No. 74, October 2010

Newspaper Jan Mot Afgiftekantoor 1000 Brussel 1 Verschijnt vijfmaal per jaar in V.U. Jan Mot januari – maart – mei – Antoine Dansaertstraat 190 augustus – oktober 1000 Brussel No. 74, oktober 2010 Erkenningsnummer P309573 98 – 99 Jaargang 14 No. 74 Central to her work has been En het hetzelfde met een foto The prints happen the same a keen focus on the temporal van Pierre Bismuth. way but in reverse, with dimensions of portraiture, de- ink or the resistance of ink. • Vija Celmins, Starfield, 2010, 1-color mezzotint, 67,3 x 90,8 cm (detail, 1:2) 2 Newspaper Jan Mot Bookcase 98 – 99 3 Newspaper Jan Mot Stars 98 – 99 A year after Louise’s death, Victoria and Al- When did this stern man, who fled society (advertisement) bert invited Leopold – who was then sixteen and whose sole mistress was politics, become Small Wonder : Vija Celmins – to come to London as a distraction from a socialite who visited Parisian cabarets and his grief and visit the Great Exhibition of had countless adventures, as well as at least 1851, held in the famous Crystal Palace. It two long-term relationships? It is only after by doing things to the best of our ability—not as was in this vast hall, four times larger than the turn of the century – when he was 65 – Joe Scanlan a way to master the universe but as a way to the basilica of Saint Peter’s in Rome, that he that we find any written material about this coexist in it. Practically, philosophically and discovered the world. That visit saw the be- subject. At the time, the King was mainly ac- NEW YORK CITY, 11 OCT emotionally, Celmins’ pictures are made for ginning of his “dream of stone” and his ob- tive in his dealings with China; he was also reasons beyond the express purpose of being 98 session with giving his country a colony. He busy with urban developments in Belgium. Fourteen years ago, an amateur astronomer looked at. Exhibition Opening shared this “palace” with Karl Marx who, Of course, it is possible, even likely, that earli- named Yuki Hyakutake in Kagoshima Pre- Exemplary in this regard are her prints 30/10 – 4/12 30/10 14–19h after Brussels and Paris, had found refuge er amorous activities may have been well hid- fecture, Japan, spotted an uncharted bright and drawings of night skies. Most of them in London, and had this to say of his visit: den. But the sudden abundance of scurrilous spot low in the eastern sky. Intrigued, pro- have comets streaking across their view and “Thanks to this exhibition, the international stories, as well as the revealing memoirs of fessional astronomers soon determined all of them are invented. In the drawings she VIJA CELMINS bourgeoisie had built in the modern Rome a his valet Henri Bataille, point to the fact that that what Mr. Hyakutake had seen was an begins by making a blank charcoal ground Pantheon to display, with pride and self-sat- he engaged in frenzied sexual activity at that unknown comet, one that had probably not and then slowly erasing the stars out of it, JOE SCANLAN isfaction, the gods it has created for itself.” advanced age. Did he sublimate his desires passed within earth’s view in 10,000 years, one by one. The prints happen the same way Imagine if they had met at that time! Given for years in his dedication to work, beforen, when Mesolithic people roamed the earth. but in reverse, with ink or the resistance of that the Great Exhibition had six million Although the Mesolithic peoples of the ink. Some stars get worked into crisp points visitors, it is highly unlikely. But that doesn’t middle and far east did not become skilled while others remain nebulous; some stars are RECENT WORKS stop us from wondering about the possible astronomers for another 2,000 years after left faint, far away, and dying while others • Joe Scanlan, Nesting Bookcase, 2010 significance of such a fortuitous encounter. the comet’s last appearance, it is possible are made larger, closer, brighter. prototype of this year’s model, wood, primer, Marx appears in the life of Leopold II at that they noticed the comet—perhaps even Unlike the scientific beauty of Renais- Jan Mot water putty, graphite. three key moments: during the 1848 Revo- enjoyed it and talked about it—after a hard sance drawings, in which the depiction of Rue Antoine Dansaertstraat 190 lution, in 1851 at the Crystal Palace and in day of food-gathering and domesticating the light falling on the surface of an object gives BE-1000 Brussel Bruxelles 1865, the year he came to the throne. What- dog. However, unlike the perceived orbits of it not only form but priority in the natural To the sheer velocity of Vonna-Michell’s ever I tried, whatever money I offered her, the sun, the moon and five planets