18 Nov 2008

PERCHÉ REALIZZARE UN'OPERA QUANDO � COSÌ BELLO SOGNARLA SOLTANTO ?*

Artists:

Michiel Alberts (NL) - Fia Cielen (BE) - Ronald Detige (BE) - Simon Gush (ZA) - Judit Hettema (NL) - Reiko Kanazawa (JP) - Lea Lagasse (FR) - Jasper Rigole (BE) - Elif Saglam (DE/TR) - Marie Snauwaert (BE) - Hans Wuyts (BE) - Oleg Yushko (BY)

Curators:

Philippe Van Cauteren - Thomas Caron

For twelve artists from different countries, the exhibition 'Perché realizzare un'opera quando è così bello sognarla soltanto?'* rounds off a two-year period of study at the HISK / Hoger Instituut voor Schone Kunsten / Higher Institute for Fine Arts. The HISK is a postgraduate educational institute specialized in visual and audiovisual art. Twenty-five young artists from Belgium and abroad benefit from personalized coaching and their own studio during a two-year period. As per annual tradition, this year the HISK is organizing a farewell exhibition. Philippe Van Cauteren and Thomas Caron (both from the S.M.A.K.) were invited to curate the exhibition.

'Perché realizzare un'opera quando è così bello sognarla soltanto?' is divided between two locations. All twelve artists exhibit their work in the former Bayer laboratories of Ghent University. The result is a very diverse ensemble of drawings, video, photography and installations. At the S.M.A.K. one artist has left his mark on the museum collection.

The exhibition is accompanied by a publication, albeit one that does not take the form of a traditional catalogue. For 'Perché realizzare un'opera quando è così bello sognarla soltanto?' each artist was given carte blanche to design a poster-size edition. The twelve posters, along with a thirteenth general poster, constitute a set which visitors can take away with them free of charge.

* 'Why produce a work of art when it's so nice just to dream about it?'', from P.P. Pasolini's 'Il Decamerone' (1971)