Rotopaintings and Yawning Stones

The exhibition "Rotopaintings and Yawning Stones" at Xavier Hufkens Van Eyck, Brussels, features works by Michel François that explore process, material behaviour, and transformation. The diverse pieces, including sculpture, installation, and painting, are united by themes of control versus spontaneity, the experience of time, and processes of change. François often uses everyday or industrial materials, allowing chance and instability to influence the final form. His "Rotopaintings" are created using a custom-built machine with sandpaper belts that rotate a surface at high speed, while pigment is applied, generating layered colours through friction and erosion.

This exhibition also includes "To erode (Sand)," a series where form emerges through disintegration, and "Scribble Lamp," which transforms electrical cabling into a sculptural object. "Yawning Stones," a collaboration with Douglas Eynon, presents boulders with mouth-like openings, referencing physiological automatism and art historical depictions of yawning. Across the works, François draws attention to moments where agency yields to automatism, form arises from loss, and images are generated through contact rather than direct control, inviting contemplation on vitality, enervation, and transformation.