All My Scars, by Marcin Dudek - Courtesy the artist and Harlan Levey Projects
As it does every year, Art Brussels takes over the Heizel/Heysel for three days, showcasing dozens of internationally renowned galleries. But even away from the area around the Atomium, the whole city is the stage for this contemporary-art event, via, for example, the Off – Brussels Contemporary Art Fair and Poppositions. We asked ten players in the art world, whether they will be present at Art Brussels or elsewhere – gallery-owners, independent curators, collectors, and those involved in non-commercial art spaces – to pick out a key work that they are exhibiting.
> CONTEMPORARY ART IN BRUSSELS/ INSIDE
HARLAN LEVEY PROJECTS
ART BRUSSELS/ FIRST - Harlan Levey Projects is located in downtown Brussels, and works closely with a small roster of international artists, hosting an annual program that includes solo projects, thematic group exhibitions, performances and community building/educational activities.
"All My Scars is Marcin Dudek’s newest work on paper: a collage with the shape of Poland when it is closed. When it opens up and spreads its wings, the landscape is mapped through the distortion of scars on the body. The work is at once personal and extends to collective histories. It is moving and builds on Marcin’s history of dealing with subterranean architecture and the potential to move the ground beneath our feet."
"Craftsmanship and poetry are the base of art for me. A creative leap that isn’t just about documenting or envisioning, but is going to a fantastical, imagined place that’s hard for me to get to on my own. Marcin is an incredibly skilled worker who needs to do what he does, and does that with an incredible seriousness, diligence and commitment. He is dealing with issues that we live in our lives and looks at them from different ways. There are so many different things you can read into it, that have to do with transforming the world that we live in. And that's art at its best: a massive catalyst for change."
I Wish I Had a River > 25/5, do/je/Th > zo/di/Su 13 > 19.00 (Art Brussels Gallery Night: 25/4, > 21.30), rue Léon Lepagestraat 37, Brussel/Bruxelles, www.hl-projects.com
OFFICE BAROQUE GALLERY
ART BRUSSELS/ PRIME - Office Baroque Gallery was founded in Antwerp in 2007 and moved to Brussels in November 2013, to the ground floor of a 1909 cast iron building by the Brussels architect Paul Hamesse. “There is a really strong energy here, with both galleries and institutions – such as the NICC, établissement d'en face projects, and Wiels – as well as national and international collectors, critics, and curators. That gives us the opportunity to make our programme a bit more ambitious. The city is becoming one of Europe’s great art hubs. We’re just really happy to be able to be part of that."
Brussels art attack: Art Brussels and beyond
An invitation: Sunday 24 July 2011, by Leigh Ledare (2012)
Courtesy the artist and Office Baroque, Brussels
"This work is one of a series of seven. A collector invited Leigh Ledare to make nude portraits of her to spice up her relationship with her husband. After refusing for a long time, he finally agreed, on the condition that he could use the material in an artistic series. He spent seven days with the woman and took one photo of her every day. They were later printed on the covers of the New York Times for those seven days. You see the field of tension between the photos, fragments of Leigh Ledare's diary, and the newspaper covers, an interplay of the backgrounds and environments of the artist, the woman, and the world. What makes the series even more powerful is all the events that occurred during that week: the scandal with Dominique Strauss-Kahn erupted, the murders on Utoya, Christine Lagarde was appointed head of the IMF, Lucian Freud died, etc. Those echoes of powerful women, psychology, and violence resound in a very intense whole."
"Office Baroque Gallery takes part in the general dialogue that art history has been since the very beginning. The artists we think are relevant contribute something new to that great dialogue from Altamira to the present and bring into greater focus that which was formerly not so focused. The work of Leigh Ledare matches this perspective perfectly: it is not only very skilful technically, but also brings the relationship between the subject and object of photography into strong relief. In this series, the object is so prominent, determining setting and presentation like a director, the photographer really only has to frame the shot and take the picture."
Mathew Cerletty: Weird Vibe 23/4 > 7/6, wo/me/We > za/sa/Sa 11 > 18.00, Bloemenhofplein 5 place du Jardin aux Fleurs, Brussel/Bruxelles, www.officebaroque.com
LÉA BISMUTH
ART BRUSSELS/ CURATOR'S VIEW - The art critic and independent curator Léa Bismuth presents the "At the Dawn of Metamorphosis" exhibition. "I see this as a real curatorial intervention that allows me to make the point that the operations of the contemporary-art market are not mere speculative mechanisms, but are actually, today more than ever, at the heart of the dynamics of creative work."
