TAGELDIMDE / MIDDLEGATE

Gauthier Hubert

The Middlegate project in Geel is a recurring event. After Middlegate 1 in 2013, organised by Jan Hoet, and Middlegate 2 in 2018, which was a collaboration between the Werft and the M HKA, Autumn 2023 will see the third edition. This time, the project is in the hands of Pierre Muylle (independant curator) and Philippe Van Cauteren (artistic director of S.M.A.K.) in collaboration with the S.M.A.K. museum.

The TAGELDIMDE/MIDDLEGATE exhibition is an innovative art experience that focuses on breaking conventional categories and preconceptions. The exhibition not only pays homage to the first edition of Middlegate, but also serves as an “overture” to future possibilities. Visitors are challenged to look and think beyond fixed categories. The curators, Philippe Van Cauteren and Pierre Muylle, explicitly distance themselves from traditional dialectics that are often central to art exhibitions. They strive for a more fluid, porous way of thinking, free from rigid definitions and expectations around what art should be. Works of art are seen as “vital traces of an artistic existence,” needing space and breath to live.

International collaboration was an important aspect in curating the exhibition. Various workshops and networks were visited, from ActionSpace in London to Créahm Bruxelles in Brussels. Specific commissions were given to artists such as Marie Zolamian and Nenna Kalu, who create works closely related to the theme of the exhibition. The S.M.A.K.’s rich collection offered additional works that fit the main theme. “Dlamgeidte/Middlegate” is more than an art exhibition; it is an invitation to rethink our way of looking at the world. It provides a platform where both art and audiences can free themselves from traditional constraints and explore new possibilities.

Participating artists: Ashley Anjuyn, Aysha e Arar, Lysandre Begijn, Ben Benaouisse, Marianne Berenhaut, Danny Bergeman, Julius Bockelt, Guido Boni, Elke-Andreas Boon, Della Calberson, Misleidys Francisca Castillo Pedroso, Klaus Compagnie, Lia D Castro, Eric Derkenne, Julien Detiège, Kasper De Vos (ism Yellow Art), Alain Elsen, Angela Fidilio, Maurizio Fontanelli, Irène Gérard, Giga, Gauthier Hubert, Nnena Kalu, Alexis Lippstreu, Jennifer Lohrmann, Bouddha Mabudi, Tomasz Machciński, Andreas Maus, Alessandra Michelangelo, Juan Muñoz, Armineh Negahdari, Jockum Nordström, Henrik Olesen, Laure Prouvost, Guy Rombouts, Franz von Saalfeld, Manuela Sagona, Franca Settembrini, Riccardo Sevieri, Pieter Slagboom, Harald Stoffers, Javier Téllez, Dominique Théâte, Ante Timmermans, Dennis Tyfus, Guy Van Bossche, Nanou Vandecruys Hidde Van Schie, Sandra Vásquez de la Horra, Ria Verhaeghe, Hervé Yamguen, Cristof Yvoré, Artur Żmijewski, Marie Zolamian

Opening Saturday 16.09.23
Visit the exhibition Fridays to Sundays, 10am > 7pm

Location
De Halle – Markt 1, 2440 Geel
and diverse locations in Geel