Thursday, March 21, 2013

Interview With a Nuclear Contract Worker

Mark Aerial Waller 
1999
Hi-8 to DigiBeta, 9min
Interview with a Nuclear Contract Worker acts as a host and paratext to Glow Boys.
This is an interview with an extra from the set of Glow Boys. He weaves a darkly humourus narration between his experience on the film set, shifting between his work in the reactor and his analysis of what he terms "the nuclear racket". Constantly in a state of flux, his conversation shifts from the film time, to the moment of being filmed, to his personal time away from the set. He is a temporal nomad, unconstrained by the controls of temporal designation.
Cast:Douglas Park
http://www.markaerialwaller.com/nuclearworker.html

Nuclear Culture on Film
Mark Aerial Waller / Isao Hashimoto / Sandra Lahire / Otolith Group / Eva & Franco Mattes / Chris Oakley / Yelena Popova
11am-5.30pm, Sunday 28 April 2013
The Arts Catalyst
50-54 Clerkenwell Road
London EC1M 5PS
A programme of artists’ films investigating nuclear culture from the perspective of the 21st Century reflecting on 1980s feminist experimental film and activism, gritty dramatic satire of the 1990s, and recent video-essay works from 2009 – 2012. Artists narrate their own experience of nuclear environments in Britain, the Urals, Estonia, Ukraine, Japan and Canada, travelling back home or to sites of disaster to try and capture the invisible or the unimaginable. Investigating the aesthetic implications of radiation reveals the impossibility of capturing an energy that bleaches the images from film and erases the hard drives of digital devices. The films raise important questions for nuclear critique from nuclear entropy, utopian and dystopian belief systems, questioning scientific certainty, political agency and the proliferation of nuclear culture. A roundtable discussion will tackle some of these issues with artists Kodwo Eshun (Otolith Group) and Mark Aerial Waller in conversation with philosopher Liam Sprod, chaired by Susan Kelly. Curated by Ele Carpenter.

Programme

11am Introduction by Ele Carpenter
11.25-12.30 The Otolith Group, The Radiant, 2012
12.30-1pm Mark Aerial Waller, Interview With a Nuclear Contract Worker, 1999 
and Mark Aerial Waller, Glow Boys, 1999
1-2pm Light lunch and Isao Hashimoto, A Time-Lapse Map of Every Nuclear Explosion Since 1945(2003).
2-2.30pm Yelena Popova, Unnamed, 2011. Introduced by Heidi Brunnschweiler
2.30-3pm Sandra Lahire, Uranium Hex, 1988 and Your Greenham, Short films, 2007. Introduced by Ele Carpenter
3-4pm Roundtable discussion: Kodwo Eshun and Mark Aerial Waller with Liam Sprod. Chaired by Susan Kelly.
4pm Tea & Coffee
4.30pm Chris Oakley, Half Life, 2009.
4.45pm Let Them Believe, 2010, Dir. Todd Chandler & Jeff Stark, featuring Eva and Franco Mattes, Ryan C. Doyle
5pm Closing remarks Susan Kelly and Ele Carpenter
5.30pm End
Curated by Ele Carpenter with students from MFA Curating, Goldsmiths: Heidi Brunnschweiller, Lucia Garavaglia, Lucy MacDonald, Laura McLean, George Vasey.

Mark Aerial Waller makes films, events and sculptural installations that seek relationships with the historical positioning of culture; that mythologically potent archival data can coexist in the area between the reconfigured present and its original home. This work includes the film Glow Boys (1999), made in part at Oldbury and Sizewell reactors, after a year's research meeting staff and contractors at BNFL sites across the UK, Midwatch (2001), where interviews with veterans of the first British nuclear weapons tests collide with  Melville's Moby Dick in a psychologically charged exchange. Waller lectures at Central Saint Martins and Norwich University of the Arts and exhibits internationally.


http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5394942418?ref=ebtnebtckt

REDAKTION – Radical Christmas Event

A Live-Archived evening of Art, Food, Performance, Video and Experimental Music
A Night of Aktionism ... 

Invites only event!
Please RSVP here or send your guest list to: info@redgallerylondon.com

Presented by RED Gallery in association with Material

Let MATERIAL warm the cockles of your heart and loosen your purse strings with our mulled cider and late night festive shopping evening.

