©Bruno V. Roels I Courtesy Gallery FIFTY ONE - Desertwave #2.

Written by Jania Marissa

Photo Edited by Kit Matthews

Gallery Fifty One recently opened Bruno V Roels ‘s “Woke Up Laughing“ photography exhibition this December.

Bruno V Roel’s is a Belgian artist who has shown at the Gallery Fifty one, five times. Roels uses analog photography practices and experiments with aesthetics and experimentation, but also promotes “historical consciousness” within his work. The photography process that Roels uses for his work is not limited to just purely analog photography processing but also the addition of artificial intelligence, photo manipulation and reproduction processes that involve layering, duplicating and image bending. All of these aspects combined give his images a distinct appearance and contribute to the unique style of his photography.

©Bruno V. Roels I Courtesy Gallery FIFTY ONE - The Edge Of The Jungle (A Beautiful Day 5)

The subject of this exhibition is one of palm trees. Roels is celebrating the beauty of the palm tree and what it represents symbolically. In the mind of Roels, a palm tree is a symbol of paradise, escape and opulence. A handful of the prints have vivid colors pop which highlight the paradise and opulent feel to the palm trees. The “vintage” aesthetic to the photographs also tonally represent the systematic wealth and colonial thread of history attached to the “vacation” aesthetic. This is the effectiveness of the “historical consciousness” woven into the aesthetic of the photographs.

©Bruno V. Roels I Courtesy Gallery FIFTY ONE - An Ornament For A Summer’s Day #2

There are many places that have palm trees, and not every place would be deemed a “ paradise”. Roels addresses this head on. Depending on where the palm tree is, there is a different narrative to the tree. Considering the political and historical undertones of colonialism and politics, differing locations of palm trees do not represent the same symbolism. The way this concept is conveyed through Roel’s photography is through the darker and less vivid photographs of the palm trees, which convey a darker and possibly more consequential tone to them. Not a paradise, not fun, not an escape, but maybe the opposite. Photographs like : “Thunder As A way to Cleanse” and “ An ornament From A Summer’s Day #2” convey a different tone than other pieces such as “ Giving Back Color #1 “. This allows both the “paradise” and the “reality” to be in conversation with each other.

©Bruno V. Roels I Courtesy Gallery FIFTY ONE - Sailors Turned To Stone (Gorgon Blue)

Some of the countries where these palms stand are in : Iraq, Syria, Palmyra and Fallujah. These countries are occupied by ISIS and hold complex histories and realities that would not be deemed a beautiful peaceful paradise escape. The idea that paradise is “ just around the corner” is only true for some, and inaccessible and exclusive to others.

©Bruno V. Roels I Courtesy Gallery FIFTY ONE - Stacking Potassium

The recognizable objects in the photographs can also be used to explore the ‘ shared'' reality we all have, and possibly dismantle that notion. The images we see are aesthetically beautiful, captivating and desirable. But are they representing what is actually true?

This is an interesting point to ponder whilst looking at the photographs in the show, to challenge our own views.

©Bruno V. Roels I Courtesy Gallery FIFTY ONE - Figura Serpentinata (Demeter V)

The title of the exhibition “woke up laughing“ is from Robert Palmer, who is a British Pop Musician. The song encompasses the exhibition in a perfect nutshell. Some of the lyrics read :

“Woke up laughing

You make yourself a fortune out in Hong Kong

You sit at home and wonder whether you were wrong

You take a small vacation just to keep sane

You find on your return your home is blown away “