Searching for Presence

In a world dominated by constant distractions and a declining ability for long-term attention, the exhibition ‘Present’, by curator Michel Van Dyck at the Van Buuren Museum, invites visitors to rediscover the joy of being in the here and now. Present and engaged. Active and absorbed.

The artworks have been scattered around the expansive 1.5. Hectare gardens and within the art-deco style house. Van Dyck worked together with the museum’s conservator Isabelle Anspach and the artists to position the pieces in the perfect locations.

Without guidance, visitors are invited to take a walk around the property, discovering artworks en route. Some works almost completely blend in with their surroundings, seeming to belong in the gardens and house so naturally that they require a keen eye and a fully engaged individual to seek them out. Therefore, presence is not only encouraged but actually necessary to experience the exhibition. Some works jump out at those searching as they turn a corner or peer over a hedge. The search becomes a game. The works, hidden treasures.

The artist exhibiting work are: Bente Skjottgaard, Carole Vanderlinden, Carlotta Bailly-Borg, Charlotte Vander Borght, Ritsue Mishima, Sarah Caillard, Sherrie Levine, Tatiana Wolska, Denicolai & Provoost, Benoit Plateus, Christophe Doucet, Christophe Terlinden, Damien De Lepeleire, Daniel Boccato, David Adamo, Douglas Eynon, Erwan Maheo, Gijs Milius, Filip Vervaet, François Curlet, Jan Vercruysse, Jonathan Sullam, Jos de Gruyter & Harald Thys, Koenraad Debobbeleer, Luca Vitone, Marcel Berlanger, Martin Belou, Nicolas Party, Oscar Tuazon, Peter Wächtler, Roeland Tweelinckx, Stefan Nikolaev, Stephane Barbier Bouvet, Tanguy Poujol, Takayuki Sakiyama, Vincent Chenut, Yoshiro Kimura.

Present is on display until September 30