There is a long history of art being presented along side fashion. These exhibitions have left one with the feeling that the art is being used to lend conceptual weight to the clothes. But the rigorous exhibitions mounted at Antwerp’s Fashion Museum makes it clear that fashion designers can be as conceptually strong as visual artists. Their current exhibition is an overview of fashion designer Veronique Branquinho. She graduated from Flanders Fashion Institute in 1995. Since 1998, she has shown her collections on the world’s fashion runways, but this is the first museum presentation of her creative output.

With this exhibition, Branquinho leads us on an expansive journey. Upon entering the exhibition, the sound of your shoes is amplified, by the gravel on the floor of the darkened forest room where her shoe collections come to light hanging from the trees. Past a moving video installation, the viewer is lead through an empty chamber that functions as a Bruce Nauman Absorbing Chamber, circa 1983. Another room is outfitted with a jukebox playing cool club music. It’s like a Jeff Koons icon to American pop culture. Clearly, Branquinho knows her art history. Dark evening wear is presented, revealing her passion for combining different materials that layer and drape to accentuate the female form. The procession here leads from dark, to the darker, and then there is light.

For this trip, Branquinho provides an overcoat for the discerning man, along with a Porsche outfitted in matching tweed, both inside and out. Presented along with a video of a car racing through the open desert, we’re finally ready to go. The desert provides the metaphor of endless openness as we head forward into our unknown future. At least we can be well dressed for the surprises that await us. Finally, bursting into the light, with the stunning beauty that a clear vision can provide. Visual artists take note; creative thought will lead us, as we head into the excitement of the unknown.

Veronique Branquinho at Modemuseum Provincie Antwerpen, through August 17th.

Matt Mullican has been busy creating his own world in a multitude of different media since graduating from Cal Arts in 1974. His current exhibition at Galerie Micheline Szwajcer continues this constructive process. The front room is filled with banners and scale models done under hypnosis, that investigate the workings of the subconscious. The short lived Abstract Expressionist movement pursued a similar process, but, theirs was an

unquestioned outpouring of the inner spirit.

Mullican and his dreamscape contemporaries such as Johnathan Borofsky, Jim Shaw, and Mike Kelley reject this notion. Instead, they continually question, trying to come to an understanding of our motivation. In his black and white banners, Mullican tries to make metric conversions that just don’t seem to make sense. But, at least he’s trying. Being a concerned citizen, he outlines a path to follow should an emergency develop. This too sputters and spurts along with wry humor. And, in the end, suggests it’s probably best to call 911 for help.

In the second room of the gallery, Mullican ventures into the new territory of the digitally altered light box. Deeply mysterious in their abstracted form, it’s hard to phantom their position in his new world order. Two pieces come close to making suggestions. Photos of trees have been altered so that the leaves resemble guitar picks, fingernails, or the plastic “feathers” on darts. These have then been treated to a camouflage coloration to help them blend into their green surroundings. Most telling, however, is the shadow they cast. Reminding us that no matter how much we try to fit in, we still cast a shadow on the world. And, it’s this shadow that we must remain mindful of.

Matt Mullican at Galerie Micheline Szwajcer through May 3, 2008

Pocket Room has recently opened in Antwerp. Why new galleries continue to open, while the local art market continues to shrink, is anyone’s guess. Maybe it’s the image of success postulated by the other new galleries that spur them on. Let’s hope it’s the pure love of art that has inspired Pocket Room to open their doors. To kick start this new gallery, they have turned to an elder statesman of the Antwerp art scene, Guy Rombouts.

Over the last 20 years, as one part of the artist team Rombouts/Droste, he has developed a visually-based alphabet, based on squiggles and color. He recently developed this into a fun Web site entitled “AZART“. This exhibition marks a turn to a more traditional sculpture making practice. Using odds and ends found around the house, it recalls the work of the Belgian artist Rene Hayvaert. The combining of two objects into one sculpture appeared in Belgium in the mid 90’s with the work of Dutch artist Jan Vos.

With his insistence on not gluing, welding, or nailing, Rombouts seeks to leave room for the possibility of life within the sculpture, rather than locking it into a lifeless position. Although this stance does require some balancing, pinching, and clamping, it makes it all the more important that Rombouts is able to find the proper fit for the disparate objects. Works on view include a hammer fitted with a rolled up piece of paper for a handle, cribs turned into cages, and a cane made into a chair. In one of the most poignant works, three table clamps squeeze each other in position, allowing the sculpture to reach for the sky. This piece works as a metaphor for what the Antwerp art world could be. Here each part supports the other, allowing for unlimited potential.

Rombouts has previously shown at Gallerie Tanya Rumpff, Holland and Zeno X, Belgium.

Guy Rombouts at Pocket Room, February 17-April 5th.

