Pressfile Beaufort Beyond Borders
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BEAUFORT BEYOND BORDERS PRESSFILE BEYOND BORDERS THE STORY BEHIND THE FIFTH EDITION OF BEAUFORT “Radical alternatives are possible after all. They are even highly popular!” (American anthropologist David Graeber) The fifth edition of Beaufort entitled ‘Beyond A DOG REPUBLIC Borders’ continues to build upon the tradition of art Musée Promenade in the public space from the previous editions, but also makes a firm choice for change and innovation. At the invitation of Beaufort Beyond Borders, ‘A Dog The Province of West Flanders is the initiating party, Republic’ is developing a major project entitled ‘Musée and along with the Department of Culture has invited Promenade’. ‘Musée Promenade’ is the title of the pro- the ten coastal municipalities to support this inno- ject along the 67 kilometres of coastline, enchanting vative artistic concept and to help accomplish it. in many ways. This ‘museum’ takes shape while walk- ing, and over time and depending on location assumes The artistic concept was developed by the curators various forms. This will include drawings in the sand, in Lorenzo Benedetti (De Appel in Amsterdam), Patrick shop windows and in Plexiglas boxes, as well as flags, Ronse (Be-Part in Waregem), Hilde Teerlinck (free- posters and texts in the streets, films, architectural in- lance curator) and Phillip Van den Bossche (Mu.ZEE stallations, pavilions, ... Visitors, hikers and passers-by in Ostend). Production, implementation and supervi- will hereby be given the space to take on an active role. sion are provided by a new coordination team estab- ‘Musée Promenade’ will be a genuine spectacle in the lished in Mu.ZEE: Anne Mouton, Laure-Anne Tillieux streets, shops, buildings, beaches, ports, and prome- and Els Wuyts. nades of the 10 coastal municipalities. Most striking will be the various architectural prototypes, based on Beyond Borders opts for a complete project along Yona Friedman’s ideas on ‘mobile architecture’ and ‘self the coast, whereby a solo exhibition by the A Dog planning’. Republic collective led by 91-year-old architect, urbanist, and designer Yona Friedman is combined The group exhibition will be spread out across three with a group exhibition at three locations in the unique locations, and will complement this unconven- province: the Zwin Nature centre along the east tional presentation. Conceived as a trilogy, some forty coast, Raversyde in the centre and visitor centre De artists will display new projects or already existing works. Nachtegaal with the surrounding Oosthoek dunes A combination of recently graduated art scholars, more along the west coast. The solo exhibition consti- established names and well-known international artists tutes the artistic link between these three loca- will take on the challenge and bring surprising and highly tions, in order to complete the continuity of Beyond diverse proposals. Think film, floral installations, neon, Borders in content and presentation. dioramas, ... Nothing is too much in this edition. #beaufort2015 © A Dog Republic, 2015 © A Dog Republic, 2015 Beyond Borders takes place from 21 June until 21 and ‘public intimacy’ of art proposals – even though September 2015, but has the ambition of going ‘be- the scale may certainly still be large. The three lo- yond the borders’ of the exhibition itself, and of its cations where the group exhibitions will take place temporary nature. By reflecting on art in the public show strong connections with nature and are close- space, by looking for new ideas on art and architec- ly related to this approach. ture, art and science, art and urbanization, ecology, sustainability, activism, education, ... its aspiration Along with the artists and the exhibition visitors is to have a long-term impact on society. we search how ‘ideas gain traction’. Indeed, the How do contemporary artists formulate new pro- exhibition will include not only works of art but will posals within the walls of a museum, or an art exhibi- also bring lectures, small-scale concerts, perfor- tion? Following the example of “Sonsbeek buiten de mances, film screenings, workshops, a research perken” in 1971, we wish to chart the newest roads residency on ‘Comfort & Resistance’... For this pur- taken by artists, and look beyond the borders of the pose we collaborate with various organizations, art world. The curators make a conscious choice to including Vrijstaat O., VUB Crosstalks, stroom include barely any seaside and beach locations or Den Haag, Leffingeleuren, Theater aan Zee, CAHF monumentality, but in this Beyond Borders edition (Contemporary Art Heritage Flanders), Be-Part, of Beaufort respond to the demand for small scale KASK Gent, Ons Erfdeel, … © A Dog Republic, 2015 www.beaufort2015.be PARTICIPATING ARTISTS STATE OF AFFAIRS 10 FEBRUARY A Dog Republic Mark Manders Marti Anson Teresa Margolles Charif Benhelima Cildo Meireles Otto Berchem Helen Mirra Marc Bijl Alessandro Pessoli Katinka Bock Falke Pisano Kasper Bosmans Julien