Exhibition: AMBERES – Roberto Bolaño’s Antwerp
M HKA , Antwerp
07 June 2019 - 15 September 2019
Courtesy of the artist
AMBERES – Roberto Bolaño’s Antwerp
An exhibition inspired by a novel, a city and a scene
Artists include: Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven, Imogen Stidworthy, Sophie Podolski, Cevdet Erek, Michèle Matyn, Andrea Fraser, Luc Deleu, Georges Smits, Allan Sekula, Laure Prouvost, Luc Tuymans, Bart Prinsen, David Lamelas, Jimmie Durham, Katrin Kamrau, Ruth Sacks, Walter Swennen, Chantal Peñalosa, Nicolás Uriburu, Stephen Willats, Paul Hendrikse, Marlene Dumas, Rinus Van de Velde, Danny Devos, Eva Donckers, Alain Ayers, Mathieu Verhaeghe, Alain Robbe-Grillet, Adrien Tirtiaux, Laurie Parsons, Gordon Matta-Clark, Hugo Roelandt, Ria Pacquée and items from the Roberto Bolaño Archive.
Displaying the raw energy that he would later develop to establish himself as one of the most original writers of his generation, Roberto Bolaño’s early experimental novella Antwerp remains unclassifiable. Written in 1980, but only published in 2002 shortly before the author’s death, Antwerp is a highly-fragmented detective story, displaying deep irreverence to the form of the novel. Avoiding linear narrative, it progresses using a multiplicity of perspectives, with images, scenes and characters called up in different forms each time. The whole remains elusive.
In Antwerp, Bolaño thematises everyday reality in a way that feels highly contemporary, as expressed through topics such as crime and corruption, sexual violence, relative truth, memory and erasure, marginality and urbanism, the male gaze, and the sea as a metaphor. A range of archetypes – detectives, victims, artists, alter-egos, hunchbacks and vagabonds – inhabit his enigmatic story. The genre of the detective story, in fact, can be seen as a vehicle for unpacking such themes and archetypes, dragging us away from the generic, leading us somewhere more ambiguous. It is these themes and character archetypes, as well as the experimental structure of Antwerp that we take our inspiration from as modes of reflection in this group exhibition, which we have also called Amberes – adopting the book’s title in its original Spanish.
The novella’s actual relation to Antwerp remains elusive and even a bit absurd – “In Antwerp a man was killed when his car was run over by a truck full of pigs” is the seemingly random anecdote that opens chapter 49. Yet, the innovative way of writing – converging many styles, scenarios, characters and perspectives – resonates with the characteristics of visual art in, or inspired by, the city – a scene which also comprises many positions, generations, dynamics, and comings and goings. An exhibition in Antwerp taking inspiration from the book might adopt the multiplicity of perspectives Antwerp mobilises, as a way to provide reflections on the city, and how artists translate experiences of the city into different forms.
Alongside the exhibition, M HKA has printed the first Dutch translation of Roberto Bolaño’s Amberes. You can buy this limited edition copy in our book shop at the price of €10. Or you could choose for the combination of the book and the catalogue of the exhibition at the cost of €15 only.
AMBERES Copyright © 2002, Roberto Bolaño, All rights reserved.
Media
>Imogen Stidworthy, Sacha (Listening), 2011-12 HD video
>Eva Donckers, Amberes, 2019
>
WorksShow artists
> Alain Robbe-Grillet, Trans-Europ-Express, 1966. Film, feature film, 01:45:00.
> David Lamelas, Antwerp, 4:30 P.M., 1969. Photography, colour photograph, matte print, 80 x 100 cm.
> David Lamelas, Antwerp, 1:48 P.M., 1969. Photography, colour photograph, matte print, 80 x 100 cm.
> David Lamelas, Antwerp, 11:42 A.M., 1969. Photography, colour photograph, matte print, 80 x 100 cm.
> George Smits, Thalamus, 1970. Print, zeefdruk affiche.
> Sophie Podolski, Le pays ou tout est permis, 1972. Book, book, 18 x 12 cm.
> George Smits, Luc Deleu, 2 spiegels Skipper, 1973. Installation, 2 mirrors, 60 x 50 cm.
> George Smits, Boek met proefdrukken en kleurstudies voor café De Schipper, 1973. Poetry, cardboard, paper, silkscreen, 67 x 51 cm.
> Nicolás Uriburu, Project Coloration Bonaparte Dock Antwerp, 1974. Intervention, dia positives.
> Sophie Podolski, Luna-Park 2 Graphies, 1976. Book, book, 24 x 18 cm.
> Gordon Matta-Clark, Office Baroque, 1977. Print, paper, 89 x 62 cm/ 91,5 x 64,5 cm.
> Danny Devos, Une Jeune Fille Victime toute une Nuit de Deux Monstres, 1980. Mixed Media, magazine, 2 polaroid pictures, 56 x 44 cm.
> Hugo Roelandt, Bezetting Groendalstraat (Occupation Groendalstraat), 1981. Video, 2 monitors, 00:15:49.
> Luc Tuymans, Prague, Refribell, Harbours, Waterloo, Nautilus, 1981-1982. Print, gelatin silver prints, super-8 film, 21 x 29,5 cm.
> Stephen Willats, Contrasts in Form and Meaning, 1990-1991. Mixed Media, photographic prints, acrylic paint, letraset text on card, 97 x 60 cm.
> Luc Deleu, Antwerp, your next cruise stop ! , 1990. Object, pencil, indian ink, polyester film.
