The past few months it was time to fall back on ourselves for a while and that's why it was the perfect time to make a drawing. Drawing is, just like writing, an activity that is often practised in seclusion. Therefore S.M.A.K. launched the call in March 2020 to make a drawing and send it to us. This could range from a (self)portrait, a still life to a landscape seen from your window.
It was responded to en masse: more than 450 drawings were sent. We are compiling a selection of the submitted drawings in a book and showing one drawing per person in an intimate presentation in the pavilion of S.M.A.K.Beweegt.
'Drawing in Lockdown' included in corona archive city of Ghent
The Ghent Archives want to document these confusing times with a view to the future and have issued a call for people to send in testimonials. Within 100 years, Ghent Archives wants to be able to present a picture of how we in Ghent experienced and survived this crisis.
The drawings of 'Drawing in Lockdown' will also be included in this special corona archive of the city of Ghent. We are very proud that all the beautiful drawings we received from you will be included in this historical archive. The more than 800 drawings form a unique collection made by children, elderly people, art lovers and artists. They give us an insight into the experience and the rich imagination of the artists.
S.M.A.K. & the tradition of drawing
Since 2014, S.M.A.K. has had the tradition of setting up drawing projects. For example, the museum carried out projects with refugees in camps in Iraq and reception centres in Belgium, with prisoners and with newcomers. The drawings were collected in books such as 'Traces Of Survival', 'From Here to There', 'Prison Drawings' and 'Gentle Figures/ Beautiful Friends'. In these projects drawing was central as a special and unique human trait.
This exhibition is part of NO(W)WORRIES, a generous city festival for a tremendously uncertain future. Six cultural houses in Ghent - Vooruit, CAMPO, Kopergietery, NTGent, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen and S.M.A.K. - are opening their doors and taking up public space. We will be showing brand new work by exciting creators who offer a different perspective on our new world.
