Spoiler Alert

2 times 170x420

Wood

2024

On either side of the waterway is a black wooden frame, with a message that seems to be constantly in motion. The words SPOILER ALERT burst forth in red, a warning that arouses curiosity. Below that glows the promise: THE GRASS IS GREENER ON THIS SIDE, bright and vibrant in green. 

Anyone who looks at the work immediately experiences a paradox. Because no matter which quay you are on, the grass always seems greener on the other side. The work plays with the universal human tendency to seek happiness elsewhere, to believe that it is better, more beautiful, and more fertile on the other side. But what if that other side is merely a reflection of the same reality? 

This installation poses questions about perception and desire. Is happiness a matter of perspective? Can it be achieved or is it merely an illusion, driven by the eternal pursuit of more? The choice of colours and composition reinforces the tension between expectation and reality, between the simplicity of nature and the complexity of human ambition. Schscht crosses everyday reality with elements from the world of advertising and film, resulting in an improbable image.

With humor, subtlety and a touch of irony, this work confronts us with our own desires. Because while we stare at the other side, we may forget that we are already standing on the greenest grass there is. In September 2024, this work was selected for the Open Sites art route in Ypres, where it was also exhibited on two sides of the water at the Menin Gate. The placement of this artwork on two banks, with water as a separation, subtly but effectively reinforces the message. Water symbolizes a border, an unbridgeable distance, which makes the idea of ​​'the other side' even stronger. 

© Schscht