“A DOOR IN MY HEAD” - ART EXHIBITION IN A DOMESTIC TILBURG HOME
A house separates private life from public activity. Already a million years ago the Homo Erectus survived in a complex world of social structures that involved organized hunting parties. He therefore regularly withdrew to a permanent location. Netflix did not exist; Homo Erectus, on the other hand, was concerned with controlling the campfire. Communication skills were at such a level that the only social activity that took place in the evening was the grooming ritual at the fireplace.
Homo Erectus was known to be a gifted artist. Because spoken language was not yet available, stories were told by leaving an imprint in the spaces that served as hiding places. "How do I relate to this space I'm used to?" was a question that arose when the artist started with his creation. “Will I respond to the history of my place of residence or will I enter it blankly? Should I view this cave as a White Cube or as air-BnB? ”
Dilemmas such as “Can my housemates be trusted?”, “Do I make coffee for the neighbours or do I close the shutters against predators?”, “Should my collection be made available to the public and what impact does this have on the value of my property?” were of a more practical nature and related to the connection with the outside world.
Ten artists and two curators get under the skin of an empty family house in a residential area of central Tilburg, a town south in the Netherlands. These housemates guide each other through a working period to keep thoughts sharp and examine each other's work. Is it valuable to open the doors to each other and to a wider audience? Our front door is left ajar. After six weeks we'll unlock the gate for a concluding exhibition.