KONTRATONE live
GAVIN TURK
PURE EVIL

Analogue video art by MARTIN FISCHER aka PUREA

East End: A 7 minute improvised summary by DOUGLAS PARK

Live photo archive by GOODMOODZ

the dark times: live portraits by PAUL SAKOILSKY

'Industry': Durational participatory performance by ISIK . KNUTSDOTTER

'FACES' (live potraits): MARIA TERESA GAVASSI



Instead of reaction, action!

Since its birth as a pop-up space in April 2010, RED continues to thrive. During this time it has fast established itself as one of the East End’s most exciting cultural hubs, a collective of creative individuals and organisations bringing together art, music, film and related cultural events, and as an instigator of national and international collaborations. From our inception one of the guiding principles has been to work with, and seek input from the local artistic and creative communities, to build new business models and strengthen local, national and international ties in order to further our vision of an expansive artistic culture.

To celebrate all this, RED has decided to hold it’s first Radical Christmas Event, inviting all those who have had an impact on the direction, past, present and future of the project, to come together in an act of unity and celebration, and to look forward towards 2012. 

 2011, ©, Copyright, Maria Teresa Gavazzi


Portrait by Paul Sakoilsky

Image Credit: Paul Sakoilsky, 2012
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151044290596807&set=t.100001730141045&type=3&theater

S Art Space

Seoul
Mar. 2013

100 DESSINS CONTRE LA GUERRE DU VIETNAM

 in Paris
in Brussels

http://www.deuxieme-agence.com/100dessins.html


Vernissage de 100 DESSINS CONTRE LA GUERRE DU VIETNAM,
 vendredi 29 avril à 21 heures, à Komplot (Bruxelles).

Avec Céline Ahond, David Ancelin, Jacques André, Ivan Argote, Félicia Atkinson, Fabienne Audéoud, Julien Baete, Fayçal Baghriche, Davide Balula, Pauline Bastard, Julie Béna, Stéphane Bérard, Thomas Bernardet, Renaud Bézy, Dominique Blais, Roxane Borujerdi, Anne Bossuroy, Nicolas Boulard, Victor Boullet, Rémi Bragard, Francisco Camacho, Jean-Marc Chapoulie, Jacques Charlier, Jagna Ciuchta, Matthieu Clainchard, Claire Fontaine, Mathis Collins, Anne Colomes, Hervé Coqueret, Béatrice Cussol, Alain Declercq, Bertrand Dezoteux, Céline Domengie, Luke Dowd, April Durham, Hakima El Djoudi, Thibaut Espiau, David Evrard, Isabelle Ferreira, Alan Fertil, Pierre Fisher, Théodore Fivel, Michel François, Patrice Gaillard et Claude, Vincent Ganivet, Dora Garcia, Laetitia Gendre, Giovanni Giaretta, Filip Gilissen, Céline Gillain, Sofie Haesaerts, Anahita Hekmat, Jean Hubert, Kapwani Kiwanga, Bitsy Knox, Matthieu Laurette, Laurent Le Deunff, Anne-Lise Le Gac, Ingrid Luche, François Marcadon, Xavier Mary, Laurette Massant, Al Masson, Justin Meekel, Vincent Meesen, Gérard Meurant, Nicolas Milhé, Aurélien Mole, Thierry Mouillé, Grégoire Motte, Kenneth Andrew Mrozeck & Harrell Fletcher, Nicolas Muller, Michelle Naismith, Simon Nicaise, Jurgen Ots, Aude Pariset, Douglas Park, Gaël Peltier, Emilie Perotto, Benoit Police, Lidwine Prolonge, Florian et Michael Quistrebert, Claudia Radulescu, Samir Ramdani, Shanta Rao, Lili Reynaud-Dewar, Véronique Rizzo, Clément Rodzielski, Olga Rozenblum, Kurt Ryslavy, Eléonore Saintagnan, Azzedine Saleck, Magali Sanheira, Louis-Philippe Scoufaras, Eric Stephany, Eric Tabuchi, Zin Taylor, Damien Teixidor, Julien Tibéri, Sarah Tritz, Kara Uzelman, Filip Van Dingenen, Julie Vayssière, Katleen Vermeire & Ronny Heirman, Adrien Vescovi, Leen Voet et Johanna Weissenrieder.
Béatrice Cussol et Simon Nicaise (diplômé de l'Erba en 2008) participent à cette vente organisée par Komplot (Bruxelles) et le commissariat (Présentation à Paris le samedi 21 mai 2011).
Ouvert samedi 30 avril et dimanche 1er mai de 14 à 20 heures.

