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FLEMISH ART ABROAD
Italy - Venice - La Biennale di Venezia - Jef Geys - Quadra Medicinale
 ITALY - VENICE - LA BIENNALE DI VENECIA - JEF GEYS - QUADRA MEDICINALE
June 7 - November 22, 2009
For La Biennale di Venezia, Jef Geys presents an entirely new project entitled Quadra Medicinale. The project is an interdisciplinary research documented with plans, inventories, descriptions, photos and drawings. A special edition of the 'Kempens Information Journal' complements the research. Geys chooses to apply this international platform, offered to him by La Biennale di Venezia, to realise an ambitious cooperative research project and to show it publicly.
Quadra Medicinale begins with a basic research the artist asked four acquaintances who live or work in a large city - Villeurbanne, New York, Moscow and Brussels - to carry out. Each of them delineated one square kilometre and, within that surface, searched for twelve wild plants that grow in the streets, in order to explore the basic components of their immediate surroundings.
The result of this research will be presented in the Belgian Pavilion during the 53rd edition of La Biennale di Venezia and wil consist of photographs of the plants and a list of their characteristics; a herbarium of dried plants, alongside their scientific descriptions and analyses. Maps of the four cities indicate the places where the plants can be found. Finally, Jef Geys presents large drawings, which are graphical/artistic interpretations of the plants' appearance. The entire project is a demonstration, by means of these usually overlooked natural phenomena, which happen to be latent sources of knowledge as well as of aesthetic delight. The presentation is also a guide for every person in need who tries to survive in a metropolis. More information
Commissioned by: the Flemish Ministry of Culture
Curator: Dirk Snauwaert
Assistant Curator: Angelique Campens
Production coordination by Wiels Contemporary Art Centre Brussels
www.wiels.org
www.labiennale.org
Image:
Quadra Medicinale, 2009
Ireland - Dublin - Douglas Hyde Gallery - Raoul De Keyzer - Watercolours
 IRELAND - DUBLIN - THE DOUGLAS HYDE GALLERY - RAOUL DE KEYZER - WATERCOLOURS
May 15 - June 24, 2009
Raoul De Keyser's apparently abstract watercolours, like his better-known oil paintings, usually have their origins in his perceptions of places and things; their final form is shaped by chance and the process of making. His works on paper, which are comparatively rare and always modest in size, have a special intimacy that derives from the physical haracteristics of the medium. De Keyser has always been interested in working with a minimum of control over his materials, and the liquidity and transparency of watercolour tend to accentuate the effects of this approach.
From one perspective, De Keyser's watercolours are close to nothingness or dissolution; they are full of space and emptiness, their ambiguous forms and motifs gently shaped with broad brushes and thin paint. But they are not casual or careless, and they are never deceptive or over-clever. The sensitivity and openness of the artist's vision are clear and dominant. Considering their vacancy, these gentle works can be surprisingly evocative: they may remind us vividly of passing cloud shadows on a sunny day, of ripples on the sea or, perhaps, of fleeting personal memories.
This exhibition, a collaboration with Museu de Serralves, Porto (where it was first shown), was curated by Ulrich Loock. It is accompanied by a fully illustrated book. More information:
www.douglashydegallery.com Image:
Raoul De keyzer, untitled, 2001, 20 x 22.4 cm, watercolour and gesso
Courtesy Zeno X Gallery, Antwerp
Italy - Rome - Galleria Borghese - Hans Op de Beeck - In Silent Conversation with Correggio
 ITALY - ROME - GALLERIA BORGHESE - HANS OP DE BEECK - IN SILENT CONVERSATION WITH CORREGGIO
May 29 - October 4, 2009
Following the successful exhibitions of Vedovamazzei in conjunction with Raphael (2007) and Giulio Paolini with Canova (2008), this year the Borghese Gallery is featuring Belgian artist Hans Op de Beeck reflecting on the work of Correggio. The show is structured as a silent conversation with Correggio and forms a part of the Contemporary Assignments project, which invites the public to explore the great wealth of the Borghese Gallery's collection. After the exhibition, Op de Beeck's work will be loaned on a long-term basis to the MAXXI, the National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome. Op de Beeck has entitled his work, created specifically for this exhibition, 'In Silent Conversation with Correggio'. There are two groups of pieces in the exhibition, each comprised of three large black-and-white watercolors. Thematically, the watercolors focus on deserted interior and exterior scenes, referring to the intimate and withdrawn nature of the Correggio's oeuvres.
