Ensemble: SUPERDEMOCATIE / SUPERDEMOKRATIE / SUPERDEMOCRACY
image: © M HKA
The voices of citizens are heard louder than ever in parliaments all over the world, while the diversity of who and what these institutions represent - people and things - is growing.
Social media now generate more regular interaction between citizens and their representatives, while many initiatives bring them together through all kinds of interest or action groups, whose objective is to broaden the decision-making base. Interaction and dialogue slowly come (back) to the centre of the decision-making process. Representative democracy is gradually transformed into a "deliberative democracy".
On top of that, what the parliament represents is also undergoing profound changes. It no longer merely represents an increasingly diverse "people", but also many "non-human" components of the world that also demand its attention. Animal rights, heritage conservation, technological development, energy use, and environmental protection are hot topics. It is increasingly evident that in order to survive, humans can no longer regard animals and "things" as just "possessions" or "at their service," but must instead see them as an integral part of the world, telling us something essential about this world and actual actors in the world. This is why, paraphrasing sociologist Bruno Latour, we are talking about the "Senate of Things".
By observing the increasingly turbulent and complex functioning of the political process, this exhibition is launching the concept of SUPERDEMOCRACY. Just as origin no longer suffices to explain the increasing diversity of our society, it is no longer suitable to reduce contemporary democracy to the voting booth and the hemicycle.
The SUPERDEMOCRACY exhibition highlights the concept of "con-certation". That it takes place in the Belgian Senate is no coincidence: as an assembly of federated entities, the Senate is the place of reflection and dialogue between communities on "cross-cutting issues". It is precisely on these subjects that three cultural institutions, BPS22 in Charleroi, BOZAR in Brussels and the M HKA in Antwerp, establish dialogue with the parliament.
The exhibition proposes a focus on fifteen topics in as many Senate halls. For each one, an artist of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and one of the Flemish Community will be teamed with a third artist, from another Community.
Combinations of paintings, sculptures, photos, videos, installations, etc. of the BPS22 and M HKA collections propose a possible approach to the themes. Visitors are invited to discover the relations with the topics dealt with by the Senate, and between the works themselves, and to participate in the dialogue proposed.
This reflection continues throughout the month of October, during discussion and conference sessions organised by the three partners on these same issues.
Bart DE BAERE
Paul DUJARDIN
Pierre-Olivier ROLLIN
Themes & Categories
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>DIVERSITAS IV.
>SOLIDARITEIT / SOLIDARITE / SOLIDARITY / SOLIDARITÄT.
>INVENTIO.
>RES PUBLICA.
>RADICALISERING / RADICALISATION / RADIKALISIERUNG.
>WELZIJN / BIEN ÊTRE / WELL-BEING / WOHLERGEHEN.
>REFLECTIE / REFLEXION / REFLECTION.
>ONDERZOEK / RECHERCHE / RESEARCH / FORSCHUNG.
>DIVERSITAS II.
>DIVERSITAS III.
>MOBILITEIT / MOBILITE / MOBILITY / MOBILITÄT.
>TEKSTVERZORGING / TOILETTAGE DES TEXTES / TEXT QUALITY / TEXTPFLEGE.
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>ECONOMIE / ECONOMY / WIRTSCHAFT.
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>DIVERSITAS I.
>CONCORDIA.
Works
>Jacques Lizène, Chaise découpée [Cut-Up Chair], 1964-2008.Sculpture, wood, canvas, 83 x 40 x 35 cm.
>Jef Geys, !Vrouwenvragen? [!Women's questions?], 1965.Installation, ink, paper, 600 x 140 cm.
>Guy Mees, Water te Water [Water to Water], 1970.Video, dvd, 00:03:13.
>Marcel Broodthaers, Les Animeaux de la ferme, 1974.Print, ink, paper, 81.9 x 60.3 cm.
>René Heyvaert, Zonder titel (Broodkruis) [Untitled (Bread Cross)], 1981.Sculpture, bread, wood, 118 x 118 x 4 cm.
>Marina Abramović & Ulay, Anima Mundi (Bangkok), 1983.Photography, 2 x (180 x 120 cm).
>Jean-François Octave, Immortality Is Just a State of Mind, 1987.Other, 2 x (100 x 100 cm).
>Jacques Charlier, Peinture Cérébrale, 1989.Sculpture.
>Michel François, Sans titre (mains chaudes), 1990-1994.Photography, 225 x 160 cm.
