RAM-8 Groep

Plastician artists collective:
Anusch Bayens, Carlo De Pauw, Carmen Geens, Mark Pieters, André Thomas, Alex Van Bogaert, Samuel Verbiese, Nico Willemsens.
Overijse, Belgium

The 'RAM-8 Groep' artists collective, based in Overijse, Belgium, has previously taken part in the Enschede 2013, Seoul 2014 and Baltimore 2015 Bridges Exhibits (see details in Conference papers 'Bridges Exhibits as Incentives for Collaborative Works', I, in 2015, and II, this year).

This time, it presents a 'quasi-3D' structure, in essence, the groundplan of a virtual palace called 'the Polygoneum' by Mark, its designer and this year's team-member in charge of the overall project. Besides producing oil-painted artwork of imaginary architectural scenes, he is a fan of reviving lost ancient monumental constructions using computer power, and as such, chose to devise a 'new ancient structure' for his team to inhabit.

The Polygoneum
The Polygoneum
20 x 160 x 130 cm
Rigid foam panel, wood, glass, paint, Zometool
2016

The palace got its plan view realized on a 1/50 scale. As its name suggests, it contains polygonal features (if one accepts that circles & ellipses comply, possessing 'an infinity of sides'...), in fact 8 different 'polygonal' ballrooms around an octagonal patio partly covered by a central tower and displaying a 3D printed model of the palace. These roughly 15m-cubes, were collegially assigned each to a RAM-8 Group member, according to affinities, to be invested by visitable artworks relating to the relevant room shapes. The image details the ground plan in the center, and the works are also shown in perspective around with the author's names. Visitors can reach the roof where glasshouses allow for the art to be viewed from above.