Frederik Vercruysse for Limited Edition

Belgian photographer Frederik Vercruysse has snapped a poetic behind-the-scenes series in the Limited Edition design and manufacturing studio. The family-owned East Flanders flooring company is celebrating its 25th anniversary with three artistic collaborations curated by Lise Coirier for Limited Edition and 2tec2, which will be previewed during Art Brussels.

“Photography is a type of trance that is rooted in the present moment. It’s a document whose style and composition are the product of your observation and communion with your subject,” said Vercruysse, whose 14 photographs speak of tradition, innovation, craft and originality.

“My family has always had a passion for materials and color. The textile region where my brother, James, and I were born extends from northern France throughout the entire Flemish region in Belgium,” says Katia DeWitte, who co-founded Limited Edition with her husband and her brother in their father’s old studio in 1992. “Historically, there were many companies that wove, combed, and worked with natural materials such as linen and wool. These products were used in not only rugs, but also furniture fabrics and clothing. Through our experience with these companies, we developed a love for textiles. Today, we work to preserve this heritage.”

For Vercruysse, it was the “intrinsic beauty [of] the carpets and floor coverings” that allowed him to “elevate their purpose, showcase their heritage, and reveal the unique aesthetic and technical possibilities these products offer”. Besides high-end carpets and artistically tufted rugs, Limited Edition also produces high-tech woven vinyl and berglass carpets under its 2tec2 label.

“By closely examining a Limited Edition rug and observing the typology and ceaseless activity of the looms of the company’s factories, which are now set up as Jacquard looms, it is clear that the warp and weft threads overlap to create a veritable modern and contemporary canvas that blends an astonishing palette of colors, patterns, and structural effects,” Coirier concurs in her curatorial statement. “The carpet frames, used to make tufted pieces … are reminiscent of tapestry cartoons. These same frames also form surprising geometric and organic shapes following a random, algorithmic pattern.”

The photos form part of an exhibition at SSpazio Nobile Sablon/Zavel, Rue Joseph Stevens 5, sa pop-up gallery during Art Brussels from April 19 to 23. Also part of the exhibition is a spatial installation inspired by an Italian terrazzo by Balthazar Delepierre, and the brand new tapestry by Tomáš Libertíny. Libertíny’s own solo exhibition, Chronosophia at Spazio Nobile, opens on April 20, including a special Slowtime Conference on Saturday April 22 at Flagey, Studio 3, as part of Art Brussels VIP Programme.