Peter Weidenbaum
Peter Weidenbaum was born on July 25, 1968 in Antwerp, Belgium. He grew up in Antwerp and studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and the Higher Institute of Fine Arts (HISK), both in Antwerp. As a multidisciplinary artist, he has built an impressive body of work, first gaining recognition as a sculptor before transitioning to painting, a medium he originally practiced at the Academy of Antwerp. One of his most famous works is the permanent installation Passing-By in Montgomery Square in the center of Brussels. This artwork draws attention due to its unique design and location. He is also known for his work called ;Alter ego, a car crashed byWeidenbaum cast in bronze.
In 1999, Peter Weidenbaum was invited by Stijn Huijts, then director of the Stedelijk Museum Het Domein in the Netherlands. This invitation resulted in his first museum exhibition featuring the installation Somebody puts something in my dreams. During this period, Weidenbaum also created several fake reality& short films. From 2000 onwards, he spent three years working on a series called Out of the Forest, consisting of cryptic
sculptures, drawings, and paintings. Weidenbaum strongly believes in the power of art to engage in dialogues and address societal issues. By giving his artworks a social dimension, he aims to strengthen the role of the artist as an active participant in society.
How can one select and then transform something from the complexity of visual information into a meaningfulpainting or installation that offers insights into the human condition? Peter Weidenbaum
Weidenbaums works have been included in various publications and exhibitions in the contemporary art world. As early as 2001, he was mentioned by Florent Bex in the reference book Art in Belgium after 1975. In the book Aspects of Belgian Art after, Belgian cultural philosopher Willem Elias identifies him as a representative of neosymbolism. This style in Belgium is also referred to as the school of Antwerp, with Luc Tuymans being its
most prominent representative. Weidenbaum has participated in different exhibitions, including Fading at the Museum van Elsene in 2009. His work also had a prominent place in the prestigious outdoor exhibition Blickachsen 10 2015, in Germany. A significant turning point in his career was the solo exhibition Holzwege at the Jiri Svestka Gallery in Prague, Czech Republic in 2022.
Weidenbaum lives and works in the province of Liège Belgium and in Hradec Králové Czech Republic. And is
represented internationally by Jiri Svestka Gallery in Prague.