Le commissariat bénéficie du soutien de la Drac et du Conseil Régional Ile-de-France et de la Ville de Paris. 


Komplot 
295 Av. Van Volxemlaan
1190 Bruxelles

Le commissariat 
au Treize
113, bd Richard Lenoir
75011 Paris
www.lecommissariat.org
info@lecommissariat.org


http://apparaitre-erba-rouen.blogspot.kr/2011/04/beatrice-cussol-komplot-bruxelles.html

Year 2013


18/04/2013 - 20/06/2013

OPENING: 18.04.2013 / 12H - 24H
OPENING HOURS DURING ART BRUSSELS: 17-21.04.2013 / 12H - 22H

Exhibition until 20 June 2013
Every Friday and Saturday from 2PM to 6PM - And by appointment

Black & Vases : Sonia Dermience & Alberto García del Castillo, Felicia Atkinson, Aline Bouvy / John Gillis, Kjersti G. Andvig, Charles Garcin, Filip Gilissen, Steinar Haga Kristensen, Mai Hofstad Gunnes, Lars Laumann, Gérard Meurant, Jurgen Ots, Zin Taylor, Philippe Van Wolputte 
After Howl : Grégoire Bergeret, David Evrard, Sofie Kokaj & Master Sculpture ERG 
Ile 2 France : AVAF, Yann Chevallier, Vava Dudu, Théodore Fivel, Azzédine Saleck

THE PERFORMANCES
THU. 18.04.2013 / 21H: La Chatte
FRI. 19.04.2013 / 21H: Sofie Kokaj
SAT. 20.04.2013 / 21H: Bryana Fritz & Christoffer Schieche

 THE CONTRIBUTORS
Painting : Anthea Hamilton
Cover photo : Fabrice Dermience
Damien Airault, Shane Anderson, Sylvie Arnaud, Isabelle Arthuis, Sven Augustijnen, Patrick Bobilin, Francisco Camacho, Ellen Cantor, CAREFOUR, Gabriella Ciancimino, Contour, Boris Crack, François Curlet, Mathis Collins, Carles Congost, Anna Davinski Foundation, Isabelle de Visscher-Lemaitre, Federico del Vecchio, DSCTHK, Etablissement d'en Face, Jean-Yves Evrard, Tatiana Fernandez Echeverri, France Fiction, FLINT-FUYT, André Fortino, Michel François, Charles Garcin, Jill Gasparina, Mathis Gasser, Armand Gatti, Laetitia Gendre, Adel Ghezal, Karl Holmqvist, Huz & Bosshard, Vincent Honoré / Ben Cain, Hotel Charleroi, Jean Paul Jacquet, Benjamin Jaubert, Renaud Jerez, Agata Jastrzabek & Laszlo Umbreit, Ilja Karilampi, Kim Kim Gallery, Lucas Knipscher, Estelle Lecaille, Erwan Mahéo, David Malek, Fiona McKay, Estelle Nabeyrat, Michelle Naismith, Lise Nelleman, Bavo Olbrechts, Douglas Park, Gianandrea Poletta, Carl Palm, Yann Perol, Guillaume Robert, Viktor Rosdahl, John Russell, Gio Black Peter, Fabrice Pichat, Emilie Pitoiset, Sten Are Sandbeck, Timothy Stappaert, Jaro Straub, Peter Sutherland, Fleur van Muiswinkel, Benjamin Valenza, France Valliccioni, Joelle Van Autreve, Lauren VHS, Wepion

YEAR is the annual yearbook showcasing a subjective, abstract, moving scene. The third issue of YEAR is, again, an almanac, a programme, a diary and a lot of glam shit handsome gorgeous terrific “blah blah blah” gathering together more than 85 prospective and retrospective contributions. Theory, poetry and narration mingle with the visual in what unravels, page after page - a landscape full of details and perspectives. On the one hand it is a printed exhibition, on the other a garden hosting an experimental barbecue with dead lipstick and redneck zombies, plus a lake and a few books. Can you smell that? Where does this come from, huh? And discussions behind every bush and column. 

