Hordaland Kunstsenter

The text below is the curatorial statement published online, in the project's journal and in the Brussels Biennale's catalogue. The images on your right are from the production of Hordaland Art Centre's contribution Wind-Up Birds by HC Gilje and Birds Anywhere and Anytime Now by Pedro Gómez-Egaña.

In October 2008 Wind-Up Birds by HC Gilje was installed in the park Nouzhat Ibn Sina in Rabat, Morocco, while Pedro Gómez-Egaña's performances for camera Birds Anywhere and Anytime Now were made in the two different spaces of L'appartement 22 in Fez and Rabat, Morocco. 

At the project's web page all the artists works can be seen in a video screening.

----------

LE MONDE AUTOUR DE VOUS - THE WORLD AROUND YOU

Abdellah Karroum: The conception of an exhibition as an editorial proposition to grasp in a determined time, that of the visit to a temporary or permanent museum, is defined by the structure of the space, the engaged vision of the curator, and by the tangible expression of the artwork. The duration of the work is generally longer than that of its exhibition.

I consider the Brussels Biennial as a space-time of dialogues that amplify the L’appartement 22 project, notably its engaged and rhizomic character. The construction I proposed for the L’appartment 22 space within the Biennale is founded on three central elements : the origin, with the rallying architecture of the childhood home [1] ; the network, with the invitation of two other structures (HKS from Northern Europe and Stacion from the East and the Balkans) ; and the encounter, with the dialogues for the Radio (R22-Brussels.info). These elements are reunited by the void like a space of open circulation.

Barbara Vanderlinden’s choice of the word “structure” in the invitation provokes in me a desire to relate the exhibition space in Brussels to that of origins. The first visual emotions are situated in childhood, the childhood house, and the landscape that surrounds it. I have constructed the exhibition space of L’appartement 22 at the Brussels Biennial on the model of my own childhood house. Watching the immigrants returning to the neighboring hills, I imagined that Europe was located on the other side of the mountain facing the village. It was in 1975, the year that this family portrait was taken (see photo). Today, I look to create links between this “original” space and the art with which I live in the rest of the world.

L’appartement 22 proposes a program of multiple entries. The artistic project is constructed on a cooperative basis adopted by L’appartement 22 several years ago ; it applies an experimental approach to the production of and meeting with artworks.

It is about remaking the art space, rethinking its possibilities of action and its networks near to the works.

Considering the work of artists and the production of works as the prolongment of exchanges and of engagement with life in general, I suggest inviting two curators and their structures that interest me at this moment : Anne Szefer Karlsen (HKS, Bergen) and Albert Heta (Stacion, Prishtina). [2]

A. K.

Anne Szefer Karlsen: We all present and represent structures that belong geographically and mentally. This belonging is accentuated by moving away. Whereas L’appartement 22 from Morocco and Stacion from Kosovo temporarily move to Brussels, HKS from Norway temporarily move to Morocco. This implies that in this case both Bergen and Prishtina are emptied, which is not the case, the structures are still there in the flesh, alive and breathing, and even growing because of the temporary displacement. HKS’ contribution thus claims that the idea of any structure is just as important as their actual existence. This is made visible by works by HC Gilje in the public space in Rabat, as well as online streaming performances by Pedro Gómez-Egaña from Lot 219 in Fez and L’appartement 22 in Rabat, something actual is transformed into something virtual.

A. S. K.

Albert Heta & Vala Osmani: Stacion Center for Contemprary Art will export to Brussels two artists and two additional structures form Prishtina to be allocated in the structure of the structure of the Biennale and present one structure that is no longer here. One member of the Department for Social Critique a structure that aims to be a structure that would function close to Stacion in exploiting issues that we find relevant for our context and one artist form the program of Pantene Frizer – a contemporary art space created to function without a contemporary art structure. Stacion Agnes was a place where Art is (was) made for friends. These artists were creating new contemporary art history for each other. Stacion “named” the first permanent contemporary art location in Prishtina. This exhibition, starting from 8 February 2007 was thought to be always there, for everyone. Stacion aims to bring these and much more to L’appartement 22 and Brussels.

A. H. & V. O.

[1] In reference to my childhood home in the Rif Mountains (Morocco).

[2] AK’s text translated from the French by Emma Chubb.

----------

LE MONDE AUTOUR DE VOUS (THE WORLD AROUND YOU) Curated by: Abdellah Karroum (L’appartement 22, Rabat), in collaboration with Albert Heta & Vala Osmani (Stacion Center for Contemporary Art, Prishtina) and Anne Szefer Karlsen (Hordaland Art Centre (HKS), Bergen).

Thanks to the team: Emma Chubb, L’appartement 22; Abderrahmane Essaidi, prodution assistant, L’appartement 22; Era Krasniqi, assistant; Stefan Törner (Pedro Gómez-Egaña’s assistant); Maria Øy Lojo and Trond Lossius (BEK).

And to the co-producers and supporters: BEK, Bergen; Bergen kommune, Seksjon for kunst og kultur; Editions Hors’champs, Paris; Janelly and Jean-René Fourtou Foundation, Marrakech; Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports of the Republic of Kosovo, Prishtina; OCA, Oslo and RADIOapartment22, Rabat.

Special Thanks to: Ami Barak, Abdelkader Karroum, Pascal Sémur, Sislej Xhafa.