A small publication, with texts by Laura Barecca and Nicolas de Oliveira & Nicola Oxley will accompany the exhibition.
More information:
www.galleriaborghese.it Image:Hans Op de Beeck In Silent Conversation with Correggio (detail), 2009 Courtesy Galleria Borghese, MAXXI, UniCredit and Galleria Continua
France - Festival de Cannes - Felix Van Groeningen, Caroline Strubbe, Peter Brosens & Jessica Woodworth
 FRANCE - FESTIVAL DE CANNES - FELIX VAN GROENINGEN, CAROLINE STRUBBE, PETER BROSENS & JESSICA WOODWORTHMay 13 - May 24, 2009This year, a record number of three Flemish films has been officialy selected for the Cannes Film Festival . 'De helaasheid der dingen' by Felix Van Groeningen will be presented in the programme of the 'Quinzaine des Réalisateurs' and the films 'Lost Persons Area' by Caroline Strubbe and 'Altiplano' by Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth will participate in the competition Semaine de la Critique. The three films are supported by the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF). The Belgian animation film 'Panique au village' will be shown as a Midnight screening at the festival. More information:
www.festival-cannes.com
Image:
"De helaasheid der dingen". Regie: Felix van Groeningen. Met: Koen De Graeve, Johan Heldenbergh, Wouter Hendrickx, Gilda De Bal en Kenneth Vanbaeden. België, 2009
USA - St. Louis - Chantal Akerman - Moving Through Time and Space
 USA - ST. LOUIS - CHANTAL AKERMAN - MOVING THROUGH TIME AND SPACE
May 8 - August 2, 2009The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis is very pleased to present the first museum survey of the works of filmmaker and video artist Chantal Akerman. Chantal Akerman is widely regarded as one of the most important directors in film history. Since 1995, Akerman's artistic practice has melded documentary filmmaking techniques with video installation. 'Moving through Time and Space' explores her work in the crossover genre of film and visual art. The exhibition features five works including single-channel pieces Sud (South), 1999; and Là-bas (Down There), 2006; as well as multi-channel works, D'est: Au bord de la fiction (From the East: Bordering on Fiction), 1995; De l'autre côté (From the Other Side), 2002; and Femmes d'Anvers en Novembre (Women of Antwerp in November), 2007, a new work created especially for the exhibition. More informationwww.contemporarystl.org ImageChantal Akerman, From the East: Bordering on Fiction (D'est: Au bord de la fiction) [still], 1995. Video installation. Courtesy the artist and Marian Goodman Gallery, New York and Paris.
Italy - Venice - Peggy Guggenheim Collection - Wim Delvoye
 ITALY - VENICE - PEGGY GUGGEHNHEIM COLLECTION - WIM DELVOYE
June 3 - November 22, 2009
From June 3 till November 22, 2009 the Peggy Guggenheim Collection presents Belgian artist Wim Delvoye's latest creation: a stainless steel Gothic Tower constructed, with its ogival windows and its turrets, to rise over the terrace of Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, overlooking the Grand Canal.
Both architecture and ornament, Tower by Delvoye demonstrates not only ethereal majesty and vision but forceful material presence, drawing inspiration from masterpieces of Gothic
architecture such as Notre Dame, Paris, and the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York. From a fusion of the sublime with the most advanced capabilities of computer technology, the Gothic style of the Tower unites it with the Romantic paintings of Caspar David Friedrich and Karl Friedrich Schinkel.
