[TANK EXHIBITION] Interview with Luc Tuymans

Convex/Concave: Belgian Contemporary Art
Curated by Dirk Snauwaert and Charlotte Friling
October 31st, 2019 - January 12th, 2020

Convex or concave directions – in perception, perspectives and reflections – have come to symbolize the multiple exchanges and interrelations of subjectivity. These reflections, stand-ins for the dualism in subjectivity, symbolize the opposing tendencies of an inner self vis-à-vis an outer world – of a gaze turned inwards in contemplation – and of an extrovert and engaging gaze turned outwards. This dualism, defining of the very conception of subjectivity or identity and of the self, is the lens through which this gathering of contemporary Belgian artists has been organized, since that dualism captures a general characteristic, not only of modernity, but also of the artistic endeavors, and singularity, of Belgian artists. In addition, the choice for this organizing principle finds echoes in the ways in which Chinese artists and intellectuals have tackled modes of representation and dominant paradigms and, in so doing, have transformed the convex-concave dialectics into playful or meditative attitudes to self-awareness.

About the Artist:

Luc Tuymans (b. 1958 in Belgium, where he lives and works) is both an heir to the vast tradition of Northern European painting and an artist who undermines that tradition’s dependence on history, portrait, landscape and still life. A child of the 1950s, Tuymans’ relationship to the medium of painting is influenced by photography, television and cinema. Interested, among other things, in Christian iconography, the lingering effects of World War II on the lives of Europeans, and the weight of tradition, Tuymans’ work delves into issues of history and memory. In addition, he explores the relationship between photography and painting by using a muted palette to create canvases that are simultaneously subdued and disarmingly stark.

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Exhibition Page: http://www.tankshanghai.com/en/exhibi...