Courtesy the artist and Office Baroque, Brussels
"This work is one of a series of seven. A collector invited Leigh Ledare to make nude portraits of her to spice up her relationship with her husband. After refusing for a long time, he finally agreed, on the condition that he could use the material in an artistic series. He spent seven days with the woman and took one photo of her every day. They were later printed on the covers of the New York Times for those seven days. You see the field of tension between the photos, fragments of Leigh Ledare's diary, and the newspaper covers, an interplay of the backgrounds and environments of the artist, the woman, and the world. What makes the series even more powerful is all the events that occurred during that week: the scandal with Dominique Strauss-Kahn erupted, the murders on Utoya, Christine Lagarde was appointed head of the IMF, Lucian Freud died, etc. Those echoes of powerful women, psychology, and violence resound in a very intense whole."
"Office Baroque Gallery takes part in the general dialogue that art history has been since the very beginning. The artists we think are relevant contribute something new to that great dialogue from Altamira to the present and bring into greater focus that which was formerly not so focused. The work of Leigh Ledare matches this perspective perfectly: it is not only very skilful technically, but also brings the relationship between the subject and object of photography into strong relief. In this series, the object is so prominent, determining setting and presentation like a director, the photographer really only has to frame the shot and take the picture."
Mathew Cerletty: Weird Vibe 23/4 > 7/6, wo/me/We > za/sa/Sa 11 > 18.00, Bloemenhofplein 5 place du Jardin aux Fleurs, Brussel/Bruxelles, www.officebaroque.com
LÉA BISMUTH
ART BRUSSELS/ CURATOR'S VIEW - The art critic and independent curator Léa Bismuth presents the "At the Dawn of Metamorphosis" exhibition. "I see this as a real curatorial intervention that allows me to make the point that the operations of the contemporary-art market are not mere speculative mechanisms, but are actually, today more than ever, at the heart of the dynamics of creative work."
La Mue descendant un escalier, by Nicolas Darrot
"The Parisian artist Nicolas Darrot (born in 1972) makes large machines for creating illusions and sophisticated robots that inhabit parallel worlds, on the frontiers between life and technology. In this spectacular, exquisite work, which refers to Duchamp's Nu descendant un escalier (Nude Descending a Staircase), Darrot attracts and intrigues us: the metamorphosis of a praying mantis is activated by motors in a fantastic dance. Combining state-of-the-art technology and the archaism of nature, it immerses us in a world of metamorphoses".
"Nicolas Darrot's work functions as a very fruitful reflecting prism: it talks to us at once of the living and of its transformation, of the creative perversions of how we look at things, and of possible shifts between the human, the animal, and the machine. By creating ultra-sophisticated – but nonetheless DIY – robots and puppets, he confronts the viewer not only with the choreographic movement of bodies, but also with the elementary particles that everything is made up of. His work operates at the boundaries of several disciplines and in my opinion is one of the most important avenues for trying to understand creativity and the contemporary world."
Info: www.evahober.com
THE THIRD LINE
ART BRUSSELS/ YOUNG - The Third Line is a Dubai-based art gallery that represents contemporary Middle Eastern artists locally, regionally, and internationally, and also hosts non-profit, alternative programmes to increase interest and dialogue in the region. "The art scene in Dubai is young, but it is dynamic and growing fast. However, we still need to be able to bring our artists to an international platform, so that we can build bridges between very obvious physical and ideological gaps. Fairs like Art Brussels - one of the top 5 fairs in the world - are an important stepping-stone in this regard."
"The Parisian artist Nicolas Darrot (born in 1972) makes large machines for creating illusions and sophisticated robots that inhabit parallel worlds, on the frontiers between life and technology. In this spectacular, exquisite work, which refers to Duchamp's Nu descendant un escalier (Nude Descending a Staircase), Darrot attracts and intrigues us: the metamorphosis of a praying mantis is activated by motors in a fantastic dance. Combining state-of-the-art technology and the archaism of nature, it immerses us in a world of metamorphoses".
"Nicolas Darrot's work functions as a very fruitful reflecting prism: it talks to us at once of the living and of its transformation, of the creative perversions of how we look at things, and of possible shifts between the human, the animal, and the machine. By creating ultra-sophisticated – but nonetheless DIY – robots and puppets, he confronts the viewer not only with the choreographic movement of bodies, but also with the elementary particles that everything is made up of. His work operates at the boundaries of several disciplines and in my opinion is one of the most important avenues for trying to understand creativity and the contemporary world."
