Jan De Cock
10 Mar - 24 Jun 2012
JAN DE COCK
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Eine romantische Ausstellung
10 March - 24 June, 2012
Over the past decade, much attention has been paid to Jan De Cock (*1976 in Brussels). Alone among contemporary Belgian artists, his works have been honored with solo exhibitions in countless international museums including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York (2008), Tate Modern in London (2005) and Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt (2005). Recently, his work was on view in a solo show at KIOSK in Ghent. His oeuvre has been displayed at the most important contemporary art fair, Art Basel, several times. The young Belgian first made a name for himself with an installation at the Manifesta 5 in San Sebastian.
Jan de Cock gained widespread recognition over the past years primarily through his "Denkmal" series - monumental, temporary installations fashioned from plywood boxes and photographs which reference the spatial context, as well as the museum’s architecture. In his work, he lets historical, architectural and cinematic givens enter into a dialogue. Jan De Cock reflects the history of contemporary art in his work while suggesting that an interpretation of its visual legacy does not occur impartially as it constantly demands new proportions.
A part of Jan De Cock’s oeuvre echoes the minimalist aesthetic of the Bauhaus or De Stijl artists. At the same time, his treatment of space alludes to the Constructivist approach of 20th century Russian artists or Kurt Schwitter’s Merzbau. Similar to the Belgian conceptual artist Marcel Broodthaers, Jan De Cock also tries to get to the bottom of the mechanisms of the art context. Like a futuristic Brancusi, Jan De Cock achieves a merging of existing architecture with sculpture in his in-situ works.
For his newest exhibition project, Jan De Cock chose "Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis" as a general heading. It will involve two shows and a set of artists‘ books that will appear at regular intervals. In September of 2011, an exhibition at the White Out Studio in Knokke-Heist (Belgium) was opened and beginning on 3 March 2012, the main show will be presented here in Baden-Baden.
Jan De Cock will realize his in-situ installations, referencing Hermann Billing’s neo-classicist exhibition building, in the 6 meters high skylight halls of the Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. Visitors will be guided through the exhibition halls of the Kunsthalle via a scheme that calls for repetition, linearity, fragmentation and perspective. One of his free-standing installations is reminiscent of a 19th century panorama building and liaises between a row of two-dimensional structures. With Jan De Cock’s urgent and bold use of stylistic elements, as well as his theoretical debate about institutional art presentation, the Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden will be showing one of the most exciting positions in the realm of installation and sculpture.
A varied supporting program and a comprehensive exhibition catalogue, published by Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, will be available.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Eine romantische Ausstellung
10 March - 24 June, 2012
Over the past decade, much attention has been paid to Jan De Cock (*1976 in Brussels). Alone among contemporary Belgian artists, his works have been honored with solo exhibitions in countless international museums including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York (2008), Tate Modern in London (2005) and Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt (2005). Recently, his work was on view in a solo show at KIOSK in Ghent. His oeuvre has been displayed at the most important contemporary art fair, Art Basel, several times. The young Belgian first made a name for himself with an installation at the Manifesta 5 in San Sebastian.
Jan de Cock gained widespread recognition over the past years primarily through his "Denkmal" series - monumental, temporary installations fashioned from plywood boxes and photographs which reference the spatial context, as well as the museum’s architecture. In his work, he lets historical, architectural and cinematic givens enter into a dialogue. Jan De Cock reflects the history of contemporary art in his work while suggesting that an interpretation of its visual legacy does not occur impartially as it constantly demands new proportions.
A part of Jan De Cock’s oeuvre echoes the minimalist aesthetic of the Bauhaus or De Stijl artists. At the same time, his treatment of space alludes to the Constructivist approach of 20th century Russian artists or Kurt Schwitter’s Merzbau. Similar to the Belgian conceptual artist Marcel Broodthaers, Jan De Cock also tries to get to the bottom of the mechanisms of the art context. Like a futuristic Brancusi, Jan De Cock achieves a merging of existing architecture with sculpture in his in-situ works.
For his newest exhibition project, Jan De Cock chose "Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis" as a general heading. It will involve two shows and a set of artists‘ books that will appear at regular intervals. In September of 2011, an exhibition at the White Out Studio in Knokke-Heist (Belgium) was opened and beginning on 3 March 2012, the main show will be presented here in Baden-Baden.
Jan De Cock will realize his in-situ installations, referencing Hermann Billing’s neo-classicist exhibition building, in the 6 meters high skylight halls of the Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden, which recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. Visitors will be guided through the exhibition halls of the Kunsthalle via a scheme that calls for repetition, linearity, fragmentation and perspective. One of his free-standing installations is reminiscent of a 19th century panorama building and liaises between a row of two-dimensional structures. With Jan De Cock’s urgent and bold use of stylistic elements, as well as his theoretical debate about institutional art presentation, the Staatliche Kunsthalle Baden-Baden will be showing one of the most exciting positions in the realm of installation and sculpture.
A varied supporting program and a comprehensive exhibition catalogue, published by Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, will be available.