LAb[au], laboratory for art and urbanism 
is an artist group founded in 1997 by Manuel Abendroth and Jérôme Decock 
Their label involves artists such as Els Vermang (2003-2022) or Thibault Drouillon (2022-...)
 
In their practice, the artists investigate the relationship between art and language not only by means of written words and other forms of coded language - semantics but also through signs - semiotics. Likewise, they take a linguistic approach, employing information and communication science in the field of art. 

Many of LAb[au]’s works originate from definitions specific to the field of art, such as 'the monochrome'. This leads them to question the limits of language, since the meaning of the monochrome, the fascination of the void, is not described in its definition but can be apprehended only through a wider understanding of art. In this way, they address the tradition of painting through terminology while contextualizing it in its cultural perspective.
 
However, any language can be encoded into secondary media where the use of colors, shapes, patterns, etc. forms a visual language. LAb[au] utilizes these different media while speaking of syntax, grammar, and vocabulary. In so doing, they further research possible ways to translate, to transcode different artistic expressions from one media into another.
 
Like a lexicographer, LAb[au] deploys arrays of books, exploring the infinite combinations of shapes and indexing possible ways to fill an empty white page. Thus, their rule-based approach questions the materiality, process, and concept of art. The practice of LAb[au] is rooted in the tradition of conceptual art, where tautologies and fundamental units such as space and time constitute the artistic vocabulary. Through the use of algorithms, the artists contextualize these notions in our contemporary world.

LAb[au] presented their work in renowned institutions such as:
 
Kunstmuseum Heidenheim (2023), KIASME Helsinki (2020), Casino Luxembourg Forum d’art contemporain (2020), Kunsthal Rotterdam (2019), MAAT Lisbon (2018), Museum M Leuven (2017), ZKM Karlsruhe (2016), Musée d’Art Contemporain Montreal (2015), Bozar Brussels (2014), MOMA New York (2014), Centquatre Paris (2014) , Biennale di Venezia Venice (2013), Singapore Art Museum (2014), Seoul Museum of Art (2013), Centre George Pompidou Paris (2008), Witte de With Rotterdam (2006), New Museum New York (2003), Le Louvre Paris (2000),... besides many others.

They realised several permanent artworks and their artworks are part of public and private collections worldwide. 

This website presents a selection of artworks from the past ten years.
Work created before can be found at: http://meta.lab-au.com
Download Portfolio ENG & FR & NL
 


Solo exhibitions 

2024 : POSSIBLE | PROBABLE - Botanique, Brussels, Belgium - 29.05.24 - 28.07.24
2024 : FARBEN | FERNAB - La Patinoire Royale/G alerie Valérie Bach, Brussels, Belgium - 21.05.24 - 28.07.24

2022 : Zeit Zeichen, Zeichen Zeit - Kunstmuseum Heidenheim, Heidenheim, Germany - 19.11.2022 - 26.02.2023
2020 : Ce mouvement qui deplace les lignes - La Patinoire/Galerie Valérie Bach, Brussels, Belgium - 26.05 - 29.08.2020
2020 : yes : no, perhaps - Mario Mauroner Contemporary art, Vienna, Austria - 18.01 - 21.03.2020
2019 : If Then Else - Casino Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg - 27.09 - 05.01.2020
2017 : Langage codé - Fontana Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands - 04.11 - 18.02.2017
2016 : Langage codé - La Patinoire/Galerie Valérie Bach, Brussels, Belgium  - 01.09 - 22.10.2016
2016 : calculations, permutations, notations - The Major Gallery / Project Space Bermondsey, London, UK - 13.01 - 31.01.2016
2015 : rouge, vert, bleu, blanc - Centre des arts d’Enghien-les-Bains, Paris, France - 09.04 - 28.06.2015
2014 : zéro / un - Galerie Denise René, Paris, France - 06.02 - 22.03.2014
2014 : writing, drawing, painting - DAM Gallery, Berlin, Germany - 31.01 - 02.04.2014
2014 : binary waves, the public art program - Le Centquatre, Paris, France - 16.02 - 23.03.2014
2011 : Tessel - Musée de Moulage, Lyon, France - 08.06 - 13.07.2011
2011 : f5x5x3 - Aubette, Ososphère Strassbourg, France - 11.02 - 20.02.2011
2011 : diffraction - TAG institute, Den Haag, The Netherlands - 17.12.2010 - 17.01.2011    
2010 : m0t1v - Kunst-Station Sankt Peter, Köln, Germany - 08.01 - 12.02.2010
2009 : time | emit - DAM Gallery Berlin, Germany - 21.02 - 28.03.2009
2009 : fLUX - Galerie Roger Tator, Lyon France - 23.04 - 01.07.2009
2009 : m0t1fs - Galerie Numeriscausa, Paris, France - 30.04 - 06.06.2009
2008 : 16n_ f5x5x3 - Tschumipavillion, Groningen, The Netherlands - 18.12.2008 - 15.02.2009

selected list of solo shows: https://www.lab-au.com/soloshows


Group exhibitions (selection)

