Studies of Slaves

The countryside of the Belgian village Watou with its fields where people plow, spade, plant, and harvest, has inspired Mikes Poppe to a durational performance, En de boer, hij ploegde voort (Watou, 2022).

As a result of and in preparation for this performance, Poppe created models, sculptures, photographs, and drawings. He interprets infinity, stillness and movement, traditions, peasant life, hard work, the rural landscape, Michelangelo’s Dying/Awakening Slave. Are these hushed studies of (will)power? Does he investigate the physicality of the landscape or the landscape-likeness of the body?

Works are available for purchase: contact

The exhibition ‘Sense of Place’ (Watou, 2022) was curated by James Putnam & Koen Vanmechelen.