Press Release - Vicky David Gallery

PRESS FILE

PRESS RELEASE 8 June 2012
This summer, Arne Quinze exhibits
in Ostend!
‘Cities like open-air museums’, Exhibition of scale models and film.
From 9 June up to and including 11 November 2012
Ostend has the privilege of hosting the artist Arne Quinze! As part of
Beaufort04, his latest work of art, ‘Rock Strangers’, will be given a permanent
place on the refurbished Heroes of the Sea Square (Zeeheldenplein). Beaufort04
coincides with Arne Quinze’s exhibition ‘Cities like open-air museums’, which
takes place in the Venetian Galleries (Venetiaanse Gaanderijen) from 9 June up
to and including 11 November 2012.
The last Rock of the ‘Rock Strangers’ work of art was positioned on the Heroes of the
Sea Square (Zeeheldenplein) on 8 June. The installation consists of 11 elements and is
part of Beaufort04, the Triennial of Contemporary Art at the Belgian coast. As part of
this installation, Arne Quinze’s retrospective, ‘Cities like open-air museums’, takes up
the entire Venetian Galleries (Venetiaanse Gaanderijen). You will get the feeling of
being present in his workshop and will not only be able to discover the idea behind the
‘Rock Strangers’, but also witness their development and realization. But this exhibition
shows even more! In addition, sketches, models, images and video footage of Quinze’s
installations, going from the conception to the realization, can be discovered in the
Venetian Galleries (Venetiaanse Gaanderijen). ‘Cities like open-air museums’ will
certainly become one of the highlights of the Ostend summer!
Never shown before
By making use of previously undisclosed scale models, the artist demonstrates the
necessity of integrating public works of art in cities. Through these scale models and a
specially developed documentary, he not only explains his general vision on cities, but
also the way in which his vision could become reality. Especially for this exhibition, Arne
Quinze is working with Piet Goddaer (Ozark Henry) and Saskia de Coster. Cities like
open-air museums / Rock Strangers is extensively documented on
www.arnequinze.com/rockstrangers.
Documentary
‘Rock Strangers’ is Arne Quinze’s most recent spatial installation, located on the Ostend
beach promenade. This public work, located on the Heroes of the Sea Square
(Zeeheldenplein), is part of his conviction to transform cities all over the world into
open-air museums where works of art are located amongst the cities' inhabitants. Arne
Quinze invited author Saskia de Coster to capture the alienation expressed by the ‘Rock
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

Strangers’ in contemporary stories and to turn them into a wilful movie. It became a
search for traces of these works inside all of us.
The documentary orbits around the ‘Rock Strangers’ like a satellite. Through interviews
on Arne Quinze's oeuvre, fascinating images about the creation process of the
installation and unheimliche performances (i.e. eerie performances), the movie makers
go in search of the meaning of ‘Rock Strangers’. The movie is an intense voyage
accompanied by the alienating sounds of musician Piet Goddaer (Ozark Henry).
Double project
The retrospective in the Venetian Galleries is part of a double project: at the same time,
the Rotterdam Art Gallery hosts the exhibition ‘My Secret Garden’. This is not only
Quinze’s first exhibition in the Netherlands, but also his first large-scale indoor project.
Both projects interact with each other: the film on ‘My Secret Garden’ will be shown in
Ostend and Rotterdam will show the film on ‘Rock Strangers’. The ‘My Secret Garden’
exhibition takes place from 2 June up to and including 2 September 2012.
Publication
In combination with the double project, a special box containing 2 publications and 2
DVDs - ‘Rock Strangers’ (Ostend) and ‘My Secret Garden’ (Rotterdam) – will be issued.
As of the end of June, this publication will be available in the Venetian Galleries
(Venetiaanse Gaanderijen).
Practical information / entrance fees
The exhibition ‘Cities like open-air museums’ is organized by the City of Ostend Culture
Department in collaboration with Arne Quinze and takes place in the Venetian Galleries,
located on the corner of the King Baudouin Promenade and Paris Street in 8400 Ostend.
The exhibition can be visited each day from 2 pm to 6 pm and on Sunday from 10 am to
12 am and from 2 pm to 6 pm.
* Adults pay 6 Euros.
* Students (from 18 to 26 years), visitors holding the Ostend-Bredene Culture Card or
the Ostend City Pass, senior citizens (+60 y.), groups (min. 20 pers.), vtbCulture
departments (min. 20 pers.), De Lijn Advantage Card holders (coastal tram travellers),
Knack Club members, Friends of the Mu.ZEE Ostend city collection pay 3 Euros.
* Admission to the exhibition is free of charge for children below the age of 18, schools
and Lange Nelle guides.
Tickets can be bought at:
* the counter of the Venetian Galleries, located at the corner of the King Baudouin
Promenade and Paris Street
* the counter of Tourism Ostend, Monaco Square 2, 8400 Ostend.
Afternoon and evening sessions and guided visits need to be booked through the
Culture Department.
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

* Afternoon and evening sessions without a guide: entrance fee + 50 Euros
* Guided visits:
- in Dutch: 55 Euros
- in French / German / English: 70 Euros
- with invoice: add 5.00 Euros
- afternoon and evening sessions with a guide: entrance
fee + fee for the guide + 50 Euros
The Venetian Galleries’ exhibition is also easily accessible by means of the coastal tram:
Queen’s Lane tram stop / Koninginnelaan (at the swimming pool).
For more information: Culture Department, Vindictive Lane 1, 8400 Ostend,
059/56.20.16 cultuur@oostende.be or on www.oostendecultuurstad.be
For more information on Arne Quinze, Saskia de Coster and Ozark Henry (Piet Goddaer),
have a look on:
www.arnequinze.com
www.saskiadecoster.com
www.ozarkhenry.com
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EDITORIAL REMARK (not to be distributed)
Members of the press can obtain additional information and photographic material on
the ‘Cities like open-air museums’ exhibition – Exhibition of scale models and film by
Arne Quinze - from the Culture Department:
* Martine Meire, director and culture policy coordinator, T 059/56.20.15,
martine.meire@oostende.be
* Nadine Heyman, case administrator, T 059/56.20.16 nadine.heyman@oostende.be
* Veerle Dubois, culture communication officer, T 059/56.20.16
veerle.dubois@oostende.be
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

Colophon ‘Cities like open-air museums’
The exhibition ‘Cities like open-air museums, exhibition of scale models and film by Arne
Quinze’
is organized by the City of Ostend Culture Department and Studio Arne Quinze.
− General management: Martine Meire, director and culture policy coordinator
− Secretariat: Nadine Heyman, o.l.v. Virginie Michils
− Concept: Arne Quinze
− Construction: dienst Logistieke Ondersteuning Evenementen stad Oostende o.l.v.
Hermine Ongenae en Ronald Pieters; Sasha Saric o.l.v. Martine Meire, Tommy
Catteeuw, Inge Cottyn, Annelies Claerhout, Frederic Van Dooren (project leiding
installatie) vzw Ku(n)st o.l.v. Jan Moeyaert; Sasha Saric o.l.v. Martine Meire; dienst
Logistieke Ondersteuning Evenementen stad Oostende o.l.v. Hermine Ongenae en
Ronald Pieters
− Graphic elaboration: Dave Bruel en Grafisch Atelier stad Oostende o.l.v. Luc Cuylle.
− Photography: Dave Bruel, Denis Decaluwé
− Movie: Dave Bruel (director), Arne Quinze en Saskia de Coster (concept), Piet
Goddaer (Muziek)
− Book: Saskia de Coster (auteur en concept), Dave Bruel en Arne Quinze (concept),
Sieghild Lacoere (overzicht)
− Communication: Veerle Dubois, deskundige dienst Cultuur en Sieghild Lacoere
− Atelier Arne Quinze: Arne Quinze, Frederic Van Dooren, Tommy Catteeuw, Lissie
Haers, Inge Cottyn, Jelle Van Collie, Dave Bruel, Denis Decaluwé, Annelies Claerhout,
Rachida Ben Azouz, Sieghild Lacoere, Lisa Wallyn (stage), Jonas van Doorn (stage)
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

