The Unwritten History Project Detail Record

Detail Record for Guillaume Bijl

Event Title: The Art - Liquidation Project
Series Title:
Location: Franklin Furnace
Date: 4/14/1982 - 5/1/1982
Event Type: Installation

Event Documentation:

The Art - Liquidation Project	The Art - Liquidation Project	The Art - Liquidation Project	The Art - Liquidation Project
The Art - Liquidation Project	The Art - Liquidation Project

Artist Statement: BY GOVERNMENT ORDER: The art-liquidation Project. - Because of the non-functional character of art. - Because of the lack of space several ministries have to cope with these days. - Because of the uneconomic aspect of the art-trade, where tax-evasion is rampant. - Because of the increasing costs the Ministry of Culture is confronted with. - Because of the growing inflationary which needs to be solved as quickly as possible. - Because of the degrading character of new tendencies in art. - Because of the anarchistic attitude of many contemporary artists. ALL MUSEUMS, CULTURAL CENTRES AND ART GALLERIES MUST BE CLOSED and make them more suitable for practical purposes as quickly as possible. THEY WILL BE REPLACED BY i.e.: - Tax control offices (departement of Ministry of Finance) - Driving-schools (dep. of the Ministry of Transport) - Hospitals departments (depart. of the Ministry of Health) - Industrial rehabilitation centers (dep. of the Ministry of Labour) - Centres for Military Training (dep. of Ministry of Defence) - Vocational Guiding Offices (dep. of the Ministry of Education) - Data Banks (dep. of Ministry of Justice) Considering the Art-liquidation measures Gallery Z as transformed, in April '79, into "Driving-school Z". (dep. of the Ministry of Transport) Considering the Art-liquidation measures, exhibitionroom B of the Cultural Centre "De Warande" in Turnhout, was transformed in May '80 into a "Vocational Re-Guiding Centre." (dep. of the Ministry of Labour) Considering the Art-liquidation climate the Antwerp Cultural Centre I.C.C. preventively - and for financial reasons - let out a part of the exhibition space to a private person, who transformed it into a shoe shop called : Chaussures Icece. Considering the Art-liquidation climate and the lack of cultural interest, Gallery 121 became in April '81 a "Travel Agency." Considering the Art-liquidation measures, a part of the exhibition room of the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels became, September '81, a Psychiatric Hospital. (dep. of the Ministry of Health)

Bio:

Press Release: INSTALLATION - GUILLAUME BIJL APRIL 14th - MAY 11th OPENING APRIL 14th 5-7 THE ART - LIQUIDATION PROJECT (BY GOVERNMENT ORDER) By using the "fictive" Art-Liquidation project (by government order etc…), I have made several installations, which transformed art galleries into spaces for pragmatic or business purposes (e.g., a vocational guidance center, a shoe shop, a travel agency, a psychiatric clinic, etc.). The thus transformed situation confronts the visitor with a critical reflection of society (the dialectic is negative). The ironical pop-image that is left shows in a tragi-comical way an homage to art and free non-functional expression. --Guillaume Bijl GUILLAUME BIJL will transform the Franklin Furnace into another business on APRIL 14th. BUJL, from Antwerp, Belgium, has had several group and individual exhibitions in Belgium, The Netherlands and Paris. For further information contact Bill Gordh, Performance/Exhibitions Coordinator.

Proposal Information:

Search Again