Art Story

The drawings from the sketchbook devoted to the Pastillemotor rank among the most refined and rare testimonies of Panamarenko's visionary universe. Described by the artist himself as "soft engines," they embody a poetic redefinition of energy and propulsion, where imagination and pseudo-scientific logic seamlessly converge. The Pastillemotor is conceived as a reduced, conceptual version of the monumental aircraft engine developed for his iconic Backpack Aircraft (Rugzakvliegtuig, 1984). At the same time, this motor was never directly realized in a finished device, but remains fundamentally a theoretical and experimental propulsion system. The ideas surrounding it connect to Panamarenko's broader investigation into compact, autonomous energy sources, individual flying machines, and utopian mechanical structures that operate at the limits of feasibility. In their spontaneous and intimate linework, these sketches reveal the artist as an inventor in full creation, offering a rare insight into his thinking in its purest, most unrestrained form. An exceptional and intellectually rich ensemble that occupies a distinctive position within Panamarenko's oeuvre and is highly esteemed by connoisseurs.