Chantal Sapens

Chantal Spapens, a French/Dutch visual artist, channels her creative expression through performance and sculpture/installation. She is currently pursuing her MFA at the Rome University of Fine Arts (RUFA).

Chantal's artistic narrative unfolds at the intersection of personal experience and societal inquiries, exploring the multifaceted nature of womanhood within the backdrop of a contemporary, capitalist, patriarchal society. Her body of work intricately weaves themes of female agency, body politics, and power relations, delving into the complex layers that define the feminine experience. Through a nuanced lens, Chantal invites viewers to contemplate and engage with the intricate dance between individual stories and broader societal questions in her quest to unravel the essence of womanhood in the contemporary world.

Instagram:@chantalspapens

Title: Devastate Me, Baby (2023)

Created at Chateau d’Orquevaux in France, this video is inspired by Baudelaire’s masterpiece « Les fleurs du mal », a collection of ‘cursed poetry’, encapsulating the French Decadent movement.

Decadence, in the context of womanhood and feminism, holds relevance in its essence of refusal—an opposition to the norm. This manifests as a rejection of art historical ideologies (such as the use of craft), gendered norms, traditional feminine roles, and discourse around excessive consumption of food, alcohol, and drugs. Chantal purposefully embrace this ‘excess’ as a deliberate and liberating aesthetic, contemplating the obsessive, violent and addictive nature of desire.