The exhibition examines how the boundaries between war and peace are far less clear-cut than we are often led to believe. Rather than being confined to battlefields or specific historical moments, conflicts continue to shape our societies through political, technological and economic infrastructures, often in ways that remain largely invisible to citizens. Nations that see themselves as peaceful continue for instance to participate in the global arms trade while we all continue to suffer the political, ecological, and psychological effects of distant and historical wars.

Each artwork in Casual/Tease isolates one everyday object and follows it until the hidden presence of war begins to emerge: a children’s playground, the swings moving back and forth, a postcard seascape at dawn,… As the gaze lingers, each casual moment begins to fracture. The swings’ edges appear too serrated, revealing their origin in the remnants of landmines. The overly burned tonality of the sunrise signals another inscription: strata from nuclear “hot” sites embedded into the photographic negative itself. The tilted angle of the walking figures unsettles the scene further: the visual grammar of drone imagery, developed in the war in Ukraine, reappears within the streets of Brussels, reorganizing perception through the logics of targeting and surveillance. What appears as casual is precisely where violence is most effectively concealed; and therefore where it must be confronted.

Save the dates of our opening weekend:

• Thursday 10 September 15:00–20:00 – Casual/Tease Symposium
• Friday 11 September 14:00–20:00 –  Casual/Tease Opening RendezVous Brussels Art Week
• Saturday 12 & Sunday 13 September 11:00–18:00 – Special opening hours RendezVous Brussels Art Week