Info: www.evahober.com
THE THIRD LINE
ART BRUSSELS/ YOUNG - The Third Line is a Dubai-based art gallery that represents contemporary Middle Eastern artists locally, regionally, and internationally, and also hosts non-profit, alternative programmes to increase interest and dialogue in the region. "The art scene in Dubai is young, but it is dynamic and growing fast. However, we still need to be able to bring our artists to an international platform, so that we can build bridges between very obvious physical and ideological gaps. Fairs like Art Brussels - one of the top 5 fairs in the world - are an important stepping-stone in this regard."
Gonebade Kabood (Lapis Lazuli Dome), by Sahand Hesamiyan (2012)
Courtesy the artist and The Third Line
"Sahand Hesamiyan is a member of the managing board of the 6th Tehran Contemporary Sculpture Biennial. His work is primarily interactive and is clearly derived from Islamic architecture. In many occasions this intense relationship goes beyond the mere reflection and repetition of the forms, influencing the titles of the pieces and the brief descriptions accompanying them."
"Keeping Sahand Hesamiyan's work in mind, the gallery’s vision from the beginning has been to seek out artists who work with contemporary concerns and engage with re-imagining conventional practices and craftsmanship. The Third Line artist is one who appreciates and honours skill, but takes the risk to push boundaries, deconstruct established visual notions and then use the blocks to build new work. They use history and content to strengthen their practice, but do not shy away from creating work that would perhaps not be an obvious announcement of their regional identity."
Info: www.thethirdline.com
ROWING
ART BRUSSELS/ SOLO - Rowing is a contemporary arts organisation in London featuring art projects inside and outside the gallery space, and is one of the galleries organising a solo show at Art Brussels. "A day and a half to install this complex installation… It's going to be a nightmare!" [Laughs]
Courtesy the artist and The Third Line
"Sahand Hesamiyan is a member of the managing board of the 6th Tehran Contemporary Sculpture Biennial. His work is primarily interactive and is clearly derived from Islamic architecture. In many occasions this intense relationship goes beyond the mere reflection and repetition of the forms, influencing the titles of the pieces and the brief descriptions accompanying them."
"Keeping Sahand Hesamiyan's work in mind, the gallery’s vision from the beginning has been to seek out artists who work with contemporary concerns and engage with re-imagining conventional practices and craftsmanship. The Third Line artist is one who appreciates and honours skill, but takes the risk to push boundaries, deconstruct established visual notions and then use the blocks to build new work. They use history and content to strengthen their practice, but do not shy away from creating work that would perhaps not be an obvious announcement of their regional identity."
Info: www.thethirdline.com
ROWING
ART BRUSSELS/ SOLO - Rowing is a contemporary arts organisation in London featuring art projects inside and outside the gallery space, and is one of the galleries organising a solo show at Art Brussels. "A day and a half to install this complex installation… It's going to be a nightmare!" [Laughs]
The Original Erogenous Zone (artist's sketch), by Heather Phillipson (2014)
Courtesy the artist and Rowing
"Heather Phillipson's solo show at Art Brussels, The Original Erogenous Zone, revolves around a video that is installed within a sculptural environment, composed of objects and colours that seep out from the video: car parts, body parts, bathtubs, food stuff, spud sacks, ball sacks, cardboard boxes, buckets, stuffed fabrics, cutlery, household tools, and garden furniture. When you walk into the installation, it feels like stepping inside a poem, with a corresponding 'grammar' of objects and metaphors. Through the video, you're engaged with Heather in a sort of road trip, while in the installation, she unfolds the video and expands it into space. You're immersed in a personal, intimate, and sensual space: a very physical experience!"
"Heather is one of the first artists we fell in love with. Because of her video work, but also because of her implication in writing and text. Her work is like a condensed version of the media and art works we have been interested in, so a solo show of her's is like a group exhibition in a certain way. Also the many layers in her work are something we consider to be a great quality. You can keep digging, and at the same time it is also extremely accessible and moving."
