Vibskov (Henrik)

“Certainly not everyone considers fashion an art; however, when you observe the work of designer Henrik Vibskov, it appears evident that he is, above all, an artist! I discovered his work thanks to Audrey Mascina, curator of the exhibit ‘Space for Fantasy’ at the Galerie des Galeries in 2010. “He’d produced a piece for that project. Henrik is a designer with an overflowing imagination: his universe oscillates around poetry, graphics, humor and fantasy. For each of his collections, he invents a story and gives it a title, whose poetic and colorful potential is felt immediately. Like The Fantabulous Bicycle Music Factory, the name of his 2008 spring/summer collection. This burlesque scenario expresses itself, from the prints of the fabric to the runway show staging. These are real shows, where the decor works as much as the forms. Produced by his teams in his own studio, the staging is considered like the set of a show that will tour from city to city. “This custom evokes the musical codes that are dear to the artist. Henrik has been a drummer for the last twenty years, and recording with Trentemoller for the last six of those. A natural stage performer, he always infuses his fashion shows with a performance quality -- the models are transformed into actors, dancing or playing the roles he has written for them. Henrik knows how to manipulate the runway space, and he also masters the exhibit space --. Henrik is regularly invited to produce scenographies, and often produces pieces for group exhibits. “Inviting authors from art, fashion or music backgrounds to express themselves in our spaces in carte-blanche format is the ambition of the Galerie des Galeries. The result can take the shape of an exhibit, installation, or staging event. Thanks to these artists and their proteiform worlds, the act of exhibiting art reinvents itself. “Henrik belongs to that group of artists who affirm they don’t belong to any one creative field -- they are happy to simply create and innovate. Giving him carte blanche was a dream -- for the first time in France, he put together a project on-site. His exhibit ”NECK PLUS ULTRA” features original installations, a measured blend of pop, surrealism and psychedelia, an artistic hybridization dear to the artist who likes to mix genres. An exocentric universe where emotion comes first. In a country fair-like setting, the visitor can discover Henrik’s influences and experiment with pieces whose substance -- textiles -- will always remain this designer’s raw material.” Portrait of Henrik Vibskov by Elsa Janseen, Director, Galerie des Galeries.