A Conversation with Alejandro Javaloyas
A Studio Visit During the La BIBI Residency
Kenny Ros
b. 1985, BE
- By Julien Delagrange
Born in 1985 in Ghent and currently residing and working in Nevele, Belgium, Kenny Ros is a contemporary photographer who is pushing his medium beyond the conventional boundaries of landscape and documentary photography. He is best known for his characteristic sense of movement in his images, marked by warm colors and enigma. By doing so, Ros adds a durational aspect to his imagery in his ongoing quest for a unique vantage point—one that offers a haunting perception beyond representation and reality.
Influenced by the existential question of our perception of the natural world, Ros invites his viewers into a mystifying symbiosis of reality and imagination, offering an escape into the enigmatic. Diagnosed with Bethlem myopathy, a progressive muscle disease, in 2018, Ros’s condition has profoundly influenced his artistic vision, transforming perceived limitations into a source of strength and inspiration. As a result, his landscapes are not mere sceneries but portals to a world where pain and beauty coalesce, where his unconscious infuses the natural world with a deeper meaning and reflection—hence not shying away from darker themes.
In 2022, the Belgian artist worked extensively on a series that offers a surreal yet factual interpretation of the horrors witnessed in Nazi camps across Belgium, France, and the Netherlands during World War II, inspired by the original Auschwitz Sonderkommando photos. During his most recent exhibition, titled Unknown Masterpieces at the cultural center Scharpoord in Knokke-Heist, Belgium, the series was showcased in a bold and experiential installation, presenting the Holocaust images in a pitch-black bunker, creating an oppressive and intimidating atmosphere and an intense and lasting impression.
His oeuvre is a testament to his versatility and the depth of exploration into the essence of, first, the landscape, followed by our perception of the landscape—possibly extending it to anything else. In Haunted Frightened Trees (2024), we encounter a chilling journey into the heart of twilight forests, where the eerie stillness and spectral forms of ancient trees create a landscape alive with whispered tales of forgotten fears.
This series encapsulates Ros’s ability to capture the soul of the natural world, imbuing it with a sense of otherworldly mystique. In the ongoing series Organic Abstraction (2024), the artist ventures into the realm of eroded willow trees, presenting them as captivating symbols of nature’s resilience. These works stand at the intersection of art and nature, exploring the delicate balance between growth and decay, strength and vulnerability, through abstract forms that provoke contemplation and awe.
Kenny Ros’s budding career is distinguished by several significant achievements. Ros studied Fine Art Photography, Art History, and Landscape Photography between 2018 and 2024. Participation in notable exhibitions include the 2024 Biennial in Deinze, Belgium; the Cultural Center of Scharpoord in Knokke-Heist, Belgium; the Archaeological Museum in Corinth, Greece; the Cultural Center Brielpoort in Deinze, Belgium; and the Roman Archaeological Museum in Oudenburg, Belgium. The Belgian artist’s talent is supported by the Goethe Institute and the European Union via the Culture Moves Europe grant and the PH Museum hybrid residency at Crete Sensei, Asciono, in Tuscany, Italy. Individual honors and nominations consist of the BIFA Budapest International Photo Awards, the FEP Awards, Siena Creative Photo Awards, Natuurpunt Levende Leie Award, and the IMPACT Photo Award, among others.
For more information, please consult Kenny Ros’s website here.
Last Updated on March 28, 2024
Julien Delagrange
Julien Delagrange (b. 1994, BE) is an art historian, contemporary artist, and the director of CAI and CAI Gallery. Previously, Delagrange has worked for the Centre for Fine Arts (BOZAR) in Brussels, the Jan Vercruysse Foundation, and the Ghent University Library. His artistic practice and written art criticism are strongly intertwined, examining contemporary art in search of new perspectives in the art world.
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