Aglaé Bassens: Do Not Disturb
12.26 presents Do Not Disturb, a series of new paintings by Algaé Bassens.
Set within hotel interiors, these paintings whisper stories of solitude and introspection, each frame suggesting a quiet narrative. Bassens employs a more subdued palette to softly articulate the complex emotions tied to hotel stays—feelings of longing, displacement, and a certain poignant solitude. Through careful color choices, she crafts scenes that stir a gentle unease, prompting visitors to ponder the depth of emotion that simmers beneath the ordinary.
The seemingly familiar settings of hotels serve as a canvas for exploring themes of belonging and estrangement. These spaces, designed to mimic the comfort of home, instead reveal a serene yet unsettling ambiance through Bassens' eyes. Her use of cinematic techniques like cropping and selective framing invites viewers to peer through the artist's lens, offering a glimpse into the nuanced, quiet moments that often go unnoticed.
Bassens draws upon images sourced from online communities, such as TripAdvisor and Reddit forums, infusing the series with a sense of shared, yet personal experience. By reimagining these everyday snapshots into something more introspective, she blurs the lines between the individual and the collective, inviting us to contemplate our own transient moments of quietude within spaces meant for passing through.
The imagery invites a contemplative dialogue, gradually revealing its complexity. The paint itself appears to retreat, allowing the scenes to blur and inviting a reflection on the ephemeral nature of our connections to place.
Aglaé Bassens (b. 1986, Belgium) lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Bassens has a BA in Fine Art from the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford University (2007) and an MFA in Fine Art Painting from the Slade School of Fine Art, London (2011). Her work has been exhibited internationally, with solo presentations at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami; 12.26, Dallas, TX; Hesse Flatow, New York, NY; Nars Foundation, Brooklyn, NY; CRUSH Curatorial, New York, NY; and Cabin Gallery, London; as well as group exhibitions at Turn Gallery, New York, NY; Gowen Contemporary, Geneva; STEMS Gallery, Paris; The Valley, Taos, NM; and Workplace Gallery, London. Her work is featured in New American Paintings No. 134 Northeast Issue and 100 Painters of Tomorrow published by Thames and Hudson. Bassens’s works can be found in the permanent collections of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami and Colección SOLO, Madrid, Spain.
Set within hotel interiors, these paintings whisper stories of solitude and introspection, each frame suggesting a quiet narrative. Bassens employs a more subdued palette to softly articulate the complex emotions tied to hotel stays—feelings of longing, displacement, and a certain poignant solitude. Through careful color choices, she crafts scenes that stir a gentle unease, prompting visitors to ponder the depth of emotion that simmers beneath the ordinary.
The seemingly familiar settings of hotels serve as a canvas for exploring themes of belonging and estrangement. These spaces, designed to mimic the comfort of home, instead reveal a serene yet unsettling ambiance through Bassens' eyes. Her use of cinematic techniques like cropping and selective framing invites viewers to peer through the artist's lens, offering a glimpse into the nuanced, quiet moments that often go unnoticed.
Bassens draws upon images sourced from online communities, such as TripAdvisor and Reddit forums, infusing the series with a sense of shared, yet personal experience. By reimagining these everyday snapshots into something more introspective, she blurs the lines between the individual and the collective, inviting us to contemplate our own transient moments of quietude within spaces meant for passing through.
The imagery invites a contemplative dialogue, gradually revealing its complexity. The paint itself appears to retreat, allowing the scenes to blur and inviting a reflection on the ephemeral nature of our connections to place.
Aglaé Bassens (b. 1986, Belgium) lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Bassens has a BA in Fine Art from the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford University (2007) and an MFA in Fine Art Painting from the Slade School of Fine Art, London (2011). Her work has been exhibited internationally, with solo presentations at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami; 12.26, Dallas, TX; Hesse Flatow, New York, NY; Nars Foundation, Brooklyn, NY; CRUSH Curatorial, New York, NY; and Cabin Gallery, London; as well as group exhibitions at Turn Gallery, New York, NY; Gowen Contemporary, Geneva; STEMS Gallery, Paris; The Valley, Taos, NM; and Workplace Gallery, London. Her work is featured in New American Paintings No. 134 Northeast Issue and 100 Painters of Tomorrow published by Thames and Hudson. Bassens’s works can be found in the permanent collections of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami and Colección SOLO, Madrid, Spain.
