[D] C N S T R C T
2 x solo show Lode Laperre
curator: Wim Lammertijn
13 September - 7 December 2025
Museum Gevaert-Minne & Crypte
locations:
Crypte, Dorp 1, St-Martens-Latem
Museum Gevaert-Minne, E. Gevaertdreef, St-Martens-Latem
opening hours: Wednesday through Sunday from 1:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
organization: local administration St-Martens-Latem in cooperation with museum Mudel Deinze
curator Wim Lammertijn:
Lode Laperre (°1966) lives and works in Deinze, but his art has been on display in Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Bulgaria, Australia, China, Thailand, and Taiwan.
Although at its core not entirely abstract, Laperre’s work shares an affinity with the fundamental art of painting through his exploration of form and experimentation. While the starting point is rarely a figurative image, it nevertheless originates from a concrete observation, mood, or thought.
This approach results in paintings that are literally built up through multiple constructive layers of paint. Later, they are altered with thoughtful incisions, deliberate crackling, and other techniques. Through this deconstruction, Lode Laperre re-surfaces the invisible: the painting unfolds from its core - therefore, mutilation here also implies creation.
Just as constructive are the “Coprolites”, sculptures that are sometimes years in the making. From his ecological mindset, the artist recycles paint leftovers: fragments shed from paintings during their often-turbulent creative process become the raw material for these sculptures.
His fascination with Eastern philosophy blends perfectly into this approach and even partially forms the foundation of his work. Lode Laperre has become captivated by Southeast Asian cultures and travels there often. Since this has profoundly influenced his oeuvre, it comes as no surprise that his art has found a receptive audience in Asia.
Perhaps not coincidentally, since Laperre’s recent move to the banks of the River Leie, traces of landscapes have emerged in several of his works. It can be an oriental mountain scene, or at other times a meandering river, but clearly and inevitably, the surrounding landscape leaves its mark on the soul.
In the dual exhibition “[D] C N S T R C T”, co-located in Deurle and Sint-Martens-Latem, the artist presents his work in ways tailored to the character of each space. In the Gevaert-Minne Museum, reminiscent of a Japanese garden, he takes - with the virtue of humility - a respectful stance toward the permanent collection. In the crypt of the town hall, presented in a quasi-sacral environment, the selected works quietly invite contemplation.
