The sculptures in wax evolve gradually from human bodies to creatures midway between plant and animal. The pivotal work is ‘Kreupelhout – Cripplewood’ (2012-13), the monumental installation which has previously only been shown at the 2013 Venice Biennale. Finally, drawings are an essential part of this exhibition. They are hung in series in the same rooms as the sculptures and enrich the associations and cross-connections that relate all the works to each other.

Drawings are an essential part of this exhibition. They are hung in series in the same rooms as the sculptures, enriching them with their variations and nuances. Although De Bruyckere’s three-dimensional work is better known than her drawings, the two disciplines go hand in hand in the development of her oeuvre. In her series of drawings, the artist above all explores psychological topics and develops her visual research, taking inspiration among other things from anatomical studies and academic life drawings. De Bruyckere’s drawings are often the first step towards a sculpture, but they are not simply preliminary studies for three-dimensional work. Each drawing arises, exists and stands up as a full work in its own right. In De Bruyckere’s case, new images seem to spring ceaselessly and organically from existing ones as if in an endless process of growth. This exhibition also takes an evolutional approach: the repetition of core motifs in different combinations enables you to gradually discover affinities of form, interrelated content and new layers of meaning.

The key work in this solo exhibition is ‘Kreupelhout – Cripplewood’ (2012-
13), the monumental installation which has previously only been shown at the 2013 Venice Biennale. Its production, installation and dismantling were carried out in close cooperation with the S.M.A.K. It is now being put together again here on the basis of the installation plan that was meticulously drawn up at the time.
 
“The Cripplewood tree cannot raise itself straight, grows crooked, shrunk into
itself; crutches are cut from its trunk for those who otherwise can only crawl; a tree
with branches full of knots, gnarled and tangled.”
– J.M. Coetzee

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A modified version of the exhibition ‘Berlinde De Bruyckere. Sculptures & Drawings. 2000 – 2014’ will then go to the Municipal Museum at The Hague in the Netherlands (Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, 28 February - 23 May 2015), and from 18 April 2015 will be on at the Kunsthaus Bregenz in Austria.
 
Berlinde De Bruyckere Monograph
The substantial monograph being published by Mercatorfonds to coincide with the exhibition is conceived as an artist’s book. It documents the last 25 years of Berlinde De Bruyckere’s career, including visual source material from her rich archives. The editor-in-chief, Angela Mengoni, is contributing an essay to the publication, as are Emmanuel Alloa and Gary Carrion-Murayari. Philippe Van Cauteren, the artistic director of the S.M.A.K., adds a personal letter to the artist.
 
The book is available at S.M.A.K. at the exclusive price of 55 euro instead of 64.95 euro.
 
Visiting the exhibition
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