Alias

In today’s world of artificial intelligence, fake news, and deepfake videos, distinguishing between reality and fiction has become more pressing than ever before. But instead of strictly delineating between illusion and facts, some artists allow both to coexist by embodying fictional alter egos. They craft artistic personas complete with their own biographies and present their fiction as if it were fact.

M Leuven presents Alias, a group exhibition exploring the theme of fictional artistry. By adopting a different identity, artists liberate themselves from gender or cultural issues, from art world rules and a capitalist system that turns names into brands. The exhibition assembles some 80 works from Belgian and international public and private collections to highlight this recent phenomenon in art history. Piece by piece, the works illustrate the strategies that contemporary artists use to merge fiction and reality.

The works in Alias are displayed across five exhibition rooms at M Leuven. Each explores one of the different strategies that contemporary artists use to blend fiction and reality. Every fictional artist has a unique context that defines their work. This context plays a crucial role in determining the utilisation and rationale behind their fiction. What strategies lie behind fictional artists? Do they develop on the level of the artist themselves? Do they touch upon the art world or emerge as a reaction to society?

M and Walther Koenig Verlag are publishing a book to coincide with the exhibition, with the support of the Fondation Fernand Willame. It includes contributions by Lionel Bovier, Koen Brams, Dieter Roelstraete, Thorvaldur Thorsteinsson, Valerie Verhack and Nikolaas Verstraeten. It will be launched at M Leuven on May 2. On the occasion of the book launch British artist Ryan Gander will hold his performative lecture “Loose Associations: Wretched ‘20”.

Alias is curated by Valerie Verhack. The scenography is by Deborah Bowmann. ​ 

Participating artists: Eleanora Antinova, Jakup Auce, Mary Aurory, Bernadette Corporation, Vern Blosum, Deborah Bowmann, Roberta Breitmore, The Bruce High Quality Foundation, Yoon-Ja Choi & Paul Devautour, Henry Codax, John Doe Co., John Dogg, Aston Ernest, Emily Feather, Claire Fontaine, Lucie Fontaine, Justine Frank, Irwin Green, Florence Hasard, Janez Janša Janez Janša Janez Janša, Jim Jilborn, Alfred Johansen, Leo Josefstein, Darko Maver, Brian O’Doherty, N.V. Panneel, Oksana Pasaiko, Puppies Puppies, ready-mades belong to everyone®, Charles Rosenthal, Herman Smit, Reena Spaulings, Santo Sterne, Ernest T., Suha Traboulsi, Hubert Van Es, Storm van Helsing, Various Artists, Hennessy Youngman