The series Bruise represents a series of site-specific interventions within architectural or domestic spaces, engaging both with the physical environment and the conceptual boundaries of the body. Each intervention appears as an intimate, almost subtle disruption of the space—resembling wallpaper, transparent fabrics, curtains, or other materials—that serves to establish a dialogue with the architecture. Through these interventions, Jonas Vansteenkiste addresses the intersection between the human body and built environment, using architectural elements as a canvas upon which he explores the themes of vulnerability, protection, and identity.

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The core element of the Bruise series lies in the relationship between the human body and the architectural structure it inhabits. As the artist notes, the intervention creates a friction between the existing architectural design and the act of insertion, bringing forth a dynamic tension between the permanence of built forms and the impermanence of human experience. The interventions, while often subtle in their form, are powerful in their ability to challenge and disrupt the viewer's understanding of space. The surface treatments applied to the architectural structure—be it wallpaper-like interventions or fabric—act as an intentional distortion of the boundaries between what is external and what is internal. These interventions underscore the idea of architecture not only as shelter but as a “second skin,” reinforcing the intimate relationship between the human body and its built environment.

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Visually, the Bruise series engages with a motif of hues of purple, pink, and blue, reminiscent of color field paintings that demand close inspection. Up close, the viewer is confronted with abstract, painterly compositions that evoke the shifting textures and compositions found in the human body. From a distance, however, these abstract forms evolve and take shape, gradually revealing a deeper, more visceral meaning. The image unfolds into a depiction of human skin—more specifically, a bruise. The work becomes a metaphor for the intersection of body and architecture, where the bruise acts as a physical trace of trauma that reflects both external and internal forces.

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The bruise, as an image, serves as a powerful symbol in this series. It is a mark of vulnerability, of damage, and of resilience. Bruises, as physical manifestations of injury, carry within them a story of violence, either external or internal. For Vansteenkiste, the bruise connects the first skin—the human body—with the second skin—the constructed environment—suggesting that the body and its surrounding architectural structures are both fragile and vulnerable to external forces. The interaction between these skins—the human and the architectural—opens up a dialogue on how architecture serves as a protective barrier, but one that is ultimately susceptible to wear and tear, just as the human body is.

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In examining the nature of the bruise as both a physical and symbolic scar, Vansteenkiste evokes the idea that our protective forms—whether the body or the buildings we inhabit—are subject to forces that leave marks, scars, and traces of their vulnerability. The bruise is not simply a sign of injury but also an indication of the body's inherent fragility, a fragility mirrored in the architecture that surrounds us. By magnifying the bruise and presenting it as the central motif of his interventions, Vansteenkiste highlights the interplay between trauma and protection, exploring how we attempt to shield ourselves from external forces, only to find that such protection is always subject to the threat of disruption.

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On a more personal level, the work serves as a homage to Vansteenkiste's grandmother, who was the model for the bruise depicted in the piece. This personal connection adds an emotional depth to the work, transforming it from a formal investigation into the relationship between body and architecture into a reflection on memory, family, and the passage of time. The bruise, in this sense, becomes a metaphor for the artist's own experience of loss, trauma, and healing, making the work both a deeply personal and universally resonant exploration of the body’s vulnerability.

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Vansteenkiste’s Bruise series ultimately asks the viewer to consider the delicate relationship between the body and the architecture that shelters it. Through these interventions, the artist exposes the hidden fragility of both human skin and architectural form, suggesting that both are vulnerable to forces beyond our control. The bruise, as a physical and emotional mark, becomes a powerful symbol of the constant negotiation between protection and harm, between the construction of safety and the inevitable reality of imperfection. By foregrounding the bruise, Vansteenkiste offers a poignant reflection on the ways in which we attempt to shield ourselves from the world around us, only to find that those very attempts are often marked by the traces of vulnerability and trauma.

In sum, the Bruise series exemplifies Vansteenkiste’s engagement with architecture and the body as interconnected systems of protection, vulnerability, and identity. By incorporating the motif of the bruise, the artist offers a metaphorical reflection on the frailty of both human beings and the spaces they inhabit, challenging us to reconsider the relationship between the two and to recognize the scars—both visible and invisible—that result from their constant interaction.