With Gut, Lisa Vlaemminck presents the outcome of an almost two-year residency at the psychiatric centre Ariadne in Lede. Together with clients, and guided by occupational therapists, she translated motifs from her paintings—such as waffles, sausages, and organs—into plexiglass and ceramics. The result is a collective work that emerges from a shared mental space. Part of the project is a new gate for Ariadne’s garden, literally breaking through the wall that separates the institution from the outside world.

Gut refers both to the body and the unconscious. Vlaemminck explores how psychoanalysis and consumer culture intertwine, how desires are shaped, and how the boundary between subject and object begins to blur. Within the controlled spaces of the clinic or the art institution, the sculptures act disruptively: their tactile, bodily presence breaks open the clinical order. Everyday forms such as a piece of cake, a finger or a sausage become symbolic, balancing between food and body, the sensual and the absurd.

The exhibition also includes monumental polyester sculptures, produced by Nicolas Keppens. In the tradition of Aalst’s carnival floats, these assemblages invert the logic of advertising and seduction: icons of consumer culture, such as signs for chip shops or kebab stalls, appear exaggerated and confrontational.

Gut expands on Kunst op Voorschrift (Art on Prescription) (2024), a project developed by NW in collaboration with Erfgoedcel Denderland.