calendario eventi  :: 

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25/4/2012

Two exhibitions

Witte de With, Rotterdam

Alexandre Singh
The Humans
An on-ongoing installation, an exhibition, multiple encounters and ‘Causeries’, rehearsals and a play.
26 April – 28 October 2012

Witte de With, Center for Contemporary Art presents the on-site realization of The Humans, a theatrical play that aims to ‘create a new world’ by visual artist and writer Alexandre Singh. This project, on view from 26 April to 28 October 2012, came into being after seven years of correspondence between Alexandre Singh and Defne Ayas, Witte de With’s newly appointed director.

Set before the Earth’s beginning in a proto-world populated by spirits, gods, artisans and men of clay and plaster, The Humans – with ‘creation’ as its central theme – is modelled after the ancient Greek plays of Aristophanes. Whilst the theatrical references are ancient, the satire is utterly modern: religion, morality and human hubris are all mocked with an irreverent and biting tone.

Leading up to the final live presentation of his play, Singh will transform Witte de With's second floor into a part artist's studio, part script-room and part display area; where visitors will be able to follow the development of this ambitious play. This on-site realization of the artwork allows the audience to gain a unique insight into the inner dynamics of artistic creation. The process of making The Humans will also be embodied in a growing display of the props that Singh produces whilst working within the walls of the institution. By pursuing the opportunity to actively engage with the artist's work, the aim is not only to forge a collaboration between experts coming from different disciplines that will inform and be informed, inspire and be inspired by the artworks on view but also to interface with theatre groups, youth choirs, set designers, prop-makers and costume-designers.

The Humans will evolve and change over a six-month period and include a variety of formats from exhibition, presentations, rehearsals to discursive events that informed by the props to be produced on site.

Witte de With welcomes art enthusiasts across the spectrum as well as scholars such as classicists and students over the course of the project, to follow the making-of and development of the play. And also to engage, take part in or simply converse with the artist, join the process, and visit this on-going and changing production more than once!

First manifestation: Friday 1 and Saturday 2 June 2012
Kick-off of ‘Causeries’
Singh 's ongoing production is to inform Witte de With’s upcoming series of public programs and act as a main point of inspiration to the ongoing lectures, seminars and classroom discussions. The tailored courses and workshops will engage The Humans as to further activate reflection on the subject-matters underlying Singh’s work and explore key concepts and people including: creation mythologies, the poetry of Hesiod, the work of Jonathan Swift, Aristophanes, satire and dance. The kick-off weekend on 1 and 2 June will be organized, in collaboration with critic and writer Donatien Grau.

Closing: The Humans live on stage. Exact date and location to be announced

About Alexandre Singh
Alexandre Singh (1980) is a visual artist and writer based in New York. Singh, who was born in Bordeaux, France to Indian and French parents was brought up in Manchester, UK before studying Fine Art at the University of Oxford, UK. Singh’s work derives at once from traditions in literature, performance, photo-conceptualism and object-based installation art. Often starting with elaborate, publicly presented lectures that blend historical fact with narrative fiction, Singh’s practice resists categorization. His work has been exhibited in venues throughout Europe and the United States including The Serpentine Gallery, London; New Museum, New York; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Palais de Tokyo, Paris and Sprüth Magers, Berlin. Singh’s work is held by a number of private and public collections including MoMA, New York and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.

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PROMPTS & TRIGGERS
A series of propositions and a discursive program.
26 April 2012 – 6 January 2013

Prompts & Triggers Act I:
Line No. 2 (Holy Bible), (2012) – Meriç Algün Ringborg
Thursday 26 April – 17 June 2012

Meriç Algün Ringborg (b. 1983, Istanbul, lives and works in Stockholm) presents a seemingly simple horizontal line, consisting of scriptures from the Holy Bible, that courses through Witte de With’s exhibition space. Perhaps the most unexpected point of departure for Line No.2 (Holy Bible) is Alexander Selkirk who is known as the original Robinson Crusoe, the central protagonist in Daniel Defoe’s fictional yet biographical novel first published in 1719. Algün Ringborg’s work presents the Holy Bible as a symbol for self-control as it appeared in Selkirk and Crusoe’s stories, further stipulating on the role of religion throughout history.

About Witte de With
Witte de With, Center for Contemporary Art, presents the latest developments in international contemporary art. www.wdw.nl.

Image: Alexandre Singh, Assembly Instructions (The Pledge- Alfredo Arias), forty seven, framed inkjet ultrachrome archival prints and dotted pencil lines, 2011. Courtesy: Sprüth Magers, Berlin London; Art:Concept, Paris; Monitor, Rome.

For more information or additional images, please contact Jessie Hocks or Angélique Kool via:
press@wdw.nl or +31(0)104110144.

Opening: 26 April 2012 from 5 till 8 p.m.

Witte de With, Center for Contemporary Art
Witte de Withstraat 50 - 3012 BR Rotterdam
Opening hours: Tuesday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Closed on Mondays and during installation periods.
Admission prices:
€5,00 Witte de With
€ 7,00 Witte de With en Tent.
€2,50 discount: under 18 / students / CJP / seniors / groups (min. 10)
Free: under 12 / Cultuurkaart / Rotterdampas
Museumjaarkaart is valid.
Free guided tours every Wednesday and Sunday at 3 p.m. by a staff member in English/Dutch. (not for groups)

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