errata

The exhibition "errata" at Xavier Hufkens Van Eyck, Brussels, features a significant collection of previously unseen drawings and works on paper by Walter Swennen, curated by Yann Chateigné Tytelman. Spanning much of the artist's career, these works highlight his creative process, showcasing sketches, tests, improvisations, and repetitions. Swennen's persistent refusal of classification and resistance to a singular mode of painting are evident as figures and motifs recur and transform, styles evolve, and techniques multiply.

Swennen's approach, which he termed "tactics," emphasized situational decisions over overarching plans, exploring surprise, unexpected encounters, and chance resolutions. The works on paper are presented as "errata"—corrections or alterations introduced into a finished object to instill doubt, refine, or contradict content. This principle of reopening what has been closed allows for the generation of the unforeseen, provoking reversals, and reintroducing vitality into the artistic production, preserving a space for viewer interpretation and reflecting the sinuosity of creative life.