Els Nouwen at M Leuven

Key Takeaways

• Nouwen blends photography, overpainting, and copper plate techniques
• Exhibition rotates paper works every three months
• “OXO” acquired by Flemish Community, highlights paradoxical imagery
• Book “OXOMORON” offers essays and artist insights
• Shows challenge fast‑consumption visual culture

Summary

Els Nouwen’s solo show OXOMORON opens at M Leuven in 2026, featuring paintings on canvas, paper works, and copper plates that evolve from photographed sources through aggressive overpainting and material interventions. The exhibition foregrounds the artist’s habit of simultaneous multi‑medium production, with paper pieces rotating every three months and a signature work, ‘OXO’, acquired by the Flemish Community. A companion book, also titled OXOMORON, gathers essays from scholars and curators, offering deeper insight into Nouwen’s practice. The show challenges viewers to slow their gaze amid today’s visual overload.

Pulse Analysis

Els Nouwen, a Belgian painter and philosopher, brings a rigorously conceptual approach to M Leuven’s OXOMORON exhibition. By extracting images from media, internet archives, and personal collections, she subjects them to a process of overpainting, scratching, and material addition across canvas, paper, and copper. This tri‑medium dialogue creates a visual tension where each surface informs the others, and the copper plates, with their reflective quality, introduce an irreversible decision‑making layer that heightens the work’s physicality.

The core of OXOMORON lies in its invitation to slow looking. In an era saturated with instantly consumable visuals, Nouwen’s rough textures, abrupt colour contrasts, and deliberate ambiguities force viewers to linger, confront pareidolia, and tolerate uncertainty. The title itself references the oxymoron—a linguistic paradox that mirrors the paintings’ blend of playfulness and seriousness, order and chaos. By re‑contextualising iconic and sacred symbols with humor, violence, or morbidity, the works echo Surrealist and Dadaist strategies while maintaining a distinct contemporary voice.

Beyond its aesthetic impact, the exhibition signals a shift in museum programming toward immersive, thought‑provoking experiences. The rotating paper works ensure repeat visitation, while the accompanying OXOMORON book, featuring contributions from Ralph Collier and others, extends the dialogue to scholars and collectors. This integrated approach not only enhances the artist’s market visibility but also underscores the institution’s role in fostering critical engagement with visual culture, positioning M Leuven as a hub for innovative, reflective art.