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15/4/2010

I'm Not Here

De Appel Boys' School, Amsterdam

Curated by: Nikita, Yingqian Cai, Alhena Katsof, Direlia Lazo, Yael Messer, Alan Quireyns and Luis Silva

‘Maybe you don’t need to see the work, you just need to hear about it.’
Francis Alÿs – in a converation with James Lingwood 2005

With: Mounira Al Solh (LB/NL), Vaast Colson (BE), Luisa Cunha (PT), Grier Edmundson (USA/UK), André Guedes (PT), Gustav Metzger (UK), Tatiana Mesa (CU), Roman Ondak (SK), Pak Sheung Chuen (HK/CN), Wilfredo Prieto (CU), Ariel Schlesinger (IL), David Sherry (UK), Stefan Brüggemann (MX/UK,) Noa Giniger (IL/NL)

The participants of de Appel Curatorial Programme ’09/’10 present the exhibition “I'm Not Here. An Exhibition Without Francis Alÿs”. The title is inspired by “I’m Not There” (2007) a biographical film directed by Todd Haynes about the iconic American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Six actors depict different facets of Dylan's life and his public persona while Dylan himself is absent from the film. In reference to this, “I’m Not Here. An Exhibition Without Francis Alÿs” is a solo exhibition that takes the form of a group exhibition in which works by the contributing artists evoke the atmosphere of the work of an absent Francis Alÿs.

I’m Not Here. An Exhibition Without Francis Alÿs is an exhibition that brings together a group of 14 international artists. The exhibition is put together by the participants of the de Appel Curatorial Programme and takes place in the new exhibition space of the de Appel Boys' school. Next to the works in the exhibition, performances will take place in the neighbourhood of De Pijp. The title of the exhibition is inspired by the film of Todd Haynes' I’m Not There (2007), in which six actors depict different facets of Bob Dylan's life and his artistic persona while Dylan himself is absent from the film.

Francis Alÿs is the absent protagonist of this exhibition that you are about to enter. The atmosphere of Alÿs’s work is implicitly present, the show does not contain literal illustrations of his oeuvre or specific aspects of his practice. By shifting the spotlight from a well-established artist like Alÿs to a group of related artistic practices, the exhibition not only redistributes agency to all of the participating artists, but also engenders a critical interrogation of the format of the solo show. We invite you as a member of the audience to think about Alÿs by thinking about the other artists in the exhibition and to thus challenge the privileging of presence over absence.

Many of the works in the exhibition are minor interventions or poetic gestures, which will ultimately be “distributed” as rumours or linger as hearsay. Through their ephemeral and minimalist characters, these works share an affinity with Alÿs’s way of working, but a deeper reading may reveal deviation of, variation in relation to or even confrontation with his practice.

Some works in the show question whether documentation is the only valid means of reviving or representing once-only occurrences. Other works interrogate the nature of a “real” encounter with performances on a personal level or in a particular situation. Still other pieces question the meaning of minor interventions in an institutional context and in the public sphere, and explore the limits of political efficacy when an artist infuses his or her singular gestures with a broader social meaning.

Events in the context of the exhibition:

Performance David Sherry: at the opening from 6pm-8pm & 17 April 12 -3 p.m., in the neighbourhood of the de Appel Boys’ School

Performance André Guedes: occurs throughout the exhibition
Performance Tatiana Mesa: 17th Nov, 5 p.m. 2010 in La Habana, Cuba & Miami, US
Magazine Reading: Mounira Al Solh / 20th, 21st April & 4th, 5th May, 12-5 p.m. (Reservation by email: reservation@deappel.nl)
Guided Tours: 17 April (English); 24 April (Dutch); 1 May (Portuguese); 8 May (Hebrew); 15 May (Spanish); 22 May (Chinese)
Sunday School: 6 June: one work from the exhibition becomes the subject of a close reading by a professional

This project was made possible with the support of SKOR (Foundation Art and Public Space), AFK (Amsterdam Fund for the Arts). With special thanks to Francis Alÿs, Raul Ortega, Leanne Dmyterko and Sophie O' Brien.

Catalogus: a catalogue with contributions by Pak Sheung Chuen, texts by Emily Highfield, Jan Verwoert and the curators will be available in the exhibition venue or can be ordered via bookshop@deappel.nl

For more information please contact Hiske Zomer +31(0) 20 6255651 Hzomer@deappel.nl

Opening: 16 April, 6 pm-10 pm

De Appel Boys' School
Eerste Jacob van Campenstraat, 59 - Amsterdam
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Combination ticket with entrance and catalogue: 10 EUR
Normal Entrance: 7 EUR
Catalogue: 9 EUR
All events in the context of the exhibition and our guided tours are included in the entrance fee

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