Hallet’s drawings depict amphoras -ancient vessels used during the early days of globalisation to transport grains, wine, and culture across the world. Once emptied, these containers were discarded, their forms resembling disfigured, limbless human torsos or aquatic mammals. Hallet’s amphora drawings bear the marks of violence and violation, with carvings and bruises created by pigments applied by hand, leaving uncontrolled traces. In these works, Hallet himself becomes the harasser, turning the act of creation into one of destruction. The amphoras, which historically also served as urns to hold the ashes of loved ones, become symbols of resistance and portents of violence. Through this work, Hallet confronts an endless cycle of violence, where the roles of hunter and hunted, violator and victim, are constantly in flux. These drawings carry a haunting resonance, particularly to a recent event in France, where fishermen, following an altercation with Sea Shepherd, disfigured a dolphin by carving the initials “PD” into its back - an enduring homophobic slur, which akin to the word “Faggot” represents one of the most lethal messages. The act of inscribing such a word on a living creature prompted Hallet to consider the performance of scarring, both physical and emotional. What if these scars, often mental, were instead visible as the slurs victims are forced to carry? (Excerpt by Laura Herman, curator and writer, for the show Heavy Air, 2024, in NW Aalst)

This work was previously featured in the exhibitions:
(DUO SHOW), Heavy Air, 2024, in NW Aalst