Freestate is the successor to the first festival, which made such a name for itself in summer 2006. Now, five years later, at least 20 young Belgian artists (°1976 or later) will be exhibiting at unique locations in Ostend harbour. For this new summer exhibition, five young and impassioned curators engaged in selecting a presentation of young contemporary art.
In the genres of painting, drawing, sculpture, performance, installations, photography, video and new media. Apart from a maximum age of 35, in their selection they mainly took account of such substantive criteria as intrinsic quality, diversity and growth potential. And there turned out to be room for several surprising choices too, let’s call them wild cards. So it’s not a retrospective, but an individual and well-founded selection.
Freestate II presents a selection of work by 21 artists. Each shows a minimum of three works, often new creations, amounting to more than 70 works exhibited on a site that once again gives added value to any site-specific work done there. The circuit extends from a warehouse, past a bunker and a boat, along a quayside, to a chapel.
The artists ...
Jessica Baxter, Astrid Bossuyt, Delphine Deguislage, Nick Ervinck, Patrice Gaillard & Claude, Mekhitar Garabedian, Pieter Geenen, Filip Gilissen, Kati Heck, Jimmy Kets, Jasper Rigole, Matthieu Ronsse, Sarah & Charles, Ief Spincemaille, Ante Timmermans, Dennis Tyfus, Philippe Van Wolputte, Vadim Vosters, Leon Vranken, Freek Wambacq and Sung-A Yoon
Freestate offers more than an exhibition …
- a highly individual survey of new Belgian art by young curators, with numerous new creations for indoors and outdoors
- a programme of additional activities with artistic and maritime guided tours, summer academies and a children’s art treasure hunt
- a unique circuit taking in warehouses, bunkers and ships at the quayside, perfect on foot, by bike or by means of the ferryboat or coastal tram + large car park + bar with with terrace & happenings
Freestate is organized by …
the Vrijstaat O. arts centre
Zeedijk 10, Ostend
www.vrijstaat-o.be
Artistic director
Hendrik Tratsaert
Business manager
Bart Geernaert
Communication
Pieter Koten
Coordination Production
Kerlijn Van der Cruyssen & Jona Van der Cruyssen
Production team
Merel Vercoutere, Thomas Van Leirsberghe & Steven Beyst
Art handling & installation
Aorta headed by Jona Van der Cruyssen
Administration & technical support
Bob Sinnaeve
Research project coordinator
Sarah Poesen
Reception and Freestate-café
Nele Lorré
Special thanks to all volunteers, attendants, guides,
the Board of Directors, Willy Versluys & vzw Beeldstorm.
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