Press Release January/February 2006
A Prior Magazine#12
Erik van Lieshout, Steven Shearer, Ragnar Kjartansson
A Prior Magazine Is proud to present its 12th issue which focuses on the recent works and projects of Dutch artist Erik van Lieshout (1968). Van Lieshout’s daring, curious and socially conscious video-installations are contextualised internationally by two artists’ projects, by Canadian artist Steven Shearer and by Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson.
In VISIONS independent curator Annie Fletcher speaks about her extraordinary projects and the art of collaborating; Austrian media artist, writer and curator Armin Medosch looks at the effects of new, digital, media on contemporary society and presents the notion of an ad-hoc mode.
Launches
A Prior Magazine #12 will be presented:
On Wednesday 25th of January 2006
• At Galleria Franco Noero in Turin, on the occasion of the opening of Steven Shearers solo show from 6.30-8.30pm.
On Thursday 26th of January 2006
• At the MuHKA, Antwerp from 9pm – 11pm – With a round table discussion between Dieter Roelstraete (curator of MuHKA and member of APM’s editorial board), Steven Shearer and Ragnar Kjartansson. – With “Sorrow conquers Happiness” a musical performance by Ragnar Kjartansson at 10pm.
• During the opening of the exhibition and broadcast “Satellite of Love” in Witte de With centre for Contemporary Art, Rotterdam, on the occasion of the International Film Festival Rotterdam, where Van Lieshout presents a new work.
From 20 February 2006 APM#12 will be available in specialised art book shops world wide.
APM#12
It seems a tendency among contemporary artists to take on a role of self questioning, combining an almost anthropological interest in society and relational or social structures with a highly personalised approach. How else would or could you respond to the impacts and developments in this vastly ‘globalising’ world? And is this positioning taken over by the more peripheral, independent, art organisations?
Erik van Lieshout (NL) a dynamic artist keeps putting himself on the scales: where does he stand in society. Van Lieshout questions his position – young white male – in a curious and rather direct way, utterly unpretentious; naïve rather than arrogant. Sven Lütticken, Tom Morton and Caroline Eggel discuss Van Lieshouts more recent video installations and related work in terms of presentation, contemporary culture, art film.
The artists projects in this issue are made by two artists, Steven Shearer (Can) and Ragnar Kjartansson (Is) and take on an approach that shares affinities with Van Lieshouts idiom, rough imagery, shocking at times, pornographic or humoristic at others, yet has its very own sources of inspiration and its very own questions to answer. Dieter Roelstraete (B) wrote the first extensive interpretative text on the archival work of Steven Shearer. Dr. Christian Schoen (D) contributed an enlightening and introductory text on art, performance and myth, the work and intentions of Ragnar Kjartansson.
Andrea Wiarda (NL) spoke with independent curator Annie Fletcher (I/NL)about the position, profession and possibilities of the independent curator and whether art can be a motor for thinking. Artist & curator Armin Medosch (A) contributed his vision on self-organisational mechanisms in contemporary society and the power of ad-hoc structures.
A Prior Magazine is a series of publications on contemporary art. The magazine is published by vzw Mark, in two or three languages (English, Dutch and French) in Brussels and distributed all over the world in specialized art bookstores and museums. Twice a year an issue comes out in which the body of work of an artist residing in Belgium or the Netherlands is discussed at large by means of visual and textual contributions. With an extensive portfolio and texts by various authors a substantial publication is established – in close collaboration with the artist – offering two other artists the possibility to set up an artist’s project. The first issue of A Prior was launched in October 1999 the magazine has since presented the work of artists such as Honoré d’O (b), Fiona Tan (nl) and Meg Stuart (usa) and has presented artist’s projects of among others Daan van Golden (nl), Francisca Lambrechts (b), Wim Catrysse (b) and Jimmie Durham (usa).
A Prior Magazine is in fact compiled in a similar way as an exhibition: a many-sided offer and several points-of-view containing some degree of affinity. In the last section of A Prior Magazine, Belgian Focus, the Dutch and Belgian art scenes are discussed through a series of textual as well as visual columns.
A Prior Magazine is made and published in Brussels, Belgium, with the support of De Vlaamse Gemeenschap, de Mondriaan foundation, De Vlaamse Gemeenschapscommissie van het Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, IBK, Mees Pierson.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us for further information and subscriptions
A Prior Magazine, www.aprior.org ,
Andrea Wiarda, andrea@aprior.org ,
Els Roelandt, els@aprior.org .
New Address: VZW Mark (A Prior Magazine)
Delaunoystraat 58 b15,
1080 Brussel.
T: +32 2 414 14 70
+32 476 23 54 94
Adresses launches :
Muhka, Leuvenstraat 32, 2000 Antwerpen
Witte de With, Witte de Withstraat 50, Rotterdam
