MECHELEN
Artists
Artists
- Grazia Toderi
- Andrea Büttner
- Gilberto Zorio
- An van. Dienderen
- Gilad Ratman
- Javier Téllez
- Michael Fliri
- Rabih Mroué
- A Dog Republic and RAM Radioartemobile
- AaBbPp
- Slavs and Tatars
- Albert Serra
- Fabrice Hyber
- Nedko Solakov
- Johan Grimonprez
- Jan Fabre
- Ana Prvački
- Michael Rakowitz
- Sander Breure and Witte van Hulzen
- Chiara Fumai
- Angel Vergara
Jan Fabre
For over 35 years, Belgian artist Jan Fabre (°1958) has held a crucial spot as an innovative visual artist, theatre director and author. All of Fabre’s works represent a strong belief in the vulnerable human body, the defence of that body and wondering how the human being will survive in the future. Metamorphosis is a key concept in Fabre’s artistic oeuvre, in which animal and human existence continuously interact. His artistry is a poetic resistance dedicated to beauty, an exercise in ways of disappearing. Throughout the years, he has created his own universe that abides by its own rules and laws, and contains its own characters, symbols and motives.
Searching for Utopia
Searching for Utopia (Jantje op zoek naar Utopia of een orakelsteen)
2002
polyester, papier-mâché
Searching for Utopia (met kunstenaar-ruiter rechtop staand)
2002
polyester, plaster, sand, resin, gold foil, textile, wood
Searching for Utopia II (op hol geslagen)
2005
polyester, leather belt, wood, soil
Utopia and Thomas More have occupied the mind of Jan Fabre since at least 1977, when he did a performance in which he placed exotic flowers in front of the house where More stayed in Antwerp 500 years ago. At CONTOUR 7, some of the artistic traces of this long-time relationship find a special venue in the room adjacent to the Hypocaustum, Hieronymus van Busleyden’s dining room where More dined with his humanist friends in Mechelen. In this room, he found inspiration for his famous book in the wall paintings that still decorate the room today. Fabre presents a re-enactment of his 1977 performance recorded on 8 mm film, along with models from his Searching for Utopia sculptures. In 1990, Fabre made a legendary piece in Mechelen, covering the Tivoli Castle entirely with Bic pen ink, a clear expression of his utopian spirit.
Hommage Aan Thomas More
Hommage Aan Thomas More
1977
8 mm-film
Re-enactment Hommage Aan Thomas More
2015
video, 8 mm-film transferred to digital video, 2′ 24″
Commissioned and produced by CONTOUR 7
Utopia and Thomas More have occupied the mind of Jan Fabre since at least 1977, when he did a performance in which he placed exotic flowers in front of the house where More stayed in Antwerp 500 years ago. At CONTOUR 7, some of the artistic traces of this long-time relationship find a special venue in the room adjacent to the Hypocaustum, Hieronymus van Busleyden’s dining room where More dined with his humanist friends in Mechelen. In this room, he found inspiration for his famous book in the wall paintings that still decorate the room today. Fabre presents a re-enactment of his 1977 performance recorded on 8 mm film, along with models from his Searching for Utopia sculptures. In 1990, Fabre made a legendary piece in Mechelen, covering the Tivoli Castle entirely with Bic pen ink, a clear expression of his utopian spirit.