The Opening

"Each scene is set in a different eccentric environment, combining the aesthetics of a synth-pop music video or an old-school video game with elements native to Art Deco architecture that Brussels takes pride in. Brimming with elaborate and at times absurd details – all of which have been crafted manually – Screensavers presents a humorous and witty take on the artist's plight." Krieg Gallery, 2020.

In the video animation The Opening, Julien Meert pays tribute to the analogue culture of the 1980s. Using oil paint, he recreates the period setting of a discothèque. In the centre of the scene, he depicts himself naked, performing endless push-ups.

The Opening is part of Meert's Screensavers series, which refers to the animated screensavers of the 1990s such as Flying Windows, Starfield and Mystify.
The artist also uses the term to describe his video works. He thinks of them as a retro desktop, with no beginning or end. The video animations are both analogue and digital. The settings are painted or drawn and consequently scanned to serve as backdrops for minimalist scenes. Creating something of a tableau vivant, Meert records himself doing micro-actions against a green screen, staging himself in repetitive and absurdist situations. The endless push-ups refer to the ever-increasing feats that are expected of an artist.

The title also refers to a drawing by the American artist Joan Brown, depicting a group of skeletons going through the proverbial motions at the opening of an art exhibition. For Meert, vernissages epitomise the idea of social roles and obligations, which the artist is forced to take up and fulfil.