Jan Lauwers: Art is about failure, not about success
Jan Lauwers: Art is about failure, not about success

Summary/Abstract: Born in Antwerp in 1957, Jan Lauwers studied painting at the Academy of Art in Ghent. At the end of 1979 he formed the Epigonenensemble which later became the Epigonentheater zlv collective. Lauwers took his place in the movement for radical change in Flanders in the early 80s, and also made his international breakthrough. Together with Grace Ellen Barkey he founded Needcompany in 1986 in Brussels. The group of performers they have put together over the years is quite unique in its versatility. Over the last thirty years Lauwers has become best known for his pioneering work for the stage with Needcompany and he has also built up a substantial body of work which has been shown at BOZAR (Brussels) and McaM (Shanghai) among other places. From 2009 until 2014 Needcompany has been artist-in-residence at the Burgtheater in Vienna. Jan Lauwers was awarded the ‘Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria’ in 2012. In 2014, he was rewarded with the ‘Golden Lion Lifetime Achievement Award’ at the Venice Biennale.

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