> Luc Deleu, Antwerp, your next cruise stop ! , 1990. Maquette, plastic, wood, 151 x 280 x 280 cm.
> Stephen Willats, Concrete Window, 1991. Photography, photographic prints, photographic dye, acrylic paint, letraset text on paper and card, 121 x 74.5 cm.
> Laurie Parsons, Without title, 1993. Mixed Media, binder, 30 x 21 cm.
> Andrea Fraser, Posters for Antwerpen '93 (from the series ‘On taking on a normal situation’), 1993. Poster, ink, paper.
> Danny Devos, Wurger van de Linkeroever / Volksgazet, 1994. Mixed Media, 59 ingelijste microfilmafdrukken; sommige zijn overschilderd., elk 44.5 x 32.1 cm.
> Danny Devos, Wurger van de Linkeroever / Gazet van Antwerpen, 1994. Mixed Media, 41 ingelijste microfilmafdrukken in kader; sommige zijn overschilderd., elk 44.5 x 32.1 cm.
> Jimmie Durham, Resurrection, 1995. Multiple, tv set, flagstones, variable dimensions.
> Marlene Dumas, Slight Delight, 1996. Drawing, aquarelle, paper, 125 x 70 cm.
> Marlene Dumas, Sailor's Dream, 1996. Drawing, watercolour, paper, 125 x 70 cm.
> Marlene Dumas, Mis-Cast, 1996. Drawing, aquarelle, paper, 125 x 70 cm.
> Marlene Dumas, Indian Summer, 1996. Drawing, aquarelle, paper, 125 x 70 cm.
> Marlene Dumas, Blind Joy, 1996. Drawing, aquarel on paper, 125 x 70 cm.
> Romain Slocomb, Le Poulpe: Saké des brumes, 2002. Book.
> Roberto Bolaño, Amberes, 2002. Book.
> Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven / AMVK, A Dash of Dolls (Anatomie d'une Destrucivité Humaine), 2002. Series, ink and colour pencil on paper, 40 x (17 x 19.5 cm).
> Ruth Sacks, False Friends, 2010. Book, book.
> Allan Sekula, The Forgotten Space, 2010. Film, dcp, digibeta, dv cam, colour / black & white, 113 min.
> Imogen Stidworthy, Scan, 2011. Video, 3d laser-scan transferred to hd video, 4:27 mins. loop, b/w, silent, projected onto black molton cloth on wooden screen, 270 x 152 x 85 cm.
> Imogen Stidworthy, Sacha, 2011. Installation, hd video projection with 3-channel soundtrack, 3:10 mins. loop, b/w, russian and flemish spoken with russian-english transcript. projection on acoustically transparent cloth on wooden screen, 310 x 240 x 85 cm.
> Stephen Willats, Just between people, street scenario’s Antwerp, 2013. Installation, 6 monitors, wooden frame, 115 x 47 x 155 cm.
> Adrien Tirtiaux, A tort ou horizon, 2013-2019. Mixed Media, indian ink and black paint, plasticised cardboard, variable dimensions.
> Katrin Kamrau, SPEKTRUM*objekt18(portrait), 2014. Installation, 59 lambda c-prints, variable dimensions.
> Mathieu Verhaeghe, Feestvarken, 2015-2019. Installation, iberico ham, bunting, variable dimensions.
> Katrin Kamrau, SPEKTRUM*objekt18(portrait) II, 2015. Installation, 43 lambda c-prints, variable dimensions.
> Mathieu Verhaeghe, Sausage Series, 2016-2020. Installation, paint, pork intestine, rope, variable dimensions.
> Chantal Peñalosa, Amberes, 2016. Video, hd video, 00:11:46.
> Ria Pacquée, I didn’t do it, 2016. Installation, graffiti, variable dimensions.
> Roberto Bolaño, Antwerpen, 2019. Book, ink, paper, 17.1 x 11.1 cm, 86 p., language : Duch, publisher : M HKA, Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst, Antwerpen, ISBN : 9789072828637.
> AMBERES - Roberto Bolaño's Antwerpen (tentoonstellingscatalogus) / Roberto Bolaño's Antwerp (exhibition catalogue), 2019. Book, ink, paper, 17.1 x 11 cm, language : Dutch, English, publisher : M HKA Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst Antwerpen, ISBN : 9789072828644.
> Eva Donckers, Amberes, 2019. Photography, variable dimensions.
> Mathieu Verhaeghe, Rack, 2019. Installation, iron, rope, small pork intestine, house pain, 300 x 150 x 280 cm.
> Alain Ayers, The Distance Between Here & Now, 2019. Installation, mixed media, variable dimensions.
> Rinus Van de Velde, Given only one life, …, 2019. Drawing, charcoal, canvas, 240 x 400 cm.
> Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven / AMVK, A Dash of Dolls, 2019. Print, digital print on forex, 123.5 x 500 cm.
> Paul Hendrikse, Quiet Signs, 2019. Installation, clay, cast concrete, wood, metal, paint, water, 360 x 240 cm, 180 x 180 cm.
> Bart Prinsen, Convergentiepunt (Point of Convergence), 2019. Installation, iron metal rod, 900 x 1000 cm.
> Laure Prouvost, This piece of WORK was exchanged on St Jan place after digging long and deep tunnels, 2019. Article, bread, wooden board, paint, 21,5 x 26 cm.
> The Dockers' Museum. Installation.