Ghent - S.M.A.K. - Koen van den Broek, Loek Grootjans, Tamara Van San and Ed Templeton

In spring 2010 S.M.A.K. presents 4 exhibitions of international artists Koen van den Broek, Loek Grootjans, Tamara van San and Ed Templeton.

KOEN VAN DEN BROEK 'Curbs & Cracks'
January 30 - May 16, 2010
Since January 2010 S.M.A.K. is showing "Curbs & Cracks", a retrospective exhibition of work by the Belgian artist Koen van den Broek (b. 1973, Bree). The artist finds his inspiration in 'being en route' and his work is nurtured by dozens of road trips. Using his own snapshots the artist creates the basis for his paintings, and in a manner that is to the point and functional. What interest the artist are the small segments of reality which most of us seem not to really notice. A kerb, a collection of shadows on the road suggesting the presence of a truck and cracks in the asphalt which nobody notices. This 'antisocial' focus is linked to a painterly process in which van den Broek strips the images of all unnecessary detail so that the atmosphere is defined only by several basic lines.

LOEK GROOTJANS  'Leaving Traces'
January 30 - May 16, 2010
Leaving Traces turns the spotlight on three major installations by Dutch artist Loek Grootjans.  By bringing them together we are given an insight into his artistic practice which, since he started his career at the end of the 80s, has seen a great many developments.

TAMARA VAN SAN  'The wandering Tuba Method'
February 28 - April 18, 2010
The sculptures by Tamara Van San comprise innumerable similar, or then again very diverse, objects, materials and textures. They are never devised from a central point, plan or idea that imposes a certain order but acquire often unseen shapes during the creative process itself. Van San's creations always appear to be on the verge of growing and moving, shrinking or swelling, of losing an appendage or in fact acquiring a new bump.

ED TEMPLETON 'The cemetery of reason'
April 3 - June 13, 2010
The Cemetery of Reason is conceived as a mid-career retrospective of the American artist Ed Templeton. The exhibition tells the story of a pro skateboarder, a photographer, a drawer, a painter, etc. A story which, although it focuses on his own life and those of the people around him, transcends the autobiographical and exposes social and societal phenomena unhesitatingly but without pointing a finger. The S.M.A.K. will be assembling into dazzling clusters of images the photos, paintings and sculptures he has done over the last fifteen years.

More information:
www.smak.be

Image: Koen van den Broek, Broken Yellow Border, 2003, oil on canvas, 195 x 130 cm, Private Collection London