Fragments at "Middle Gate, GEEL..." Curated by the legendary Jan Hoet.
The art exhibition Middle Gate Geel tackles some big issues – psychiatry, magic, myth and religion – in a city with a history that has been shaped to some degree by all four forces.The exhibition sets out to examine the interaction between mythic art, created when magic and religion meet, outsider art and art as art. Rather than place work in one or other category, the intention is to draw out connections, affinities and parallels between the works.
Jan Hoet curated Documenta IX in Kassel in 1992, presenting several hundred works by 190 artists from nearly 40 countries. Subsequently, he managed several important exhibitions all over the world.Hoet served as the curator of the SMAK from 1975 until his retirement in 2003. After retiring, he became artistic director for the museum MARTa Herford in Herford (Germany) and collaborated with architect Frank Gehry on its design.The inaugural show in 2005 called “My Private Heroes” was an eclectic mix of works by artists including Marina Abramovic, Chris Burden, Gavin Turk, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Joseph Beuys as well as history paintings, ephemera and a yellow jersey worn by a Tour de France winner.[7]
Chabannes explores various representations of identity within philosophy, psychology, and art history. Her project "Double Portraits and the Fourth Hand" examined closely the intersection of gender in collaborative artist couples.