Arne Quinze Biography
Arne Quinze (1971) lives and works in Sint-Martens-Latem (Belgium). During the
eighties, he started out as a graffiti artist, but never had any formal education. Among
his creations were the colourful seats, manufactured under the ‘Quinze & Milan’ label.
Self-taught artist Quinze grew to international fame and focussed on creating large and
small sculptures, drawings, paintings and large-scale installations. The smaller works,
sketches and drawings serve as a study for his large installations. Recurring themes in
Quinze’s works are social interaction, communication and urbanism. Quinze has
produced works such as ‘Cityscape’ and ‘The Sequence’ in Brussels, ‘The Visitor’ in
Lebanon, ‘Uchronia’ in the Nevada desert and ‘The Traveller’ in Munich.
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

General vision on cities and public arts
‘Cities like open-air museums – it sounds like an idealistic dream, but I am striving to
realize this dream. Confronting a public surrounded by art every day. Art has a positive
influence on people and their personal development: it broadens their horizons and
renders them more tolerant towards differences in society.’
Arne Quinze
Evoking communication and social interaction is Arne Quinze’s biggest artistic driving
force. Primarily by means of his large-scale constructions located in public places, he has
amazed many a passer-by. Cities like open-air museums: building and realizing attractive
cities is a recurring theme in his conviction that our society benefits from being
confronted with works of art. Art has a positive influence on the general feeling of
wellbeing and gives people the opportunity to open up to different approaches to that,
which they are looking at. Turning negative attitudes into positive ones and assuring
that people are not afraid to talk to strangers is the exact way in which human relations
should evolve. Public art is therefore Arne Quinze's means to achieve this.
Confrontation
His sculptures generate an effect on the urban surroundings and architectural context.
These works of art provide people with a framework, which can be used to pause and
reflect on the identity of the place where they currently are. By means of the
confrontation with public installations, people can rediscover the city and regain their
sense of pride about their cities. Artists therefore just have to go out there and stir
emotions in order to make people reflect on the exact meaning of art and how it
influences their lives. Museums and arts centres can only benefit from such public
interactions.
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

Rock Strangers, Ostend, Belgium
During the renovation of the Heroes of the Sea Square, the city of Ostend's ambitions
turned out to be great. This did not just mean renovating the square, but also turning it
into a genuine hotspot. A recognizable place where everyone wants to be, a great place
to dwell and where everyone can not only enjoy the sea to the utmost, but is also urged
to contemplate on both the city as well as himself. The city of Ostend therefore
immediately opted for the integration of a permanent monumental work of art in this
location. ‘Rock Strangers’, Arne Quinze's first metal installation, which has a diameter of
100 metres, is part of the official selection for Beaufort04, the Triennial of
Contemporary Art at the Belgian coast.
For a lot of people, Ostend functions as a final destination. A city by the sea, at land's
end. Many end up here and never leave again. Strange elements appear and contribute
to the 'multi'-society, which Ostend is turning into. The ‘Rock Strangers’ sculpture
embodies these ideas. ‘Rock Strangers’ appear where you would least expect them to.
Their characteristic electric orange colour provides a sharp contrast to their natural
surroundings and accentuates the alienating effect they evoke. People feel attracted to
these 'Rock Strangers' because they are curious about what is happening in this place.
In addition, they also wonder what they mean in their surroundings. They appear to
have been washed up on the Heroes of the Sea Square, directly from the sea. But how
did they come to be there? This work of art raises questions. What happens if strange
elements suddenly appear in my environment, in my city? How do we react to unusual
objects when we are suddenly confronted with them in our everyday life? Who or what
is actually the stranger among us: the object or the passer-by? Many answers lie in the
openness and freedom that people experience or express during the acceptance of
strange elements which they are confronted with.
People tend to build up a safe cocoon around them, which cannot be penetrated by
strange elements or the unexpected. It is as if the walls that they have built around
themselves still are not sufficient. We seem to be distancing ourselves more and more
from other people.
www.arnequinze.com/rockstrangers
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

Texts
1. Rock Strangers, Oostende, België
2. Rock Strangers Private
3. Rock Strangers, New York, USA
Although Arne Quinze is a faithful supporter of direct social interaction – he often refers
to the historical function of squares and market places, where people gathered to have
a chat – nevertheless, he does not shun the use of modern multimedia applications as
we know them today (such as the Iphone, Blackberry, Ipad, Apps, Facebook, 3D
technology, …). When German beer label Beck's launched its Green Box project, a
global virtual art project, Arne Quinze was immediately intrigued by the possible
meaning of a virtual installation.
On Independence Day (4 July), the day commemorating America's independence, Arne
Quinze projected a digital sculpture on top of the most well-known symbol of
independence, the New York Statue of Liberty. This was the start of a 3-year project. On
a worldwide scale, various artists would virtually share their works of art with the
general public by means of an ‘augmented reality’ application. This technology makes
use of a few reference points located around a green box and a gps system in order to
digitally project the contents. This work of art could only be seen on the Statue of
Liberty after downloading a free special application on your Smartphone. Such a
collaboration arouses questions on what is real in the public space and what is not. Who
is part of it and who is not?
4. The Sequence, Brussels, Belgium
‘The Sequence’, an 80-metre-long and 15-metre-high sculpture immediately provided
the direct vicinity of the Flemish Parliament with a new feeling of zest. Since November
2008, a gigantic wooden construction has dominated the Louvain Road and connects
the Flemish Parliament to the House of Flemish Representatives. A bended and twisting
structure seems to be penetrating both buildings and therewith gives the illusion of both
buildings being inextricably connected with each another.
The structure, located above the centre platform and supported by wooden posts
ranging from between 8 and 16 metres high, hovers above the street. Arne Quinze’s
construction, placed in front of the Flemish Parliament, which already has a rich tradition
of gathering modern works of art, provides a unique billboard. People deliberately come
down to this neighbourhood to experience the manner in which the sculpture explicitly
changes the street scene.
‘The Sequence’ builds a bridge between people. The visible connection between the
Flemish Parliament and its Administrative Centre reflects the connection between all the
different neighbours in Brussels. A meeting between all cultures present in our capital.
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

5. The Big 4 Bridge, Louisville, USA
Between the states of Indiana and Kentucky lies an old and disused railway bridge
across the Ohio River. After railway activities ceased, the bridge was abandoned and
degenerated into a dilapidated piece of heritage. At the 2008 Idea Festival in Louisville,
Arne Quinze first raised the idea of restoring the bridge to its former splendour by
setting up a long-drawn-out art installation through the metal framework and construct
a footpath beneath it enabling a connection between the communities of both states.
Walkers, runners and cyclists will be able to enjoy a spectacle of sunlight that penetrates
the wooden construction and shines on the ground over a distance of 800 metres.
6. Royal Monceau
‘Rebirth’ can literally be called a unique project, as it only existed for one single evening.
Its patron had just bought the former five-star hotel Royal Monceau in Paris and wanted
to return it to its former art deco splendour by having it thoroughly refurbished. Before
starting the refurbishment, an evening party was held on a predetermined date at which
art and music were the central themes. In addition, this event marked the actual start of
the demolition of the top floor, which started on that very same evening. In view of the
fact that the entire hotel had to be renovated, the possibilities for this installation were
nearly unlimited. ‘Rebirth’ whizzed through the building like a swirling storm,
zigzagging through the lobby up through the staircase, through all the corridors of all
floors and back into the rooms again.
7. Kerry
After his first successful sculpture on Chinese soil, i.e. ‘Red Beacon’, located in the
Jing’An district, Arne Quinze again installs a sculpture in China. This time in front of the
Jing’An Kerry Centre in Shanghai. The architect had the ambition of building Shanghai's
Fifth Avenue – by analogy with the important, classy shopping street in New York. The
metal ‘Wind’ installation makes up an essential part of this project. A public arcade will
connect several buildings with each other and function exactly like a crossroads in the
city.
The sculpture consists of 14 bright orange metal parts, each weighing between 200 and
600 kilos and hovering like a frozen movement of fallen leaves swept up by the wind.
From the street side, the sculpture cannot be missed as the building it is located in, will
be completely constructed out of glass. The continuous bright red glow both by day as
well as by night therefore guarantees a continuous stream of impulses, which constantly
changes the sculpture group’s appearance. This way, it will appear to be coming to life
in its own independent void in space. Both day and night, passers-by are sucked inside
through this intriguing combination of motions, generated by the use of laser beams. As
a result, a new stream of motion arises, a stream of people who discover the sculpture.
8. Sweeney Todd, Vorst, Belgium
The cooperation between Arne Quinze and Music Hall for the musical ‘Sweeney Todd’
may seem remarkable, but within his vision of integrating art into the street scene, Arne
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

