2023

R.S.V.P. PORTRAIT SERIES II

Can I take your picture? What is your favorite artwork by a woman artist? Can the art world be photographed? An exhibition at KIOSK Ghent

April 1 — June 4, 2023

R.S.V.P. portrait series II - Exhibition view at KIOSK by Isabelle Arthuis
Kasper Bosmans / Ghita Skali, The hole’s journey, 2020 - Parquet floor in the director office of the Dutch art institution De Ateliers
Felipe Dmab / Erika Verzutti, Venus, 2010 - Arrangement of works at Felipe’s apartment
Raimundas Malašauskas / Candice Lin, Limo, 2014 - ‘It is a gift from Candice Lin who made a porcelain limo after reading my conversation (ed., published in Australian magazine Discipline in 2013) with Edith Scob who plays Celine, the chauffeur, in Holy Moto
Yves Gevaert / Agnes Martin, The Islands, VII, 1979 - Agnes Martin, The Islands. Düsseldorf: Josef Albers Quadrat Bottrop and Richter Verlag, 2004
Tom Engels / Moyra Davey, Bottle Grid, 1996-2000 - Moyra Davey, Index Cards. NewYork: New Directions Publishing, 2020
R.S.V.P. portrait series II - Exhibition view at KIOSK
Olivier Vandervliet / Barbara Krüger, Untitled, (I shop therefore I am), 1987 - NOEMA art magazine. Ed. Alexander Pühringer, issue n°14/1987-4. Salzbourg: Noema Press Alexander Pühringer
R.S.V.P. portrait series II - Exhibition view at KIOSK
Dirk Snauwaert / Adrian Piper, Food for the Spirit, July 1971 - High Performance, the performance art quarterly. Ed. Linda Frye Burnham, issue n°13, Vol. 4, N°1, Spring 1981. Los Angeles, CA: Astro Artz
R.S.V.P. portrait series II - Exhibition view at KIOSK
HC (Friedemann Heckel & Lukas Müller) / Rita McBride, Arena, 1997 - Aluminium hinge (gold anodized), element produced for Arena by SIEP - Karel Sybesma, courtesy Kunstinstituut Melly (FKA Witte de With)
R.S.V.P. portrait series II - Exhibition view at KIOSK
Bas Hendrikx / Elise Van Mourik, Dog, 2022, work in progress - Studio view
R.S.V.P. portrait series II - Exhibition view at KIOSK
HC (Friedemann Heckel & Lukas Müller) / Rita McBride, Arena, 1997 - Aluminium hinge (gold anodized), element produced for Arena by SIEP - Karel Sybesma, courtesy Kunstinstituut Melly (FKA Witte de With)
, 1997
Bas Hendrikx / Elise Van Mourik, Dog, 2022, work in progress - Studio view
Dirk Snauwaert / Adrian Piper, Food for the Spirit, July 1971 - High Performance, the performance art quarterly. Ed. Linda Frye Burnham, issue n°13, Vol. 4, N°1, Spring 1981. Los Angeles, CA: Astro Artz
Olivier Vandervliet / Barbara Krüger, Untitled, (I shop therefore I am), 1987 - NOEMA art magazine. Ed. Alexander Pühringer, issue n°14/1987-4. Salzbourg: Noema Press Alexander Pühringer

Felipe Dmab
Olivier Vandervliet
Kasper Bosmans
Yves Gevaert
Tom Engels
Raimundas Malašauskas
Bas Hendrikx
Dirk Snauwaert
HC 

Considering their practice within the art world addresses the issue of how art is (re)presented or how art can be seen, I asked Yves Gevaert,Tom Engels, Raimundas Malašauskas, Kasper Bosmans, Felipe Dmab, Dirk Snauwaert, Olivier Vandervliet, Bas Hendrikx and HC (Friedemann Heckel & Lukas Müller) in this second series of the portraits. The profile of these men is very diverse. They work as publisher, curator, critic, gallerist, or artist, thus each of them is dealing in a different and sometimes personal way within the system of the art world. 

The portrayed are sitting in front of a black velour background, a light absorbing surface. High-quality equipment and professional lighting, bring life to the smallest detail in the razor-sharp photographs. The portrait series expresses the objectification of and the fascination for the other, two aspects that are historically linked with portrait photography. 

Yet what intrigues me most about making these portraits is the response of the sitter to the question of what might be their favorite work of art by a woman artist. Among the artists: Agnes Martin, Moyra Davey, Candice Lin, Ghita Skali, Erika Verzutti, Elise Van Mourik, Barbara Kruger, Rita McBride and Adrian Piper. These rather personal choices are in turn documented and (re)presented as part of the diptych. They are photographed with similar formal and technical choices that I used for the portraits. 

Furthermore, I am interested in the context of the exhibition and publication of these works. In how they can be seen in this rather accidental situation. Because, to a certain degree, the premise of this double series limits my role as ‘curator/editor.’ I did not select the works of the women artists. But I did select the sitters and took care of the (re)presentation of the portraits and the works. 

Kristien Daem 

Exhibition curated by Simon Delobel

KIOSK