Karel De Cock, is an artistic researcher working with film and photography. His work questions normative frameworks. He often reflects on the weight of social conformity drawing from popular culture, film, and media history. His photography takes a sociological approach, incorporating an observational element in an urban context. His central goal is to bring visibility to the unseen, emphasizing the extraordinary within the ordinary rather than seeking out exceptions.

He works and lives in Brussels. He studied Audiovisual Arts at the Sint-Lukas Institute.

His work has been featured internationally in several exhibitions and museums, including, House Of World Cultures, Transmediale, Berlin; European Media Arts Festival, Osnabrueck; Centre Pompidou, Rencontres Internationales, France; Europalia Arts Festival, Belgium; Beirut Art Center, Lebanon; Museum M, Belgium and Courtisane, Belgium.

In his latest film project Benevolence he examines the portrayal of relationships between men and women in Hollywood films from the 1940s and 1950s, analysing over 1200 films from the Golden Age of Hollywood. The result is a flicker film which exposes the various forms of sexism prevalent in these films, not only critiquing the societal norms of the time but also drawing attention to their continued influence on contemporary cinema. ↦

↦ His photography primarily revolves around the themes of identity and gender in relation to public spaces. His work explores how our identity transforms within different private or public contexts, shaped by our surroundings and the people around us. Through deconstructing gestures, style, and movement in urban commercial districts, he abstracts these elements to reveal their underlying recognisability. By doing so, his photography sheds light on the intricate relationship between our environment and the formation of our identity, inviting viewers to reflect on its fluidity.

He participated in the residency program at the Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai. Since 2016, he has been teaching at the Performance and Media Arts department at KASK, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent. Additionally, he is a member of the Level Five Artist Collective in Brussels.

2024:
BENEVOLENCE – Experimental film/installation – 13’ HD
A film art installation in the form of a flicker film. The subject is the depiction of relationships between men and women in film. The work analyses and reveals the various forms of sexism, particularly benevolent sexism. The movement of the film unfolds like a love scene: starting with a seemingly innocent chase, it progresses into violence and ultimately culminates in an overwhelming display of love and submission.

2013:
KOLKATA, PURUSOTTAM ROY ST – Experimental/documentary film – 14’ HD
We gaze through the side window of a slow moving car, stuck in traffic. In a continuous lateral movement we observe how part of the city reveals its rhythm and incredible density. We start and stop at random intervals opening and closing our perspective. The never ending flow of people passing by and a dense soundscape form an abstract impression of the city.

2011:
ACCEPTING THE IMAGE – Creative documentary – 19′ HD – (English)
Accepting The Image portrays a way women and their associated lifestyles, dreams and goals are represented in New York City. Both in media and reality. It questions the relation between both worlds by sketching the portraits of Alynn, Lindsey and Holly.

2010:
RESONANCE – Fiction/documentary – 19’ HD – (English)
Four wealthy businessmen reflect on their career and the choices they made and the ones they didn’t. Choices that made them successful, and into who they are today. As we get to know them, we also get to know someone else. Someone who may have been less lucky in his career. Or maybe we see what the true face of success can be. ↦

2009:
UNHEARD SILENCE – Experimental plan sequence – 7′ DV – (silent)
Unheard Silence is a meditation on the role of women in the western genre. We stand together with a woman. Waiting and staring into the empty desert. Not knowing if the men will return or not.

HELLO, GOODBYE – Experimental documentary film – 15′ HD
An anthropological point of view on the daily life of people on holiday.
A poetic reflection and meditation on one of the paths and its destination that a society has to offer.

A BEIJING TALE – Documentary film – 19′ HD – (Mandarin)
A portrait of 3 people living in Beijing who recently moved or are in the process of moving. They reflect on their old homes and the future of Beijing.