Quinze does not shun collaborating with less obvious partners. He regards attending a
musical as a semi-public activity. In this context, there is also room for making the
musical visitors better acquainted with the expressive arts. The well-know musical in
which a barber decapitates his customers and his partner in crime processes the heads
into meat pies, will be constructed around the art installation. Metal sculptures
resembling ripped-open bodies with a raw oxidized exterior and a bright red interior will
symbolize the life of the leading character, Sweeney Todd.
Their electric orange interior colour will contrast sharply with the naturally corroded
colour of the steel and accentuates the alienating effect that they evoke. An alienation
that is typical for this man who cuts his customers' throats. In an urban context, these
metal sculptures also have an effect on the architectural character. On the stage, Quinze
also aspires the very same architectural monumental power.
It is not only the installation that becomes an important component in order to assure
the success of this approach. The collaboration with artists from other disciplines had to
turn Sweeney Todd into a comprehensive, visual art experience. In addition to a classical
string orchestra, Danny Mommens (Vive la Fête) composes electronic music. Globally
praised Belgian fashion designer, Walter Van Beirendonck, designs the wardrobe and
Danish light artist Jesper Kongshaug takes care of the light design.
9. Camille, Rouen, France
In 2010, the French department of Normandy, the birthplace of impressionism,
organized a grand festival to honour the ancient masters. In addition to this heritage
part, the city of Rouen also decided to organize a festival of contemporary art, called
Rouen Impressionnée, to show that ancient and modern works of art can perfectly
supplement each other. ‘Camille’ was born on the Boieldieu Bridge as part of this
festival and owes its name to the link with impressionism.
Arne Quinze likes to determine the location of where a sculpture is built himself. This
often leads to difficult discussions as it is not always easy to obtain the right permits and
to rouse the interest of the local population for a project. People do not like to give up
their daily habits. He immediately knew that he wanted to place a gigantic construction
(120 metres long, between 6 and 20 metres high) on the most centrally located bridge
in the town, the Boieldieu Bridge. The inhabitants of the left and right banks lived very
separated from each other due to the clearly visible separation, which the river Seine
had established during the course of history.
For the duration of the festival, the bridge was closed to all traffic, a radical decision for
the town's inhabitants. No less than 40 per cent of all traffic in the city makes use of this
bridge. This pedestrian area was necessary to enable the people from both sides of the
river to meet each other in the middle of the bridge, below the wooden sculpture.
There, they came to a halt and started talking to each other again, amazed and
astonished by the sculpture.
This sculpture was not only a place of interest for the local population, but no less than
2 million visitors came down to Rouen to see the sculpture from up close. During the
festival, which only lasted for two months, the inhabitants of Rouen started a petition
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

not to tear down the sculpture. This was real proof that ‘Camille’ did indeed have an
effect on people's lives. The town council also recognized this, because at this moment,
plans are circulating to reconstruct the banks of the rivers in certain places and to
integrate various art installations in these places. As a result of the emptiness left by
‘Camille’, the way Rouen looks will forever change.
10. Cityscape, Brussels, Belgium
For a period of two years, the somewhat degenerated Brussels Louisa neighbourhood
was brought to life again by means of the wooden sculpture ‘Cityscape’, one of the
artist's first large wooden sculptures in Belgium. This 18-metre-high work of art was
supported by 12-metre-high posts, was 65 metres long and 25 metres wide. ‘Cityscape’
drew a lot of visitors to this remote corner of the city and allowed a new wind to blow
through this deserted place.
For the inhabitants of this neighbourhood, the installation was a success and it therefore
stayed longer than was originally planned. Many inhabitants of Brussels were pleased
that something finally happened in this area. The positioning of concrete benches gave
them the opportunity to come to rest in this place for a moment; something, which had
been deemed impossible before the installation of this work of art. After the inevitable
demolition of the construction, ‘Cityscape’ literally and figuratively left a feeling of
emptiness in the neighbourhood. Not only physically, but also mentally.
11. Sustainability
Wood
Working in a sustainable manner is incredibly important for Arne Quinze. Each piece of
wood used in his projects bears the EFC label. According to the European standard, a
new tree has to be planted for each one that was cut down.
As soon as the temporary wooden installations have been demolished, all the wood is
processed into chipboards. These are then used for the construction of houses or the
production of furniture. The wood that was used virtually never comes onto the private
market as Arne Quinze works with second-rate wood that is almost immediately ground
into chipboards.
Several machines first saw the pieces wood in finer pieces and then sieve them into
smaller parts to eventually compress them into one single board. It takes a mere two
hours to recycle an entire installation the likes of ‘Cityscape’. 55 tonnes of wood
produces 26 chipboards, an insignificant number for a wood-processing company that
carries out this recycling process on a daily basis.
12. Flame Save
For each wooden installation, the wood, extracted under the durable deforestation
policy, is treated with the ecological and fire-retardant product Aydo AquaElix Flame
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

Safe. This is a product with a registered trademark, based on biodegradable minerals
that protect the wood against insect plagues and fires. The treatment with Flame Safe is
done in two phases: first, the wood is placed in a bath as to get it thoroughly
impregnated. Afterwards, a second coating of Flame Safe is sprayed onto the
installation after it has been completely set up.
13. Wind, Vorst Nationaal, Vorst, Belgium
Arne Quinze is fascinated by currents of continuous movements and dynamic energy,
which are present in cities. Each new creation is a prayer in his continuous study of
interaction, speed and movements in the city. The guideline for this installation is taking
the concert visitors from Vorst station to the Vorst Nationaal concert building. Visiting a
concert becomes a total experience that starts once you step out of the train.
Over a distance of 400 meters, the street will be lined with twisted metal plates. They
are reminiscent of blades of grass that make a wave-like movement. This metal field of
grass will also contain a natural landscape consisting of wild flowers and various types of
grass. Ascending from the lower part of the street to the upper part and increasing in
height from 1 to 16 metres, they will reach their peak at the concert hall level. The
sculpture will give the people the impression of entering a completely different world.
The road divider, on which the sculpture will be placed, causes the traffic to slow down
as a result of the confrontation with the steel elements’ natural rust colour and the
bright orange-coloured interior, which will be visible from time to time. Soft natural light
will illuminate the interior of the ‘blades of grass’ and intensify their effect. Slowermoving
traffic and more lighting are important factors needed to revive this currently
dark neighbourhood.
14. Uchronia, Nevada Desert, USA
Once a year, tens of thousands of people gather in the Nevada Black Rock desert in to
celebrate the Burning Man festival. There, they build up Black Rock City literally from
nothing, focussing on the basic ideas of community, art and self-expression. After one
week, they again leave the desert without being allowed to leave a single trace of their
presence.
Arne Quinze had already set up similar constructions in Chicago, Miami and New York,
but in 2006, his Nevada construction defied every kind of imagination as far as scale and
size is concerned. No less than 150 km of wooden beams was used to construct
‘Uchronia’ and after 3 weeks, the 25-strong team had finished the complete sculpture.
Uchronia’s enormous scale gave the people a protective feeling, which persuaded them
to remain there as long as possible. Sunbeams played with the wooden beams and
resulted in a fascinating spectacle of light and shadow with consistently changing
patterns.
At the end of the 7-day festival, the sculpture got its grand finale. In accordance with
the festival's philosophy in returning the desert to its original state, Arne Quinze set his
work of art on fire. For him, burning the sculpture signified a symbol of transition, not
to be afraid of starting anew, a transition into a new phase and sharing the energy
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

