In a few words, who are you?
Dominique Gringoire, I was born 60 springs ago and I haven't seen time go by...I have kept my childlike soul and the ability to marvel.
When and how did you launch yourself into "collage" ?
Space, concept, decoration, interior design are the fields in which I have exercised my creativity for more than 20 years and it is there, in the face of the many conflicts of taste among couples, that I have felt the most frustration, where clumsiness and communication errors become insurmountable barriers.
It was then that I came up with the idea of having my clients work with moodboards.... We started to resolve these disagreements with the playful and seemingly simple exercise of collaging images. With humour, we discovered what they had in common beyond decoration, and finally they could move in the same direction again. I thus naturally went from interior designer to creator of interior life. By dint of the process, it has had an effect on me and literally transformed my life.
does this discipline bring you?
It is a meditative process that allows me to come into contact with an unknown part of my being. The collage speaks to me about my past, present and future. The more I move forward, the more I notice that it is a phenomenon of synchronicity.
What makes your art unique?
The art of collage, which consists of cutting out and then pasting images and photographs together, seems innocent at first glance. But it is surprisingly true and accurate. It appeals to the unconscious and brings us to real awareness and paths to follow.
What are the particularities of a Belgian artist for you?
The diversity, in Belgium we have different refined arts such as gastronomy, architecture, fashion... Even beer is an art in our country. We also have a strong taste for surrealism...
If you start from the definition of R. Magritte who says that "to be surrealistic is to banish the notion of -déjà vu- and seek out the not-yet-seen", you are in the middle of surrealism. What does surrealism mean to you?
It's the unlikely meeting of different universes which are supposed to never meet in reality... But what is reality after all?
Why is surrealism important?
That's my point of view and I assume it. For me, surrealism is what we call "the language of birds" in alchemy. It is a coded language, a different way of hearing, seeing and interpreting. It's past, present and future on the same line.
What do you like in Belgium that you can't find anywhere else?
Surrealism precisely... Even our government is surreal because it doesn't exist.
