20–23 November 2013
David Roberts Art Foundation
Symes Mews
London NW17JE
www.davidrobertsartfoundation.com
www.cahf.be
The Harder You Look is a temporary art institute that takes inspiration from and follows the procedures of scientific research as a tool for thinking and producing collaboratively. What are the parameters that come into play when looking at a work of art? What does instigate or affect its reading? What is it that we have in front of our eyes and what happens when we look harder? The Harder You Look focuses on the various aspects of the context that generates a work and traces its relation back to the viewer.
A performance and a panel discussion chaired by Louisa Buck
20 November, 6:30–9:30pm
We start the evening with a composition for percussion and voice by the American composer Frederic Rzewski, To The Earth, from 1985, performed by George Barton, followed by case studies from the participating institutions, addressing issues of responsibility to artworks within a collection. The panel will discuss amongst other concerns de-collecting, lost works, and the tension between domestic and public spaces.
Jonathan Lahey Dronsfield in conversation with Ian Kiaer
21 November, 6:30–8pm
The format of this evening will consist of a 45-minute discussion between philosopher Jonathan Lahey Dronsfield and artist Ian Kiaer. It will be followed by a question and answer session. The guests will present with examples from their work the back-and-forth between object and theory.
Michele Robecchi and Skye Sherwin on Marcel Broodthaers and Felix Gonzalez-Torres
22 November, 6:30–8pm
An investigation into how critical discourse is constructed, conducted and presented in relation to the works of Marcel Broodthaers and Félix González-Torres featured in Orpheus Twice (current exhibition at DRAF).
Ways Of Looking (Harder) by Ossian Ward
23 November, 6:30–8pm
Ossian Ward discusses the ideas behind his new book (tentatively titled Ways of Looking: Contemporary Art Explained, published 2014) with an introduction to the seminal book by John Berger: Ways of Seeing from 1972.
Collecting Matters is a partnership between three foundations that marks a collective commitment to encouraging new ways of thinking, sharing and producing knowledge about collections. Founded in 2012 by the Kadist Art Foundation (Paris), Nomas Foundation (Rome) and David Roberts Art Foundation (London), Collecting Matters wishes to develop an exchange on notions of collection/collecting through an interdisciplinary curatorial fellowship.
Contemporary Art Heritage Flanders (CAHF) is a research environment and knowledge platform initiated by and built around the collections of the four leading contemporary art museums in Flanders, Belgium: S.M.A.K. (Ghent), Mu.ZEE (Ostend), M HKA and Middelheimmuseum (Antwerp). Through a series of projects and actions (investments, workshops, symposia, publications, exhibitions) CAHF both questions and strengthens the institutional practice of collecting, by accommodating dialogue and collaboration between its four partner museums and an international community of art professionals.
About The Harder You Look
Running parallel to these events The Harder You Look also incorporates a series of events for a selected group of students and specialists from Belgium, France, Italy and the UK. Each day focuses on a binary structure: image/work, conservation/restoration, presentation/representation.
Invited guests include artist Manon de Boer, novelist Tom McCarthy, artist Mark Leckey, artist Artie Vierkant, curator Claire Louise Staunton, curator Camiel van Winkel, artist Matthew Day Jackson, curator Lisa Le Feuvre and artist Marie Lund.
The Harder You Look is curated by Nicoletta Lambertucci (DRAF) and Pieternel Vermoortel (CAHF) in collaboration with the participating institutions, supported by Arts Council England.