Constance Van Rolleghem

My work

My work is a poetic response to systemic discrimination and ableism in our normative society. I experiment with and use a multimedia process with different forms of writing that I call ‘’Scriptograms” to explore how writing can be a choreographic gesture that goes beyond the perfect spelling or normative meaning of a word itself. My work allows the viewer to form their own interpretation and reflect beyond the basic meaning and codification of a word and open their thoughts to a greater diversity of meaning.

My “Scriptograms” are an ambidextrous repetitive movement that plays with similarities in shapes, lines and patterns in the words. These are ambidextrous movements because this is the only way to free writing from our centralized body. I use rhythmic patterns because there is no life without a constant heartbeat, and they are repetitive because we can never repeat exactly the same thing. Every moment in our lives is different, each moment is a new creation, a new layer in time.

The words I choose to write are found within my own life experiences and are at the intersection of my identities as a Euro-American woman, neuro-divergent artist, mother, and caregiver. I believe that they highlight the inequalities and disrespect hidden in the terms that our normalizing, discriminative, and ableist society chooses to employ.

I also use photography (“Moments” and “Photoscripts”) to capture how our planet communicates its own existence through a stratification of the marks of time. This can also be seen in my works on paper by the layers, transparencies, and the different tools that I use to mark the page.

CV

Education:

Académie Royale des Beaux Arts de la Ville de Bruxelles, Diplome de l’Enseignement Artistique Superieur; 4 year diploma in artistic drawing, Thesis: “History of writing in art, as a support for personal inspiration” 1980 -1985

Studio Daniel Pierot - Two-year study of 16th -18th century painting restoration, Brussels Belgium 1984 - 1986

Université Libre de Bruxelles - One year independent study in Art History 1979 - 1980

Residencies:

Saltonstall Residency (accepted), Ithaca, New York, October 2023

Ibiza Ping Pong, month-long residency at La Pandilla, Ibiza, Spain, Feb - Mar 2023

Exhibitions:

Presentation of the Ping Pong Residency work, La Pandilla, Ibiza, 2023

4 for Arts Gallery, Summer group exhibition – Lennox, MA, 2020, 2021

“8 Belgian Artists”, Belgian Consulate Residence – New York, NY, 2019 - 2020

Scriptograms: Rivers of Thought – Saffron, Brooklyn, New York, 2012

Photoscripts: Snapshots of Ephemeral Moments – Journey, Dumbo, New York, 2012

T.O.A.S.T. Tribeca open artist’s studio tour, 2010

Belgian Artist group Show at the Lincoln Center, New York, New York, 2002

Group Show “Vrijverhof“, Brussels, Belgium, 1999

Itinerant Group Show “ Belgische Kunstenaars in America,1998

Outdoor Show organized by Nathalie Beeckman Fine Arts, Brussels, Belgium, 1995

Solo Show, Générale de Banque - Generale Bank, Brussels, Belgium, 1995

Group Show, Nathalie Beeckman Fine Arts, Brussels, Belgium,1995

“8 Belgian Artists Living in New York City”, ‘Z’ Gallery, New York, New York, 1993

Group Show, Art Wall + B Gallery, Rutherford, New Jersey, 1992

The Rope Show, Group Show, Artists Space, New York, New York,1992

Solo Exposition, “L’Autre Musée”, Brussels, Belgium, 1991

Group Show, Art Wall + B Gallery, Rutherford, New Jersey, 1991

Solo Exposition, Galerie l’Oeil, Brussels, Belgium, 1990

“Material Evidence” Group Show, Luise Ross Gallery, 50 West 57th Street, New York, New York, 1990

“Encre Intimidante” Solo Exposition, Galerie l’Oeil, Brussels, Belgium, 1989

“Bilan/Prospective” Group Exposition, Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium, 1989

“Biennale Jeunes Talents ‘88”, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Cherleroi, Belgium, 1988

“Hendeka” Group Exposition, Galerie Bortier, Brussels, Belgium, 1985

“La Maison de Papier” Installation, Academie Royale des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium, 1985

Collections:

Belgian Tourist Office - 780 Third Avenue, New York City

ABN AMRO Bank - 359 Madison Avenue, New York City

Bertha Urdang - New York City, New York