Convex/Concave: Belgian Contemporary Art
curated by Dirk Snauwaert and Charlotte Friling
31.10.2019 – 12.01.2020
The exhibition “Convex/Concave: Belgian Contemporary Art” originates from WIELS and TANK Shanghai’s mutual respect and passion for the cultures and arts of the two countries.
In the current context of contemporary art, Belgium is internationally acclaimed for its many eminent artists and their creations. This exhibition rests on reflections of the dualism of contemporary art as a whole.
The convex/concave dualism represents the binary relationship between the inner and the outer, activity and passivity, self-acceptance and the reconciliation with the others. Some works are highly introvert, with the inner thoughts coming entirely from the confident expressions of the artists. Through the artworks, the artists present their self-confidence and self-acceptance and interact with the outer world; others convey feelings that are beyond bodily experiences and highly metaphysical. However, both types of artworks allow the audience to relate physically to them since ultimately they embody the organic inner-outer cycle.
Convex or concave directions – in perception, perspectives and reflections – have come to symbolize the multiple exchanges and interrelations of subjectivity. These reflections, stand-ins for the dualism in subjectivity, symbolize the opposing tendencies of an inner self vis-à-vis an outer world – of a gaze turned inwards in contemplation – and of an extrovert and engaging gaze turned outwards. This dualism, defining of the very conception of subjectivity or identity and of the self, is the lens through which this gathering of contemporary Belgian artists has been organized, since that dualism captures a general characteristic, not only of modernity, but also of the artistic endeavors, and singularity, of Belgian artists. In addition, the choice for this organizing principle finds echoes in the ways in which Chinese artists and intellectuals have tackled modes of representation and dominant paradigms and, in so doing, have transformed the convex-concave dialectics into playful or meditative attitudes to self-awareness.
In the current context of contemporary art, Belgium is internationally acclaimed for its many eminent artists and their creations. This exhibition rests on reflections of the dualism of contemporary art as a whole.
The convex/concave dualism represents the binary relationship between the inner and the outer, activity and passivity, self-acceptance and the reconciliation with the others. Some works are highly introvert, with the inner thoughts coming entirely from the confident expressions of the artists. Through the artworks, the artists present their self-confidence and self-acceptance and interact with the outer world; others convey feelings that are beyond bodily experiences and highly metaphysical. However, both types of artworks allow the audience to relate physically to them since ultimately they embody the organic inner-outer cycle.
The selection of works is based on the creative model of Belgian artists, who, through their insights, transform people's inner world and broaden their outer world. This exhibition is therefore an attempt to connect those two worlds in a way that they become mutually inclusive.
This national-level exhibition presents a convex/concave dualism between the strong internalized self-awareness in the cultures of the two countries, and the externalized and relationship-oriented world view.
TANK Shanghai envisages to build a broader and more connected art world and inspire our common future.