Wim Delvoye's artistic practice draws on the notion of the attraction of binary opposites: the
sacred and the profane, the past and the present, the triumph of ornamentation over
functionality. His art thrives on such paradoxes, that also form the basis of Surrealist artistic
practice, combining these components of difference, not always manifest but ever present in his aesthetic. The placement of a Gothic tower in the vicinity of Palazzo Venier dei Leoni's
classicism creates just such a forceful and provocative paradox.
For Wim Delvoye: "While the Renaissance was a world view, the Gothic was a state of mind. The Renaissance was finite epoch lasting half a century before being succeeded by Mannerism. Gothic was an art outside of time. The human eye takes in detail like a stroboscope; glancing over lights and tracery, crockets and finials, it thrills to the joy of the tower's soaring ascent."
More information:
www.guggenheim-venice.it Image:
Wim Delvoye, Torre, 2009, laser-cut corten steel, variable dimensions, H 983 cm (digital visualization)
Germany - Berlin - Temporary City
 GERMANY - BERLIN - TEMPORARY CITY
May 16 - June 7, 2009
Temporary City is an exhibition that starts from the basis: the artist. No theme or curator is involved. During the course of one week fifteen artists will work in the Atelierhof Kreuzberg and will challenge, negotiate and discuss their respective practices in order to use these as a base to develop an exhibition. Their works will be presented on an architectural structure, an "obstacle" designed for the show by Andreas Müller. The result of this process can be seen during the following three weeks.
Participating artists: Anton Cotteleer (B), Ilke De Vries (B), Yoko Enoki (J), Paul Hendrikse (NL), Anouk Kruithof (NL), Nicolas Leus (B), Katrin Plavcak (A), Olivier Schrauwen (B), Nada Sebestyén (D), Nele Tas (B), Iris Van Dongen (NL), Stijn Van Dorpe (B), Ada Van Hoorebeke (B), Tamara Van San (B), Sarah Westphal (D). Architect: Andreas Müller (D). Author: Christophe Van Gerrewey (B).
Temporary City Berlin is supported by the Flemish Community, the Youth in Action Program of the European Community and the Dutch Embassy in Berlin and is organised in collaboration with Flachland e.V. (D), Croxhapox (B) en Lokaal 01 (B/Nl).
More information:
temporarycityberlin.blogspot.com
www.temporarycityberlin.de
Image:
Work sample Anton Cotteleer: 'Audrey´s cat', 2007, Silicone, textile, wood, pur, 102 x 65 x 195 cm
Foto: Evelien Gysen, Courtesy: Anton Cotteleer
Germany - Hannover - Kestnergesellschaft - Michaël Borremans - Automat
 GERMANY - HANNOVER - KESTNERGESELLSCHAFT - MICHAËL BORREMANS - AUTOMAT
April 10 - June 21, 2009
Originally trained as a photographer and graphic designer, the Belgian painter Michaël Borremans (1963) has become internationally known through his painting and drawing. Lately, Borremans has intensified his pursuit of the medium of film. Within the scope of his solo exhibition at the kestnergesellschaft, new paintings and selected drawings will be presented alongside a large series of his film work.
Michaël Borremans' work spans a wide arc through the resonance chamber of art history all the way to the present. His painterly, graphic or filmic works present situations of human alienation and isolation, triggered by visible or imagined influences of power. He works here with the depiction of individual persons or groups which seem to be isolated in certain actions or rituals. Upon close scrutiny or through filmic repetition, the scenes become picture puzzles. Borremans' works may also be read as possible commentaries on visual phenomena of the present which, in their impulse towards legibility, are increasingly coming to resemble each other and are thereby becoming inscrutable.
Just like his films, Borremans' paintings live from a pronounced emphasis on light, color and
dimension. This method makes numerous references to the paintings of the old masters. In the kestnergesellschaft, new paintings from 2008 and 2009 will be displayed.
A catalogue concerning the exhibition will be published.
