Photographer Dirk Braeckman will represent Belgium at the 57th Venice Biennale, beginning in May, it has been announced. The exhibition will be curated by Eva Wittocx, of the M-Museum in Leuven.

Braeckman will be producing a new series of “monumental” photographs for the exhibition, with the intention of exploring the mass production and consumption of images.

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“Pictures and slogans constantly demand our attention nowadays, whether on television, the internet or in the public space,” a statement from the M reads. “Dirk Braeckman and curator Eva Wittocx will endeavor to create a sense of tranquility in the Belgian pavilion, allowing visitors to focus their full attention on the images.”

Dirk Braeckman, E.E.-A.A.-11-2011 / F.E.L.S.#2 (2011) Image ©M – Museum Leuven. Photo by Dirk Pauwels.

Braeckman is famous for his enigmatic images and experimentation with printing techniques, exploring different textures, materials, and exposures. Through this experimentation, he draws out and heightens aspects of his photography. His subjects, shot in black and white, usually comprise snapshots of interiors, body parts, and a range of surfaces.

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Braeckman gained his first major retrospective in 2011 which went on view at the M, and then traveled to De Appel Center for Contemporary Art in Amsterdam. Wittocx has been a curator at the M since 2009. She also writes about art and works as a lecturer.

The new works being made for the Venice Biennale will subsequently be included in a huge double show at BOZAR in Brussels and M-Museum Leuven in 2018.