The Dark Ages were the initial reflection point of the new exhibition at Aeroplastics, in Brussels, curated by Jerome Jacobs in collaboration with Sebastian C. Strenger. Dark Ages is indeed the title of the group exhibition, which explores the uneasiness of the economic crisis, the extremism, and the political questions of the current times, as if we were in a time of transition (to a possible Dark Age?).
From the dark and deserted environment in the photograph of Ryuta Amae, which welcomes the spectator, to the sudden massive destruction in the Merry Go Round tornado, by Robert Gligorov. The show goes on, sometimes with a sense of irony, with an explosion viewed from a Porsche’s wing mirror (by HeHe), with chickens that eat a coffin made of lentils (Eckhart Hahn, Der letzte Streich), or even with A Ballad for Chicken Banana (Dionisis Kavallieratos).
The large scale drawing by Filip Markiewicz, Europa macht frei, a bank note, conveys a serious criticism of Europe (makes us free) with the use of recent social media viral images, as the Syrian boy washed ashore. Works of other important artists, such as Martin Kippenberger, Joseph Beuys, Francis Alys, Georg Baselitz, Sigmar Polke, and Gerard Richter, can also be seen in the exhibition.
To go along with the greyish skies of Brussels, Dark Ages will be on display until the 23rd of January, 2016.
Robert Gligorov – Merry go round, 2014 Color digital print on dibond, 130 x 110 cm, ed. of 3 courtesy of Aeroplastics contemporary, Jerome Jacobs.Ryuta Amae – Refuge, 2006 digital print drymounted on dibond under satinated diasec, framed, 186 x 285 x 5 cm, ed. of 5 courtesy of Aeroplastics contemporary, Jerome Jacobs.HeHe – Step On the Gas, 2014 Porsche’s wing mirror, duratrans, plexi, ccfl, 11 x 23 x 10 cm courtesy of Aeroplastics contemporary, Jerome Jacobs.Franz West, Eckart Hahn, Andre Butzer, Filip Markiewicz courtesy of Aeroplastics contemporary, Jerome Jacobs.Dionisis Kavallieratos – A Ballad for Chicken Banana, 2010 Oil charcoal on paper, 100 x 70 cm courtesy of Aeroplastics contemporary, Jerome Jacobs.Filip Markiewicz – Europa Macht Frei, 2015 Pencil on paper, 150 x 290 cmcourtesy of Aeroplastics contemporary, Jerome Jacobs.Nadav Kander – Elizabeth with elbows hiding face, 2012 Chromogenic print, framed, 138 x 183 cm.László Lakner – Joseph Beuys – Daniele Spoerri – James Lee Byars – Pierre Bismuth courtesy of Aeroplastics contemporary, Jerome Jacobs.John Isaacs – A long time waiting, you are lovely as you want to be, 2006 Wax wire, plaster expanding foam, 41 x 29 x 29 cm & Kris Martin – Life after Death – Joseph Alois Ratzinger, (Pope Benedict XVI), 2006 Print on paper, framed, 80 x 60 x 3,5 cm courtesy of Aeroplastics contemporary, Jerome Jacobs.László Lakner – Mao Bible, 1985 Bronze, 30 x 27 x 9 cm courtesy of Aeroplastics contemporary, Jerome Jacobs.Martin Kippenberger – Heavy Burschi, 1991 Oil and lacquer on canvas, 58 x 35 x 1,5 cm courtesy of Aeroplastics contemporary, Jerome Jacobs.Francis Alys – Untitled (two men and a wall of paintings), 2000 Framed oil, pencil and collage, 52,5 x 43,5 x 2,5 cm courtesy of Aeroplastics contemporary, Jerome Jacobs.Joseph Beuys – “Rhine Water Polluted”, 1981 Glass bottle, Rhine river water, green coloring, typewritten label, painted metal screw-top, and wax, 28 x 7 x 7 cm, ed. of 24 courtesy of Aeroplastics contemporary, Jerome Jacobs.Gavin Turk – Daily bread, 2003 Framed watercolor, 29 x 41 x 3 cm courtesy of Aeroplastics contemporary, Jerome Jacobs.Christian Eisenberger – Untitled, 2009 Concrete and deerfeet courtesy of Aeroplastics contemporary, Jerome Jacobs.Sigmar Polke – TV Picture Ice Hockey, 1973 Offset on chromolux paper, 38 x 24 cm (67,58 x 55 x 2,5 cm framed) & Gerhard Richter – Der Halfmannshof, 1968 Offset, 28 x 42 cm (41 x 53,5 x 2 cm framed) courtesy of Aeroplastics contemporary, Jerome Jacobs.Hermann Nitsch – John Isaacs – Daniele Buetti courtesy of Aeroplastics contemporary, Jerome Jacobs.
Artists: Carlos AIRES- Francis ALYS- Ryuta AMAE- Pablo ALONSO- Georg BASELITZ- BEN- Joseph BEUYS- Pierre BISMUTH- John BOCK- Emmanuel BORNSTEIN- Daniele BUETTI- Werner BÜTTNER- Andre BUTZER- James Lee BYARS- Umberto CHIODI- Wim DELVOYE- Herman De VRIES- Felix DROESE- Christian EISENBERGER- GELITIN- Mikel GLASS- Robert GLIGOROV- Eckart HAHN- Hans HARTUNG- HeHe- Eva HESSE- Thomas HIRSCHHORN- Tilman HORNIG- John ISAACS- Nadav KANDER- Daniel KANNENBERG- Dionisis KAVALLIERATOS- Martin KIPPENBERGER- László LAKNER- Emilio LOPEZ MENCHERO- Sally MANN- Filip MARKIEWICZ- Kris MARTIN- Sergey MAXIMISHIN- Carsten NICOLAI- Hermann NITSCH- Thomas OFFHAUS- Sigmar POLKE- Gerhard RICHTER- Stefan RINCK- Tracey SNELLING- Daniel SPOERRI- Turi SIMETI- Gavin TURK- Luc TUYMANS- Günther UECKER- Marcel van EEDEN- Del Lagrace VOLCANO- Wolf VOSTELL- Hans WEIGAND- Vincent WENZEL- Franz WEST- Heimo ZOBERNIG.
