Dogs, a dead bunny and retired people at De Brakke Grond

Jan 26, 2011 | by Sabrina | Art

About the author

Sabrina (who is old as fuck) has more energy than a Duracell bunny, and uses it to dance in the newest clubs, eat too much junk food, play all the videogames, examine apps and shop - even though she has more than enough clothes. Sorry Earth.

‘Daily Whisper’, the first major solo exposition by Sarah Carlier, recently opened at Flemish cultural hotspot De Brakke Grond. The show is divided into two parts: ‘Daily Whisper’, and her latest project, ‘Vier jaar, drie doden, klamme oksels en een foetus’ (Four years, three dead bodies, sweaty armpits and a fetus). They both consist of photos and installations, and discuss traditional cultures and people’s worn-in habits. It sounded like near perfection to me, since I love folkloric costumes and one of my guilty pleasures is to sit on a terrace all day long with a glass of wine, just to watch people go by.

Carlier’s photographs are like little documentaries, they each have their own unique story. Even though the images do speak to you, the arrangement can be a little off at times. The pictures are beautiful on their own. The bunny with pierced paws, an old woman in regional attire, a dog wearing a party hat: all prime examples of good photography. The only problem is that the link between the pictures is sometimes difficult to grasp. What they do have in common is a feeling of sadness. The images seem to be hiding a feeling of grief, or memories of a better time. Every possible story you come up with turns out a bit depressing. It could be the lack of people smiling, or the absence of contact with the camera. Nevertheless, it doesn’t make them less touching.

‘Daily Whisper’ focuses on Belgium, while ‘Vier jaar, drie doden, klamme oksels en een foetus’ is about a Romanian family Carlier followed for four years. In this case the connection is obvious, and it’s interesting to see an unknown, different family and their culture. Amsterdam might be a place where you can spot a lot of different people from other cultures on the street, but you don’t get to see the life of a Romanian family every day. So if you’re like me and like to spy on people, go check it out. You can always get that glass of wine later.