Bulot ou bigorneau ? (2022) Sculpture by Michaël Vanhove

My name is Michael Vanhove, 45 spring, a saga marked by ups and downs, a symphony of experiences that have carved my being. Through the meanders of existence, my educational journey, punctuated by bold and sometimes unfortunate choices, reveals a tumultuous journey towards "self-discovery". From school benches to classrooms, from visual arts to architecture and then social sciences, each step was a lesson, an ordeal where I had to reinvent myself.
Immersed in the dark universe of the Victim Assistance Service, I was confronted with the unspeakable, the torments of the human soul. Tragedy has come to my door, leaving indelible scars in my heart. I therefore preferred to embark on a new adventure within the Municipal Administration of Ecaussinnes (Belgian City Hall) where I thought I would find refuge, but even then, the shadow of despair has haunted me. After 14 years of work, the brown-out (loss of meaning, feeling of uselessness in the tasks to be performed, withdrawal into oneself...) led me into an insidious depression, which eventually overwhelmed me, plunging me into the abyss of suffering. After 18 years of work, in the first period of Covid, I was thanked...
Yet, in the midst of the turmoil, art has become my shield, my outlet. Through creation, despite having twice put my existence in danger, I found the strength to survive, to transcend my torments, transforming my pain into beauty.
My story is therefore one of a relentless struggle against darkness, but also of inspiring resilience, where artistic expression becomes my beacon in the night, illuminating the path to healing and redemption.

• Nationality: BELGIUM
• Date of birth : 1978
• Artistic domains:
• Groups: Contemporary Belgian Artists