Get more out of your visit to the ‘Private Passion x Public Duty’ expo at S.M.A.K. with Amarant
From the 1960s, visual art resolutely broke new ground. Artists started turning the artwork and the rules of the art world completely upside down. The exhibition Private Passion Public Duty offers a fine sample of this new logic. The code words are minimalism, conceptual art, arte povera and postmodernism.
Sometimes you stand there and look at it. And long for a word of explanation. You can!
For four Sundays, Benedict Vandaele will discuss how each of these pioneering movements left its mark on contemporary art. During the four lectures, you will get the intriguing story behind the motives and methods of iconic representatives and discuss the impact of representative works of art. We highlight work by a number of artists who are effectively present in the expo, but also outline the broader context and pay attention to contemporaries. After each lecture, you can use these insights to go around the exhibition yourself and enjoy the art!
Sunday 24 November: arte povera
There were also artists who remained concerned about the social relevance of art. The Italian arte povera looked for honest materials to celebrate the roots of culture and life and showed a great affinity with nature. Trees became Penone's trademark, Mario Merz covered his typical igloos with wax, grass or clay, Joseph Beuys believed in the energy of fat and felt.