CHOOSE CHOICE
Belgium on the eve of the elections: five points of view
September 1st Sunday, October 8th, 2006
Curator: Ive Stevenheydens
Flemish Arts Center De Brakke Grond
Nes 45
1012 KD Amsterdam
The Netherlands
The municipal and provincial council elections in Belgium will take place on Sunday 8 October 2006. They are the direct occasion for the exhibition Choose Choice Belgium on the eve of the elections: five points of view. The curator, Ive Stevenheydens, asked five artists to reflect on this major tool of democracy. With the works of art specially created for this exhibition, they state their subjective views with regard to the Belgian electorate and the tense political situation. Some of them investigate in a playful manner the possible roots of the extreme swing to the right in Flanders. Others question the way in which democratically elected parties keep nibbling away at the federal Belgian system.
The exhibition, rather ironically named Choose Choice, transcends a purely political discourse. The varying backgrounds of the invited artists, Belgian and international, guarantee that. Some of them move in the field of the visual arts, photography or experimental video, others operate as journalists, sound technicians and sound artists. What connects the five of them is their critical use of the medium they work in. Averse from the stream of audiovisual mass media that erode the political discourse to near polemic propaganda, their work dares take a purely personal stance. Emotions of discord, concern, anger, fear or resignation cast forward the shadows of what Belgium will be like after 8 October 2006.
However, the story of the exhibition also wants to work on a universal level. The works draw parallels with the Netherlands and the Dutch snap elections of November 2006, or they merge with the abstract register of it; on the level of considering, selecting, hesitating and the final choice. Participating artists:
Harald Thys and Jos De Gruyter visual artists, Brussels Bojan Frajic visual artist and political sound activist, Belgrade & Amsterdam Johan Vandermaelen sound technician and sound artist, Aaigem Stefaan Quix musician and media artist, Brussels Maria Tarantino journalist, Milano & Brussels
The elections live on Sunday 08.10.06 at 20h00
de Brakke Grond and Cool Politics spare no expense on the evening of the elections with a real election show, in the best TV tradition, lets say. Only better, faster, and harder. Flemish and Dutch artists and politicians enter into a debate, VJs and DJs comment, and you will be activating your brains, livers and legs all at the same time.
opening: Friday 01.09.06, 19h00 onwards
opening hours:
Monday: 13h00 18h00
Tuesday to Friday: 10h00 20h30
Saturday: 13h00 20h30
Sunday: 13h00 17h00
admittance: free