And Larry makes three. Over the last month London has had the privilege of hosting new work from three of the father figures of contemporary art. Besides Ed Ruscha and Larry Clark, there was also Lawrence Weiner. Weiner’s exhibition took place at Lisson Gallery, and just ended last week. These guys have inspired generations of younger artists, by continually producing challenging new work over a 30 year career. Weiner’s exhibition came on the heels of his first American retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

This time Weiner focuses on emphasizing his command of the formal concerns of artistic presentation. Visually stunning in the use of vibrant hues, this exhibition also sharpens the sociological implications that have always been present in Weiner’s work. “FIRST MOVE, SECOND MOVE, THIRD MOVE”, suggests that the first move should be to circle the wagons, establishing a protected personal space. Only then, will we be prepared to go out and deal with societal structures. “OFFSIDES”, uses two vertical lines as a formal devise to bracket the text, while not confining it. Thought of in a social context, it establishes opposition. It can refer to expanding to new territories or taken negatively, being on the wrong side.

“FOUND BY CHANCE AFTER ANY GIVEN TIME FOUND ALONE AFTER ANY GIVEN TIME” The operative words here are, “Found” and “Alone”. Found refers to others, while alone stresses the individual. This highlighting of the personal should not be taken in the, “Me Generation”, sense of the word. Larry’s too much of an old hippie for that. Rather, he’s asking us to consider how our personal choices affect society.

Weiner began his career with the pioneering conceptual art dealer, Seth Siegelaub, later he worked for years with Leo Castelli. Currently he works in whatever contexts he finds interesting, while remaining fiercely loyal to those he respects. Demonstrating continuing curiosity, Weiner also has a super cool website, “HOMEPORT“, and all this at 66.

Lawerence Weiner, “OFFSIDES” Lisson Gallery, February 6, – March 15.

Clark’s previous series work in a similar vein to that of his photographic contemporaries such as Nan Goldin and Dash Snow. Each of them investigates the culture of sex and drugs. The departure that Clark makes with this new series is that no overt sex or drug use can be seen. In their previous works Goldin, Snow and Clark, left one with a feeling of hopelessness and despair.

This time Clark closes in on his subject, snapping close-up photos that seem to reveal the inner workings of the teenage mind, showing the hope and belief of a promising future that comes with new freedom. The rebel attitude is still evident however, especially in the tee shirts they wear. Their shirts pronounce themselves as, “Misfits”, “Ramones“, “Gringo” “Zero”, “Lower Class Brats”, these kids seem certain that they can make a difference. They probably don’t realize the weight they are taking on their shoulders, but this sort of confidence is to be encouraged. Maybe that’s what comes from finally being able to grow a little mustache.

Larry Clark is also represented by Luhring Augustine, New York.

The Gagosian Gallery is unarguably one of the most successful contemporary art galleries of our time. The current exhibition of works by the Los Angeles-based artist Ed Ruscha gives us new reason to delve into history and understand what it takes to become a historically important artist. Ruscha seems to intuitively know which new galleries would go on to claim their place in art history, and he wants to show his work in that context. His list of exhibitions includes Ferus Gallery in 1963, Nicholas Wilder Gallery 1967, Texas Gallery 1973, MTL 1978, Galerie Rudiger Schottle 1978, and Galerie Tanja Grunert 1984. Although these galleries may not be household names, a quick check will make it clear, (considering the other artists they showed early in their careers), that these are ground breaking establishments, and they’ve all shown Ruscha.

Another thing that sets Ruscha apart from the field, he doesn’t follow trends, he sets them. Quite possibly the first artist to make work using exclusively text, (his earliest text pieces are from 1963), clearly predating Laurence Weiner, Martin Maloney and Christopher Wool. While most artists wanting art world recognition move to New York, Ruscha stayed home in LA. He along with John Baldesarri, Paul McCarthy, Bruce Nauman and a few others trusted the future of LA. He also shares with Nauman and McCarthy a restless creative spirit, producing work in all mediums available. Maybe not good for the market originally, but it’s certainly not a problem for them now.

Fast forward to the present day. For his current exhibition at Gagosian, Ruscha again heads into new territory. Unafraid to challenge his own previous ascertains, this time he picks works from his own history, and pairs them with his new version of the original. “Tool and Die”, “Tech-Chem”, and “Trade School” take on a whole new meaning when combined with fences, buildings and barbwire. The original works done in nostalgic black and white have now been updated with futuristic color. Ruscha

has said that these new combinations, “air my doubts about progress in the world and hopes for the world… They reflect my feelings about how things change, and that they don’t always change for

the better.” All this leaves us hoping for more.

