Reliquiae

2009-2017

“I got inspired by study items from scientific museums and photographed them in a special way. What happens when a scientific study item moves into another context? What is the relationship between the object itself and the photograph of it? In what way is our perception influenced by presentation, words and surroundings? And how is it influenced by our own background and incidence?” We learn from words, but also by observing. We look at reproductions when we study art; we view models, reconstructions and casts to study science. The pictures were made in 2009-2010 thanks to the Universitymuseum Ghent and Aquarium-Muséum de Liège.

Groupexhibition The Beauty and the Beast at Kasteel d’Ursel Hingene (BE) with 6 new presented photographs (series Reliquiae) by Karin Borghouts. May 25 - October 15, 2017.

Six pictures of Karin Borghouts’ series ‘Reliquiae’ are selected for the exhibition NUCLEUS (Noorderlicht Fotofestival) in Groningen NL. “For RELIQUIAE, Karin Borghouts photographed animal models, replicas, casts and specimens from different university collections. Borghouts was struck by the formal beauty of these bizarre remnants of deceased animals, which are transformed into objects of study. To take them out of their fixed context and do justice to their alienated beauty, Borghouts photographed the objects against pink, mint green and turquoise backgrounds. In doing so, Borghouts retains the remnants of an existence, and breathes life into them by awarding them the special status of artwork.”
Octobre 22 - Novembre 26, 2017

A first series ‘Study objects’ was made for an exhibition in the Library of Art sciences of the University Ghent Belgium (Boekentoren) in 2009 (in collaboration with two museums of the University Ghent)

Karin Borghouts created the series ‘Rigor Mortis” for the groupexhibition POST MORTEM in 2015 in Ghent (in collaboration with the University Ghent). Art after Death: Post Mortem October 16 - December 20, 2015. UGent, Rommelaere Instituut, Jozef Kluyskensstraat 29, Gent, Belgium;

The skeleton was made for a group exhibition in Ostend Belgium within the framework of a James Ensor celebration in 2010.