Culture

VW Beetle shines at SMAK's new acquisitions' expo

Ghent's contemporary art museum is currently staging a special exhibition showing some of the best works from its collection that were acquired recently. Michael Sailstorfer, Zvi Goldstein and Surasi Kusolwong are among the many artists featured.

Highlight of the exhibition is undoubtedly Surasi Kusolwong's installation Emotional Machine. This installation by the Thai artist consists of a ‘landscape’ of car parts. In the middle hangs the dismantled bodywork of a Volkswagen Beetle. Visitors can get into the upturned vehicle and watch a video.

Zvi Goldstein’s Cactus Model is part of Goldstein’s Botanology, a group of works in which the artist’s hybrid approach is particularly evident. The work also reflects on Goldstein’s position as a marginal artist, living and working in Jerusalem, outside the immediate context of Western culture.

Michael Sailstorfer’s Reaktor Gent shows blocks of concrete on the museum floor. Each one is linked to a microphone and relays the sound of the visitor’s footsteps.

"Hello, are we in the show?" by Simona Denicolai and Ivo Provoost consists of 172 original drawings making up a storyboard for the animated film of the same title. The finished animation film too is on show.

The exhibition runs at SMAK in Ghent until 8 May 2016.

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