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Item: Atopies (VIII)
1986
Installation, 396 x 380 x 30 cm.
Materials: mahogany veneer on wood, steel
Collection: Collection M HKA, Antwerp (Inv. no. BK7249 A-G).
Atopies (VIII) forms a reflection on art and on the place for art in the world. As its title suggests, Atopies (VIII) is part of Vercruysse's series of Atopies, which he created between 1985 and 1987. The austere construction with mahogany mantelpiece and six wooden panels suggests the existence of a space; however, the space is closed and impossible to enter. The mantelpiece, usually a symbol of warmth and homeliness, an archetypical rendering of a "place", fails to give a sense of security. Most of all, the work evokes a feeling of emptiness. 'Atopie' literally means 'non-place'. Vercruysse uses the word as a reference to the theme of the place for art in the world, which commonly recurs within his oeuvre. At the same time, it is a play of words with 'utopie', utopia, the world of vision and ideals. Perhaps Vercruysse is suggesting that for utopia, too, only emptiness remains.
'It's of course all about art and the place of art. To say that it would be a metaphor for saying that there is no place left would be too strong. "Left" is too strong. It is certainly about loss, but that doesn't mean you can say that there is no place "left". It is not about complaining. Loss is before presence.' - Jan Vercruysse, interview with Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, 1987
Events
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The collection XV — Ergen...
16 June 2006 - 27 August 2006.
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The collection XX: JUBILE...
29 June 2007 - 18 November 2007.
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Ensembles
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JAN VERCRUYSSE ENSEMBLE
The work of Jan Vercruysse is characterized by his razor-sharp vision and very focused approach to its central themes. Vercruysse mostly work
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De positie van kunst en d...
The oeuvre of Jan Vercruysse can be reduced in principle to one central problem: what is the position of art in the world, and, in connection
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Throughout is oeuvre, Jan Vercruysse is looking for a place where art and the artist can be meaningful. This quest translates to an attempt a
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Collectie Vlaamse Gemeens...
The M HKA holds works on permanent loan that were acquired with the budget of the Vlaamse Commissie voor Beeldende Kunst (Flemish Visual Art
Actors
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