There is a significant paradox. There are no Belgian (or for that matter Dutch) artists in the major exhibition ‘Fare mondi' of the Venice Biennial. Still Belgium is very well represented in the off program of the biennial, with Jan Fabre, Wim Delvoye and Koen Vanmechelen, but also with several artists in the successful ‘Infinitum'-exhibition by Axel Vervoordt. Why are Belgians doing so great in smaller art events, while at the same time they remain nearly invisible on the big, international platforms (see also Documenta)? There is certainly no lack of talent or quality; it is probably more a matter of international communication and promotion. And of setting the agenda for the next Flemish Minister of Culture.
But there is the responsibility of the press and of the art journalists too. The way in which the Belgian press, massively present at the opening of the biennial, ignored the participation of Jef Geys for the Belgian pavilion, is unseen and unheard of. Almost everything was covered, but the work of Geys was hardly mentioned, let alone reviewed or discussed. Indeed, Geys was not present at the opening, but every serious art journalist knows that this physical absence of the artist is part of his discourse over (almost) the last fifty years. The fact that Geys's contribution is one of the rare highlights in this halfhearted biennial makes things even worse. The Belgian pavilion does not just stand out because most other pavilions are mediocre, ‘Quadra Medicinale is just a fabulous artwork in its own right, a magnificent mixture of social engagement, originality, depth, consequence and esthetics. It simply deserves attention.
In this new issue of <H>ART we try to give Jef Geys a part of this rightful attention, not just by writing on ‘Quadra Medicinale', but also by offering our reader an extra publication, edited by Jef Geys. ‘The sites of Astrid. A selection by Jef Geys' is produced by ‘deBuren' and is a compilation of articles written by Astrid Wittebolle. The articles were published as ‘the site of the day' in the newspaper ‘De Morgen' between 2002 and 2006. By means of a small column Wittebolle reviewed a website. Jef Geys felt that the columns were relevant to his own work and working methods. On his request the articles were compiled, translated to French, English and Arabic and published. The edition is distributed as a supplement to <H>ART #53 and by art centers and public libraries.
A supplement you will not find with this issue is the exhibition agenda. During summer, most galleries close and the offer is limited. As a consequence, you can find the agenda on a double page in the magazine. Our separate exhibition guide will be back in September.
Marc RUYTERS