2023 : The Seduction of the Bureaucrat - De Garage, Mechelen, Belgium - 12.03 - 04.05.2023
2022 : The tallest towers start off the ground, DAN Galeria in Sao Paolo, Brazil - 24.09 - 22.12.2022
2022 : On the Lockout - Fondation CAB, Brussels, Belgium - 06.09.2022 - 06.01.2023 
2021 : X - FRAC des Pays de la Loire, Carquefou, France - 19.05 - 02.02.2022
2021 : Mika Vanio retrospective - KIASME, Helsinki, Finland - 20.8.2020–10.1.2021
2019 : Imaging Cities - Song Eun Art Space, Seoul, South Korea - 25.03 - 08.06.2019
2019 : D’un soleil à l’autre - Base Sous-marine, Bordeaux, France - 08.03 - 19.05.2019 
2019 : Signals - CTM Vorspiele, Berlin, Germany - 01.02 - 04.02.2019
2019 : Action <> Reaction - Kunsthal, Rotterdam, The Netherlands - 22.09.2018 - 20.01.2019
2018 : A brave new world - MAAT, Lisbon, Portugal - 22.10 - 28.10.2018
2018 : Untitled (monochrome), Richard Taittinger, New York, USA - 01.03 - 29.04.2018
2017 : Art Pavilion - Grand Palais, Astana, Kazakhstan - 10.06 - 10.09.2017
2017 : Interstice - Dome, Caen, France - 27.04 - 07.05.2017 
2016 : Eutopia - Museum M, Leuven, Belgium - 20.10.2016 - 17.01.2017
2016 : Terminal P - La Panacée, Montpellier, France - 17.06 - 28.08.2016
2016 : Home cinema - Gare Saint Sauveur, Lille, France - 24.04 - 04.09.2016 
2016 : ACT - ACC - Asia Culture Center, Gwangju, South Korea - 25.11 - 31.07.16
2016 : Digital abstraction - Haus der elektronischen Künste, Basel, Switzerland - 07.04 - 22.05.16 
2016 : Lumiere - Regent’s Canal, London, Uk - 14.01-17.01.16
2016 : Prosopopees - Le Centquatre, Paris, France - 06.12 - 31.01.16
2016 : Exo-Evolution - ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany - 30.10 - 28.02.16
2015 : VIA - MAC Créteil, Créteil, France- 26.03 - 05.04.2015
2014 : Physicality - Musée d’Art Contemporain, Montréal, Canada - 23.05 - 01.06.2014
2014 : Artist / Novelist - MOMA, New York, USA - 08.01 - 31.03.2014
2014 : noir et blanc - Galerie Denise René, Paris, France - 17.01 - 28.02.2014
2014 : Urban Lights Ruhr - Hamm, Germany - 25.09 - 11.10.2014
2013 : Vasarely Hommage - Musée d’Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium - 17.10 - 19.01.2013
2013 : Poème Numérique - Atomium, Brussels, Belgium - 22.06 - 20.09.2013
2013 : space oddity - Le GrandHornu, Le Hornu, Belgium - 18.11 - 10.03.2013
2013 : Noise - Biennale di Venezia, Venice, Italy - 30.05 - 20.09.2013
2012 : Artificial garden - Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, South Korea - 04.12 - 23.12.2012
2011 : Tender Buttons - Overpoort, Ghent, Belgium - 30.11 - 18.12.2011
2010 : West Arch - Ludwig Forum, Aachen, Germany - 12.09 - 14.11.2010
2010 : From kinetic to digital art - Fondation Vasarely, Aix-en-Provenance, France -  02.06 -11.07.2010
2010 : Digital Nights - Singapore Art Museum, Singapore - 16.09 - 26.09.2010
2009 : Young Belgium Painters Award - Bozar, Brussels, Belgium - 25.06 - 13.09.2009
2009 : Holy Fire - iMAL, Brussels,Belgium - 18.04 - 30.04.2008
2008 : Emocao Art.ificial - Itau, Sao Paolo, Brazil - 01.06 -14.09.2008   
2008 : todaysart - The Hague, The Netherlands – 25.09 - 28.09.2008
2007 : CTM building space - Ballhaus Naumystrasse, Berlin, Germany - 23.01 - 03.02.2007
2006 : Neo-beginners - TENT / Witte de With, Rotterdam, The Netherlands - 31.08 - 22.09.2006
2006 : Artefact - STUK Kunstencentrum, Leuven, Belgium - 13.02 - 18.02.2006     
2004 : Sonar 2004 - Arquitectura Artificial, Barcelona, Spain - 17.06 - 20.06.2004
2003 : Urban lab - Bauhaus Dessau, Dessau, Germany – 10.10 - 18.10.2003
2003 : Polygone Den[c]ity - New Museum, New York, USA - 23.01 - 23.02.2003 
2001 : Imagineering the Urban Condition - Artimage, Graz, Austria - 07.11 -11.11.2001
2000 : La Beauté - Louvre, Paris, France - 10.10 - 29.10.2000
1999 : Life Science - Ars Electronica, Linz, Austria - 01.09 - 09.09.1999
1998 : transaArchitectures 02 / 03, - NAI, Netherlands architecture institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands - 18.11 - 12.12.1998
...

