Birthday concept 04 - Silas Hollenbeq

The discharge
of time

Hollenbeq's battery icons symbolize transience and the states of life - from vitality to exhaustion. Birthdays, which otherwise stand for new beginnings, become markers of the unstoppable flow of time, a discharge that signifies both loss and transformation. But Hollenbeq shows that discharge is not only an end, but also a transition.

The half-full batteries represent intermediate states in which neither the beginning nor the end are clearly defined. These liminal moments invite you to leave the extremes - full or empty - behind and discover the tension and possibilities of the in-between. This space reveals a reflection on time, energy and the pursuit of meaning.

Plant:

Birthday Concept 04

Format:

150 x 100cm

EDITION:

Limited concept edition of 10 incubative works.

INITIALIMPULS | Year:

2020

BIRTHDAY CONCEPT 04 | BACKGROUND

CYCLES OF POTENTIAL AND LOSS

In Hollenbeq's depiction, batteries are not isolated objects. They are related to each other, showing that time and energy are not purely individual, but part of a larger context. The discharging of one battery could enable the charging of another - a metaphor for interpersonal relationships and the collective resource of time.

Time as an iconized concept

In a technologized world characterized by measurability and control, Hollenbeq transforms the familiar symbol of the battery into a critical reflection. On the one hand, the battery displays suggest rationality and predictability, but Hollenbeq also reminds us that time remains uncontrollable and full of uncertainties. The reduction to states of charge harbors the danger of overlooking the invisible - such as relationships or inner growth.

TIME AS A SPACE THAT CAN BE SHAPED

With Birthday Concept 04, Hollenbeq pours time into a universal, iconic format that is full of depth despite its clarity. The batteries also stand for time as a resource, as a process, as a paradox. Time is understood here not only as something finite, but as a shapeable space - a kind of impulse to consciously use the remaining energy.

With Birthday Concept 04, Hollenbeq transforms an everyday symbol into a philosophical statement. Birthdays, usually celebrated as highlights, become subtle markers of passing with Hollenbeq. The battery icons - images of the digital world - expose the ambivalence of every birthday: a moment of celebration, but at the same time a silent reminder of the passage of time. The work poses the question: How do we deal with the energy that remains to us? And it leaves the answer to the viewer. Birthday Concept 04 thus elevates itself from a mere representation to a dialog and an emphatic statement in Hollenbeq's universe.

LIST OF WORKS