During the cultural city festival Antwerp Baroque 2018. Rubens Inspires, the M HKA, the Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp, juxtaposes the spirit of the baroque masters with the vision of contemporary top artists. With the exhibition Sanguine/Bloedrood (Blood Red), curator Luc Tuymans aims to overwhelm the visitor by placing key works from the baroque of, among others, Francisco de Zurbarán and Caravaggio, in dialogue with works by classical contemporary masters, such as On Kawara and Edward Kienholz, as well as new works by contemporary stars such as Zhang Enli, Takashi Murakami, Michaël Borremans, Sigmar Polke and Tobias Rheberger. 

antwerpenbarok2018.be

Sanguine/Bloedrood. Luc Tuymans on Baroque

©Collection S.M.A.K., Museum voor Actuele Kunst, Ghent, image: Dirk Pauwels
The House of Opportunity: Voodoo!, 2004-2005
Mixed Media , 13 x 14 cm / 33 x 33 x 3 cm framed
pencil and watercolour on cardboard

Luc Tuymans shows three early drawings – in which the artist plays with proportions and enlargements – combined with the almost epic portrait The Sleeper, next to a portrait of Anthony Van Dijck. While the dark tone of his work is offset by vividly brushed brush strokes – referring to Velasquez and Goya – the artist especially leaves room for emptiness and silence.

Text: Hans Willemse
Translations: Michael Meert