XV. JProjects developed by Dirk Snauwaert

Francis Alÿs, A Story Of Deception, Wiels, Brussels, 2010

Sven Augustijnen, Spectres, Wiels, Brussels, 2011

Jef Geys, 53. Venice Biennale, 2009

Eric Agenot, Green Forms Invasion, Saint-Denis Neighborhood, Brussels, 2009

Tuesday, 29th November 2011 from 10 am to 7 pmXV. CURATING THE MOST BEAUTIFUL KUNSTHALLE IN THE WORLD

Fondazione Antonio Ratti, Villa Sucota, Via per Cernobbio, 19, 22100 Como, Italia. www.fondazioneratti.org

DIRK SNAUWAERT

Dirk Snauwaert is the artistic director of WIELS Contemporary Art Centre in Brussels since 2005.

He was formerly joint Artistic Director of the IAC Institut d’Art Contemporain in Villeurbanne/Lyon, responsible for the programming of exhibitions and the development of the FRAC Rhône-Alpes collection.

From 1996 to 2001 he was director of the Munich Kunstverein. From 1989 to 1995 he was respon-sible for the programming of contemporary art at the Exhibitions Association of the Palace of Fine Arts in Brussels. He organised and co-ordinated monographic and thematic exhibitions.

He lectures and publishes regularly on art and visual culture. He was a member of the Advisory Board of the Flemish Community of Belgium and also responsible for its acquisitions between 2004-2006. Among his other positions, Dirk Snauwaert sat on several juries and committees such as l’Action Française d’Action Artistique-AFAA in 2001-2002, the DAAD Berliner Künstlerprogram (1997-2002), in the international board of the Ge-nerali Foundation Vienna in 2010-2012, of the Offi-ce for Contemporary Art Oslo, advisory member of the Allianz Cultural Foundation (D), the acquisition committee of FRAC Pays de la Loire (F).

For Wiels he recently curated the exhibitons of Anne Mie Van Kerckhoven, Bruno Serralon-gue, Expats-Clandestines, Luc Tuymans, Andro Wekua, Rehabilitation, Francis Alÿs, David Claer-bout, and coordinated several others.He also curated the exhibition by Jef Geys for the Belgian Pavilion at the 53. Venice Biennial (2009).

What’s the matter?

Using the structure of the different departments of WIELS and the relations between them as starting point, the lecture adresses in What’s the matter? the changing functions of a ‘Kunsthalle’ or institution for temporary exhibitions. All functions of a Kunsthalle are still oriented toward the temporary display of material artefacts (artworks) as was the case in it’s historic precursor, the ‘Salon’, rather than in immaterial aspects encompassing art practice, ideas, esthetic experience and discourse.