PLAKT:
Peter Downsbrough
Since the late 1960s, Peter Downsbrough (1940, New Jersey – 2024, Brussels) built a rich and varied body of conceptual work. He moved easily between sculpture, books, film, photography, and interventions in public spaces, always exploring how we relate to space and language. His work invites us to look at space differently — not just gallery spaces or buildings, but also the streets we walk through or even the blank pages of a book.
In Downsbrough’s work, these spaces are inhabited by the simplest elements: a line, a rectangle, or a short word like AND, OR, or ON. These forms don’t just sit there — they interact with the space, cut through it, divide it, and make us more aware of it. They open up a new way of thinking about words like ‘place’ and ‘space’, and about how meaning can shift depending on where and how something is placed.
You could say Downsbrough’s art is made of lines, letters, and the spaces between them. With just a few gestures, he created spaces full of possibilities — asking us to think about how images and words work together, about where we stand as viewers, and how everything fits into bigger systems like language, architecture, cities, or even politics.
For PLAKT, Peter Downsbrough created RE/SET (2024), showing a tilted rectangle with the words RE and SET. True to his approach, he didn’t offer one “right” way to interpret it. Downsbrough was committed to letting viewers bring their own experiences and interpretations to the work — he often said that a piece should “suggest, rather than state.” Given that this was one of the last or the last work he made before he passed away, it’s hard not to read something special in it — maybe a quiet but powerful call to never give up, to pause but not stop, and to always find a way to begin again — a RESET.
PLAKT invites artists to create works printed as blueback, which are pasted across the city. This is done by professionals who typically distribute event advertisements, giving them control over when and where the artworks appear. Embracing spontaneity and unpredictability, the posters pop up in unexpected spots, disappearing just as quickly—reflecting the uncontrollable, fleeting nature of city life. PLAKT is about creating unexpected encounters—brief moments of joy, curiosity, or reflection. Whether it’s a quick pause during a busy day or a smile on a familiar street corner, these artworks aim to connect art with the everyday, reminding us to live in the moment and embrace the unexpected nature of life.
We are spreading over 300 copies of each artwork across the public spaces of Brussels and Flanders. Exactly when and where? We don’t know—that’s part of the beauty.
Peter Downsbrough €265
RE/SET
We saved 15 pristine copies of this print to present as a limited edition – signed and numbered by the artist.