CC Palethe
Roger Ballen
Wire Dire
Report of Roger’s visit to Pelt
CC Palethe – POI 1A
Jeugdlaan 2
GPS 51.211239° NL 5.428118° EL
Monday to Thursday (except for holidays) 9.00 am – 4.30 pm
Every Friday, open only 9.00 am – 12.00 am
Every Saturday and Sunday 1.00 pm – 5.00 pm and during activities in the cultural centre
Roger Ballen | Wire Dire
One of the most influential and important photographic artists of the 21st century, Roger Ballen’s photographs span over forty years. His strange and extreme works confront the viewer and challenge them to come with him on a journey into their own minds as he explores the deeper recesses of his own.
Wire Dire
In Roger Ballen’s work, themes of chaos, madness, the subconscious and the human-animal relationship form the common thread in a very distinctive style known as “Ballenesque”. Stark black-and-white images, elaborate installations and an enigmatic atmosphere challenge the viewer to explore the darker aspects of the human psyche.
With a poetic rawness, it bridges reality and surrealism.
Roger Ballen’s work gets under your skin, connecting you to your own psyche as well as that of others. It evokes disgust and wonder. It makes you aware of the visible and invisible wires leading to your inner self.
Barbed wire, electricity wires, lines and drawings – recur constantly in Ballen’s work. They have a deeply symbolic meaning. Feelings of limitation, captivity and vulnerability, as well as social boundaries and mental barriers, are evoked through them. The sharp, sinuous lines feed the threat and tension. They reinforce feelings of alienation. Feelings we recognise all too well in today’s social context.
Thus, the jagged line drawings on walls become an almost refined, physical manifestation of a mental state in which freedom and confinement, power and control, connection and remoteness are intertwined.
Lecture and book signing by Roger Ballen
On 19 July 2025, guest photographer Roger Ballen (ZAF) gave a lecture on his work in the Musezaal of CC Palethe in Pelt.
The lecture was followed by a signing session with book sales.
Report of Roger Ballen’s visit to Lens op de Mens
On Saturday 20 July, we were privileged to show internationally renowned photographer Roger Ballen around Pelt for a whole day and had fascinating conversations with him. At 10.30am, he gave an intriguing insight into his life and work in a packed Muzezaal at CC Palethe.
Roger Ballen grew up in New York. His mother worked for the legendary Magnum Photos and had her own art gallery. This brought him into contact with big names like Henri Cartier-Bresson at a young age. Art and photography were always around him.
As a youngster, belonging to the Woodstock generation, he travelled the world. On those travels, he learned a lot about humans and human nature. He studied geology, which finally took him to South Africa. There, as a geologist, he explored various gold mines. In South Africa, his photographic career also began to develop more strongly.
Initially, he worked in the tradition of the great photographers, but gradually found his own visual language. After making his book Dorps – which made him notice during a walk down Pelter Dorpsstraat that there was a street with the exact same name as his book – he began to photograph more and more indoors. He discovered the power of the interplay of lines in cables, and of accidental still lifes in everyday interiors.
His search took him deeper and deeper into the slums of Johannesburg. Whereas at first he mainly portrayed people, his focus shifted to creating staged images. Through installations, drawings and sets, he transformed his photographs into layered and often alienating compositions. To this day, he collaborates with people from the suburbs, with whom he often has daily contact. He creates unique images with them – often with people who have never visited a museum themselves.
We witnessed the special stories behind his iconic images. For instance, the woman of the famous picture The Cat Catcher told how her husband had been bitten by a dog the day before. Turns out the man who catches and releases cats weekly still calls Roger on Saturday nights for a chat.
After his lecture, the American photographer took ample time to personally sign books. The next morning we took him to Brussels, where together we strolled another scaled-down version of the flea market at Place du Jeu de Balle, looking for treasures for new artworks. The train to London, due to the crowds around the 21 July bank holidays, was narrowly missed.
‘There are a few important things in life you can feel free to spend a little extra money on,’ he confided. ‘Good suitcases are one of them.’
‘I am a professional pack mule by now,’ he joked, parting with heavy suitcases and some extra stuff from the flea market.
Thanks Roger, it was an honour to host a world-class artist like you in Pelt.
Carine Van Gerven
Photo © Sonja Sleurs
