Objectif Exhibitions presents:

Michael Stevenson “A Question of How Things Behave”

January 30 to March 20, 2010 Opening Saturday January 30, 6 to 8pm

New Zealand artist Michael Stevenson brings together a range of different media often comprising seemingly documentary installations that take an anthropological look at historical events (frequently related to the world of art). In his works, Stevenson presents a web of information whose ambiguous status as fact or fiction is rendered even more precarious as it appears to be the product of a mind shrouded in conspiracy theories and innuendo. The objects presented exude an aura of monumentality, re-enforcing their status as historically significant if undervalued. For his first solo exhibition in Belgium, Stevenson presents a new video produced by Objectif Exhibitions, Etablissment d’en Face and the Auckland Triennial looking at the theme of uncertainty by way of the story of Manfred Gnädinger aka Man (1940-2002), along with a presentation of Man's library from the Museo del Alemán, Camelle, Spain.

Michael Stevenson’s shows in 2008 include “Lender of Last Resort”, Vilma Gold, Frieze Art Fair (London), “The Sweet Burnt Smell of History”, Panama Art Biennial 8 (Panama City), “Not Quite How I Remember It”, The Power Plant (Toronto), “Master Humphrey’s Clock”, a project by de Appel curatorial programme (Utrecht), “Lender of Last Resort”, Kröller-Müller Museum (Otterlo), and in 2007: “Persepolis 2530”, Arnolfini (Bristol), “Wiedereröffnung des Museum Abteiberg”, Städtisches Museum Abteiberg (Mönchengladbach), “The Irresistible Force”, Tate Modern (London), “c/o the Central Bank of Guatemala”, CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts (San Francisco). In 2003, Stevenson represented New Zealand at the 50th Venice Biennale with his installation “This is the Trekka”. Since 2000, Stevenson lives and works in Berlin. Attached image: Detail of a dictionary cover collage by Manfred Gnädinger aka Man (1940-2002). The book is from a library found in Gnädinger’s small dwelling situated on the beach in the Galician fishing village of Camelle. (Courtesy of the artist and Museo del Alemán, Camelle, Camariñas, Spain.) This exhibition is made in collaboration with Etablissment d’en Face, Brussels.

Objectif Exhibitions Kleine Markt 7-9/Bus 26 Antwerp 2000 Belgium
T: +32.3.288 4977
E: info@objectif-exhibitions.org http://www.objectif-exhibitions.org
Opening hours are Wednesday thru Saturday, 2-6pm

Nocturne 21 January

Hello everybody,

There will be a nocturne in antwerpen the 21 of january.
Lets meet at Charleroi close to the museum at 18.00?
We go to the galleries at 18.30.

Tasca / What future?

Tasca:

In portugal there are some traditional bars being closed down due to European Standardization laws. This bars are called Tasca's (from the original word Taverna), and they used to exist in a very regular way, for one could fine it in almost every corner of any city in Portugal. Now its existence is threatned becouse EU claims for its unsafety, or for the new standard sizes that are norms to be taken in consideration in its every country.

I am talking about places were people joined in to eat and drink cheaply, to talk, discuss and a laugh about the quotidian.
For example in Coimbra there were more than 100 hundred Tasca's about 10 years ago. Now only 20 are still operating.
In Braga a 100 year old café was closed becouse it had a wooden roof.

Well this hole situation gets to be even more evident when we justapose an economical crisis (having its peak in 2005 when ASAE - Autoridade de Segurança Alimentar e Económica was created), with the beginning of this activities.
Its the imposed social/visual formating that I would like to talk with you all.

I proposethat we meet for drinks in traditional bars, discussing the "Where we are going to?" and the "How to cope with it?".