Info: rowingprojects.com
> CONTEMPORARY ART IN BRUSSELS/ OUTSIDE
SHONANDAI GALLERY
OFF - BRUSSELS CONTEMPORARY ART FAIR - The Shonandai Gallery, which is a regular at art fairs in Asia, was the first Japanese gallery to take part in the Off – Brussels Contemporary Art Fair. It will be there again this year for a second time, alongside fifty Belgian, European, and Asian galleries.
Courtesy the artist and Rowing
"Heather Phillipson's solo show at Art Brussels, The Original Erogenous Zone, revolves around a video that is installed within a sculptural environment, composed of objects and colours that seep out from the video: car parts, body parts, bathtubs, food stuff, spud sacks, ball sacks, cardboard boxes, buckets, stuffed fabrics, cutlery, household tools, and garden furniture. When you walk into the installation, it feels like stepping inside a poem, with a corresponding 'grammar' of objects and metaphors. Through the video, you're engaged with Heather in a sort of road trip, while in the installation, she unfolds the video and expands it into space. You're immersed in a personal, intimate, and sensual space: a very physical experience!"
"Heather is one of the first artists we fell in love with. Because of her video work, but also because of her implication in writing and text. Her work is like a condensed version of the media and art works we have been interested in, so a solo show of her's is like a group exhibition in a certain way. Also the many layers in her work are something we consider to be a great quality. You can keep digging, and at the same time it is also extremely accessible and moving."
Info: rowingprojects.com
> CONTEMPORARY ART IN BRUSSELS/ OUTSIDE
SHONANDAI GALLERY
OFF - BRUSSELS CONTEMPORARY ART FAIR - The Shonandai Gallery, which is a regular at art fairs in Asia, was the first Japanese gallery to take part in the Off – Brussels Contemporary Art Fair. It will be there again this year for a second time, alongside fifty Belgian, European, and Asian galleries.
Drawing for Brush, Ink, and Japanese Paper, by Susumu Takashima
"Susumu Takashima (born in 1959) creates works of art using a technique that only he has mastered. He makes use of the peculiarities of ink, brush, and coloured pencils. Each work is made up of an accumulation of lines, whose width changes all the time as a result of the wearing of the point of the pencil and the using up of the ink on the brush. The titles of his works, such as Drawing for Brush, Ink, and Japanese Paper or Peinture pour taille-crayons, crayons de couleur et toiles ("Painting for Pencil-sharpener, Coloured Pencils, and Cloths"), refer to the titles used in classical music, which indicate which piece was written for which instrument."
"Takashima's work requires a lot of care and patience. His works are extremely delicate, but at the same time strong and beautiful, which is a characteristic of Japanese art."
Info: www.shonandai-g.com
10/12
POPPOSITIONS - The independent space known as 10/12, run on a voluntary basis by artists, is one of the twenty participants in the nomadic alternative fair Poppositions, which this year is based in the Dexia Art Center.
"Susumu Takashima (born in 1959) creates works of art using a technique that only he has mastered. He makes use of the peculiarities of ink, brush, and coloured pencils. Each work is made up of an accumulation of lines, whose width changes all the time as a result of the wearing of the point of the pencil and the using up of the ink on the brush. The titles of his works, such as Drawing for Brush, Ink, and Japanese Paper or Peinture pour taille-crayons, crayons de couleur et toiles ("Painting for Pencil-sharpener, Coloured Pencils, and Cloths"), refer to the titles used in classical music, which indicate which piece was written for which instrument."
"Takashima's work requires a lot of care and patience. His works are extremely delicate, but at the same time strong and beautiful, which is a characteristic of Japanese art."
Info: www.shonandai-g.com
10/12
POPPOSITIONS - The independent space known as 10/12, run on a voluntary basis by artists, is one of the twenty participants in the nomadic alternative fair Poppositions, which this year is based in the Dexia Art Center.
Untitled, 2013 (in the "Triomphe de la désintégration" series), by Petko Ognyanov
"This work by the Bulgarian-born artist Petko Ognyanov (born in 1980) takes the cover of one of the first issues of the Bulgarian edition of Forbes magazine, which featured Dilma Rousseff, the president of Brazil. The image comes from the "Triomphe de la désintégration" series of works on carbon film. It is a reversed original-copy system: the artist only keeps the carbon paper, which retains a copy of the original drawing made on the paper that covered the carbon. So it's a copy-work, the result of a specific transfer."
"The basic idea of 10/12 is to give young artists a space in the form of a residency-laboratory that would allow them to think about the presentation, hanging, and installation of their works."
