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Bio

Niels Vaes, born in 1987, is a Belgian artist working and living in Brussels. In his work, he approaches a variety of symbolic, historical and psychological themes. It consists mainly of sculptural interventions, experimental paintings and graphic research. Usually, he combines these things with thoughtful, multimedia and space-filling installations in both public and private areas. In 2010, he graduated in fine arts from the Mad-faculty in Hasselt, Belgium. The last ten years Niels mostly exhibited in Belgium and worked in different studios in the company of other artists. Niels also teaches model drawing and art crafts to the 5th and 6th grade students at De Wijnpers, a high school in Leuven, Belgium. 

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Former studies:

Name of institute: Provinciale Hogeschool Limburg

City: Hasselt (Limburg) 3500

Study from/till: 2005-2010

Department: Fine arts

Diploma title: Master in fine arts.

Main subject: sculpture

Diploma date: 03.07.2010

2023

  • 'The date is great and the height is fine. But tall is all the tower will be' (solo exhibition), Red Herring Salon, Antwerp

  • 'I don't know if it's real, but I like the way it feels', duo show with Pierre-Louis Graizon, Salon Brecht Van Dam, Brussels

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2022

  • 'Staarmodus', duo show with Manu Engelen, Ponti Gallery Space, Antwerp (Belgium)

  • 'COOP Kunst', Copper&Light, Antwerp (Belgium)

  • 'ILYSM', Breedlijn, Antwerp (Belgium)

  • 'PEEP SHOW', Copper&Light at Gosset site, Brussels (Belgium)

  • 'Uitgestald-1', Uitstalling Gallery, Genk (Belgium)

  • Residency: Arctic Circle Residency Program: https://thearcticcircle.org/safari/ (Spitsbergen)

  • 'It's time to meet them', curated by Maxim Renard, Tongeren (Belgium)

  • 'Speaking chairs', a project by Onbetaalbaar Ghent in co-operation with CAMPO, 019ghent, designmuseumgent, Ghent (Belgium)

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2021

  • 'Portraits#1', Veduta VZW - curated by Arthuur Dufoor & Elias Driesen, Lavallée, Brussels (Belgium)

  • 'PRELUDE', invite by Tatjana Pieters & Barbé Urbain, Ghent (Belgium)

  • 'ULTERIEUR 20.21', AVEE Gallery, Firma, Brussels (Belgium)

  • 'A talk with the sun', artist initiative collab with Steven Antonio Manes, Tour&Taxis, Brussels (Belgium)

  • 'KABINET', artist initiative by Twan Kerckhofs, Aaron Victor Peeters and Kirsten Vanlangenaeker and Fien Cox, Genk (Belgium)

  • 'Loop naar de maan', Stichting Promotie Limburgse Kunstenaars, Heerlen (The Netherlands)

  • 'Belgian Art and Design Fair', Ghent (Belgium)

  • 'The Grand Opening', Copper&Light at Balthasar, Brussels (Belgium)

  • 'Auralogie', invited by Gökhan Shapo Girginol, Genk (Belgium)

  • 'PONTI PONTI PONTI', Ponti Gallery space, Antwerp (Belgium)

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2020

  • 'ULTERIEUR', AVEE Gallery, Kortrijk (Belgium)

  • 'COMPOSTE', invite by Luc Vrydaghs&Els Wuyts, Steenhuize (Belgium)

  • 'A conversation about life and death', invite by Adel Setta (Loods des doods) and Kevin Kotahunyi (Please add color), Antwerp (Belgium)

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2019

  • 'Price: Government manager + life time achievement award​ VVBB', Brussels (Belgium)

  • 'KONVOOI', Entrepot, Brugge (Belgium)

  • 'JINGLE BALLS III', Onbetaalbaar, Ghent (Belgium)

  • 'Nationa(a)l Artist supermartket', Vanderborght building, Brussels (Belgium)

  • 'Kleinsculptuur', CC Zwaneberg, Heist-op-den-Berg (Belgium) 

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2018

  • 'Ghost@deSingel', Ghost, Antwerp (Belgium)

  • 'ART POP POP ART', Kunstnetwerk Haspengouw, Heks (Belgium)

  • 'C-takt #2', collab with Tom Herck, C-mine, Genk (Belgium)

  • 'Ring ring', Het LABO, Hasselt (Belgium)

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2017

  • 'Swimming pool expo', Swallowing Helmets, Brussels (Belgium)

  • 'The decoy', Smartlab, Hasselt (Belgium)

  • 'Let's play house' (solo exhibition), b-roof gallery, Brussels (Belgium)

  • 'Jardin Maritime II', Jardin Maritime, Brussels (Belgium)

  • 'Motif', Alley, Hasselt (Belgium)

  • 'Black to the future', Het LABO, Genk (Belgium)

  • 'Jardin Maritime III', Jardin Maritime, Brussels (Belgium)

  • 'Conscienza Fest II', Marina Kazakova, Tongres (Belgium)

  • 'Stadsgardeville I', BOB361 Architectes, Brussels (Belgium)

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2016

  • 'MAD Power' , De Warande , Turnhout , (Belgium)

  • 'Stadtriënnale - Label it' , Modemuseum , Hasselt , (Belgium)

  • 'Veiling der dingen' , Onbetaalbaar - C-Mine , Genk , (Belgium)

  • 'Finissage' , Rod Barton - Take over , Brussels , (Belgium)

  • 'The history, the horse and the land. (solo exhibition)' , Cultuurzomer Tongeren , Tongeren , (Belgium)

  • 'Concienza Fest' , Marina Kazakova , Geer (Liége) , (Belgium)

  • 'Presentation' , Jacqmotte , Brussels , (Belgium)

  • 'Jardin Maritime 01' , JM , Molenbeek , (Belgium)

