Hématomes

Tracées is the result of a dual experience.

The drawings by Sébastien Conard, which form the basis of the work, explore the act of drawing – a dynamic encounter between the hand, ink and paper – in relation to the two fundamental constraints of any book-form publication: the dimensions of the sheet and the sequencing of the rhythms captured in the drawings. The poems by Jan Baetens are written in response to these images. Without naming or illustrating the energies and metamorphoses of the drawings, they resonate with them, both visually and through their own developmental trajectories.

Instead of simply standing opposite one another, words and images here rediscover their reflections – sometimes close up, sometimes from a distance – which linger in an infinitely undefined literary space.

The book was published with two different cover designs, illustrating and reflecting this dual experience.