It’s not really necessary to number the pages, we think, as it’s just like having a map in each room of your apartment. Nor is it arranged in the order of the twelve months between May 2012 and April 2013, but rather around twelve sections named after Belgian discos. This dancing factory was generated through research led by the DSCTHK collective, which gathered together the historic material, and then formalised it in the twelve inside covers by Überknackig. 

In this edition of YEAR, the seasons are introduced with musical notes by Jean-Yves Evrard, mirrored with images of scattered glasses by Tatiana Echeverri Fernandez. Anthea Hamilton painted the sides of the pages: Each book is a piece of the puzzle of a pile of eighteen YEARs. 

y11.otf - aka ‘Melody’ - is the first font composed from the first YEAR pages, scanned and processed by Fonzie (thanks to Pierre & Pierre). Its jumping and bumping characters happened to be ideal for poetry and music lyrics, unlike ‘Gentium’ - a typeface for the nation - used elsewhere in the book. 

Three editors have completed special sections, unfolding YEAR in an exhibition at Komplot : Île 2 France curated by Yann Chevallier, Black and Vases curated by Sonia Dermience and Alberto García del Castillo and After Howl directed by David Evrard. 

Once all the contributions arrived at this surprise party, YEAR’s third anniversary was celebrated on March 1st 2013. We ate the tiger - and a good year strikes again!

http://www.kmplt.be/project.php?id=86

VV.AA. YEAR
Apr 18 - Jun 20, 2013 Reception: Thu Apr 18 12pm - 11pm

Launching of the third issue of YEAR magazine.

http://www.artforum.com/guide/country=BE&place=Brussels&jump=6709#location6709


Norvège, le site officiel pour la Belgique: YEAR 2013

20 March 2013

http://www.norvege.be/News_and_events/Culture/Archive/Komplot--YEAR-2013/

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

AIR Traces

AIR Traces is a unique collection of traces, testimonies, artworks, projects and souvenirs by 56 artists that spent a residency period in AIR Antwerpen. They show how influences and impressions linger in both the mind and the work.

AIR Traces is a visual representation of the inspiration and work process, which forms the essence of a residency. 56 artists and curators were asked to each send in two pictures: a picture of their current workplace, and a picture referring to their residency in AIR Antwerpen. We received a lot more than we asked for…

Artists: NG, Christelle Fillod, Gregory S. Maass & Nayoungim, Sepake Angiama, Agnès Geoffray, Mayumi Kimura, Alien Oosting, Francisco Camacho, Barbara Davi, Arno Nollen, Michael Löderstedt, Jim Skuldt, Tobias Collier, Pieter Geenen, Yuji Watabe, Sandip Shah, Emre Erkal, Suse Weber, Shaun Gladwell, Nikolaus Gansterer, Bradley Wester, Luigi Coppola, Tamara Van San, Roberta Gigante, Liv Bugge, Johanna Kirschi, Sophie Macpherson, Douglas Park, Eylem Aladogan, Jochem Vanden Ecker, Lena Henke, Kristofer Paetau, Matej Modrinjak, Jennifer Caubet, Maija Blåfield, Alex Frost, Michael Fliri, Danilo Correale, Pontogor, Michael Dans, Fritz Welch, Paul Becker, Tina Schott, Jurgen Ots, Rachel Lowther, Billie Zangewa, Carla Zaccagnini, Takahiko Suzuki, Nadia Hebson, Andreas Golinski, Hadassah Emmerich, Jan Van Woensel, Goran Skofić, David Maroto, Matteo Lucchetti, Nathalie Djurberg.

Writers: Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez, Johan Pousette, Alan Quireyns, Felix De Clerck

& AIR Tailor Made: Philip Janssens, Alpenland


This Alpenland is a record release of Children of the White Leaf, a performance and exhibition,as a result of Philip Janssens’ work period in AIR Antwerpen.


