Convex/Concave: Belgian Contemporary Art

Image: courtesy to Convex/Concave

WIELS director and curator Dirk Snauwaert and WIELS associate curator Charlotte Friling’s selection of works is based on a reflection on the dualist nature of all modern art, departing more specifically from the model of Belgian artists, on extroversion and self-centredness, a convex/concave dynamic that relates to and finds an echo in the way artists represent and imagine an equilibrium between self and world. The capacity to make precise, detailed observations of the tangible, everyday world instead of relying on grand philosophical, abstract and conceptual schemes makes up the singularity of the art of the Low Countries, an ability that shares many similarities with Chinese artists. The exhibition elaborates on the convex/concave dualism between an exteriorisation, relation-oriented worldview and an inward, protectionist view.

TANK Shanghai will present the exhibition Convex/Concave: Belgian Contemporary Art for a period of three months. A specific space will be dedicated to each individual artist in order to present an emblematic body of work that allows the public to delve into their creations and into contemporary art in the broad sense. Iconic works will enter into dialogue with each other and form the narrative of the exhibition, ranging from introversion to exuberance, further broadening the understanding and perception of Belgian contemporary art.