Johanna Van Overmeir’s diverse body of work (b. 1983, Duffel) comprises performance, video work and installations. The relation to time and space is a recurrent element in her art, which is also tangibly present in this installation. 
 


Hourglass consists of a giant petri dish filled with water, and a small hourglass that is enlarged on a wall through various projections.
 


In Géricault’s seminal painting, “The Raft of the Medusa”, one figure in particular drew her attention, a fact that she has chosen to highlight in a performance. The recumbent figure lies half-naked on the raft, his head under water. This person abandons himself to the sea. The struggle is over and he prefers a different world over the present one. Hourglass zooms in on his action as a reflection of our own society. The sense that the “end of time is nigh” is very palpable and is seeking an outlet.
 


Law Courts, upstairs hall



Live action / performance: On 17 March, Johanna Van Overmeir will give a performance in this installation, whereby she will immerse herself in the petri dish. In so doing, she refers to a figure in the seminal painting, “The Raft of the Medusa”. Unlike the other passengers on the raft, who are all looking towards the horizon, this shipwreck victim lies on the raft, his head submerged in the water. He prefers another world and abandons himself to the sea.