which resulted from this process. All of a sudden, people shared indescribable emotions
with each other. This is the kind of communication Arne Quinze's work is all about.
15. The Visitor, Beirut, Lebanon
‘The Visitor’ is a 16-meter-high Stilt House, hidden in the midst of the renewed Souk
buildings in the centre of Beirut. This large Stilt House has the same features as its
smaller editions. (The artist makes smaller sculptures and paintings in which Stilt Houses
are incorporated.) Stilt Houses have the appearance of fragile, vulnerable people, who
keep on standing and surviving in every context, despite their thin legs. They are proof
of man's incredible flexibility.
During the construction of the ‘The Visitor’, Arne Quinze was influenced by the
reflection of the bright sunlight on the buildings, built in white natural stone. As a result
of this reflexion, in the evening, the Stilt House radiates a warm orange glow, which
attracts people from near and far to this part of the town to discover where this glow
comes from. You have to be prepared to get lost in the narrow streets of the Souk to
discover this stranger in the city. Once they have got in touch with this strange visitor,
Arne Quinze hopes that people will be stimulated to continue with an open mind and
rediscover the city, starting from a whole new perspective. This is what his patrons,
Solidere, also wanted to achieve. A renewed Beirut, which leaves its past behind and
moves towards the future with an open mind: a modern city in the Middle East.
16. My Home My House My Stilt House, The Cunning Little Vixen, travelling
opera installation
Leos Janacek's rearranged opera ‘The Cunning Little Vixen’, directed by Stephan Grögler
puts all popular conventional rules aside, not only visually, but also musically. A
challenging work that has to be accessible for everyone and invites us to start listening
to classical music in a renewed manner.
Director Stephan Grögler asked Arne Quinze to build an installation that creates an
intimate space for the public and the artists in which this innocent and melancholic
fairytale about a fox can be performed. ‘My Home My House My Stilt House’ does not
stop at the boundaries of the stage, but also partly hangs over the first rows of the
public to let them literally become part of the story. The public therefore has to be able
to actively search what the story is all about; i.e. the relationship between the human
aspect and the animal aspect, the contrast between nature and culture.
This generates a rare interaction with the public and challenges the spectators to
become aware of their own limitations. The abstract outline of ‘My Home My House My
Stilt House’ is enlarged by means of the white floor and white background: a naked
canvas, coloured by the installation, the actors and musicians. The musicians will actually
be visibly seated in the sculpture and not in the orchestra pit.
In order to extend this visual intimacy into the music, composer Didier Puntos changed
the opera into a version for a sextet consisting of a flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and
drums. The music will be subtly enhanced by means of the virtually unnoticeable
electronic manipulation of sound reflections and echo effects that cover the public as if
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

they are part of a surround sound, which can be compared with a cinema experience.
Video and light designs by light artist Jesper Kongshaug constitute a major part of the
production and add to the design an additional urban impulse that depicts the habitat
of the fox.
17. Danubiana
18. Rock Small
19. My Home My House My Stilt House, Louisiana Museum for Modern Art,
Humlebaek, Denmark
As part of the exhibition ‘Living, Frontiers of Architecture’ in the Louisiana Museum for
Modern Art, visitors walked around ‘My Home My House My Stilt House’ in the
museum's garden for months. The purpose of this installation was the active exploration
of the sculpture and the investigation of the exhibition’s principle: the relationship
between art and architecture and the central question: what does the good life look like
nowadays?
‘My Home My House My Stilt House’ is the result of Arne Quinze's continuous search
for answers to how people organize their lives and our society. An analysis of how
people mark out their properties and what they describe as their own private property.
Clearly defining their personal possessions and who is allowed to enter their private
property.
Arne Quinze regards this craving for protection and property as starting from a very
early age: at the moment when a small child builds his first camp under the table using
a white sheet. There, he can create a safe cocoon into which to retire, a so-called first
house. In the next stages of life, a bigger house is built with solid walls, which should
function as the ultimate protection. People still do not feel safe enough and therefore
look for an increasingly higher solution to distinguish themselves from what is
happening on the surface – i.e. below them: the Stilt House is a fact.
20. Dune, Knokke-Heist, Belgium
‘Dune’ is a waving wooden construction located near the underground car park of
Residence Katelijne at the Coastal Avenue in Knokke-Heist. This way, the installation has
a semi-public function and is perfectly in line with Arne Quinze's vision of collaborating
with companies in creating a public life in which experiencing art can also be considered
as being quite ordinary.
During his search to provide the entrance of the residency's car park with more prestige,
building contractor and real-estate investor Ghelamco Group was quick to get in touch
with Arne Quinze. He designed ‘Dune’, a wooden construction in fluorescent orangered
and introduced the waving movement in the dunes right into his creation. Just like
the dunes constantly change due to the weather and the winds, ‘Dune’ changes from
every different angle. The sharp colours of ‘Dune’ fit in with the astonishment and
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

curiosity that is generated by the installation. The illuminated installation starts at the
street side and accompanies the cars and pedestrians across a stretch of 38 metres.
21. Pulse
22. Metal Stilthouse
Cities often change with an unremitting speed: buildings rise up next to each other
without much thought being given to the consequences of such a rapid growth. The
starting point for the Berlin Bikini project sculpture arose from the request to develop a
democratic form of architecture and to bring together various groups in society.
This site was intended to feature green patches on various building layers that were
going to be opened up to the general public, even though it was intended to be private
project. Arne Quinze was able to convince his patron that the public areas were
necessary for this project in order to allow a sustainable and viable urban development
to grow. The proposed sculpture consists of several twisted metal plates that guide the
people to the site. This then guarantees a constant flow of visitors. The sculptures invite
the people to parade through these public spaces and proactively visit the various green
patches that are not immediately visible. Just think of the roofs of several buildings. The
sculptures are located in strategic places in order to seduce the people into continue
walking around. Once they have arrived there, they are surprised by the more hidden
and intimate green oases located on this site.
23. Ede, the Netherlands
The town of Ede (the Netherlands) organized a competition to integrate an art track
along its ring road. At the town's request, Arne Quinze, in collaboration with Landlab,
filed an ambitious proposal, which was unanimously accepted as being the best.
The current avenue, Ede's Green String (Groene Snaar), has much of the character of a
ring road. By regarding it as one single string, the elongated effect of this road is
accentuated and it seems to act as a true stimulant to drive at very high speed. Landlab
and Arne Quinze propose to split up the road again and to insert breaks at the road's
primary axes.
At each of these axes, a sculpture group will be placed within an agricultural landscape.
At these new breaks, genuine, recognizable squares need to arise again. Crops and
flowers will play a vital part in these squares. They will directly correlate to the
sculptures, so that it will appear as if they are growing through each other.
The team proposes to make use of metal vertical sculptures that seem to grow, exactly
like the planted crops and flowers, with an opening in the middle. This opening is vital
to create the see-through illusive effect. This effect is enhanced by only applying a bright
orange colour to the insides of the sculptures' openings. This coloured interior also gives
the signal that the two parts of the sculpture want to be re-attached again, just like a
wound that is stitched together again. This then symbolizes the re-attaching of both
parts of the city: renewing the link between the city centre and the suburbs and the
penetration of the ring road. The relations deemed lost are re-established.
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