Ed Ruscha, at Gogasian Gallery, London until March 20, 2008

Is it possible to make sculptures out of sound? The Belgian artist Leo Reijnders believes so. In his on going series “Wolkenbreiers”, Reijnders invites visitors to his radio program to create their own self portraits. His list of guests runs the gamut of cultural thinkers, from renowned local artists, such as Guillaume Bijl, Ria Paquee, Danny De Vos, and Koen Van Den Broek, to international visitors from all fields of the creative arts. These have included the Austrian curator Ulrike Lindmayr, Norwegian fashion designer Siv Stoldal, Ethiopian painter Mulugeta Tafesse, Gert Segers editor of “Revolver” magazine and “Echo Base”, an experimental sound studio based in Brussels. Reijnders only ask questions when necessary, allowing the artists space to create their own “self portraits on air” about their activities.

This idea of letting artists present themselves has historical precedents. The Los Angeles artists Paul McCarthy utilized a similar strategy in the early 70’s when he invited artists that were relatively unknown at the time to his radio show. Unfortunately his program was canceled when the young performance artist Chris Burden broke FCC rules by begging listeners to send him a dollar. The historical importance of McCarthy’s project was acknowledged last year when the archives of around 100 reel to reel tapes were acquired by the Getty Museum.

Still to come on “Wolkenbreiers” in the near future are, museum director Jan Hoet, cultural TV presenters Chantal Pattyn, photographer/critic Bert Danckaert, theater maker Jan Fabre, painter Luc Tuymans, gallery holder Geoffrey De Beer, as well as many more. The program is available “on line” so that international listeners can follow the creative ideas circulating through Belgium.

“Wolkenbreiers” is broadcast live, every other Monday from 4 – 6pm on Radio Central at 106.7 FM on your radio dial.

Abstraction and it’s placement in the contemporary situation is clearly addressed in the current installation at Galerie Michelen Szwajcer, exhibiting the Austrian artist Heimo Zobernig. Here he confronts these issues head on, in his first solo exhibition in Belgium. The first room of the exhibition presents a tame presentation of an abstracted domestic setting. It’s a radial remuneration, you can see beds, heads, chairs, and stairs, but clearly no one lives here, this allows us the space necessary to ponder arts placement in the home.

Proceeding to the back room one is confronted with the mind numbing wow of geometric abstraction. While stunning, they question the placement of art objects in a tranquil environment, while radically altering the sense of ease.

Using tape as an art material, they reference the work of artists such as John Franklin, (time clock and type writer ribbon), or Chris Wilder, (duct tape on canvas), in their use of an easily available substance for the construction of new meaning. What at first seems to be geometric abstraction is really process painting. Sometimes it’s tape, sometimes just paint, either way these objects suck you in, inviting the viewer to revel in their constructed beauty. In flipping the canvas to a diamond form, these jewel like objects are fractured, polished and refined to perfection. Having no subject allows us to luxuriate in their beauty.

Zobernig has previously exhibited at Galerie Anslem Dreher, Berlin and Galeria Juana De Aizpuru, Madrid.

Restricting oneself to the exploration of “Interiors” could seem a bit stifling. But the current exhibition at gallery “Fifty One” demonstrates how much room one can force into a confined idea. It can certainly help when you bring together a group of internationally acclaimed artists.

The limitless expansiveness of Interiors is clearly addressed in the work of Claudia Hoffer, Andreas Gursky, and Karl Hugo Schmolz. Interiors can be cleaned up, sterilized and sanitized as evidenced in the work of Kate Schermerhorn, or you can use the interior to reflect what’s outside, witnessed by the inverted camera obscura of Abelardo Morell.

But things get most interesting when we focus on the inner light, as in the work of Matthew Pillsbury. While the world outside is bright and light, it’s the inner glow that focuses our attention. It’s that same inner warmth that James Casebere focuses on, having pioneered the field of the constructed photograph. Casebere who graduated from California Institute of the Arts in 1979, here presents us with a zen like prison. Clearly illustrating that before we can venture out we must build an inner peace, only then are we able to explore the potential that lies before us.

“Interiors” 24 January – March 8

Considering the continuing explosion of the art market, the current exhibition at Xavier Hufkens Gallery in Brussels, takes a much needed stance of opposition. Entitled, “I would prefer not”, joins together three artists, Bernard Bazile, Pierre Huyghe, and John Knight, each having maintained a stance against the comodification of the artist’s production.

The Frenchman, Bernard Bazile, first rose to prominence in the 80’s as one part of the artist team, Bustamante/Bazile. While his former partner went on to fame and fortune, Bazile instead focused on pursuing the work that he thought was needed, rather than what the market place wanted. Although he remains little known outside France, he is often cited by young French artists as a major influence on their work. This will be the first time his work is presented in Belgium since his 1987 exhibition at Galerie Micheline Szwajcer.

