In Calling From Work, I call my parents while taking a walk. During a three-month stay in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, I would call my parents once a week. When we speak, they often have no idea where I am, but I know exactly where they are at the time of the call: in the living room, on the couch, right next to the Wi-Fi router. For the conversation itself, this doesn’t matter, but the contrast between my parents’ voices and the locations I find myself in creates an absurd reality for me. Calling From Work reflects the contrast between the small, domestic, and familiar and the feeling of being far away in a global environment. How important is it to know exactly where someone is?
Karel van Laere
1988, the Netherlands
My work is best described as a combination between performance and video art. Due to my mixed background in performing and visual arts, I work in a multidisciplinary way. A central theme in my work is the tension between the human body and technological systems. This ongoing dialogue often leads me to ask fundamental questions that form the foundation of my projects. Collaboration is a key part of my practice. Over the years, I’ve worked with professionals from a wide range of fields, including surgeons, firefighters, a massage therapist, an anesthesiologist, actors, dancers and a hypnotherapist. These collaborations open up new perspectives for my work and help me reach diverse audiences.