24. Belgrade’s Symphony, Belgrade, Serbia
‘Belgrade’s Symphony’, a metal installation that represents dancing figures, is a
hommage to Stevan Hristić, one of the founders of Belgrade’s Philharmonic Orchestra.
In the very same year that the orchestra celebrates its 90 th anniversary, 42 dancing
fluorescent red sculptures between 2 and 16 metres high, are installed along the banks
of the river Danube.
For many years, the banks have been an attraction during the summer season, but still it
needs a new zest. At the moment, the large number of shipwrecks makes the pier and
park look depraved. The partners for this sculpture, the city of Belgrade and the
telecommunications company Telenor urgently want to get rid of this urban cancer and
transform it into the ‘place to be’.
Together with the construction of the open-air theatre by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava
at the end of the pier, this park constitutes the green lung for the inhabitants of Belgrade. The
current park will revive thanks to the introduction of the installation and a new museum for
modern art.
25. Wind, Anderlecht, Belgium
After the success of projects like ‘Cityscape’ and ‘The Sequence’ in the Belgian capital,
the municipality of Anderlecht and its mayor, Gaëtan Van Goidsenhoven, asked Arne
Quinze to build an installation in Anderlecht. Arne Quinze was free to choose the
location.
He opted for the centrally located Meir Square. In the old days, it was a neighbourhood
filled with gusto, but gradually, this liveliness disappeared. People only come there to
catch a tram. And this is precisely what was necessary: this square had the potential of
becoming a bustling and fascinating meeting place. The catalyst for this purpose is
‘Wind’, a recognisable powerful sculpture that arouses the neighbourhood's curiosity.
This installation encourages direct communication. It does not only become a dynamic
sculpture, which constantly evolves through interaction with its surroundings, but one
where the movement it symbolizes also acts as a factor to generate this dynamism.
This metal installation represents the movements of the wind blowing through a grassy
plain. In the security of this sculpture, it is again possible to meet up, both during the
day as well as in the evening. ‘Wind’ draws attention through its striking colour and
emits tranquillity through its wavy movements. A place where you can forget the rush
for a moment and get the feeling of standing in the middle of a grassy plain through
which the wind blows.
26. Red Beacon, Shanghai, China
‘Red Beacon’ is located in the middle of the Jing’An sculpture park. Jing’An is one of
Shanghai's 17 districts and has about 300,000 inhabitants. With a registered population
of 17 million, this is the largest city in China.
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

As a result of the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai focussing on the theme ‘Better City,
Better Life’, the Jing’An district organized an international sculpture project. This was
not only the city's first, but also China's very first governmental, public art event. ‘How
to improve life in an urban environment’ is a question that preoccupies many Chinese
citizens. The last few years, there has been a noticeable evolution on the Asian
continent. An evolution that regards art as one of the large pillars, in addition to clean
air, fewer cars and more green areas, to assure a high-quality life.
The ‘Red Beacon’ project therefore also fitted perfectly in this context, i.e. to spread the
message and to make the inhabitants of Shanghai acquainted with public art. This new
beacon in the city became an important step in the process towards more cultural
openness in the city. A beacon in the city, where people can freely meet up
and communicate openly.
27. My Secret Garden, Rotterdam Art Gallery, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
This summer, the Rotterdam Art Gallery presents ‘My Secret Garden’, Arne Quinze's first
exhibition in the Netherlands. ‘My Secret Garden’ is a large-scale indoor project in which
visitors actively search for answers to questions on which parts of the private life, which
he calls the secret garden, occupy centre stage. From his own intimate experiences, he
tries to stimulate visitors into looking for their own inner selves. For this installation,
Arne Quinze introduces specially created light and sound compositions, made by the
duo Danny Mommens and Els Pynoo (Vive la Fête).
‘My Secret Garden’ consists of two parts: an impressive wooden installation and a
space, which Arne Quinze refers to as ‘the temple'. He uses the wooden labyrinth to
provide the people with a framework to contemplate on the way they organize their
lives in relation to others and to undertake a search for their own inner selves. He
regards a ‘secret garden' as a place where we feel safe and are in control of who and
what we allow to enter into this clearly defined zone. It is precisely in ‘the temple' that
visitors come to themselves. Branches rise from the altar and reach into space. Metal
display cases contain Quinze's most recent works. In addition to the installation and ‘the
temple', the movies Rock Strangers and My Secret Garden are also shown, featuring the
making of in the Arts Centre and interviews with the artist and others by Saskia de
Coster.
The exhibition in the Arts Centre takes place at exactly the same time as the one in
Ostend and is therefore part of a double project with 2 publications and 2 films.
www.arnequinze.com/mysecretgarden
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

Beaufort04 is the fourth edition of the Triennial of Contemporary Art by the Sea in
2012.
The Triennial has become an indispensable cultural event which is not to be missed. The
Belgian coast and contemporary art have found one another again through
monumental installations and intriguing works of art embedded in the unique biotope
of the dynamic coastal municipalities.
An artistic commission headed by Phillip Van den Bossche, curator for Beaufort04, and
intendant Jan Moeyaert made a studied selection of European contemporary artists. The
selected works of art are a reflection of what is happening in the contemporary
European art scene. With new or existing works, the artists respond to the environment
outside the museum and share an imaginative and imaginary world with the visitors of
the coast.
Again, the fourth edition of the Triennial of Contemporary Art will undoubtedly cause a
summery sensation and give rise to artistic reflections along the Belgian coast.
Beaufort04 is an initiative from vzw Ku(n)st and her partners under high patronage of
Mr. Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council.
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

Beaufort04 in Ostend
Arne Quinze (BE) – Rock Strangers, 2012
Dyke by Zeeheldenplein
Arne Quinze developed a cluster of sculptures under
the name Rock Strangers for the town of Ostend:
strange objects that pop up at places where you
would least expect to find them. They have a
striking effect on the urban and architectural
context of their surroundings. With his sculptures
Quinze is criticizing the increasing trend to
uniformity in the townscape. His Rock Strangers,
however, contribute an assertive, colourful note to the grey, neutral environment.
Rock Strangers can be visited as of 8 May 2012 on the Zeeheldenplein.
Contribution Mu.ZEE – Te kust en te keur, 2012
Lucy McKenzie (SC), Lucile Desamory (BE), Caitlin Keogh (US), Beca Lipscombe (SC),
pelican avenue (AT)
Te Kust en te Keur is the contribution of
Mu.ZEE to Beaufort04. Te Kust en te Keur, or in
English, “All in Abundance” is the title of an
imaginary Department Store and group
exhibition that has been installed on the façade
of Mu.ZEE, in Ostend, and combines work by
the artists Lucile Desamory, Caitlin Keogh and
Lucy McKenzie with the fashion designers Beca
Lipscombe and pelican avenue. They use the
front as a surface to recall the original function
of the building as a department store using drawings, flags, photographs and
peepshows. The whole is a group project with links between visual art, advertisements,
fashion, decorative motifs and window dressing. The cultural context of consumerism,
visual communication and arousing desire, display and exhibition are united in a single
work of art.
Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 to 18.00, closed on Mondays.
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

Jannis Kounellis (GR) – Untitled, 2012
Drie Gapers, Koning Boudewijnpromenade
Ostend.
Greek by birth, but resident in Italy for the greater part of
his life: Kounellis can be regarded as the personification of
the European Union, by which mobility puts its stamp on
culture and identity. The memories that Kounellis has from
his upbringing in a Greek fishing village can be clearly
traced in his work, and he wanted to integrate these in the
work that he is exhibiting in Ostend. As an ‘arte povera’
artist Kounellis makes use of unconventional materials,
techniques and themes to introduce a breath of fresh air
into art. Translating this into a permanent outdoor location
is a challenge. Yet Kounellis does not baulk at it here and
has placed a typical work of art by the statue of Leopold II in
Beaufort04 in Ostend: in the margin
* From 31 March until 30 September, Mu.ZEE hosts the exhibition Te kust en te keur.
Lucy McKenzie will use the imposing modernist façade of the museum as an exhibition
surface, together with Caitlin Keogh, Lucile Desamory, Beca Lipscombe and pelican
avenue.
Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; closed on Monday.
* In Slipwaykaai 4, you can visit the exhibition Moments before the flood by Carl De
Keyzer from 17 May until 26 August. All information
on www.momentsbeforetheflood.com.
* In the entrance hall Commanderie of the Old Military Hospital at Ostend you can visit
SOLBAREGIAFUTOBS, a work by Nick Ervinck, one of the participating artists of
Beaufort04. All information on www.nickervinck.com
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

BO4KIDS in Ostend
Bo is the seagull who guides the kids to cool activities
during Beaufort04. Flying between all the works of art, he
discovers exciting actions!
Updates and details of all the educational projects will be
published regularly on the website:
www.beaufort04.be/bo4kids.
Tips for kids in the walking guide
In the walking guide beside each art work you will find the Fly icon with a short task
that children from five upwards can do to think about the work and get involved
creatively with it.
More information on all projects on beaufort04.be/bo4kids.
Contact person educational programme: sylvie.peeters@vzwkunst.be
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

