Beyond Borders
21 June–21 September 2015
Press preview: 16–17June
Public opening: 21 June
Opening hours: Daily 10am–6pm
www.beaufort2015.be
Participating artists
A Dog Republic, Marti Anson, Polly Apfelbaum, Charif Benhelima, Otto Berchem, Marc Bijl, Katinka Bock, Kasper Bosmans, Thorsten Brinkmann, Mariana Castillo Deball in collaboration with Innovando la Tradición, C L A I R E F O N T A I N E, Lucile Desamory, Liesbeth Doms, Matias Faldbakken, Thomas Galler, Pieterjan Ginckels, Pablo Helguera, Cyrus Kabiru, Scott King, Gabriel Kuri, Mark Lombardi, Ingrid Luche, Domenico Mangano, Moondog, Alessandro Pessoli, Falke Pisano, Nicolas Provost, Kelly Schacht, SUPERFLEX, Zhou Tao, Oscar Tuazon, Rinus Van de Velde, Lily van der Stokker, Mark Wallinger
New artistic concept and curatorial team: Lorenzo Benedetti (de Appel in Amsterdam), Patrick Ronse (Be-Part in Waregem), Hilde Teerlinck (freelance curator) and Phillip Van den Bossche (Mu.ZEE in Ostend)
“Ah, that’s why they told me that when I was reborn, it would be as a collective.”
–GALEANO
With the fifth edition of Beaufort, we aim to create an environment that raises questions and invites people to formulate questions. How can we make the world readable again? What do we need, what do we long for? The exhibition Beyond Borders can be perceived as a communal space where we can learn about the ambition, involvement, responsibility and allure of an artwork, poem, film, performance and piece of music. In other words, about us.
Improvisation, self-organising systems and participation: these three concepts are a starting point to introduce the fifth edition of Beaufort and to provide the exhibition Beyond Borders with a context. The concept of the triennial on the Belgian coast has remained unchanged since the first edition in 2003. After 12 years, the world has changed profoundly and artists and the public view the world differently. We therefore opt for experimentation and playfulness for this edition of Beaufort.
Beyond Borders is an all-encompassing project along the coast, in which a “laboratory” initiated by the collective A Dog Republic is combined with a group exhibition on three locations in the province of West Flanders: the Zwin nature centre in Knokke-Heist, Raversyde in Ostend and De Nachtegaal in De Panne. Stories told by over 30 artists come together with the proposals by A Dog Republic at these three venues.
How do contemporary artists formulate new proposals beyond the walls of a museum or art institution? How can a biennial or triennial gain relevance? In Beyond Borders we consciously choose for little monumentality, but meet the demand for small scale and “public intimacy” of artist’s proposals, even though the scale may still be quite large. Set in the natural environment, the three locations, where the group exhibition will take place, fit in closely with this approach.
Beyond Borders is an invitation to think outside the box and explore other areas or zones. Can we go beyond the boundaries of the art world at all?
Public opening: 21 June
In line with the idea behind Beyond Borders the public opening on Sunday 21 June will be organised by FMDO vzw, an umbrella organisation of socio-cultural associations of people with an immigrant background. They will immerse the attendants in the rich and diverse cultures present in Ostend and on the Belgian coast. The organisation offers a programme with the help of their affiliated associations. The complete programme is available on www.beaufort2015.be.
Project team: Anne Mouton, Laure-Anne Tillieux, Eva Vandepitte and Els Wuyts.
Press contact
Anne Mouton, project coordinator Beaufort Beyond Borders
anne.mouton [at] west-vlaanderen.be / T +32 (0) 59 56 45 90
