Drums, T-shirts, champagne bottles and a xerox machine: Vaast Colson at CIAP (Hasselt)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Push the button of that xerox machine, and it produces an original work of art. For free. For you. Belgian artist Vaast Colson is a generous one, but someone who comes up with some rather enigmatic works of art as well. And so, I was asking myself, once again, while I was walking through the rooms of CIAP Hasselt, is the art world so afraid of explanations? As if offering some clues might take away all the magic. I, on the contrary, am convinced that it will only fuel the curiosity. Don’t get me wrong. Do visit Colson’s show with recent work Hotel Echo Tango (through April 19), when you go to Hasselt, to visit the Paul Smith exhibition for instance, as his works really work well in those grand looking rooms of that old building from 1906. What’s a work of art and what is not, you wonder. But you’ll agree with me: too bad the booklet doesn’t offer at least some clues to help you find your way in this peculiar artistic universe. (all pictures: Kristof Vrancken)