Visit Beaufort04
The Costal Tram
To move from one location to another, you can use the coastal tram. At every stop of
the tram, the nearest Beaufort location will be indicated.
Guided bus tours
1. Every Tuesday afternoon East Coast: Ostend - Zeebrugge.
2. Every Thursday afternoon West Coast: Ostend - De Panne.
Tickets
Individual € 35
Groups (+15 p) € 28
Youth (-26) € 28
Kids (-13) €10
Guided bicycle tour (ca. 40 km)
Guide and accompaniment by Sportievak included, for groups up to 25 people.
Bookings can be made via info@sportievak.be.
Half day: €275
Whole day: €350
Guided tour using your own transport
A guide can also be booked when visiting Beaufort with your own transport.
Half day: € 95
Whole day: € 130
Days out
Each coastal community is working out a programme for groups that would like to
spend a whole day in one place and would like to explore the town as well as see the
art works of Beaufort04.
You can find the list of days out on our website www.beaufort04.be.
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

Publications
WALKING GUIDE // € 7
Just like in the previous editions, Beaufort04 will publish a practical walking guide in 4
languages (NL, FR, EN and DE). This walking guide contains a walking tour in every
coastal municipality, that does not only guide the visitor along the many Beaufortartworks,
but also along many other highlights in the municipality.
Available from the end of March in bookshops and all tourist offices of the participating
coastal municipalities.
CYCLE MAP // € 3
Beaufort04 also welcomes bikers in particular. Together with Westtoer, a cycle map has
been developed. This map is based on the existing coastal cycle tour and shows the
locations of the different works of Beaufort04 and the works from the previous editions,
which are still possible to visit.
Available from the end of March in the tourist offices of the participating coastal
municipalities.
PICTURE BOOK // € 30
The Triennial of Contemporary Art by the Sea Beaufort publishes an overview of its last
four editions, including the current one.
All the works of Beaufort01, 02, 03 and 04, some of which are still present at the coast,
are captured in an elaborate picture book. All of the pictures were made by well-known
photographer Jimmy Kets.
The Picture Book is now available for sale at Standaard Boekhandel, Fnac, Club and
some of the tourist offices of the participating coastal cities.
EDITORIAL REMARK (not to be distributed) CONTACT Beaufort04
Head of press, communication and public relations:
Sylvie Peeters – sylvie.peeters@vzwkunst.be - +32 (0)491/06 91 45
Press & communication:
Diana Gadaldi – diana.gadaldi@vzwkunst.be - +32 (0)471/38 24 92
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

PRESS RELEASE VISUAL ARTS FLANDERS 2012:
CLUSTER OF VISUAL ARTS EXHIBITIONS ONLY ONE HOUR AWAY FROM
BRUSSELS PREPARES ITSELF FOR INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION
Flanders is the place to visit in 2012 for both those who take a professional or leisurely interest
in contemporary art! 2012 will bring the coinciding of important exhibitions of visual art taking
place in Flanders, Belgium.
Visual Arts Flanders 2012 is proud to present Beaufort04 (Belgian coast), TRACK (Ghent),
Middelheim Museum 2012 (Antwerp), Manifesta 9 (Genk) and Newtopia: The State of Human
Rights (Mechelen). The convenient geographic location and the shared focus on contemporary
art of these five events have triggered the creation of an international communication platform
that comprehends all of these appealing events into one coherent cluster.
In 2012 Belgium’s neighbouring countries also offer major happenings in contemporary art such
as dOCUMENTA (13) (Kassel, Germany), London 2012 Festival - Finale of the Cultural Olympiad
(UK), Fantastic / lille3000 (France) and MONO (Centre Pompidou-Metz, France together with
Mudam, Luxembourg).
Visual Arts Flanders 2012 is convinced that the high quality standard of each of the five
exhibitions represented will persuade the professional and touristically inclined art visitor to also
stop over in Flanders when travelling to art events in Belgium’s neighbouring countries.
The Cluster:
Beaufort04 is the fourth edition of the Triennial of Contemporary Art by the Sea. A selection of
contemporary artists from all over Europe will show their work in locations dispersed all over the
Belgian Coast.
Building on the tradition of Chambres d’Amis (1986) and Over the Edges (2000), TRACK in
Ghent invites thirty-five international artists to take their art outside the museum. Their works of
art will be presented at several indoor and outdoor locations in six areas of the city of Ghent.
The Middelheim Museum in Antwerp is constantly in motion, but in 2012 it will be
undergoing a major metamorphosis. A newly built semi-open pavilion will be inaugurated with
an exclusive exhibition of works by Thomas Schütte. The entire Middelheim collection will be
reviewed and renowned artists, such as Roman Signer, Ai Weiwei and Philippe Van Snick, will
present new works, custom-made for the museum. In the Braem Pavilion (Braempaviljoen),
fashion designers Bernhard Willhelm and Jutta Kraus will be displaying an initial selection of
pieces of international importance from the Middelheim collection.
For its ninth edition, Manifesta 9, the European Biennial of Contemporary art settles down in
Genk. The former mining region will be host to emerging international artists and will focus on
issues such as the social repositioning of a post-industrial society as well as on new possibilities
to deal with material and immaterial cultural heritage.
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

Newtopia: The State of Human Rights is the first major comprehensive international
contemporary art exhibition dedicated to the issue of human rights and its evolving discourse.
The exhibition, which will be on view at a number of cultural institutions in Mechelen - a city
whose roots go back to the humanistic tradition of Erasmus and Thomas Moore thus providing
an appropriate context for the exhibition - and will contain work by over 60 acclaimed and
emerging artists of different generations working in all media.
The five cities where the events take place are geographically positioned in the region of
Flanders, no more than an hour away from Brussels and at almost equal travelling distance from
the exhibitions in Belgium’s neighbouring countries. Travelling to and from one of the five
cities/areas is easy and fast by means of plane, high-speed train or car.
The Visual Arts Flanders 2012 coordination centre is a joint initiative of the Flemish Institute for
Visual, Audiovisual and Media Art (BAM), the Flemish Arts and Heritage Agency and the 5
participating institutions and organisations. It is the very first time that contemporary art
organizations embrace the opportunity to use their international appeal and reach as leverage.
The project not only sets out to reach specific communication goals and visitor figures per target
group but strives to create know-how and best practices for the individual organizations as well
as the arts sector in Flanders and beyond.
Venue dates & admission
• Beaufort04 – Belgian Coast
31.03 ›› 30.09.2012
free
• TRACK – Ghent
12.05 ›› 16.09.2012
10 €
• Middelheim Museum 2012 – Antwerp
Opening on 26.05.2012
free
• Manifesta 9 – Genk
02.06 ›› 30.09.2012
10 €
• Newtopia: The State of Human Rights – Mechelen
01.09 ›› 10.12.2012
10 €
International partners
• FANTASTIC / lille3000
• MONO
Travel partners
• Brussels Airlines
• Eurostar
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
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www.visualartsflanders2012.be
The Visual Arts Flanders 2012 website contains all necessary information to make the most of
your leisure trip or professional visit, including lodging and travel information concerning the
cities and regions involved, with a specifically designed offering. For professional visitors
accreditation will be available online as well as travel discounts from the above mentioned travel
partners.
EXTENDED VERSION OF THE PRESS RELEASE
Beaufort04: Triennial of Contemporary Art by the Sea
www.beaufort04.be
Beaufort04 is the fourth edition of the Triennial of Contemporary Art by the Sea in 2012. The
Triennial has become a reputed cultural event that is not to be missed. The Belgian coast and
contemporary art have come together through monumental installations and intriguing works of
art embedded in the unique biotope of the dynamic coastal municipalities. An artistic
commission headed by Phillip Van den Bossche, curator for Beaufort04, and intendant Jan
Moeyaert made a studied selection of European contemporary artists. The selected works of art
are a reflection of what is happening in the contemporary European art scene. With new or
existing works, the artists respond to the environment outside the museum and share an
imaginative and imaginary world with the visitors of the coast. Again, the fourth edition of the
Triennial of Contemporary Art will undoubtedly cause a summery sensation and give rise to
artistic reflections along the Belgian coast. Beaufort04 is an initiative from vzw Ku(n)st and her
partners under high patronage of Mr. Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council.
The artists of Beaufort04 are Norbert Francis Attard, Isaac Cordal, Michal Gabriel, Nedko
Solakov, Les Frères Chapuisat, Hans Op de Beeck, Jaume Plensa, Claire Fontaine, Zilvinas
Kempinas, Melita Couta, Magdalena Abakanowicz, Adrian Ghenie, Ivars Drulle, Jannis Kounellis,
Arne Quinze, Flo Kasearu, Nick Ervinck, Paolo Grassino, Jeppe Hein, Marco Casagrande, Bernar
Venet, Folkert De Jong, Dalila Gonçalves, Martine Feipel & Jean Bechameil, Erwin Wurm,
Michael Johansson and Stefan Sous. Mu.ZEE, the museum of contemporary art of Ostend,
contributes to Beaufort04 with the exhibition The kust en te keur. The Scottish artist Lucy
McKenzie mounted an exhibition on the modernist façade of the Museum, in collaboration with
Carolin Lerch, Caitlin Keogh, Lucile Desamory and Beca Lipscombe.
Curator
For the second time Phillip Van den Bossche (1969) is curator for Beaufort, the Triennial of
Contemporary Art by the Sea. For Beaufort03 (2009) he made a selection of international artists
who implemented the history and the patrimony of the Belgian coast in their art. Among those
artists were John Baldessari, Daniel Buren, Krijn de Koning, Lili Dujourie, Guiseppe Gabbelone,
Lothar Hempel, Evan Holloway, Thomas Houseago, Robert Kusmirowski, Matt Mullican and
Leonor Antunes. In 2012, for Beaufort04 he chooses to work with artists from the European
Union.
Phillip Van den Bossche started his career at Stichting De Appel in Amsterdam, where he cocurated
several exhibitions, such as the solo-exhibition of Mark Manders in 1997 and several film
evenings in 1997 & 1998. He gave lectures at the Academy for Art and Design, AVANS at ‘s-
Hertogenbosch, and worked repeatedly as editor for publications in prominent art magazines or
for catalogues. From 1998 till 2001 he became the manager of Stichting Exedra, the centre for
contemporary art, architecture and design in Hilversum. From 2001 until 2007 he worked as a
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