Prévieux Mariana Castillo Deball Walid Raad C L A I R E F O N T A I N E Allan Sekula Lucile Desamory Kelly Schacht Liesbeth Doms Thomas Schütte Matias Faldbakken Terry Smith Thomas Galler Superflex Pieterjan Ginckels Zhou Tao Scott King Oscar Tuazon Gabriel Kuri Rinus Van de Velde Mark Lombardi Lily Van der Stokker Ingrid Luche #beaufort2015 SOLO EXHIBITION GROUP EXHIBITION A Dog Republic Martí Anson A Dog Republic was initiated in 2011 by artists *1967, Mataró (ES) / lives and works in Barcelona (ES) Jean-Baptiste Decavèle, Nico Dockx and Helena Sidiropoulos, architect Yona Friedman and musician Marti Anson’s work consists mainly of photography, Krist Torfs. After many conversations in Paris and video, and installations. The viewer’s experience is Antwerp on the constitution of their republic, they essential in his work. The viewer is hereby very often along with a number of other ‘dogs’ convened to confronted with annoying situations, or situations that have various manifestations in Ludlow38 in New York completely defy expectations. For example in the work (2012), De Vleeshal in Middelburg (2012), Esther Bon Dia (1999), the viewer is invited to enter a living Donatz Gallery in Munich (2013), Mu.ZEE in Ostend room where he finds a seat, plant, TV, and a reproduc- (2013), 55th International Art Exhibition La Biennale tion of a painting. A door in this room leads to a second di Venezia (2013) and Galerie mfc-michèle didier in room which is exactly the same as the first. Paris (2014) to bring peace, rather than political vio- lence. Along with graphical designer Thomas Mayfried http://www.martianson.net/ they are also working on a series of artist books. Charif Benhelima Yona Friedman *1967, Brussels (BE) / lives and works in Antwerp (BE) *1923, Budapest (BG) / lives and works in Paris (FR) Charif Benhelima is the son of an immigrated Moroccan Architect, theorist and urbanist Yona Friedman is no father and a Belgian mother. Due to the expulsion of the traditional thinker. With his cutting-edge ideas and former and the untimely death of the latter, Benhelima concepts on ‘mobile architecture’, ‘feasible Utopi- loses touch with both very early on. He is left behind in as’, ‘the spatial city’ and ‘self planning’, he has been Belgium as a child with a foreign name and many unan- trying to give our world a different aspect since the swered questions. This is the start of his quest for human late fifties. In doing so, he completely disregards the relationships and living conditions in a multicultural socie- borders between disciplines. Even now, in a time when ty. Identity plays a crucial role in his work. He mainly focus- issues regarding mobility, globalization, urbanization, es on photography whereby he primarily uses polaroids and migration are playing an increasingly important which are sometimes reworked into glossy Cibachrome. role, Friedman’s concepts are still relevant. He is re- He develops a suggestive formal language which leaves a garded as one of the greatest minds of the architec- great deal of space open to the viewer. The image is open tural history of the 20th and 21st centuries. to the observer’s own interpretation. http://www.yonafriedman.nl/ http://www.benhelima.com/ Otto Berchem *1967, Milford (USA) / lives and works in Amsterdam (NL) and Bogota (CO) In his work, American artist Otto Berchem investigates how communication and social codes come about and how they influence our lives. His journey from America to Europe, whereby he discovers both the world and his own fears and weaknesses, repeatedly forms the www.beaufort2015.be starting point. Moreover, his work is often created in without content, despite the fact that his designs the public space or in a non-artistic context whereby he contain an aesthetic aspect. He engages in experi- consciously attempts to enter the lives of the viewers. ments in order to stay alert and broaden his vision. Therefore he is not so much about creating art, but http://www.ottoberchem.com about experimenting with shapes and activities. Bosmans uses certain aspects of objects or phe- nomena from nature or our daily lives in order to ob- Marc Bijl serve, dissect, re-contextualize them, and perhaps *1970, Leerdam (NL) / Lives and works in Berlin (DE) in another way, render them visible. Marc Bijl is a versatile and surprising artist. He http://www.tatjanapieters.com/ switches between political commitment and every- day issues, and the use of imagery, text and music with equal ease. The early work by this artist is char- Mariana Castillo Deball acterized by the use of visual elements and symbols *1975, Mexico City (MEX) / Lives and works in among others from the punk and goth subcultures, Berlin (DE) with the intention of making the viewer consciously consider political, economic, and national themes. In her work, Mariana Castillo Deball adapts methods His more recent work is more abstract and minimal- from other fields: philosophy, archaeology, science, istic, but the visualization of various viewpoints on visual arts, and the art of storytelling.