ALIAS

ALIAS
City exhibition in Aalst
September 28–December 1, 2019

This fall, during ALIAS, ten artists will be showing their work in the urban fabric of the city Aalst, in search of a dialogue between the city, its visitors and the inhabitants.

Each installation tells a story and introduces a different artistic language. At some sites the work brings hidden stories to light, at others it comments on a dominant history or presents a fictive tale. As you walk through the city a plurality of voices unfolds a narrative.

ALIAS touches upon the complexity of citizenship, it hints at power currents in the sedimentation of social organisation. What is to be understood as the annals of history, what is their impact on the present and future composition of the city? And how are social relationships formed as ideological constructs, within all of the above?

As such Netwerk Aalst aliast Aalst. Within the exhibition the city functions as a background for action, takes up the role of a character in a play, or is replaced by a fictional image altogether. By walking through the city, existing environments are brought to live by fictive characters or the other way around, while true and false stories intertwine. Throughout the exhibition, fact and fiction weave in and out of each other, thus making way for speculation.

Just as a city transforms under the influence of its inhabitants and visitors, so do these people due to the city they experience. Because of this interaction with ALIAS we are asked to propose possible futures for the city.

ALIAS is curated by Piet Mertens and Pieternel Vermoortel.

On the occasion of ALIAS, an extensive discursive program has been created, with artist talks, guided tours and fumigation ceremonies by David Bergé, Bureau d'Alimentation, Jan Louies, Wendy Morris, Tai Shani, Jozef Wouters and many more.

You can find more information on this program on our website.

Opening hours: Thursday–Friday 1–5pm, Saturday–Sunday 11am–5pm, and Wednesday for groups starting from 15 people, with reservation. Info and tickets: Netwerk Aalst, Houtkaai 15, info@netwerkaalst.be.

Press inquiries: info@a-touch-of-art.be.

In collaboration with VU DE L’EXTÉRIEUR (2019) by Lucile Desamory is a collaboration with Gustave Fundi and Glodie Mubikay. Virginia Lupu´s contribution is curated by Anca Rujoiu in collaboration with EUROPALIA ROMANIA, the Romanian Cultural Institute, SPEEDWELL and WELL ONE. The Empire of Law (2019) by Daniela Ortiz was guided by Laurens Dhaenens and is part of the project Not Fully Human, Not Human At All, a collaboration between the artist, Netwerk Aalst, Kadist and Contour Biennale 9. VIOLETS 3 by Ghislaine Leung is curated by Alicja Melzacka.

Artists: Bianca Baldi, Omar A. Chowdhury, Lucile Desamory, Ieva Epnere, Ghislaine Leung, Virginia Lupu, Wendy Morris, Daniela Ortiz, Ria Pacquée, Tai Shani