DE LAETSTE JONGENS

De Laetste Jongens is the shared practice and production house of Katinka de Jonge and Liesje De Laet. Their work develops from a fundamental fascination with - invisible - belief and knowledge systems. This is an interest in phenomena concerning intangible relationships, energy flows, spiritual animism. ‘The invisible’ is also inextricably linked to ‘shadow worlds’ in which, for example, power structures and conspiracy theories conceal themselves.

The knowledge systems and conceptual frameworks of these immaterial but sensitive world(s) are dissected and digested. Together this forms the starting point for a non-anthropocentric world view contemplating and speculating on current affairs such as climate change, and the effects of late capitalism. The generated information feeds back into the site specific [local] context in which the artistic work takes place. Thus creating an own belief system which develops from associative and symbolic reflections to a larger narrative.

The works can be seen as ‘analogue hacks’: disguised as a shaman, cook or manager the “naturalness” of the surrounding world [context] is unraveled, thus showing a multitude of parallel realities. By doing so they test the elasticity of the concept ‘artist’. Whilst consciously navigating between both the artistic and non-artistic field, being an artist becomes a role play too. De Jonge and De Laet appropriate marketing strategies and production ideals in a game of copy-paste identities and bodies. Critical reflection forms the connecting core on which their shared practice is built.