"This is often their first experience and in any case it offers a freedom to occupy the space with their work that is rarely available from conventional 'galleries'. It was that same wish to support young artists that led us, through our structure, to allow Petko Ognyanov access to Poppositions. The work he is presenting and the works he will create in situ during the fair are very much in line with the 10/12 approach. His work fits in perfectly with that reflection on the setting of the work and its interaction with the space in which it is presented."
10/12 Spring Art Shop: 17/4 > 4/5, 14 > 19.00, Groot Eilandstraat 12 rue de la Grande Île, Brussel/Bruxelles, www.10-12.be
LA LOGE
ART BRUSSELS/ MUSEUMS & ART CENTRES - La Loge is a centre for contemporary art and practices, based in a former Masonic lodge in modernist style. The opening hours are being specially extended on the occasion of Art Brussels.
"This work by the Bulgarian-born artist Petko Ognyanov (born in 1980) takes the cover of one of the first issues of the Bulgarian edition of Forbes magazine, which featured Dilma Rousseff, the president of Brazil. The image comes from the "Triomphe de la désintégration" series of works on carbon film. It is a reversed original-copy system: the artist only keeps the carbon paper, which retains a copy of the original drawing made on the paper that covered the carbon. So it's a copy-work, the result of a specific transfer."
"The basic idea of 10/12 is to give young artists a space in the form of a residency-laboratory that would allow them to think about the presentation, hanging, and installation of their works."
"This is often their first experience and in any case it offers a freedom to occupy the space with their work that is rarely available from conventional 'galleries'. It was that same wish to support young artists that led us, through our structure, to allow Petko Ognyanov access to Poppositions. The work he is presenting and the works he will create in situ during the fair are very much in line with the 10/12 approach. His work fits in perfectly with that reflection on the setting of the work and its interaction with the space in which it is presented."
10/12 Spring Art Shop: 17/4 > 4/5, 14 > 19.00, Groot Eilandstraat 12 rue de la Grande Île, Brussel/Bruxelles, www.10-12.be
LA LOGE
ART BRUSSELS/ MUSEUMS & ART CENTRES - La Loge is a centre for contemporary art and practices, based in a former Masonic lodge in modernist style. The opening hours are being specially extended on the occasion of Art Brussels.
When You Fall into a Trance, by Emily Wardill
"Emily Wardill (born in 1977) is a British artist who works mainly in film. She is particularly interested in the subtleties and difficulties of communication and representation, in the limits and lack of precision of language, and in the individual nature of the imagination. Sound, touch, and the subconscious intertwine, creating multiple narratives and fragmented sequences. Her film When You Fall into a Trance, some of which was shot last summer at La Loge, looks at the relationship between Dominique, a neurologist, Simon, her patient, her daughter Tony, who does synchronised swimming, and her lover, Hugo, who works in the humanitarian sector. Simon is suffering from a loss of proprioception: that is to say, he cannot make his limbs move without looking at them. Via this apparently complex theme, Emily Wardill explores language, communication, and the subtle relations between the body, memory, and the mind."
"We were really keen to support Emily Wardill's intelligent and disconcerting work by offering her a setting for her work that would be specific, intimate, and distinctive. Over and above its symbolic and architectural character, the emblematic La Loge building in this case becomes a production site, in the sense that it served as the location and the HQ for the film's team. The building appears in the film, but more as a void outside of time or a psychological space. Screening the film within the framework of an exhibition seemed an obvious thing to do, in the wake of our collaboration in its production."
Emily Wardill: When You Fall into a Trance > 28/6, extended opening hours during Art Brussels 24 > 26 April, five screenings a day: 10, 11.30, 13.30, 15.30, 17.30 pm, free, La Loge, Kluisstraat 86 rue de l'Ermitage, Elsene/Ixelles, 02-644 42 48, www.la-loge.be
VANHAERENTS ART COLLECTION
ART BRUSSELS/ PRIVATE - The Vanhaerents Art Collection is a private initiative of the former building contractor Walter Vanhaerents, housed in the historic industrial building of the Établissements Van Haelen on the Anneessensstraat in Brussels.
