Beyond Tradition

The exhibition Beyond Tradition opens on Friday 3 May 2013 at 20.00 hrs. The group exhibition Beyond Tradition shows the work of nine contemporary visual artists that is tangibly related to a long tradition. Can a traditional looking work of art survive in this day and age?

With Saskia Olde Wolbers (NL), Folkert de Jong (NL), Alex Verhaest (BE), Csilla Klenyanski (H), Maria Roosen (NL), Marijn Akkermans (NL), Paul de Reus (NL), Rens Krikhaar (NL) and Rinus van de Velde (BE).

Brandstof is a regular event at Garage Rotterdam providing background content about the exhibitions. Two lectures to accompany the Beyond Tradition exhibition will be given on Friday 7 June at 20.00 hrs.

The creation process, the struggle with the material, is key in Beyond Tradition. Art history is always just around the corner in this: some visual artists seem to respond directly to the role of creation in our contemporary digital age. This increased reflection on the past is a topical theme. For example, the exhibition Hand Made in Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam deals with this history of craftsmanship.

Light will be shed on this theme by Dr. Edward de Bock (curator at the Wereldmuseum Rotterdam) and Dr. Rob van Gerwen (philosopher) on Friday 7 June. Both these speakers have a clear affinity with the ‘ability to create’ or the creation process in visual arts.

Edward de Bock will discuss the role of materials in ethnic art in his lecture. The ethnic artist transforms materials into a new reality. Materials are not used to represent or refer to a different reality – the way Western visual artists may do – but the material has in fact become the new reality itself. Ethnic art relates to the origin of creation in its materials, shapes and colours.

Rob van Gerwen will illustrate how the original intention of an artist may be changed, quite apart from the creation process. For example, the paintings by Rembrandt were created intuitively based on his struggle with paint. However, in our digital age his paintings have become ready-made icons (with or without Photoshopping them). The original intention of the artist and the clearly visible creation of the work of art have disappeared.

Tickets €4,50

Discover Garage Rotterdam and the sixth edition of Klein Onderhoud on Friday 12 July from 17:00 to 21:00 hrs. This Small Get-together is a lively party with drinks, snacks and music.