that came order of things, Celmins’ drawings depict profusion of words can be starkly contrasted she refused point blank. The little chocolate to symbolize the Mesopotamian calendar nothing but pure, emitted light. This is part A year after Louise’s death, Victoria and Al- the exacting sculptural installations of Josef seller was no royalist, nor a chocolate man. week, the comet’s brief appearance 10,014 of what makes starlight so captivating: it’s bert invited Leopold – who was then sixteen Strau. And yet Strau’s works hardly arrest A year after Louise’s death, Victoria and Al- years ago probably thwarted the likelihood strong enough to reach our retinas but too – to come to London as a distraction from the destabilized flow of language, but sus- bert invited Leopold – who was then sixteen of any symbols or names being attributed weak to illuminate anything. Consequently, his grief and visit the Great Exhibition of pends it rather in a distinctly liminal space. – to come to London as a distraction from to it. And so, for the time being, unknown unlike the light depicted in a Renaissance 1851, held in the famous Crystal Palace. It His seemingly ad hoc conjunctions of dense his grief and visit the Great Exhibition of comet number C/1996B2 is now officially image, the light in a Celmins night sky ac- was in this vast hall, four times larger than typed and hand-written texts with lamps 1851, held in the famous Crystal Palace. It known as the Comet Hyakutake. tivates our brains without giving us anything the basilica of Saint Peter’s in Rome, that he function as both word and image, and there- was in this vast hall, four times larger than A lot has happened since then, not least of to contemplate, save our own stimulated discovered the world. That visit saw the be- by place the viewer in a kind of quandary the basilica of Saint Peter’s in Rome, that he which is our ability to drop what we’re do- nerve endings and their impetus, light years ginning of his “dream of stone” and his ob- ing for a few hours and travel to some darker, away. However recognizable Celmins’ night session with giving his country a colony. He more remote region in the hopes of catching skies are as images, it is their affect rather shared this “palace” with Karl Marx who, a glimpse of a fleeting asteroid. We seek out than their subject matter that compels us into after Brussels and Paris, had found refuge such phenomena because our daily lives do them, collapsing time and space into the flat- in London, and had this to say of his visit: not often provide us with the opportunity to ness of paper and the thickness of our heads. “Thanks to this exhibition, the international • Joe Scanlan, An Investigation into the Role of experience such sublime, annihilating coin- And in the space between our faces and the bourgeoisie had built in the modern Rome a the Consumer in the Interpretation of a cidences. Standing beneath such a rare oc- surface of the images: a distance that is won- Pantheon to display, with pride and self-sat- Work of Art (detail), 2005, Nesting Bookcase, currence, visible to the naked eye, the mortal derful, incomprehensible, and all too famil- isfaction, the gods it has created for itself.” C-print, various personal items installation view, anxiety of “Why am I here?” can unwind iar. Imagine if they had met at that time! Given Washington, DC into the more beatific attitude of wondering We are distracted from this aesthetic that the Great Exhibition had six million “What difference does it make?” When the abyss when our eyes inevitably drift to the visitors, it is highly unlikely. But that doesn’t the moon and five planets that came to sym- answer to that question is “none,” or even “a edges of Celmins’ prints and drawings, stop us from wondering about the possible bolize the Mesopotamian calendar week, little,” what harm can their be in continuing where each image dissolves into the same significance of such a fortuitous encounter. the comet’s brief appearance 10,014 years to do whatever it is that we do? smudgy ephemera that collects on the bot- Marx appears in the life of Leopold II at ago probably thwarted the likelihood of The work of Vija Celmins proposes that it tom of our shoes. The closer we look at her three key moments: during the 1848 Revo- any symbols or names being attributed to it. is precisely the flawed, human-scale redun- night skies the more likely our attention gets lution, in 1851 at the Crystal Palace and in And so, for the time being, unknown comet dancy of art that allows us to wrap our arms pushed back out into the room, reminding us 1865, the year he came to the throne.

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