Practical: Thursday 28 March, 7pm, Studio Start Project Space, Appelstraat 27a, Borgerhout.
Book launch 8pm and performance 9pm.

Open: 28/03/13 - 07/04/13, from Thursday to Sunday, 2pm - 6pm, or by appointment

Foto's Ted Oonk
http://www.airantwerpen.be/nl/content/air-tailor-made-philip-janssens-air-traces-book-launch




AIR Traces is a visual representation of the inspiration and work process of 56 artists and curators, which forms the essence of a residency. In addition, AIR Traces consist of three texts by Alan Quireyns, Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez and Johan Pousette. The publication is designed by Sara De Bondt Studio. The book exists out of four different covers, drawings of the facade of the lock-keeper's house by: Nick Andrews, Bjorn De Buck, Ella de Burca and Driessen-Meersman-Thomaes Architects.

Title: AIR Traces
Author(s): Alan Quireyns (ed), Felix de Clerck, Nataša Petrešin-Bachelez, Johan Pousette, Olivier Onghena
Published by: AIR Antwerpen
ISBN: 9789081959711
Year: 2013
Design: Sara De Bondt Studio
Language: English/ Dutch
Info: 247 x 173mm, 224p., quadri, carton cover, wire-o binding, 500 copies.
Price: 35 euro + transport and packaging (5€ Belgium/ 6,5€ Europe/ 10€ outside of Europe)
You can purchase the book by transfer to BE36 7775 9946 0581 with mention “AIR Traces, name and address where the book should be sent too.

http://www.airantwerpen.be/nl/content/air-traces-nu-online-te-koop


Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Douglas Park in front of Screen

Photo by Aeon Rose

Douglas Park, the Barman


Photo by Ingrid Opstad

Sadie Murdoch


2011:
Douglas Park lecture, ‘Dream of the Dreamers’
Sadie Murdoch solo exhibition, The Agency Gallery, London 

9/17/2011 to 10/22/2011

In her forthcoming solo exhibition at the Agency entitled “Dream of the Dreamers”, Sadie Murdoch will consider the practice of photography as an 'expanded field'. 
A digital slide projection and a series of drawings turn a female gaze back onto the history of Surrealist photography, and reflect upon on the construction of Otherness within early Modernism.

www.theagencygallery.co.uk/year2011.html

Projet pour un livre / Projet pour un filme


2009:
guest speaker, Projet pour un livre / Projet pour un filme, Nico Dockx & Helena Sidiropoulos, Palais des Beaux Arts / Paleis voor Schone Kunsten, Brussels  

http://www.ra13.be/en/programmes/projet-pour-un-livre-projet-pour-un-film

ARCHIEVEN. LANGUAGES. EEN FILM. HET BOEK. JUST LOOK AT THE THINGS. MB. BEELDTAAL. TAALBEELD. DEVENIR-BÊTE. PALAIS DES BEAUX-ARTS DE BRUXELLES. NO LOGIC NO ORDER. FROM BEHIND THE SCREEN. VERSCHUIVINGEN. LA

VIOLENCE. A LA LIMITE. A RETROSPECTIVE. HISTORIES. FRAGILE PLAY. AU-DELA. LE DECOR. LA CONQUÊTE DE L’ESPACE.

Projet pour un livre.
Projet pour un film. Nico Dockx & Helena Sidiropoulos. 
Artist book / edition of 500 / numbered by the artists / hardcover enclosed in a silkscreened box (21 x 26 cm), 328 pages, 
2009 edited by Corinne Diserens & the artists Buy the book here Published by RA (printed matter) in collaboration with BOZAR (prix de la jeune peinture belge 2009), 
curious & stockmans nv isbn: 978-9490311001 
review of projet pour –
un livre. projet pour un film. by luk lambrecht on knack website (in dutch): http://knack.rnews.be/kanaal/boeken/volwassenen/non-fictie/marcel-broodthaers-revisited/site72-section189-article40121.html 
For trade information and sales enquiries contact rik@ra13.be 
Photo by Jan Mast

http://www.ra13.be/en/heroes/nico-dockx-and-helena-sidiropoulos

'Projet pour un livre. Projet pour un film' by Nico Dockx and Helena Sidiropoulos


