LAb(au)

LAb[au] is an artist group founded 1997 in Brussels, Belgium with the aim to examine the influence of advanced technologies in the forms, methods and content of art. Members are: Manuel Abendroth, Jérôme Decock, and Els Vermang. Former members were: co-founder Naziha Mestaoui (until 2000), Grégoire Verhaegen (until 2003), Pieter Heremans (until 2006) and Alexandre Plennevaux (until 2009).
From the name 'LAb[au]' one can read in ‘LAB’ (standing for an experimental approach) and ‘BAU’ (ger. = construction / providing a link to Bauhaus) both a reference to the group's approach to work.
Laboratory for Architecture and Urbanism.
With a background in architecture its members and projects are concerned with the construct of ‘space’ and the way it can be planned, experienced and conceptualised in an information age. The attention lies in the relation between architecture, light and advanced technologies.
The projects of LAb[au] deal with processes and systems based on different rules. This method is determined by the technological and artistic parameters and qualified by the artists as metadesign.
MediaRuimte.
This alliance between theory and practice motivated the group to found the gallery 'MediaRuimte' in the city centre of Brussels in 2003. The gallery work stands for LAb[au]'s typical function as a collaborative art agency as for a trans-disciplinary work, being expressed through a program ranging not only over exhibitions, screenings and audiovisual performances, but also to conferences, artist-residencies and workshops. Featured artists range from Manfred Mohr to Nicolas Schöffer, Casey Reas, Limiteazero and Frank Bretschneider to Mika Vainio.