curator at Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven where he presented more than ten group or solo
exhibitions from international artists. Since 2007 he is the curator of Mu.ZEE, the art museum by
the sea – Collections of the Province of West Flanders and Ostend, and artistic and managing
director of Mu.ZEE, the Ensor House (Ostend) and the Permekemuseum (Jabbeke).
TRACK – a contemporary city conversation
www.track.be
TRACK is a unique art experience in the public and semi public space of the city of Ghent. It
offers surprising, enriching and unexpected encounters with the city, its history and its
inhabitants and incites to reflect upon urban realities and the contemporary human condition in
a broader sense. 35 international artists were invited to conceive new art works that are strongly
rooted in the urban fabric of Ghent but link the local context with issues of global significance.
The two curators Philippe Van Cauteren and Mirjam Varadinis took the time to select exemplary
locations in the wider city centre of Ghent and invited artists who have an affinity with the
thematical context of those places. The selected artists used the local reality as a fertile source of
inspiration and the results of their in-depth explorations are not simply traditional works of art,
but artistic projects in all different medias that embrace the social, economic, cultural and
political conditions of the city and the times we live in. Their works call for participation, interact
with the different communities in various ways and leave permanent traces.
TRACK is conceived as a universe of parallel narrations, occurrences and (hi)stories. It consists of
six clusters that offer a historical, cultural, architectural and mental cross-section of Ghent and
the idea of a city today. Each cluster has its own distinct atmosphere and touches upon a
specific issue like mobility, religion, migration, economy, language, science and city changes.
TRACK invites the audience to explore the exhibition in various ways. Visitors do not have to
follow a given linear trail but are free to choose their own personal TRACK through the clusters
and the city. Each visitor thus creates a different kind of narration, based on his or her
background and the way they are approaching the exhibition. This free and multi-layered
perception corresponds to our globalised world and the idea of plural realities happening at the
same time.
You can download the TRACK manifesto in 11 languages at www.track.be
Curators
Philippe Van Cauteren is the artistic director of S.M.A.K, the Municipal Museum of
Contemporary Art in Ghent. Since 2005 he has guided the museum towards its future
development in accordance with the actual requirements and needs of a contemporary art
museum. Under his leadership the museum’s exhibition program focuses on major monographic
shows from the following artists: Lois Weinberger, Kendell Geers, Paul McCarthy, Mark
Manders, Dara Birnbaum, Jorge Macchi, Nedko Solakov and others. In the past Philippe Van
Cauteren has worked as a freelance curator and publicist in Germany, Mexico, Chile and Brazil.
In 2002 he was the curator of the first Biennal Ceare America in Fortalez (Brazil). He regularly
writes and lectures on contemporary art.
Mirjam Varadinis is an art historian, curator and writer. Since 2002, she is a curator for
Kunsthaus Zürich where she has organized many exhibitions such as the group show Shifting
Identities – (Swiss Art Now) as well as solo shows of Adrian Paci, Mircea Cantor, Runa Islam,
Tino Sehgal, Erik Van Lieshout, Aleksandra Mir, Nedko Solakov, Urs Fisher, David Fisher and
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

others. Miriam Varadinis has published several catalogues and art books. In 2006 she was the
co-curator of Printemps de Septembre, the annual festival of contemporary art in Toulouse
(France). In collaboration with Annie Wu, she launched the internet platform www.azple.com in
2005.
Middelheim Museum 2012: a restyled open-air museum
www.middelheimmuseum.be
The Middelheim Museum is constantly in motion, but in 2012, the Museum and its collection
will be undergoing a major metamorphosis. Paul Robbrecht (1950, Belgium) is guest curator and
his firm, Robbrecht and Daem, has been commissioned to build a new semi-open pavilion.
With the addition of the flower garden of the Nachtegalenpark (Hortiflora), the museum
grounds have been expanded by five hectares, which makes it a total of no less than thirty
hectares. This has provided the Museum with an excellent opportunity to reassess and improve
its entire infrastructure. The Middelheim Castle (Kasteel Middelheim) is also being renovated and
fully integrated into the Museum’s operations. A new visitors' reception area, with a cosy café
and dynamic shop in the castle, and better signposting in the park complete the physical setting
for the collection and temporary exhibitions.
Commissioned by the Middelheim Museum, Robbrecht and Daem are constructing a semi-open
pavilion, The House (Het Huis), in Hortiflora so as to maximise the Museum's exhibition
possibilities. The new steel pavilion will provide shelter to vulnerable works of art, without
isolating them from their surroundings. From 2013 onwards, temporary exhibitions will be held
in this new pavilion and the surrounding grounds. The pavilion will be inaugurated on 26 May
2012, with an exclusive exhibition by German artist Thomas Schütte (1954, Germany), featuring
new ceramic sculptures created especially for this occasion.
The entire Middelheim collection will be revisited. As of May, pieces of international importance
from the Middelheim collection can be (re)discovered in the Braem Pavilion (Braempaviljoen).
These are works that have been purchased especially for the Braem Pavilion or that are too
fragile to be displayed outside. Visitors will be able to admire works by artists such as Alberto
Giacometti, Medardo Rosso, Jean Arp, Wim Delvoye, Michel François and Auguste Rodin. The
Middelheim Museum is inviting fashion designers Bernhard Willhelm (1972, Germany) and Jutta
Kraus (1972, Germany) to make the first selection. This will result in an amazing display. They
are the joint driving force behind Bernhard Willhelm, the fashion label uniting textile, visual art,
performance, folklore, video art and installation pieces into one multi-disciplinary artistic
practice. The arrangement of the exhibits in the park will also receive a "facelift": some works
will be placed at a better location, others will be given a new pedestal and some will undergo a
thorough restoration.
On the occasion of this special Middelheim Year and to complete the process of rethinking its
permanent collection, the Museum has requested internationally renowned artists to create new
works custom-made for the open-air museum. Ai Weiwei (1957, China), Roman Signer (1938,
Switzerland) and Philippe Van Snick (1946, Belgium) have made a proposal. With these
acquisitions and their integration into the collections, the Middelheim Museum shows its strong
commitment to developing its special collection.
The renewed Middelheim Museum opens with a spectacular opening party. Everyone is invited
to come and get acquainted with the art park in a relaxed atmosphere on Saturday, 26 May and
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

