Kasper Jordaens / Kaotec
Conrad Willems
Performance during the exhibition Smoked Negroni
6, 7 and 8 June
Stationsstraat 53
Scheldewindeke
At first glance, the drawings of Kasper Jordaens and Conrad Willems appear closely related: fine lines, a focused composition, and seemingly manual precision. Kasper’s pen drawings look meticulously hand-drawn, just like Conrad’s. Neither shows visible underdrawings or sketches—every line appears final and irrevocable.
Yet the processes behind these images could hardly be more different. While Conrad relies entirely on craftsmanship and the physical act of drawing, Kasper works closely with technology. Conrad draws freehand, without rulers or tools. Kasper, on the other hand, develops and programs intricate drawing machines, approaching art-making as a collaboration between human and machine.
Kasper sees himself as an instrument maker: he builds machines that not only draw but also respond to his input—and even to their surroundings. His work is a continuous dialogue between control and chance, algorithm and intuition. For him, technology is a medium to be approached as critically as it is poetically.
For Conrad, movement is central to his artistic practice. His background as a ballet and tango dancer forms the foundation of his work. His drawings emerge from the body—from the relationship between space and physical action. As an artist, he is fascinated by how the body relates to its surroundings through play and motion.
During the opening weekend, the two artists will present a joint performance for the first time. They explore how Conrad’s physical, intuitive approach interacts with the digital determinism of Jordaens’ drawing robot. On a five-meter-wide, one-meter-high paper canvas, they will work side by side—without any pre-established plan or pattern. Kasper controls his machine using algorithms and commands, while Conrad works solely with his body. The encounter between human, machine, and medium is the starting point of this live performance. Both artists have previously shown their work in Belgium and abroad, and performance is a fully integrated part of their individual practices.
The performance will take place during the opening weekend of the exhibition:
Friday 6 June: 17:00–22:00
Saturday 7 June: 14:00–19:00
Sunday 8 June: 11:00–19:00
The dynamic between the makers
The collaboration between Conrad and Kasper’s robot is completely unpredictable. There are no agreements about what to draw or how to divide the canvas; only the general parameters of the performance are agreed upon. Both Conrad and the robot are free to work across each other’s areas, to extend, add to, or overwrite existing lines. The result is a joint work in constant transformation, where the boundaries between their individual contributions begin to blur.
The robot will start up slowly, as its code is written live. Furthermore, its speed—powered by two small electric motors—will not match Conrad’s physical rhythm. While Conrad moves at his own pace, the robot is theoretically able to continue drawing non-stop, driven by its algorithms. This creates a dynamic in which Conrad must occasionally pause while the robot keeps going, and the drawing continues.
This rhythm—between physical action and digital automation, between pauses and continuity—makes the performance a balancing act, in which human and machine don’t merely work side by side, but constantly influence one another.
A drawing in parts
The performance does not only result in a visual artwork, but in a piece that the audience can partially take home—both literally and figuratively. The drawing will be divided into equal sections, which can be purchased individually or in adjacent groups.
Uniquely, these sections can already be reserved before or during the performance, when the canvas is still blank. Buyers select a fragment of the yet untouched surface, without knowing what lines, movements, or interactions will unfold there. They are investing in an unknown part of the whole—in potential, in chance, and in trust. It is a moment of uncertainty, where the buyer not only acquires a part of the final work, but actively participates in its creation. The value of their purchase lies not only in the result, but in the process and its possibilities—the tension between what is, and what is still to come.
Buyers can also rely on the established practices of both artists. Kasper Jordaens and Conrad Willems each have extensive careers within their respective fields. Their past work—exhibited in galleries and exhibitions nationally and internationally—serves as a reference for what this collaboration might yield. These prior experiences offer a broader context for the performance and highlight the artistic lineage each artist brings to this shared project.
After the exhibition, the sold sections will be separated, framed, and signed by both artists. Each piece becomes a lasting trace of a collective, temporary act—and a tangible imprint of this unique performance.