Artwork of the month - video (57 sec)

Alter-ego Suitcase -
Po Toi - Hong Kong

Year	2018
Size	Artwork: 110 cm x 72.8 cm Frame: 115 cm x 78 cm x 3 cm
Materials	Four-colour silkscreen print on Steinbach paper (220 gr)
Options	incl. custom-made frame by Atelier Derycke Part of the wooden suitcase project.
Edition	6 pieces (+ 1 artist’s proof)
For Sale	Yes, contact our gallery Fred&Ferry (Antwerp, BE)
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This large-format, four-colour silkscreen print depicts the ‘Alter-Ego Suitcase’ set up on the bay of Po Toi island, Hong Kong. A limited edition of seven silkscreen prints was produced by the artists themselves in their atelier.

The wooden suitcase, purposefully made at the scale of carry-on hand luggage suitable for transport on planes and trains, serves as a portable artwork. This small, unfoldable home altar is devoted to the mythical anthropomorphic animal figures Reindeer and Bull. These are the alter egos of Robbert and Frank, respectively.

By activating this suitcase in striking locations, such as here on Po Toi Island, Frank&Robbert create a temporary artwork each time it is deployed. On and around the suitcase we can see a number of lucky finds from the island presented as votive offerings for the altar. By embracing coincidence, Robbert&Frank allow the location to leave its mark on the work. More than simply an aesthetic object, this print also documents a ritual, performative act, an adventure and a journey.

Silkscreen printing is a technique used to build up an image in patterned layers, typically comprising the colours cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The separate printing of each layer – leading to slight variations in alignment with each new print – gives rise to a unique result each time. This reflects how each ‘deployment’ of the suitcase in a new location is likewise identical yet unique.

The infinitely complex interplay of time and space, circumstances and people, objects and animals, forms a fantastic basis for the creation of beauty and wonder. Frank&Robbert celebrate this by bringing their work into the outside world.

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