09.11.1996... 02.02.1997

The Red Gate

Elke Boon, Ricardo Brey, Guo-Qiang Cai, Franky D.C, Berlinde De Bruyckere, Luc Deleu, Danny Devos, Stan Douglas, Jusuf Hadzifejzovic, Dirk Hendrikx, Gary Hill, Noam Holdengraber, Klára Jirásková, Kcho, Masato Kobayashi, Lucie Lavicková, Ariane Lopez-Huici, Bjarne Melgaard, Tatsuo Miyajima, Philippe Morel, Tony Oursler, Philippe Ramette, Michael Ross, Peter Santino, Marianna Schmidt, Matthew Stokes, Pascale Marthine Tayou, Jeffrey Wisniewski, Otto Zitko

"The Red Gate" is the opening exhibition for the new temporary home of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Ghent. It will be taking place in the museum's new stock area, a converted wing of the former exhibition centre. The 'Casino', the centre's main building, is currently being transformed into exhibition areas for the museum and will be opened in autumn 1998.

Both its initial function and the transformation now taking place make of this stock area an architecturally imposing entity. Although its future function (stock, restoration and conservation studio, photo studio and workshop) means the interior will have a highly varied character, its original qualities will be respected. The building currently houses the museum's offices, library, archives and technical areas, as well as an air conditioned storage area for the paintings and a space for packing cases and three-dimensional works.

November 9th 1996 the building as a whole will be introduced to the public by means of a large-scale project in all the rooms, in the various media with which the visual arts are involved. The title of this project, "The Red Gate", refers to the entrance gate to the complex, and which provides it with a striking visual marker. Red: intensity, passion, fire, danger... Gate: access, passage, connection, transformation, the boundary between interior and exterior...
In this project, diverse ensembles will be shown, depicting various aspects of the issues the museum deals with.

The stock aspect can be seen in the presentation of the work of Philippe Morel, the underestimated Flemish artist from whom the Museum Association received a large legacy, and that of Marianna Schmidt, a Canadian artist who also donated a large number of her works to the museum. Other artists include Jusuf Hadzifejzovic, Danny Devos, Franky DC and Berlinde De Bruyckere, who make specific use of the notion of stock and storage in their work.

Classical painting is represented by a number of works by the Japanese artist Masato Kobayashi, and by the work of the young Dutch artist Ed Gebski.
The Flemish sculptor Johan Tahon, relatively unknown until now, and the Dutchman Guido Geelen create sculpture that lies very close to, or comments on the concept of classical sculpture.
These artists are typical examples of the museum's commitment to prospecting. Other artists including the Happy Female Artist, Róza El-Hassan, Joseph Grigely and Michael Ross can also be seen for the first time in Belgium.

Recent developments in the type of sculpture that is evolving into installation art are represented by new works from David Bade, Jeffrey Wisniewski, Bjarne Melgaard and Kcho. Peter Santino, Cai Guo Qiang, Otto Zitko and Luc Deleu were invited to 'adapt' specific rooms or parts of the building. On the square in front of the building, the Museum will be setting up the recently purchased "Mobile Linear City" by Vito Acconci.