating a giant wall or monument, preferably in natural surroundings, next to a river or on a meadow. It could expand endlessly and soon take up the size of a suburb, while all niches would be open at both ends so that the cars would be clearly visible."