Some projects emerge organically, from shared fascinations and friendship. Miguel Boutry’s poignant book De Klap originated from conversations we had about les gueules cassées – the badly mutilated soldiers of the First World War.
Miguel originally wanted to give a lecture on the subject in my studio, but that fell through. Still, the idea stuck with him and eventually led to his book.

Around the same time, Maxime Foulon had created an impressive series of watercolors about les gueules cassées. I put him in touch with Miguel and their work came together perfectly.
The paintings became not only the illustrations in the book, but also the cover.

The book launch became a tribute to this intense theme.
Miguel gave a lecture, accompanied by Myrdin De Cauter on guitar, and Maxime’s watercolors were exhibited in the museum’s meat grinder room – a space lined with some 800 meat grinders.
A grim setting, but with a deep meaning: many mutilated soldiers could no longer chew and used a grinder to grind their food.

My contribution to this project was a zoetrope, a moving image based on Maxime’s illustrations.
During the performance, this was projected, literally bringing the book and the drawings to life.
It was a way to make the intensity of the theme even more tangible, to pay a visual tribute to the men who were changed beyond recognition by the war.

De Klap has stayed with me. Not only because of the gravity of the subject, but especially because of the way in which art, literature and history merged naturally here.