  • 'A collaboration with Strelli' (solo exhibition) , Strelli-homme , Antwerp , (Belgium)

  • 'Summer Bar & Young Designers Shops' , // , Asbeek , (Belgium)

  • 'Night Still', //, Brussels, (Belgium)

2015

  • 'Before the foodfight' , Gertie Clark - Chocoladefabriek , Nerem, Tongeren , (Belgium)

  • 'The weight of equilibrium (solo exhibition)' , Cultuurzomer Tongeren , Nerem, Tongeren , (Belgium)

  • 'Das in Istanbul' , Het LABO , Istanbul , (Turkey)

  • 'Branding (solo exhibition)' , Arteventuno - CCHA , Hasselt , (Belgium)

  • 'Actueel Kunstenfestival' , Kunstnetwerk Haspengouw , Kuttekoven , (Belgium)

  • 'Interview' , Bertels.A , Tongeren , (Belgium)

  • 'Collaboration with Strelli' , Strelli-homme , Hasselt , (Belgium)

  • 'D.ART' , Artenova , Mechelen , (Belgium)

  • 'RSS#8' , Renold , Brussels , (Belgium)

  • 'Lievelingen lonken niet' , Kunstenaarzoektruimte , Sint-Truiden , (Belgium)

  • 'Carte de visite' , Cultuurdienst Brussel , Brussels , (Belgium)

2014

  • 'Biodiversiteit' , _ , Nieuwenhoven , (Belgium)

  • 'The Clever Kids Are Coming (solo exhibition)' , VOKA , Hasselt , (Belgium)

  • 'curiosiTIES' , Modemuseum Hasselt (het LABO) , Hasselt , (Belgium)

  • 'Collages' , The Corner Gallery , Brussels , (Belgium)

  • 'Copyright is a myth' , Iforwilliams , Bree , (Belgium)

  • 'AMOK' , AMOK , Hasselt , (Belgium)

  • 'Carte de visite' , Cultuurdienst Brussel , Brussels , (Belgium)

  • 'Update#1' , Wiebengahal , Maastricht , (The Netherlands)

  • 'The Collection. A Summer Group Exhibition.' , Eastmen Gallery , Hasselt , (Belgium)

2013

  • 'Project Parc Maritime' , JES-Brussel , Brussels , (Belgium)

  • 'Sousvoir' , Art route , Hoegaarden , (Belgium)

  • 'SQUASHER (solo exhibition)' , KABINET CIAP , Hasselt , (Belgium)

  • 'a tribute to Wout Vercammen' , Arteventuno , Hasselt , (Belgium)

  • 'First we take The Hague, then we take Berlin.' , z33 , The Hague , (The Netherlands)

  • 'DADA Belgium' , WOW , Brussels , (Belgium)

  • 'Diaphanous Structures (solo exhibition)' , Arteventuno , Borgloon , (Belgium)

  • 'Art Attack' , Arteventuno & Anouck Vilain , Hasselt , (Belgium)

  • 'Upcycling Festival' , Creazi , Hasselt , (Belgium)

  • 'Young Masters' , Glazenhuis , Lommel , (Belgium)

2012

  • 'The sketchbook project' , Brooklyn Art Library , Touring through USA , (Canada and Great Britain)

  • 'Bookers' , Kulturama , Leuven , (Belgium)

  • 'Re: Converse #3' , Casino Beringen , Beringen , (Belgium)

  • 'Leaving For a Living' , Art & Advice , Hasselt-Stevoort , (Belgium)

  • 'Bienvenue' , MAD-Faculty , Waterschei , (Belgium)

  • 'You and me - in between' , Piazza del Arte , Brussels , (Belgium)

  • 'BoomTown' , Gentse Feesten , Ghent , (Belgium)

  • 'Toutestfini' , Group expo , Hasselt , (Belgium)

  • 'No Movement' , De Muze/Arteventuno , Heusden-Zolder , (Belgium)

  • 'Perpendicular' , Philips site, VONK , Hasselt , (Belgium)

  • 'Copyright is a myth - 2012' , IForWilliams , Bree , (Belgium)

2011

  • 'Bagaar' , Secondroom , Ghent , (Belgium)

  • 'Matchbox' , De bark , Heusden-Zolder , (Belgium)

  • 'Matchbox' , CIAP , Hasselt , (Belgium)

  • 'Alternate Current' , Gelatinefabriek , Hasselt , (Belgium)

  • 'Feeling so brave. You can't be stopped when you're young (solo exhibition)' , Grizzzly gallery , Brussels , (Belgium)

  • 'Toekomstcongres' , Provinciale hogeschool Limburg , Hasselt , (Belgium)

  • 'Zebra-crossing' , Pianofabriek , Brussels , (Belgium)

  • 'In out in out' , Home Jonas Vanbuel , Brussels , (Belgium)

2010

  • 'Copyright is a myth - 2010' , IForWilliams , Bree , (Belgium)

  • 'Centre Of Mass' , Lokaal 01 , Antwerp , (Belgium)

  • 'Wunderkammer' , MDA (Media & Design academy) C-mine , Genk , (Belgium)

  • 'PIHNDY' , CIAP , Hasselt , (Belgium)

  • 'XXI-into Dada' , Arteventuno , Hasselt , (Belgium)

  • 'Lineart Gent' , DS Contemporary Art , Heusden-Zolder , (Belgium)

2009

  • 'Bachelor expo' , Provinciale Hogeschool Limburg , Hasselt , (Belgium)

2007

  • 'Habitat: A Cocky Roar Show' , Kunstencentrum Belgie , Hasselt , (Belgium)

  • '50/25' , Cypres Gallery , Leuven , (Belgium)

  • 'Ruimte te gebruiken' , Z33 , Hasselt , (Belgium)

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