double focus – verwey and masks
June 8, 2024 to January 5, 2025
Together with fifty-four masks by contemporary artists from the art project Sign of the Times (SOTT), Double focus – Verwey and masks a selection of (self)portraits by Kees Verwey (1900-1995). Portraits of sculptures, faces, masks and heads of animals are a recurring subject in Verwey's artistic oeuvre.
Masks and portraits have been used as a means of expression by artists in all eras and art movements. They show aspects of the inner world, emotions, personality and identity. Verwey's self-portraits often have a mystical character. Anyone who knows him can imagine that he sometimes hides behind his portraits.
The art project Sign of the Times
The art project SOTT was started by art transporter and cultural entrepreneur Frank van der Linden. The project takes its name from the song 'Sign of the Times' by Prince, and refers to the 'signature' of the artists and to the zeitgeist in which the mask is created. In 2016, Van der Linden designed a ceramic mask, after which various artists were invited to edit this basic design according to their own wishes. More than fifty contemporary artists have now joined SOTT, making the project an extensive, diverse collection and a source of mutual inspiration. SOTT is therefore a representation of the contemporary art world.
The artists
Although all artists work with the same basic mask, the results are very diverse. Some see the mask as a canvas to paint on, while others completely customize the shape and add additional elements. For example, Roy Villevoye uses his own face as a mask before the basic mask. Lisa Couwenbergh processed the basic mask with polyurethane foam to create a simplified shape, which she provided with a 'grass mat'. Roos Hollemans, known for her pastel drawings of real or fictional animals, decorated her mask with feathers and hair and transformed it into an owl's head.
The exhibition shows (self)portraits by Kees Verwey next to the masks of contemporary artists, highlighting the different meanings of the mask and revealing the true identity of the artist: is he in front of or behind the mask?
NQ Gallery Antwerp
Simultaneously with the exhibition in the museum, an exhibition with the masks from SOTT is also being organized in the NQ Gallery in Antwerp. NQ Gallery is an Antwerp gallery for contemporary art, representing both established and emerging artists.
Look here for more info: https://nqgallery.be/expositions/verwey-en-maskers-sign-of-the-times-sott-separate-room-nq-gallery/
Participants in the exhibition are:
Gijs Assmann, Philip Akkerman, Eliot Allsop, David Bade, Dianne Bakker, Niels Brozat, Sjoerd Buisman, Elvis Chen, Stefan Cools, Brain Coutinho, Lisa Couwenbergh, Olphaert Den Otter, Sjors Driessen, Anne Forest, Niek Hendrix, Bram Hermens, Caren van Herwaarden, Roos Holleman Seet van Hout, Marja Kennis, Erwin Keustermans (BE), Fransje Killaars, Maartje Korstanje, Christina de Korte, Theo Kuijpers, Katinka Lampe, Cousijn van Leeuwen †, Jorn van Leeuwen, Gijs van Lith, Keetje Mans, Fang Mij, Marc Mulders, Olaf Mooij, Remy Neumann, Michiel van Nieuwkerk, Joke Raes (BE), Karen Sargsyan, Charlotte Schleiffert, Timmer & Schoonewelle, Rik Smits, Josine Timmer, Francis Vanhee (BE), Roy Villevoye, Evi Vingerling, Reinoud van Vught, Sacha Zwiers
Click here the photos of the opening.
The exhibition was created in collaboration with the Kees Verwey foundation.
Click here for an overview of all activities organised for this exhibition.