In his most recent work, Kristof Vrancken uses nature not just as a passive subject but as an active ingredient in his work. He uses an old process, the anthotype, to develop an organic photograph. In this technique, which dates back to the earliest days of photography, natural substances taken from flowers or other plants are used to make a vegetable ink, the coloured pigments of which have photosensitive properties. By developing his photographic images with inks made from local plants, he reinforces the relationship between a physical place and its representation. These images not only represent a territory, they are in themselves that territory.

The Château Coquelle, via the Rencontres Photographiques de Dunkerque, will also be welcoming Kristof Vrancken, giving him the opportunity to work on a wider area of the Hauts-de-France region. We will also be asking him to incorporate his native land, Belgian Flanders, into this project. Two exhibitions are planned for the first half of 2024, at Espace 36 and in the grounds of Château Coquelle. A publication edited by Espace 36 will accompany these exhibitions.