Fine Art PR Publicity Announcements News and Information
Fine Art PR Publicity Announcements News and Information

Foundation Liedts-Meesen acquires interweave by Masashi Echigo

Interweave is a multimedia work of interwoven internet cables each measuring 70 meters long, linked to a router with an internet connection. The internet cables are interwoven using a particular node type that was very popular with the kids in the sixties and we still know today as scoubidou.

Masashi Echigo, “Interweave,” 2012. Photo by Koen de Waal

Weaving the nodes of the thick cables is an intensive operation that requires concentration and precision. The staging and arrangement of the cables and the knots is not at random and is specifically highlighted. The artist constantly seeks to evoke new stories by changing the materials or the setting of his sculpture. The central placement of the loop in the nave of the building reinforces its theatrical character. It is a symbolic reference and reminder for the inhabitants of Ghent of the event in 1539 when the quirky Ghent notables were humiliated by Charles the Fifth who obliged them to bear a noose. They had refused to submit to the disproportionate demands of the prince. The noose has become the symbol of resistance in Ghent against every form of tyranny and misplaced authority. Every year this event is commemorated by noose bearers who proudly wear this badge of honor.

Interweave summarizes the combined idea of connection and connectedness in a cross-border and cross-media context.

The Foundation Liedts-Meesen / Zebrastraat
The Foundation is an extraordinary architectural site in Ghent called Zebrastraat after the name of its location. With an open mind to the future, i.e. through the realization of a new Zebra complex and an exhibition policy that provides opportunities to different disciplines within the arts, we purchase artworks that broaden our panorama and provide knowledge and information on art and society. The democratic principle always occupies a central place. Since its establishment, the Foundation has been aiming to exhibit new and not obvious topics in the arts or to add such objects to its collection. This philosophy is demonstrated by the different exhibitions we have already organized. We debuted in 2005 with Dots and Pixels, with works ranging from Paul Signac to Attila Cörgö, showing a sample of the art of pointillism to the pixels of today. The next year, the exhibition Wonderland, Fluxus and the Game brought the art protagonists Nam June Paik, Yoko Ono, Bertolt Brecht and many of the Fluxus movement of the 60s, supplemented by modern adaptations like those of Honoré d’O. With the launch in 2006 of the biennial Update, the idea of ​​technology and art in all its forms is presented to the public. In 2012, the Zebrastraat already holds the fourth edition and we put the emphasis on a competition under the name New Technological Art Award (www.ntaa.be) in collaboration with the Art College La Cambre and the Art Institute iMAL, both established in Brussels. We also organize every summer an exhibition of an East-Flemish artist during the Ghent Festivities, which recall the characteristic 16th century history during which the quirky people of Ghent were obliged by Charles the Fifth to bear a noose.

Written by Isolde De Buck (Curator of Zebrastraat)

Masashi Echigo was born in Toyama, Japan, and currently lives and works in Ghent, Belgium with the support of the Pola Art Foundation. Since 2008, he has lived and spent lengthy periods of time in numerous European cities. Each experience has been represented by individual installations that are spatially and emotionally tied to their context. Together, these installations enter into a dialogue with each other, serving as evidence of his voyages. Past exhibitions include Dublin Contemporary 2011, Dublin (2011); HIAP Cable gallery, HIAP, Helsinki (2011); the National Gallery of Modern & Contemporary Art, Rome (2010); BE-PART Platform voor actuele kunst, Waregem, Belgium (2010); Factory Kunsthalle, Krems, Austria (2009).

Organized by Zebrastraat (www.zebrastraat.be)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *