Feature: Belgian artist uses "space of city as canvas"

At 54 years, Emilio Lopez-Menchero, a Belgian artist of Spanish origin, continues to roam the streets of Brussels, provoking discussion through artistic interventions and performances. "I like to put art where it is not supposed to be," Lopez-Menchero told Xinhua in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.

The artist currently has his first retrospective at the Centrale for Contemporary Art in Brussels running until March 29. The showcase pays homage to the famous Spanish artist Esther Ferrer, with whom he shares not only his ethnic roots but also an interest for "anthropometry (science that defines physical measures of a person's size, form) and politics."

Lopez-Menchero's work is full of humor and surrealism. He did not hesitate to build a replica of Berlin's infamous Checkpoint Charlie on the bridge of the canal that is said to split Brussels in two parts based on social standing and immigration status. His work has often provoked extreme reactions -- his Checkpoint Charlie installation was found burnt down one night.

Fascinated by the contrast between the bustling streets and the glittering world of art galleries, Lopez-Menchero decided to sell souvenirs of Belgium's famous Atomium landmark on the streets of Venice along the local street vendors during the 1999 Biennial Festival. "I went from one reality to the other, from the pavilions of the biennial to the streets," he said.

The certified architect, painter and performer says being born in Brussels with foreign roots and having multiple areas of interest lends his art a "hybrid" touch.

The question of identity and body is at the center of his practice.

Having spent time in the studio of painter Piet Teraa as a child, Lopez-Menchero went on to study architecture and decided to be an artist after a workshop on urban spaces conducted by painter Jean Gilbert. "I realized that I could use the space of the city as a canvas," he said.

Lopez-Menchero says he draws inspiration from painters and architects alike. He uses, for instance, the standards developed by famous German architect Ernst Neufert depicting the maximal amount of human beings in a space and transforms those drawings into an almost abstract pattern for a floor.

In 2000, Belgian artist Jacques Charlier invited him to create a fake Pablo Picasso piece as a reaction to the city of Liege deciding to sell a unique Picasso painting it owned.

Lopez-Menchero's decision to recast the famous picture of Picasso posing as a boxer in his studio elevated him to new heights as an artist, with his work drawing comparisons to that of global greats James Ensor, Frida Kahlo and Marc Dutroux.

Lopez-Menchero confesses he is very interested in working in China where "public spaces have a fully different sense than in Europe." Endit