Michiel De Cleene (b. 1988, BE) is a photographer and researcher. His practice explores the field between the document and the documentary and the possibilities of uncertainty, speculation and cross-referentiality within it. Through an experimental documentary approach, image and text merge in artist publications and exhibitions. He pursues a PhD at the Faculty of Architecture and Arts at Hasselt University and worked as a researcher at KASK & Conservatory, Gent. He is a founding member of the School of Speculative Documentary and www.the-documents.org and part of De Cleene De Cleene and the collective 019. In line with his practice, he works as a landscape and architecture photographer.
Contact: michiel.de.cleene@gmail.com
books
- Amidst the fire, I am not burnt, Arnout De Cleene, Michiel De Cleene, Roma Publications, 2024
- Capital Compression, Arnout De Cleene, Michiel De Cleene, Roma Publications, 2023
- [hij zwaait opnieuw naar de vrouw die nog steeds haar hond uitlaat], Michiel De Cleene, self-published, 2022
- The Situation As It Is, Arnout De Cleene, Michiel De Cleene, Art Paper Editions/019, 2022
- the-documents.org, Arnout De Cleene, Michiel De Cleene, print on demand, 2021
- Reference Guide, Michiel De Cleene, Roma Publications, 2019
- F#1-13, Arnout De Cleene, Michiel De Cleene, Art Paper Editions, 2017
- -scope, Michiel De Cleene, self-published, 2015
- Recollecting Landscapes, Notteboom, B., Uyttenhove, P. (eds.), Massart, J., Charlier, G., Kempenaers, J., De Cleene, M. (phot.), Roma Publications, 2014
- Barriers – European Neighbouring, Michiel De Cleene, self-published, 2010
selected publications
- Schlam, Arnout De Cleene, Michiel De Cleene, article, rekto:verso, 2023
- De Droge Delta, photo-essay, De Droge Delta. Hoe we van Vlaanderen weer een spons kunnen maken, Labo Ruimte, 2023
- the-documents.org, Arnout De Cleene, Michiel De Cleene, article, nY, 2022
- Hypothesis Hotel, Arnout De Cleene, Michiel De Cleene, article, rekto:verso, 2021
- 6AM – 11PM, photo-essay, TL-MAG, 2021
- Zes Lege Plaatsen, Arnout De Cleene, Michiel De Cleene, article, rekto:verso, 2021
- Amidst the Fire, I was not Burnt, Arnout De Cleene, Michiel De Cleene, article, Trigger, 2020
- In de Wacht, article, Architectuurboek Vlaanderen N°14, Wanneer Attitudes Vorm Krijgen, VAi, 2020
- Last page A+, series of articles in A+281 – 292, 2019 – 2021
- A manifesto: an invitation from the School of Speculative Documentary, T. Bellinck, M. De Cleene, M. Pinckers, A. Van Dienderen, article, Critical Arts, South-North Cultural and Media Studies, Vol. 33, no. 1, p. 113-114 (A1), 2019
- 7,15km, photo-essay, Kijken naar De Blik van Bruegel, 2019
- Linkeroever, photo-essay, Linkeroever, Sprong over de Schelde, VAi, 2017
- Mount Egaleo, article, Collateral, 2017
- The obtuse space of Carl Theodor Dreyer’s La Passion de Jeanne d’Arc. A visual-essayistic approximation, Arnout De Cleene, Michiel De Cleene, article, Image & Narrative, 2013
- Hessenberg, photo-essay, Architectuurboek Vlaanderen N°10, Radicale Gemeenplaatsen, VAi, 2012
- Wijkgezondheidscentrum Brugse Poort, photo-essay, Architectuurboek Vlaanderen N°10, Radicale Gemeenplaatsen, VAi, 2012
guest editor
- Trigger ‘Uncertainty’, FOMU, 2020
