Panamarenko (born 1940), one of Belgium's most original and beloved contemporary artists, is an artistic innovator and an engineer, working at the borders of science and art. His 1960s happenings put Antwerp on the global art map, but he is now best known for his spectacular inventions. These constructions—flying carpets, mechanical birds, backpack helicopters—are frequently the result of rigorous experiment and meticulous calculation. Panamarenko is a witty empiricist, invested in the processes of making and experimenting for their own sakes, and a "workbench visionary," as Anders Kreuger calls him in his catalogue essay.
Universum
surveys Panamarenko's art from its beginnings to the present. Published to accompany a major exhibition at Antwerp's M HKA that brings together objects, drawings, models and editions organized around the three poles of objects, actions and thinking, this beautifully realized volume is a detailed exploration of Panamarenko's mental universe and artistic process.