RA's first publishing venture was revealed at the exhibition of the young Belgian painters award, Prix de la Jeune Peinture Belge 2009, at the BOZAR museum in Brussels, Belgium. RA 001 is entitled ‘Projet
pour un livre. Projet pour un film’, and is an artists book that reinterprets the catalogue from artist Marcel
Broodthaers’ 2001 exhibition at the Palais des Beaux Arts. The project was realised by Nico Dockx and his partner Helena Sidiropoulos, who won the Émile et Stephy Langui award of the Prix de la Jeune Peinture Belge 2009 for ‘Through Time and Today’  - an exploration of the archives of the Palais des Beaux Arts, realised in an installation and film format. “My first intentions are to develop an interdisciplinary installation a
that functions as sort of responsive intervention within the memory of the palais des beaux-arts as an institution, using its entire archive as a plasticity in order to create a projection of image-sequences” (nico dockx). RA 001 accompanied this artwork in a limited series of 500 copies, hard-bound and silkscreened, presented stacked and wrapped in film on a shipping pallet at the exhibition. It is available to purchase in the RA Antwerp bookshop.



GRAND COMPLEX SPLIT BLOCK (offshore hermitage internal affairs)

Intrepid expedition committee sets out on a mystery quest, all roped together so they don’t lose track of each other, laying snail-trail of cords behind them, helping them find their way back to drawing-board square-one again afterwards. Having no goal or mission to begin with, after many false starts, misdirections and changes of plans, they arrive at entirely the wrong address. Yet it all turns out to be the very breakthrough needed, just what the doctor ordered all along.

For, as age-old legend has it (time-honoured tradition re-enacts itself to this very day), this was the very spot where: opaque filled in conservatory, hollowed out crystal mountain, resinous jelly great pyramid and upholstered marquee tent (the whole lot, asymmetrically irregular and lop-sided) once crossed paths and came together; agreeing to recline and lie flat down backwards; all of their sides, heads and tœs touching onto and joined with those of the rest; before ending up staying like that forever; each single one of them, grown out of, built up from, broken down as, cut up into and taken apart leaving triangular gaps and solid wedges; as well as cubic and rectangular holes and lumps; also, curves, arcs and circles, sometimes.

Original discovery and ongoing reinvention was, has always been, still are and ever will be by spring-cleaning operation, laying down the foundations and paving the way forwards. Broom, dustpan with brush and feather-duster sweep up, scrape off and clear away protectively layered coatings of dirt, left behind, stuck onto mid and thin air worktop surfaces; rough scouring pads and harsh detergents thoroughly scrub them down; for sponge to soak up and towelling to dry out; then mop and bucket to wash and polish; while sink plunger unblocks plumbing and drainage. Ensuing produce is gathered up, harvested and earns interest to be spread and rubbed back in, mixed up with still more to fortify, build and make new. Flat blades lay it on thick and slice through atmosphere. Coming from opposite end, chisel, file, hammer, pickaxe, hatchet, shovel, drill and saw cut, bore, pound, grind and hack, tunnelling through, heading straight ahead towards same direction. These separate parties carry on regardless, unaware of what the others are doing, nearby, at the same time, despite each serving cross-purposes, pitted at complete odds against the other. Half-way between, they meet up, introduce themselves and are brought together, fortunately, without incident. The two different sides involved dig out and clean up their neighbours. That whole episode got out of the way and put behind them, members of both personnel stumble upon, unearth and revive fossil fuel light, motion and sound sources, as they do so, loosening gaseous and liquid powdered gold; providing raw material reserves and specialist equipment with which to draw, engrave, sculpt and paint one marvel after another. Tool-kit cases transfer into fireplace hearths, valeted for conversion as cabinet niche and display vitrines, the housing that shows off these treasures.

