Joris Van de Moortel / PRESENTS

S.M.A.K. announces two new exhibitions in October, a solo by Joris Van de Moortel and the collection presentation PRESENTS.

Joris Van de Moortel: HELL ON EARTH, in search of PUR, NUR and FUR
Joris Van de Moortel works on a multidisciplinary oeuvre that explores the boundaries of art forms and challenges conventions. His chaotic aesthetic and deep-rooted creative urge form a unique universe that opens a critical dialogue on the complex relationships between nature, culture, art, religion and contemporary society.

The studio and exhibition space function as a modern alchemist’s laboratory, a place in which imagination and reason merge, and a mine from which the artist extracts materials and ideas. Van de Moortel transforms them into mystical feelings and thoughts, resulting in artworks that guide us in a rapidly changing world.

The artist explores the intricate and layered relationships between past, present and future, and how they shape us as we navigate between life and death, history and progress, ruthlessness and hope. In Hell on Earth, S.M.A.K.’s main front gallery is transformed into a sacred, total installation. New oil paintings, watercolours, models, sculptures and tarot cards meet film, performance, sound and music in a setting that testifies to a profound search for a new myth and spirituality, a fresh paradigm to encompass reality between past and future.

Hell on Earth is not merely an observation of chaos but an invitation to reflect and act. Van de Moortel places us in the NUR, between the PUR and FUR, urging us to recognize our responsibility in restoring environmental balance. He calls for reclaiming our soul, reconnecting it with the soil, and planting our heart in the earth like a seed.

This exhibition is a call to shatter the apathy and ignorance that grips our society. It conjures an apocalyptic image that reflects our current times, but also marks a new beginning. One in which art is the ultimate vehicle for revealing the journey’s deeper meaning as a collection of imagined memories.

PRESENTS—private donations to S.M.A.K.
A museum collection can grow in two ways: through purchases or gifts from national and international donors. S.M.A.K. has expanded its collection in recent years thanks to a number of generous donations. These are not only an invaluable support in terms of developing the collection, but also a sign that the museum’s work is appreciated. They also contribute to the organisation’s future.

In 2021, S.M.A.K. displayed a selection of donations in the exhibition GIFTED, which showcased works by Marlene Dumas, Ann Veronica Janssens, Mario Navarro, Massimo Bartolini and Richard Tuttle, amongst others.

PRESENTS is the museum’s second exhibition of donated artworks and it highlights the extraordinary gifts made during the last five years. The only common denominator is the commitment and generosity of the donors, who range from private collectors to galleries, estates and the artists themselves. Presenting the works in the museum is the best way to pay homage to our donors.

PRESENTS includes a broad spectrum of work, from less well-known pieces by famous artists to recognisable works by those who are less renowned. Some of the artists already have a history of working with the museum. Either their work is already represented in the collection, or they have previously exhibited at S.M.A.K. The accompanying texts explain the works and links with the museum.

Finally, it is important to emphasise that donors also indirectly support the realisation of the new museum building, a dream that is slowly becoming a reality. Private donors make a crucial contribution to the organisation’s future, one that is perhaps greater than they imagine.

PRESENTS includes work by: Fred Bervoets, Michael Buthe, Peter Downsbrough, Tatjana Gerhard, Ellen Harvey, Anton Henning, Fabrice Hyber, Rashid Johnson, Kim Jones, Jean Katambayi Mukendi, Guillaume Leblon, Werner Mannaers, Xavier Noiret-Thomé, Laure Prouvost, Paula Siebra, Mircea Suciu, Luc Tuymans, Guy Van Bossche, Patrick Van Caeckenbergh, Jan Van Imschoot, Sandra Vásquez de la Horra, Rose Wylie and Cristof Yvoré.