- When Attitudes Take Form, Flanders Architectural Review N°14, Vlaams Architectuurinstituut, Antwerpen, 2020
- Trigger + the-documents.org, series of online articles, i.c.w. A. De Cleene, 2024
research
- Building Documents, (2025-2028), Faculty of Architecture and Arts, Hasselt University
- On Instructing Photography, (2023-2024), KASK & Conservatory, Gent
- Documenting Objects, (2019-2022), KASK & Conservatory, Gent
- Reference Guide, (2015-2018), KASK & Conservatory, Gent
selected exhibitions
- Capital Compression (De Cleene De Cleene), part of The Best Dutch Book Designs 2023, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, 19.10.2024 – 05.01.2025
- Amidst the fire, I am not burnt (De Cleene De Cleene), book launch, 019, Gent, 22.03.2024
- [hij zwaait opnieuw naar de vrouw die nog steeds haar hond uitlaat], part of Dorpelijkheid, Atelier Bouwmeester, Brussel, 15.01.2022 – 26.04.2022
- The Situation As It Is (De Cleene De Cleene), 019, Gent, 16.10.2020 – 08.05.2022,
- Onward & Upward (De Cleene De Cleene), Denderland, Geraardsbergen, 04.09.2021
- Reference Guide, part of .tiff, FOMU, Antwerpen, 24.06.2021 – 12.09.2021
- Towards Civil Dusk (De Cleene De Cleene), part of Uncertainty Festival, FOMU, Antwerpen, 03.12.2020 – 06.12.2020
- Towards Civil Dusk (De Cleene De Cleene), part of Daily Nightshift, Kunsthal Extra City, Antwerpen, 27.06.2020
- BSRT, part of Subtle Collisions (Harbinger 2), Plantentuin, Gent, 06.07.2019 – 17.07.2019
- Debris (De Cleene De Cleene), part of BWMSTR Label 014, Ruimte voor Sloop, deSingel, Antwerpen, 24.04.2019 – 16.06.2019
- Reference Guide (book launch), Kunsthal Gent, Gent, 14.03.2019 – 21.03.2019
- Quarry, part of A room Now Guests in Its Roomness (by Márk Redele), Neverneverland, Amsterdam, 08.02.2019 – 17.02.2019
- Neptune In Opposition (De Cleene De Cleene), part of Sundays, 019, Gent, 14.09.2018
- P1-5 (De Cleene De Cleene [curator]), group show in 5 editions (Sam Weerdmeester, Maíra Dietrich, Tjobo Kho, Robbrecht Desmet, Stephanie Kiwitt), 019, Gent, 10.11.2018 – 26.10.2019
- F#1-13 (De Cleene De Cleene), part of Performing The Book (APE), M HKA, Antwerpen, 16.11.2017 – 10.12.2017
- Transitory Nature, part of Re-exhibiting Museum Of Moving Practice, De Fabriek, Eindhoven, 21.10.2017 – 29.10.2017
- Transitory Nature, part of Museum of Moving Practice, Design Museum Gent, Gent, 01.09.2017 – 17.09.2017
- F#1-13 (De Cleene De Cleene), De Mastplanters (019), Gent, 12.02.2017 – 20.03.2017
- Reference Guide, part of Update 6/NTAA, Zebrastraat, Gent, 05.11.2016 – 04.12.2016
- Reference Guide, 019, Gent, 30.09.2016 – 30.10.2016
- Recollecting Landscapes, The Invention of Landscape, A Continuous Story, Bozar, Brussel, 23.09.2016 – 06.11.2016
- Maatwerk/Massarbeit (VAi), Deutsches Architekturmuseum, Frankfurt, 08.10.2016 – 12.02.2017
- Cigars, part of One More Take, Abtenhuis, Geraardsbergen, 20.10.2016 – 08.01.2017
- -scope, part of Mijn Vlakke Land, Fomu, Antwerpen, 26.06.2016 – 04.10.2016
- Barriers – European Neighbouring, part of Museum Dirk De Wachter, Museum dr. Guislain, Gent, 25.06.2016 – 25.09.2016
- Recollecting Landscapes, deSingel, Antwerpen, 18.03.2015 – 07.06.2015
- -scope, part of Art Eco, CC Strombeek, Strombeek, 27.02.2015 – 26.03.2015