Catalogue > Un extrait vidéo au hasard

Benevolence is a film art installation in the form of a flicker film. The subject is the depiction of relationships between men and women in film. The work analyses and reveals the various forms of sexism, particularly benevolent sexism. The movement of the film unfolds like a love scene: starting with a seemingly innocent chase, it progresses into violence and ultimately culminates in an overwhelming display of love and submission. The film constructs a choreography using the mise-en-scène typical of classic Hollywood films from the 40s and 50s. Shots are divided into segments of 7 frames and interwoven with one another, creating a choreography of movement, a dance. By doing this, the film reveals the conventions in the ways men and women interact with each other in physical space. In doing so, the film not only questions the normative framework of that time but also challenges the cinematic conventions of today, as many of them are still in use.

Karel De Cock, born in 1982, works and lives in Brussels. He studied Audiovisual Arts at the Sint-Lukas Institute. In his film and photography work, he often reflects on the weight of social conformity. His practice is heavily grounded in research, drawing from popular culture, film, and media history. His photography takes a sociological approach, incorporating an observational element in an urban context. His central goal is to bring visibility to the unseen, emphasizing the extraordinary within the ordinary rather than seeking out exceptions. His work has been featured internationally in several exhibitions and museums, including, House Of World Cultures, Transmediale, Berlin; European Media Arts Festival, Osnabrueck; Centre Pompidou, Rencontres Internationales, France; Europalia Arts Festival, Belgium; Beirut Art Center, Lebanon; Museum M, Belgium and Courtisane, Belgium.