Art Antwerp 5th edition : Interview Aaron Victor Peeters, Uitstalling Gallery 🎧

12 décembre 2025

Aaron-Victor Peeters in front of
Untitled (Hardcore films, continuous show), 2025
UITSTALLING Gallery (booth A47) Art Antwerp 2025 pic. MdF

Based in Genk, a post-industrial city in Belgium’s Limburg region, UITSTALLING Gallery draws on its distinctive geographic and cultural context to foster dialogue between local narratives and global concerns. A curatorial approach driven by a commitment to amplifying voices that challenge dominant aesthetics and discourses. Among the artists it represents, Aaron Victor Peeters stands out for his metaphorical installations, which evoke unexpected layers of emotional and cultural meanings. One of my best discoveries of this Art Antwerp 2025 edition. It ‘s part of the must-see large-scale installation curated section !

Aaron Victor Peeters, Before I turn 50
Motorcycle with stone ball and chain, size varies, 2025 courtesy the artist & UITSTALLING Gallery pic. Lennert Berx @kunstvanger

How long have you been working with the gallery?

This is my first year with the gallery. More precisely, we presented a debut solo show together about a year ago.

What is your educational background?

I’ve explored many paths. I studied jewellery as well as painting, and I also worked as a teacher. I spent a long time searching for the right direction. And as the typical Belgian question goes — “What do you do?” — instead of answering “I’m an artist,” I often prefer to offer something a little less straightforward.

What’s at stake with the bike ?

The bike is titled Before I Turned 50, accompanied by a small note dedicated to my mother. It reflects on the idea of a midlife crisis and the broader social injunctions about achieving something “meaningful” before a certain age. All these pressures weigh heavily on one’s shoulders, symbolised by the large chain and its burden. It stands as an invitation to resist society’s prescribed rules.

Aaron Victor Peeters, Before I turn 50 (detail), courtesy the artist & UITSTALLING Gallery pic. Lennert Berx @kunstvanger

What about the large-scal installation « Hardcore films, continuous show » ?

It grew out of a memory — the video rental stores I knew as a teenager, with their back rooms hidden behind curtains, reserved for 18+ films. By the time I was finally old enough to step behind those curtains, those spaces had already disappeared. The work reflects on the idea of a dream or a memory whose realisation is no longer possible. It’s a tangible evocation of secret desires and cultural taboos.

Is there something inside ?

No. It’s like the religious image of the Virgin Mary as a gatekeeper — the promise is as deceptive as the reality. The installation creates a visual paradox between the unseen and the pervasive glow of neon. The façade is constructed like a cinema set, reminiscent of Cinecittà, blending playful, boyish references with hints of hidden sexuality.

Aaron Victor Peeters, Drive in Cinema „my first kiss” Assemblage mixed materials – sound150x60x35cm, 2024 courtesy the artist & UITSTALLING Gallery pic. Lennert Berx @kunstvanger

What about the sound system installation ?

This sound system installation is built from a constructed memory this time. In Europe, we never had drive-in cinemas like in America, with speakers hanging in the cars. Here, you can hear someone saying, “Good night, everybody, enjoy your snacks,” and just before the movie starts, the sounds of people kissing. It’s all about this fictional memory of me going to a drive-in and experiencing my first kiss !

Aaron Victor Peeters, Sally #3 courtesy the artist & UITSTALLING Gallery pic. Lennert Berx @kunstvanger

Can you describe us the painting ?

The work is closely linked to cinema, a theme that is very important to me. When we think about history, we often think in terms of film images rather than museum displays. For instance, when we imagine the Romans, we picture Gladiator or Ben-Hur, not artifacts in a museum. Movies profoundly shape the way we perceive the past. This led me to return to some of the earliest cinematic images, such as Muybridge’s series of horse photographs. For my exhibition at the gallery, the large paintings were arranged in a big circle, so that as a viewer, you become part of the film itself.

Listening Aaron Victor Peeters @Fomo_Podcast 🎧