De Stadscollectie Antwerpen is a lively tribute to the artists who give colour to the city of Antwerp. From emerging talent to established names, this collection highlights local creativity but also the global influence of Antwerp’s art scene. Welcome!

Panamarenko

©Courtesy Deweer Gallery Archives, Otegem, Belgium
IJsvogel, 2004
Object , 260 x 900 x 400 cm
PVC, aluminum, iron, tape, nylon

Panamarenko’s constructions are deceptively simple. Although his aircraft often lack more essential elements than they possess, the few features they do display are more than enough to create a sense of airworthiness and efficiency.
This is especially so in the case of the elegant Kingfisher – a gossamer-light aircraft made of transparent Plexiglas, with little flappers at the tip of each wing, marked with a small red cross. The design might be too fragile ever to take to the
sky, but Panamarenko ascribes special properties to it.

‘This work is pure entertainment. There’s no need for any stupid artistic pronouncements. It’s entertaining, but ultimately it has depth, because it says something to me, because it speaks. Because there’s more to it than just a toy; because it has a kind of power, an energy. And when that happens, I put it on display.’ - Panamarenko