Online platform for candidate-laureates at HISK (Higher Institute of Fine Arts)
Participating artists: Dries Boutsen, Nelleke Cloosterman, Wim De Pauw, Ian De Weerdt, Manu Engelen, Dani Ghercă, Antoine Goossens, Aziz Harara, Olivia Hernaïz, Karel Koplimets, Nokukhanya Langa, Gaëlle Leenhardt, Zhixin Liao, Linda Jasmin Mayer, Sandrine Morgante, Felipe Muhr, Hadassa Ngamba, Noemi Osselaer, Edouard Pagant, Elisa Pinto, Juan Pablo Plazas, Stephanie Rizaj, Paulius Šliaupa, Pei-Hsuan Wang
Co-curator: Sam Steverlynck
Graphic design by Christophe Clarijs & Robin Vets
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us (...) - Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities (1859)
The well-known opening line of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities (1859) resonates strikingly with today's climate of lingering crisis, like an endless soap opera or emotional rollercoaster. The HISK responds to these circumstances by launching a digital, curated channel onto which the candidate laureates will present and contextualise their work. Studio visits, interviews, a radio show, video portraits, experimental sound recordings, video art, performances,... the channel presents the most surprising and diverse contributions that offer a unique, virtual insight into the practice and/or work process of the first- and second-year candidate laureates.
This brand-new channel, an absolute first in the history of the HISK, launched on the 15th of April 2021 with works by several artists presented one by one, gradually updating the platform with artistic contributions, like new episodes in a serial.