OPUS II

Opus II

This photography series could at first sight be read as a Renaissance representation of angels, but when studied up close it becomes clear that it is not. The inhabitants of these images are not angels, they are people and not European but Asian. As in his painted work, here Noppen deploys elements used to depict something ambrosial: he plays with light, incorporates symbols and searches for symmetry. It is with this language that the artist deceives the viewer into seeing an iconic Renaissance painting, at the same time asking us to reflect on how we look at art, and how art and its singularity is changing.

The photography sequence is a metaphor for a new, contemporary reality. Noppen explores globalisation and its cultural implications, what it means for our cultural identity and how it will shape new specificities. Shanghai, where this body of work was created, is a melting pot, a blend of peoples and cultures down the ages. Notice the French quarter in the background, for example. With this Noppen submits that a country or nation is not a static value, but an entity subject to antipodal influences which are absorbed and adapted to form a coherent whole. 

In 2008 Opus II received 2 honourable mentions at the International Photography Awards.