Eyestylist

The multidisciplinary artist has created an installation at the optical boutique Le Bar à Lunettes in Liège

After beginning his studies in architecture, Artan Rushidi became a contemporary artist. Today he creates artworks exclusively using shoelaces. “My work consists of tying them, assembling them, and making them bloom. I have always enjoyed standing apart, and shoelaces gradually became my medium of expression. It is a new language, but one that deeply reflects who I am.” Rushidi has worked in collaborations before, creating an installation with the famous Belgian crystal manufacturer Val Saint Lambert. “We integrating a floral knotted artwork into one of their crystal vases. It was a meeting between two forms of craftsmanship, two materials, and two different worlds.”

“It was a first experience for me, but I hope it will not be the last,” he told Eyestylist. “I enjoy challenges and the opportunity to look at things differently, to connect my work with other worlds, other environments, and to reach a different audience. This collaboration allowed me to discover a rich, inspiring, and fascinating universe.”

His latest installation is showing at Le Bar à Lunettes (www.lebaralunettes.be) in Belgium, a design boutique specialising in luxury eyewear and brands like Ahlem and Lapima. “Occupying a space, taking installations out of the studio, and seeing them come to life elsewhere is a completely new experience. I was very happy to create this first project with Le Bar à Lunettes. Thibaut has a strong artistic vision, with a slightly futuristic approach that resonates with my own practice.” Above: portrait of the artist

The artworks displayed in the boutique were created especially for Le Bar à Lunettes, which goes beyond being a simple retail space. Upstairs, an exhibition area provides a gallery space for the artist’s series of knotted canvases. The idea was to create a journey, inviting visitors to see things differently and “perhaps also to become connected to one another.”

“I would love to see more collaborations emerge, explore different themes, and build bridges between optics and my work with shoelaces,” says Artan.  “Sometimes a simple encounter opens a door, and that is exactly what happened with Thibaut. I was honoured to install my work in his boutique during this “Spring” exhibition.”

Asked about how the installation unfolded, Rushidi said the creation process varies depending on my state of mind. “I can spend a few days on a piece, or several weeks. Some works contain kilometres of knotted shoelaces integrated into formats reaching up to two by two metres. Each artwork requires time, repetition, and a form of almost meditative patience.”

Asked to explain how he thinks a retail space can lend itself to an experience of art, he told us: “I truly believe that art belongs in these spaces. I like the idea that my work can surprise people, spark curiosity, and create questions among visitors entering the boutiques that host my pieces.

Sometimes you need to surprise people to leave a lasting impression, to bring art into places where it is not expected. It is an exciting challenge to occupy such unique and beautiful spaces. These encounters give the artworks a new life and create an unexpected dialogue with the public.”

Find out more about work by Artan Rushidi at www.artanrushidi.com

This Eyestylist exclusive feature was written by Clodagh Norton and published on 26th May 2026. All rights reserved. Photos by kind permission of Artan Rushidi. Eyestylist.com does not use artificial intelligence to write or edit copy published on this website.