"Emily Wardill (born in 1977) is a British artist who works mainly in film. She is particularly interested in the subtleties and difficulties of communication and representation, in the limits and lack of precision of language, and in the individual nature of the imagination. Sound, touch, and the subconscious intertwine, creating multiple narratives and fragmented sequences. Her film When You Fall into a Trance, some of which was shot last summer at La Loge, looks at the relationship between Dominique, a neurologist, Simon, her patient, her daughter Tony, who does synchronised swimming, and her lover, Hugo, who works in the humanitarian sector. Simon is suffering from a loss of proprioception: that is to say, he cannot make his limbs move without looking at them. Via this apparently complex theme, Emily Wardill explores language, communication, and the subtle relations between the body, memory, and the mind."
"We were really keen to support Emily Wardill's intelligent and disconcerting work by offering her a setting for her work that would be specific, intimate, and distinctive. Over and above its symbolic and architectural character, the emblematic La Loge building in this case becomes a production site, in the sense that it served as the location and the HQ for the film's team. The building appears in the film, but more as a void outside of time or a psychological space. Screening the film within the framework of an exhibition seemed an obvious thing to do, in the wake of our collaboration in its production."
Emily Wardill: When You Fall into a Trance > 28/6, extended opening hours during Art Brussels 24 > 26 April, five screenings a day: 10, 11.30, 13.30, 15.30, 17.30 pm, free, La Loge, Kluisstraat 86 rue de l'Ermitage, Elsene/Ixelles, 02-644 42 48, www.la-loge.be
VANHAERENTS ART COLLECTION
ART BRUSSELS/ PRIVATE - The Vanhaerents Art Collection is a private initiative of the former building contractor Walter Vanhaerents, housed in the historic industrial building of the Établissements Van Haelen on the Anneessensstraat in Brussels.
Digital Switchover, by Haroon Mirza (2012)
Courtesy the artist and Vanhaerents Art Collection
"British artist Haroon Mirza makes hypnotic light and sound installations that spread out across the exhibition space. His Digital Switchover consists of a central ‘control room’ of which the wall covering is reminiscent of soundproofing panels, with galleries of immaterial LED lighting on either side. Using the existing architecture as a starting point and introducing a cold, almost mechanical interplay of sound and light, Mirza’s installation activates the space and created a total sensory experience."
"The Vanhaerents Art Collection tends to look forward, rather than looking back to an illustrious past. This implies an interest in new media and materials, as well as a certain attention to site-specific installations. We also like to put faith in young artists. For example, Haroon Mirza was given all the space he needed for his Digital Switchover. Both literally and figuratively, this installation is the beating heart of our new exhibition, Man in the Mirror, which will run for three years and comprises 45 monumental works by internationally renowned artists. As a private collection, we have been organising exhibitions for three and a half years, often of names that are very well known here yet. The interest of other collectors and the general public continues to grow. We hadn’t really expected that initially, but it does indicate that there was still room for our perspective on contemporary art and the way we want to share it."
Man in the Mirror (group show curated by Walter Vanhaerents & Emma Dexter), opens 3/5 (accessible for VIP-visitors to Art Brussels: 25 & 26/4, 11 > 13.00), every first Saturday of the month: 14 > 17.00, rue Anneessensstraat 29, Brussel/Bruxelles, www.vanhaerentsartcollection.com
GLADSTONE GALLERY
ART BRUSSELS/ GALLERY NIGHT - Downtown Brussels's Gladstone Gallery is the third branch of what started with two galleries in New York. "We are part of a community, and Art Brussels is a chance for us to participate in that community. Everyone in the city attends, and it is a serious event. It is also is a great opportunity to expose collectors and visitors to the broad spectrum of artists that we represent. Brussels has a burgeoning art scene, and it is a nice counterpoint to some of the faster-paced European cities where galleries are already firmly rooted."
Courtesy the artist and Vanhaerents Art Collection
"British artist Haroon Mirza makes hypnotic light and sound installations that spread out across the exhibition space. His Digital Switchover consists of a central ‘control room’ of which the wall covering is reminiscent of soundproofing panels, with galleries of immaterial LED lighting on either side. Using the existing architecture as a starting point and introducing a cold, almost mechanical interplay of sound and light, Mirza’s installation activates the space and created a total sensory experience."
"The Vanhaerents Art Collection tends to look forward, rather than looking back to an illustrious past. This implies an interest in new media and materials, as well as a certain attention to site-specific installations. We also like to put faith in young artists. For example, Haroon Mirza was given all the space he needed for his Digital Switchover. Both literally and figuratively, this installation is the beating heart of our new exhibition, Man in the Mirror, which will run for three years and comprises 45 monumental works by internationally renowned artists. As a private collection, we have been organising exhibitions for three and a half years, often of names that are very well known here yet. The interest of other collectors and the general public continues to grow. We hadn’t really expected that initially, but it does indicate that there was still room for our perspective on contemporary art and the way we want to share it."