More information:
www.kestner.org
Image:
Michaël Borremans, The Load, 2008, oil on canvas, 5,75 x 19,69 ins
Courtesy David Zwirner and Zeno X Gallery Antwerp
IN FLANDERS
Belgium - Brussels - BOZAR - Jan De Cock - Repromotion
BRUSSELS - BOZAR - JAN DE COCK - REPROMOTION
July 10 - September 13, 2009
 An important figure on the new Belgian art scene, Jan De Cock presents a new project of great magnitude in Brussels. At the age of 32, this artist's career is exceptional. His work has already been exhibited in the Tate Modern in London and in the MoMA in New York. This summer, a series of sculptures and photographs specially conceived for the exhibition are on display in one of the main exhibition circuits in the Centre for Fine Arts. Each room and each stage of the exhibition is to be experienced like a sequence in an imaginary film. De Cock sculpts the space and questions our perceptions. He draws, with this exhibition, from the cinema, playing with movement, repetition and reproduction. After his famous series 'Denkmal', he presents us here with a whole new era in his work. 'Repromotion' will then be reproduced, using photography, to be shown at the Magasin de Grenoble in the first quarter of 2010.
More information:
www.bozar.be/...
Image:
Temps Mort XI.Flamingo, 2009 © Atelier Jan De Cock
Ghent - S.M.A.K. - Beyond the Pitoresque / Dara Birnbaum
 GHENT - S.M.A.K. - BEYOND THE PITORESQUE / DARA BIRNBAUM
April 4 - August 2, 2009
The exhibition 'Beyond the Pitoresque' wants to investigate how the concept of 'the picturesque' can still (or again) be applied to artistic interpretations of the present landscape. The term 'picturesque' refers to a certain kind of landscape that was considered suitable as a subject for a painting, as well as to a part of reality that could be looked upon as if it were a painting. It is remarkable that a lot of contemporary artists are fascinated by the hybrid landscape in which the differences between centre and periphery, between city and countryside and between nature and culture are no longer clearly defined. The exhibition is curated by Steven Jacobs & Frank Maes.
'Retrospective: the dark matter of media light' is a solo exhibition with work by Dara Birnbaum (°1946 New York, USA). She presents an emotionally loaded and highly critical insight into (American) society and more particularly into the way it is being portrayed by television. Parts of her personal archive will be opened up and films which were never shown before will be presented. At the same time a retrospective monograph will be compiled in which a choice selection of national and international authors will throw light on their view on Birnbaum's oeuvre from various perspectives. The exhibition begins in the S.M.A.K. and will afterwards travel to Fundaçao Serralves (Porto, Portugal) amongst others.
More Information:
www.smak.be
Image:
Beyond the Picturesque - Geert Goiris. E313, 1999. Private collection Rotterdam. Courtesy Gallery Art Concept Paris
Brussels - Argos - Dias & Riedweg / The Stone Road
 BRUSSELS - ARGOS - DIAS & RIEDWEG / THE STONE ROAD
May 5 - June 27, 2009
Argos presents a series of recent works by Mauricio Dias and Walter Riedweg. These two artists have been working together since 1993. They look for social groups who soon end up on the fringes of society and involve them in the creation of their work by means of workshops and interactive experiments. In Brussels they are also looking for interaction with the inhabitants. In their latest project a removal truck serves as a cinema and traverses several Brussels districts. Dias & Riedweg film the reactions of passers-by and residents and gauge the social divisions in the city. The result can be seen at Argos along with five other recent installations by the two artists.
'The Stone Road. (On Track. Off Track. Memorising the Mid-World. Walking the Fifth-Space.)' offers a unique look at the N6, better known as the 'Bergense Steenweg' or the 'Chaussée de Mons'. The immediate surroundings of this busy road comprise of places that belong to everyone and no one at the same moment, a reflection of the divisions and scars of our urbanised society. Firefly Projects brought Els Dietvorst, Orla Barry, Wim Cuyvers, Johanna Kirsch and Nikolaus Gansterer together to form a temporary artists' collective for this in progress experiment. For some months the artists made their way along the N6. 'The Stone Road' is the catalyst for their experiences; an assemblage of photos, video images, fictions and models.
More informamation:
www.argosarts.org
Image:
Dias & Riedweg, Funk staden,2007. Courtesy the Artists.
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