Pierre Huyghe has remained very elusive through his rejection of objects, instead focusing on creating situations that ask us to question how we construct and translate our visual experiences. He also remains hard to define because he often works in collaboration with other artists, so one must wonder what part of the work is his. Huyghe has previously exhibited at Barbara Gladstone Gallery, New York and Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven.

John Knight is one of the original conceptual artists and as such has always challenged the role art plays in society. Although remaining relatively unknown in the art world, Knight has long enjoyed the support of established conceptual theoreticians such as, Benjamin Buchloh, Anne Rorimer, John Welchman, and Luk Lambrecht. In grouping together these disparate artists, “I would prefer not”, attempts to refocus our attention to what art is suppose to be about, the exchange of ideas. It’s ok to say no.

There have been many recent exhibitions exploring the relationships between art and fashion, but the current exhibition at Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen surveys the exhibition through a previously unexplored angle. “Vreemde Dingen” or translated to English, “Strange Things” looks at the influence of Surrealism on art, design, fashion, film and architecture. Curated by the Antwerp based fashion designers, Walter van Beirendonck and Dirk Van Saene, they combine all the above to provide a well rounded overview of this important, although short lived, art movement.

The exhibition combines historical works such as, Rene Magritte’s “Le Modele Rouge III”, Salvador Dali, “Mae West Lips Sofa”. 1937- 38, and Elsa Schiaparelli, “The Skeleton Dress” 1938, with more recent works by Cindy Sherman, Martin Margiela, Andrea Camarosano, Sarah Lucas and Van Beirendonck’s, “Finally Chesthair” 1997, which reproduces Walter’s own chest on a stretch fit tee shirt, (please provide your own belly). This full exhibition, with over 200 works, shows the influence that surrealism continues to have on the creative output of today.

“Vreemde Dingen” is realized in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, and Mondriaan Stichting, Amsterdam.

During the initial installation in November, Shaw edited works he deemed as unresolved, undesirable or noncommercial. His vision of a “traditional” gallery exhibition is placed aside in the second half of the show as he vulnerably exposes these “unfinished” pieces, illustrating the ongoing artistic practice.

Jim Shaw has exhibited widely in the US and internationally since the late 1980s. Among his previous series are “My Mirage” (1985-1990) which follows the experiences of a fictional boy named Billy as he grows up during the 60s and 70s; “Dream Drawings” and “Dream Objects,” (1991-present) featuring recreated imagery and art objects from the artist’s dreams; and works defining the evolution, dogmas and rites of his fictitious religion “Oism” (2000 to present).

Recent solo shows include PS1, New York (“The Donner Party”); Magasin Center of Contemporary Art, Grenoble; and Kunsthaus Glarus, Switzerland.

Khalif Kelly’s first solo show at Thierry Goldberg Projects, “Recess,” will be on display from January 11-February 10. Kelly’s paintings depict African-American children playing with each other on playgrounds, alone and pensive, and in groups around props, such as tree houses and laundry lines. Kelly’s vivid palette, spatial flatness, and portrayal of African-American life call to mind the figurative work of Jacob Lawrence as well as the puppatoon animations of George Pal, especially the “Jasper” series. Like Pal’s characters in the “Jasper” series, Kelly’s forms have been winnowed down to basic geometric shapes and flat blocks of color make up nostalgic backdrops in which children cluster in dynamically charged groups. Khalif Kelly was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1980 and grew up in Arlington, Texas. He currently lives and works in New Haven, CT. He holds a BFA in painting from The Art Institute of Chicago, and is currently enrolled in the MFA program at Yale University.

Currently on view at Antwerp’s newest gallery, Base-Alpha, are two solo shows by the young Antwerp artists Rachel Agnew and Lieven Segers. Seeking to break open the Antwerp art sceane, Base-Alpha will be presenting young unknown talent that have previously not found a place in the hermetic Belgian art scene. Run by, Captain: Bart Vanderbiesen and 1st Commander: Geoffrey de Beer II, the reining look at this gallery is a sort of Futuristic Adrenalized Post Punk.

In this, her first solo gallery exhibition Rachel Agnew presents large scale paintings that sarcastically celebrate abundance. Be it credit cards, cash or beauty, these self portraits relish in excess, but their crude making under cuts her belief in this system. While seductive and repulsive at the same time, they ask us to question our involvement in the selfish capitalist system.

Having received his MFA from Post Sint Joost, Breda (Holland) in 2001, Lieven Segers has previously exposed at De Brakke Grond and Stella Lohaus Gallery. Segers takes this opportunity to show a wide range of graffiti influenced, text based works. Directly addressing the anxieties that are a common component in contemporary life. His is a whimsical attempt to find a way out, in our desperate times.

Rachel Agnew “Collateral Damage” and Lieven Segers “Blow-ups and Other Things” December 15, – January 28, 2008 at Base-Alpha, Antwerp, Belgium