"Après-charbon"
- A group exhibition at the former coal main factory. Artétude
- Genk, Belgium
23 September - 14
October 2001 /
ArteLtude, Genk, Belgium / 35mx80m
Sand, Wood, Bricks, Sheets of Rice Paper, Japanese Ink, The Artist
The city of Genk
was famous for the coalmine before they closed it. The exhibition was
held for the one hundred anniversary of the first succesfull coal digging
in this town. The exhibition
took place inside the former coal main factory. Takahiro used a
huge storage room, called the "Magazijn" with a size of 25
meters by 80 meters, for his installation. He covered the floor
with sand. He placed the IKIRO papers on burned wood. These natural
materials symbolize the cycle of live and the return to earth.
Quote from 'Het Nieuwsblad' and 'The Gentenaar' Newspaper from October
5th 2001, page 14
'Artists touch the soul of coal miners'
"An international company of six artists was inspired by the coal
history of Limburg. The result of this exchange of ideas between industrial
archaeology and artistic creativity is to be seen at the "Barenzaal"
and the "Magazijn" at the mine site of Winterslag. "Some
of the coal miners got tears in their eyes when they saw recognisable
situations and objects", says Martine Geerts, organiser and curator
of the exposition Après-Charbon......
....The Japanese artist Takahiro Suzuki writes in Japanese characters
Ikiro, Be Alive. He brings one thousand of these expressions together
in what seems like a cemetery of live in the magazijn, about 100 meters
further than the main building. Every day he rebuilds his monotone installation
of meditation together with two of Martine's children."
See: Press
clippings for
complete article (Dutch only)
