Seeking possible links between crime and art is not new: anyone who finds this unethical or inappropriate should look again at the frenetic and horrifying paintings of Hieronymous Bosch, Francisco de Goya or Francis Bacon. However, it's legitimate to question why crime lays claim to an increasingly larger part of our cultural imagination. Every age has its Jack the Ripper or Gilles de Rais but never before were they embraced or recuperated in this way by writers, filmmakers, or artists. In this respect it becomes rather tricky for any artist to handle this all-too-fashionable topic: his or her approach has to be more than a weird sublimation or the reflection of (ab)normal interest.

Danny Devos' interest in this subject is not new. For nearly a decade he has corresponded with famous serial killers to learn about their feelings, memories, and expectations.

[full text for subscribers only]