Around here, there is no, was not and never will be any beginning to start with, middle somewhere in between, finite end to it all or happy ever after. There is nowhere that ever remains the same way or stays still for very long. All chambers and their contents, always on the move, shift in transit, travel about, pass through moving monastic hospital corridors and tunnels, climb up and down stairs, take in everywhere slowly and go nowhere fast. Entrances, exits and the places themselves, approach and linger awhile, then leave to go somewhere else. One way or another, everywhere leads towards and connects up with somewhere else, but completely unclear as to how or why. Getting to or simply pinpointing anywhere is impossible, but then again, so is getting lost, because sooner or later, everywhere turns up unexpectedly anyway. The movable and itinerant centre can and will end up anywhere, usually tending to be more or less 3 doors, each frame touching onto the next one, all opening inwards onto somewhere far larger than enclosure occupied. Meandering and digressing direction and route arrives at terminal destination of arrow shaped room somewhere, helpfully indicated and pointed out clearly by everywhere else (however unfindable whatever that turns out to be), with many intermediate transitional landmarks and milestones along the way.

The most unfathomably deep of walls contain narrow and low mouse-holes, while whole wide continents are walled-up in cramped cupboards, behind wafer thin partitions. Every space, consumed and taken up by impenetrable obstacle races and assault courses, far exceeding capacity of actual size limits. A mesh of strategically positioned grills channel traffic of cargo deliveries to order and commuters on pilgrimage alike, beamed through 4-sided tubular chutes, ducts and pipes. Ultimate jewel in the crown is a vivarium tank, housing the only ever known real live feint clouds to be held in captivity, preserved inside clear blue sky, extracted from their natural habitat, to happily drift, float, ramble, swim and waft about in. All in all, seaside holiday resort popular entertainment venue and open-air swimming-baths, throwback to advanced, but fallen ancient civilisation and empire, with a touch of stern fortress, naval port and aircraft carrier battleship (with lifeboats, cabins, gangways and engine rooms) thrown in for good measure, perfectly completing everything.

Having seen all the sights there are to be seen (many times over at that), the visitors return, finding their way back the way they came, coming out into the light of day, greeted by coincidentally laid-on festivities.

©, Copyright, Douglas Park

'Grand Complex Split Block (offshore hermitage internal affairs)’, is my critical prose story and title, accompanying Nico Dockx's slide-show, from our explorations throughout Victor Hortia's between-the-wars modernist architecture for Palais des Beaux Arts / Paleis voor Schone Kunsten / BOZAR Brussels, as well as the context and issues of such an institution. Original hopes and plans for acces
s to the archives weren’t allowed or possible, except for subject or even item specific requests. Instead, permission got granted for carte-blanche free-reign to conduct a misguided detour all over the entire premises, not only public spaces and features, but also private, hidden, overlooked and secret undercarriages. As often with such ventures, the immediate appearance, environment and experience was taken into account, reinforced by insight gleaned from enquiry, research and thinking about the history, architecture and politics. ‘Grand Complex Split Block (offshore hermitage internal affairs)’ was my and Nico Dockx's contribution to 'PARANOID CRITICAL TRANSFORMATION METHOD, REVOLUTION / RESTORATION 01', program curated by Dirk Snauwært, Christopher and Barbara Vanderlinden, Palais des Beaux Arts / Paleis voor Schone Kunsten / Bozar, Brussels, 2003. Our performance was where I 1st met future serial collaborative partner-in-crime, Sonya Dermience of Brussels'Komplot collective.

More recently, ‘Grand Complex Split Block (offshore hermitage internal affairs)’ appeared on Nico Dockx and Helena Sidiropoulos' pages in Prix de la Jeune Peinture Belge 2009 / Prijs Jonge Belgische Schilderkunst 2009, exhibition catalog, Bozar, Brussels, 2009. I also recited it, alongside other guest-speaking (or live-demonstration) of Nico Dockx and Helena Sidiropoulos' 'Projet pour un livre / Projet pour un filme' bookwork, Curious, RA 13 and Stockmans nv, Antwerp, 2009 (with black-out "censored" bookplates, very much homagingMARCEL BROODTHAERS Marcel Broodthaers' wordless version ofStéphane Mallarmé's classic 'Un Coup de Dés Jamais N'Abolira Le Hasard' — and a thwarted monograph / catalogue raissonne from an early 00's Marcel Broodthaers Artwork retrospective). This was for an event at Palais des Beaux Arts / Paleis voor Schone Kunsten / Bozar, Brussels, 2009. Regurgitation and exhumation excuse for both catalog and event being same crime-scene and target.