Artist Jan Detavernier looks for scaffold geometry

DRONGEN - Jan Detavernier, artist from Drongen (BE), uses scaffolds to turn his fascination for nature and geometry into spatial structures. We put Jan to the test as a result of a studio visit in Drongen.

MESMERIZED BY NATURE AND GEOMETRY

Jan Detavernier has found his fascination for nature in Brazil where he lived for about three years. He likes to share this interest of his. ‘I felt the energy of nature in the jungle. I would like to share the spell and the effect it had on me with the broader public’, says Jan. Nature is therefore the motivation for his art. During his engineering studies an additional interest grew. Jan continuous: ‘During my studies I developed my passion for math, more specific for patterns and geometry. I could find those structures everywhere in nature. By creating big sculptures, I can transfer the experience I’ve had in nature better. I try to translate this overwhelming impact in geometry which often results in sculptures that turn out big.’

3Φ*2VE, AN EXPLODING SCULPTURE

3Φ*2VE is the last sculpture that Jan made. ‘The constellation is a double vector equilibrium, better known as the sacred geometry, part of the Flower of Life. In this setup, two identical figures can interact with each other. The center of the sculpture is a cubic octahedron. Both as a core but also in its magnified form, this figure is spatially present. It looks like everything ex- or implodes from a point source. The underlying idea is to visualize this movement’, explains Jan. In the sculpture’s name he refers to a mathematical constant phi (Φ), 1,618. This ratio, better known as the golden ratio, is defined by Fibonacci’s number sequence. Jan Detavernier likes to refer to this sequence in his artwork as it can be found everywhere in nature.

CONSTRUCTION KIT FOR ADULTS

Jan Detavernier likes to use natural materials for his sculptures. ‘Thanks to the establishment of Bamboostic, an ecological construction cooperation in Brazil, my fondness for the material emerged. I started my career by using bamboo’, says Jan. Within the story of bamboo, he was looking for linear elements to build with. Almost naturally, he ended up with scaffolding that can be seen as a building kit for adults. ‘Despite the fact that scaffolds aren’t natural elements, they can be used for any new design. So, this reusing of building elements is ideal to setup my temporary installations’, Jan concludes. The modular Afix Fast construction kit creates a lot of opportunities for Jan to make geometrical installations in 360°. Jan Detavernier would like to further experiment with scaffolds to create more spatial sculptures in the future that can visualize his fascination for nature.