>Luc Deleu, In 80 dagen rond de wereld - around the world in 80 days Weber - Madrid - Weber, 1993.Installation, mixed media, 193 x 102 cm.
>Tapta , Impatiente, 1995.Installation, steel and rubber on wheels, variable dimensions .
>Marthe Wéry, Calais, 1995-2004.Installation.
>Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven / AMVK, Nursing Activities, Direct (Verpulveren) [Nursing Activities, Direct (Pulverizing)], 1995-1998.Installation, videoband vhs, hout, metaal, 190,5 x 529 x 75 cm (geheel), 2 x 1 m (platen).
>Denmark, Les Quatre Saisons de Moniteur belge, 1996.Sculpture, 4 x (147 cm x 24 cm x 16 cm).
>Edith Dekyndt, Worthlessness, 1997.Video.
>François Curlet, Djellabas Nike, Fila, Adidas, 1998.Installation.
>Christophe Terlinden, EU Vlag, 1999.Object, 92 x 150 cm.
>Yang Zhenzhong, I Will Die, 2000.Video, 00:11:36.
>Willi Filz, Série Syrie, 2001.Photography.
>Angel Vergara, Maison Belge Supermarché de l'année, 2001.Painting, ink, canvas, crayon, acrylic, collage, 280 x 500 cm.
>Victor Alimpiev & Marian Zhunin, Ode, 2001.Video, dvd, 00:34:30 min.
>Sven 't Jolle, Global Empowerment, 2002.Sculpture, 141 x 143 x 210 cm.
>Michael Van den Abeele, Birth of a Nation, 2003.Multiple, textile, 140 x 210 cm.
>Vaast Colson, 1 hour 30 minutes sculpture, 2003.Print, lambda print, 86.5 x 88.6 x 5 cm.
>Narcisse Tordoir, Bréhima Kone, L’Africeur de Bogolan, 2004.Installation, bogolan, silkscreen, acrylic, variable dimensions.
>Ria Pacquée, Inch'Allah, 2005.Video, videotape digital betacam, dvd, 00:18:40.
>Koka Ramishvili, Change, 2005.Video, dvd, 00:04:20 min.
>Johan Muyle, Atlas, 2006.Installation, 135 cm x 110cm x 90cm ; 220 cm x 116 cm x 105 cm ; 135 cm x 113 cm x 78 cm.
>Johanna Kandl, Ohne titel (Who's got the big picture), 2006.Film, tempera, canvas, 258 x 354 cm.
>Carla Arocha, Screen, 2006.Installation, plexi, stainless steel, 216.4 x 350 x 150 cm.
>Pascale Marthine Tayou, Zonder titel [Untitled], 2007.Object, textile, 92.5 x 146 cm.
>Jan Van Imschoot, Ladyboy - Curleyman I, 2007.Painting, 190 x 170 x 3 cm.
> PSJM, Corporate Armies, 2008.Video.
>Véronique Vercheval, Usine occupée. 46 portraits de travailleurs de Royal Boch, 2009.Photography.
>Mira Sanders, Ane(c)dote, 2009.Print, ink, paper.
>Sheela Gowda, Down Under, 2009.Sculpture, textile, 184 x 125 x 8 cm.
>Miriam Cahn, Nach Diane Arbus, 2012.Other, 180 x 110 cm.
> ORLAN, Le petit chevalet montrant le constat complété et le flacon, 2012.Object.
>Sasha Pirogova, Biblimlen, 2013.Video, hd video, sound, 00:10:00.
>Thierry Verbeke, United Colors, 2014.Other, textile, 225 x 150 cm.
>Kendell Geers, Mutus Liber 953, 2014.Sculpture.
>Vanessa Van Obberghen, Tracing Cheikh Anta Diop , 2014.Photography, digital print on aluminium foil mounted on dibond, 150 x 100 cm.
>Emilio López-Menchero, Drapeau, 2015.Mixed Media.
>Marcel Berlanger, La Méduse / l'Autruche, 2015.Print, 2 x (280 x 220 cm).
>Taus Makhacheva, Tightrope, 2015.Video, 4k video, colour, sound, 73 min.
>Charlotte Beaudry, Réfractaires, 2016.Installation, 345 x 302 cm.
>Liliane Vertessen, There Are Snakes Everywhere…, 2017.Mixed Media, textile.
>Suchan Kinoshita, Klok, 2017.Object, glas, shampoo.