During the summer of 1977, Gordon Matta-Clark completed his last bulding cuts in the city of Antwerp, an intervention in an abandoned office block with the title Office Baroque. This kind of interventions was meant to disappear as the building in question was demolished, but in this case there was an attempt to allow the work to endure. Florent Bex, director of the Internationaal Cultureel Centrum at the time, suggested turning Office Baroque into the centrepiece for a future museum of contemporary art in the city of Antwerp. Office Baroque was hence posed as a tourist attraction promoted by contemporary art, both critical and ironic, but none the less effective for that.

In a film that documents the production of this work, Gordon Matta-Clark openly declared his interest in engaging in a debate with the tourist industry. This roundtable – that includes everyone who worked closely with the artist during his time in Antwerp – will focus on the process of construction of Office Baroque, taking it as a good starting point for talking about the relationship between contemporary art, cultural tourism and urban identity from the perspective of Gordon Matta Clark’s iconic artwork.

With the collaboration of:
Flandes te sienta bien
With de support of:
Arxiu Fotogràfic de Barcelona
Sumarroca
Moritz
The Office Baroque demolition. 3 June 1980, Antwerpen

Programme

Tuesday 12 June, at 7 pm

Speakers:
Florent Bex, Honorary Director of the Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst (MuHKA) and former director of the Internationaal Cultureel Centrum (ICC), Antwerp.
Cherica Convents, author and director of Office Baroque.
François Verresen, Gordon Matta-Clark's assistant at Office Baroque.
Harold Berg
Leen Gysen, project coordinator Visual Arts Flanders 2012.
Carles Guerra, Chief Curator of MACBA.

MACBA Public Programs
Tel. (+34) 93 481 46 81
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Related

Videos

Audios

Reconstructing Office Baroque
Son[i]a #154. Florent Bex on Gordon Matta-Clark
31.05.2012