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Artist

Eric Van Hove

Algeria, 1975

In the Eric Van Hove’s film Ecumenopolis, one can see pictures, made with his pocket-sized digital camera, of the various places he visited during four years of continual travelling. In this non-linear digital film, he tries to give shape to a fictitious city by using images of 65 cities around the world. The film consists of approximately 1000 short video fragments, varying from 5 to 15 seconds, shown in random order from a database. It is a film without an ending, continually renewing itself and eventually and inevitably leading to déja vu.

His nomadic lifestyle and his fascination with travel are also featured in more of Eric Van Hove’s work at Localisms: the Filipino emigration series (2008) is comprised of the artist’s own passport photos that are all different in order to meet the requirements for visas in different countries. In the Disposable thoughts series (Japan Airlines, 2008), he has used the sick bags, found in the airplanes of various airlines, to jot down his ideas and stories during his trip.

ECUMENOPOLIS – Eric Van Hove
Ecumenopolis (from Greek: inhabited city) is a word invented in 1967 by the Greek city planner Constantinos Doxiadis to represent the idea that in the future urban areas and megalopolises would eventually fuse and there would be a single continuous world-wide city as a progression from the current urbanization and population growth trends. As Brans Stassen, one of the people behind the planning of Almere said himself; such a dynamic is already occurring on a regional level in Flevoland. This brings to mind Freud's text "Civilization and its discontents," and the dual archaeological model of Rome as the visible city of ruins and Pompeii as the lost city.

Before the word ecumenopolis had been coined, the American religious leader Thomas Lake Harris (1823-1906) mentioned city-planets in his verses, and science fiction author Isaac Asimov uses the city-planet Trantor as the setting of some of his books.

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Travel biographyEric Van Hove
2008
Almere, Provincie Flevoland, Nederland
Tokyo, Japan
New York, VS
Arenal Volcano, Alajuela Provincie, Costa Rica
Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur, Nicaragua
Corn Eiland, Región Autónoma del Atlántico Sur, Nicaragua
Granada, Nicaragua
San José, Costa Rica
Moorea, Society Eilanden, Frans Polynesië
Wellington, Nieuw Zeeland, Polynesi, Remote Oceanië

2007
Toride, Ibaraki, Japan
Leuven, België
Caïro, Egypte
Algiers, Algerije
Kabayan, Northern Luzon Cordillera, de Filippijnen
Yangon, Union of Myanmar
New York, VS
Venetië, Italië
Amman, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordanië
Mount Libanon, Libanon
Beirut, Libanon
Mount Nebo, Hashemite koninkrijk van Jordanië
München, Duitsland
Antananarivo, Republic of Madagascar
Fianarantsoa provincie, Madagascar
Fianarantsoa provincie, Madagascar
Łątczińskô Hëta, Kashubia regio, Pomerania voivodeship, Polen
Auschwitz Birkenau, Oświęcim, Polen
Katowice, Silesian Voivodeship, Polen
Yotsuya, Tokyo, Japan
Breda, Nederland
Eindhoven, Nederland
Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Sarajevo, Bosnië & Herzegovina
Cetinje, Montenegro
Podgorica, Montenegro
Brussel, België
Stekene, België

2006
Mount Kebnekaise, Norrbottens, Zweeds Lapland
Hanoi, Socialistische Republiek Vietnam
Lijiang County, Yunnan, China
Village of Lashihai,
Moerasgebied van Yunnan, China
Rome, Italië
Sharjah, Verenigde Arabische Emiraten
Tehran, Islamitische Republiek van Iran
Village of Poloor, Islamitische Republiek van Iran
Mount Damawand, Mountain
Range of Alburz, Islamitische Republiek van Iran
Sydney, Australië
Village of Kiriat Anavim, Jehuda Mountain, Israël
Machtesh Ramon, Negev woestijn, Israël
Ollila farm, hillside of Ukko-Koli, Northern Karelia, Finland
Nurmes, Northern Karelia, Finland
Koli, Northern Karelia, Kola Peninsula, Finland
Zwarte Zee, Turkije
Helsinki, Finland
Sydney, Australië
Zamalek, Gezira Eiland, Caïro,
Egypte
Jerusalem, Israël
West Bank, Palestina/Israël
Tel-Aviv, Israël
Mitzpe Ramon, Israël
Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Japan

2005
Tambacounda, Senegal
Dakar, Senegal
Luxemburg, Luxemburg
Shirogane-Takanawa, Japan
Siwa, Egypte
Alexandrië, Egypte
Caïro, Egypte
Mt. Kailash, Ngari regio, Tibet Himalaya
Kathmandu, Nepal
Fårö eiland, Gotland, Zweden
Rome, Italië
Kabukicho, Tokyo, Japan
Tallinn, Estland
Slovenj Gradec, Slovenië
Pecrot, België

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