Man in the Mirror (group show curated by Walter Vanhaerents & Emma Dexter), opens 3/5 (accessible for VIP-visitors to Art Brussels: 25 & 26/4, 11 > 13.00), every first Saturday of the month: 14 > 17.00, rue Anneessensstraat 29, Brussel/Bruxelles, www.vanhaerentsartcollection.com
GLADSTONE GALLERY
ART BRUSSELS/ GALLERY NIGHT - Downtown Brussels's Gladstone Gallery is the third branch of what started with two galleries in New York. "We are part of a community, and Art Brussels is a chance for us to participate in that community. Everyone in the city attends, and it is a serious event. It is also is a great opportunity to expose collectors and visitors to the broad spectrum of artists that we represent. Brussels has a burgeoning art scene, and it is a nice counterpoint to some of the faster-paced European cities where galleries are already firmly rooted."
Reality Painting #6 (A Wall in My Bedroom), by Richard Aldrich (2013)
Courtesy the artist and Gladstone Gallery, New York/Brussels & Bortolami Gallery, New York
"This painting is part of New York-based artist Richard Aldrich's Reality Painting Series, a body of work that playfully adopts the art-historical idea of a series as a way to organise ideas, and which depicts scenes from Aldrich’s everyday life."
"We are interested in showing artists who materially and conceptually push the boundaries of contemporary art. Richard Aldrich sees his artistic practice as a constantly evolving force. His work defies a singular style, and in his drawings, paintings, and sculptures, he is able to move effortlessly between figuration, abstraction, and representation. Using a variety of techniques, Aldrich has developed an artistic style that turns away from the canonical understanding of art historically, in favour of exploring new conceptual processes through which to view the contemporary world as he sees it. His exhibition at Gladstone Gallery and dépendance, will feature paintings, drawings, and sculptures created over the course of the past decade that highlight his interest in the way in which objects can be used to explore the impact of time on our understanding of ourselves and the world around us."
Richard Aldrich 24/4 > 7/6, di/ma/Tu > za/sa/Sa 10 > 18.00, Grote Hertstraat 12 Rue du Grand Cerf, Brussel/Bruxelles, www.gladstonegallery.com
Courtesy the artist and Gladstone Gallery, New York/Brussels & Bortolami Gallery, New York
"This painting is part of New York-based artist Richard Aldrich's Reality Painting Series, a body of work that playfully adopts the art-historical idea of a series as a way to organise ideas, and which depicts scenes from Aldrich’s everyday life."
"We are interested in showing artists who materially and conceptually push the boundaries of contemporary art. Richard Aldrich sees his artistic practice as a constantly evolving force. His work defies a singular style, and in his drawings, paintings, and sculptures, he is able to move effortlessly between figuration, abstraction, and representation. Using a variety of techniques, Aldrich has developed an artistic style that turns away from the canonical understanding of art historically, in favour of exploring new conceptual processes through which to view the contemporary world as he sees it. His exhibition at Gladstone Gallery and dépendance, will feature paintings, drawings, and sculptures created over the course of the past decade that highlight his interest in the way in which objects can be used to explore the impact of time on our understanding of ourselves and the world around us."
Richard Aldrich 24/4 > 7/6, di/ma/Tu > za/sa/Sa 10 > 18.00, Grote Hertstraat 12 Rue du Grand Cerf, Brussel/Bruxelles, www.gladstonegallery.com
ART BRUSSELS • 25 > 27/4, 12 > 20.00, €5/10/15, brussels Expo (Heysel), Belgiëplein 1 place de Belgique, Laken/Laeken, www.artbrussels.com
OFF – BRUSSELS CONTEMPORARY ART FAIR • 26/4, 14 > 23.00, 27/4, 11 > 20.00 & 28/4, 10 > 15.00, €5/8, Thurn/Tour & Taxis, Havenlaan 86C avenue du Port, Brussel/Bruxelles, www.off-artfair.be
POPPOSITIONS • 24 > 27/4, 12 > 20.00 (25/4: 12 > 0.00), gratis/gratuit/free, Dexia Art Center, Schildknaapstraat 50 rue de l’Écuyer, Brussel/Bruxelles, www.poppositions.com
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