Leentje Vandenbussche

It is during her training in 3D Design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent that Leentje became interested in these existential topics. Fascinated by Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, she sought a suitable representation of Nothing in experience, in graphic studies and in literature. This resulted in the performance Beckett op zijn plaats (Beckett in his place, 2006). After studying Theatre Sciences at the University of Antwerp, she delved into Everything, following a similar work method, but this time starting out from Nothing’s apparent opposite: the result was O (2010).

For Death she chose to join Oefening in verdwijnen (An exercise in disappearing), a project by Peter Aers and Tijs Ceulemans. This collaboration hit two birds with one stone by bringing together, on the one hand, the performance marking the return of Aers and Ceulemans, and on the other, Vandenbussche’s vast graphic and public research. Within the context of this project Vandenbussche created three shows with Aers and Ceulemans: Light, Medium and Strong (2012). Each show took the time to delve further into three different aspects: how to behave in the face of a sudden end; the biology of dying itself; and lastly, power(lessness) as regards your own death. What remains is Something, the conclusion to her series.

Parallel to her stage productions, a red thread has developed in her graphic sketches. They are gathered in the exhibition Alles en Niets (All and nothing) and in the publication Dood in fictie (Death in fiction). Leentje was also one of the founders of the collective zie!duif (now dissolved), with which she created Stockholm, actie TEDDY (action TEDDY) and 19 juni (19 June).