Joost Pauwaert

Joost Pauwaert is a Belgian artist whose oeuvre explores the creative potential of destruction. He builds machines in wood and metal, cannons, and large or heavy objects such as saw blades and anvils. Explosions and fire feature prominently in performances and videos documenting his self-destructive installations, such as a burning carousel.

Pauwaert consistently employs humour, absurdity, and controlled chaos as fundamental elements of his artistic practice. His work is characterised by a fascination with human ambition, failure, and the desire to gain control over a reality that often proves elusive. Through seemingly simple interventions, he creates situations in which wonder, discomfort, and hilarity coexist.

In Pauwaert’s work, the object itself is not the central focus; rather, it is the moment when expectation, risk, and imagination converge.