Sunday, 27 May. For members of the professional art field, the Middelheim Museum organises a
preview on Friday, 25 May in collaboration with Art.
During the summer months, the Middelheim Museum’s programme will be enriched with a
high-quality contemporary programme in the heart of the city. Antwerp will present a range of
exhibitions that will make a visit to the arts and heritage city more than worthwhile.
Curators
Paul Robbrecht (Robbrecht and Daem) and Menno Meewis
Manifesta 9: European Biennial
www.manifesta9.org
Manifesta, the roving European Biennial of Contemporary Art, showcases the most innovative
work by artists and curators from Europe and beyond. Kicking off in Belgium on June 2, 2012
and running for a period of 120 days, Manifesta 9 will be taking place in the historical Mine
Building of Waterschei in Genk, Limburg, Belgium. Since its first edition 15 years ago, Manifesta
has been concerned with the idea of breaking down barriers, crossing borders and building
bridges. Incorporating exhibitions, performances, multi-media experiments and broadcasts,
Manifesta 9 highlights the very best of creative thought, research and experimentation, involving
individual artists and artistic communities with diverse backgrounds from all around the world.
For the first time in the history of Manifesta the exhibition will not be limited to contemporary
art. In 2012, the former coalmining complex in Waterschei will become the stage for a multifaceted
exhibition showcasing, alongside the vast contemporary art section, a groundbreaking
collection of historical artworks directly related to the history of mining, industrialism and the
importance of coal in the 19 th and 20 th centuries. Furthermore Manifesta 9 aims to reveal a
completely fresh approach to dealing with material and immaterial heritage.
Manifesta changes its location every two years in response to a variety of social, political and
geographical considerations. Since 1996, it has been held in Rotterdam, Luxembourg, Ljubljana,
Frankfurt, Donostia-San Sebastián, Nicosia, Trentino-Alto Adige and the Region of Murcia.
Curators
Cuauhtémoc Medina heads the curatorial department of Manifesta 9 and works as a curator,
art critic and historian. He lives and works in Mexico City. He holds a PhD in Art History and
Theory from the University of Essex, UK. Medina is a researcher at the Instituto de
Investigaciones Estéticas at the National University of Mexico. Medina was the first Associate
Curator of Latin American Art Collections at Tate Modern in London.
Katerina Gregos is a curator and writer based in Brussels, Belgium. She is currently curator of
Newtopia: The State of Human Rights (Mechelen, 2012). Recent exhibitions include the Danish
Pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennial and the 4. Fotofestival Mannheim Ludwigshafen Heidelberg
(both 2011). Previously, Gregos served as artistic director of Argos - Centre for Art & Media,
Brussels, and director of the Deste Foundation, Centre for Contemporary Art, Athens.
Dawn Ades is a fellow of the British Academy, a former trustee of Tate and was awarded an
OBE in 2002 for her services to art history. She has been responsible for some of the most
important exhibitions in London and overseas over the past thirty years, including “Dada and
Surrealism Reviewed”, “Art in Latin America” and “Francis Bacon”. Dawn Ades has a
remarkably wide knowledge of the social and poetic dynamics of modernism and the avantgarde
both in Europe and the Americas.
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
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Newtopia: The State of Human Rights
www.newtopia.be
Newtopia: The State of Human Rights is a major international contemporary art exhibition
dedicated to human rights. The exhibition, curated by Katerina Gregos, will build on the long
relationship between art and human rights and aims to explore the numerous aspects associated
with the issue. It will chart the development of the human rights movement and its evolving
discourse since the post-war era. Newtopia: The State of Human Rights will take place in various
cultural institutions: Cultural Centre Mechelen / The Old Meat Market/ Hof van Busleyden
Municipal Museum/ LAMOT Congress & Heritage Centre / Kazerne Dossin Memorial, Museum
and Documentation Centre on the Holocaust and Human Rights / Academy of Fine Arts / Public
spaces in the city
The exhibition will contain works by over 70 artists of different generations working in diverse
media and will examine a rich variety of artistic responses in relation to the basic tenets of
human rights. Many of these artists come from countries and regions where human rights have
been or still are a particularly contested issue such as the Arab World, China, Latin America, and
the former Soviet Republics. Half of the artists come from Western countries. Gregos’ Newtopia
line-up brings together internationally acclaimed artists such as Yael Bartana (Israel), David
Goldblatt (South Africa), Mona Hatoum (Lebanon/UK), Hans Haacke (Germany/USA), Alfredo
Jaar (Chile), Taryn Simon (USA), Krzysztof Wodiczko (Poland) but also emerging voices such as
Kader Attia (France/Algeria), Ziyah Gafic (Bosnia/Herzegovina), Diango Hernandez (Cuba), Hayv
Kahraman (Iraq), MadeIn (China), Boniface Mwangi (Kenya). It also includes artists whose work
and engagement with human rights issues has captured significant media attention such as the
Syrian cartoonist Ali Ferzat, a staunch critic of the Assad regime, the Egyptian street artist
Ganzeer, whose murals visually fuelled the Revolution, Palestinian artist Khaled Jarrar and
Belarussian artist-activist Marina Naprushkina (the latter two are participating in the current
Berlin Biennial).
Newtopia’s partners include both Amnesty International as well as Human Rights Watch. The
exhibition is also under the patronage of the Council of Europe.
Curator
Katerina Gregos (born in Athens, Greece; based in Brussels, Belgium) is an art historian,
curator and writer. She is currently on the curatorial team for Manifesta 9. In 2011 she was the
curator of the Danish Pavilion at the 54th Venice Biennale, where she curated the internationally
acclaimed project Speech Matters, an exhibition on freedom of speech. That year she was also
the co-curator of the 4th edition of the Fotofestival Mannheim Ludwigshafen Heidelberg in
Germany (together with Solvej Ovesen). During 2006 and 2007 she was the artistic director of
Argos – Centre for Art & Media in Brussels and prior to that she was the founding director of
the Deste Foundation – Centre for Contemporary Art, Athens. As an independent curator
Gregos has also curated numerous international exhibitions including, among others, Hidden in
Remembrance is the Silent Memory of Our Future, Contour 2009 - The 4th Biennial for Moving
Image, in Mechelen, Belgium (2009); Give(a)way: on Generosity, Giving, Sharing and Social
Exchange, the 6th Biennial E V+ A: Exhibition of Visual Art, Limerick, Ireland (2006). Other
projects include Leaps of Faith: An International Arts Project for the Green Line and the City of
Nicosia, Cyprus (2005), the first international contemporary art exhibition to take place on both
sides of the divided city, and Channel Zero, for the Netherlands Media Art Institute, Amsterdam
(2004).
Katerina Gregos regularly publishes on art and artists in magazines, books and exhibition
catalogues, and is a frequent speaker in international conferences, biennials and museums
worldwide. She is also a visiting lecturer at HISK – The Higher Institute of Arts, Antwerp.
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
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EDITORIAL REMARK (not to be distributed) CONTACT Visual Arts Flanders 2012 :
Visual Arts Flanders 2012
Institute for Visual, Audiovisual and Media Art
Bijlokekaai 7d, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)9 267 90 40 // Fax: +32 (0)9 267 90 49
* Leen Gysen
project coordination
leen.gysen@bamart.be
* Charline Adriaens
project support
charline.adriaens@bamart.be
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012

Atelier ARNE QUINZE
In collaboration with
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Press conference ‘Cities like open-air museums’
Exhibition of scale models and film by Arne Quinze
8 June 2012