selected list of group shows: https://www.lab-au.com/groupshows

Public artworks

2021 : Kontexte, crossover ‘Loredana Marchi‘ Brussels, Belgium
2019 : Zäit Wuert, Casino Luxembourg, Forum d’art contemporain, Luxembourg
2019 : Palimpsest, Wijkpark De Porre, Ghent, Belgium 
2019 : 365, De Hoorn, Leuven, Belgium
2016 : 365, Quai 10 and La Vigie, Charleroi, Belgium
2016 : Lux Aeternae, AZF Mémorial, Toulouse, France 
2016 : 10e-15, Centre de recherche Femto, Temis Science, Besançon, France
2016 : SiloScope, Quai Jules Guesde, Vitry-sur-Seine, Paris, France
2009 : mosaique 15x26, Maison de la Mécatronique, Annecy-le-Vieux, France 
...

Permanent artworks in semi-public collections 
 
2021 : yes, no : perhaps - Hager Stiftung, Blieskastel, Germany
2017 : origamiSquare 59 squares - Linklaters, Madrid, Spain
2017 : origamiCeiling 160 Rhombi - Reynaerts, Duffel, Belgium
2017 : origamiCeiling 20 squares 54 kites - Cosnova, Frankfurt, Germany
2017 : origamiPenrose 71 kites and darts - Aegon Amersfoort, The Netherlands
2016 : origamiSquare 192 squares - Linklaters, Brussels, Belgium
2016 : SwarmDots - Fidelity, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
2015 : chronoPrints - Zebrastraat, Ghent, Belgium
...
many artworks  in private collections all over the world

Artworks in public institutions

2021 : PI - Cryptology Museum, Moscow, Russia
2018 : 2x540 kHZ - Mika Vainio + LAb[au], Kiasma, Helsinki, Finland
2016 : EOD02 - Frederik De Wilde + LAb[au], ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany
2006 : pixFlow02 - Itau Cultural, Sao Paulo, Brasil 

Monographs, Catalogues, 

2019 : If Then Else - exhibition catalogue ,Solo Show at Casino Luxembourg Forum d’art contemporain, Luxembourg
2016 : calculations, permutations, notations - exhibition catalogue, Solo Show at The Major Gallery, London 
2015 : concepts, modes, systems, Centre des arts Enghien-les-Bains, France  -  ISBN 978-2-916639-38-3
2013 : Vasarely Hommage - catalogue insert Musée d’Ixelles, Brussels
2010 : MetaDesign, Les presses du réel, 2010  -  ISBN 978-2-84066-404-8
2010 : m0t1f, - exhibition catalogue, Solo Show at Kunst-station Sankt Peter, Cologne
2004 : Liquid Space 01-03, Matrix Art project, Brussels 
 
Festivals
 
LAb[au]'s installations have been/are regularly shown in festivals such as:
Ososphere, Strasbourg - CTM, Berlin - TodaysArt, The Hague - Scopitone, Nantes - Luminato - Toronto - Nemo, Paris 
Kikk, Namur - Elektra, Montreal among many others...

complete list of festivals since 1999:  https://www.lab-au.com/festivals

Art Fairs

LAb[au]'s artworks have been represented in art fairs such as:
Art Basel, Art Basel Miami Beach, SP Arte, Arco, Art Brussels, Brafa, Fiac, Art Vienna, OfffScreen Paris ...

2016 : Solo Booth with Galerie Denise René (Paris,) at Art Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.
 
Awards

2013 : Prix Victor Vasarely, Fondation Vasarely, Aix en Provence, France
2011 : Nominee Qwartz electronic awards, Paris, France
2010 : Honorary mention Ars Electronica, Linz, Austria
2009 : Nominee Young Belgian Painters Award, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels 
2008 : Prix Médiatine, Brussels, Belgium
2007 : Prix Médiatine, Brussels, Belgium
 

LAb[au] is represented by:

Dan Galeria, Sao Paulo 
La Patinoire Royale / Galerie Valérie Bach, Brussels