A City is Not a Road
Artists for Ringland (Antwerp, Belgium)
Many cities are wrestling with the problem of traffic congestion and health issues arising from an antiquated ring road that is rubbing up against the historic centre and choking the city. These old ring roads are holding their city hostage: they cause traffic flow problems and air pollution and are an obstacle to the city’s organic growth. These ‘no man’s land’ ring roads put up mental barriers between the city centre and the outer residential districts and adjoining municipalities.
In Antwerp the citizens-led initiative Ringland has been working on a visionary plan to ‘roof over’ the whole of the ring road and to separate local and through traffic as the answer to a Flemish policy that clings to an obsolete attitude to urban development, quality of life and mobility. The Ringland solution untangles a traffic knot, bolsters a healthy environment and creates a new green urban zone where schools and cultural and social attractions link the outskirts and the city centre and themselves become new focal points.
Citizens from all walks of life have given their blessing to the idea of turning Antwerp into a truly twenty-first-century city: liveable, connective, cultural and mobile; a city that looks to the future by stimulating the further development of the city within its historical context. We believe that the questions and discussion points which have come to light as a result of their work are relevant to other cities in Belgium but also to cities around the world.
Throughout history artists have taken on the role of pioneers. They have defended the new and unfamiliar and they have often become the face of a changing society. And now artists can contribute to Ringland by focussing attention on the communication and supporting the proposal for a new approach to urbanization.
As a group of artists driving the Ringland project, we have pleasure in inviting you to join us and take part in the art auction to achieve these visionary ideas for the city of the twenty-first century. With the Ringland auction we are looking to inject the project with a fresh dynamic which also sheds light on its cultural dimension.
The artists we are approaching now have been suggested by an advisory body. The quality of their work was the number-one criterion in selecting them.
Godmother and godfather
Tinka Pittoors (artist) and Kris Fierens (artist).
Advisory body
Sofie Dederen (director Frans Masereel Centrum), Wilfried Huet (publisher of Gagarin), Luc Wauters (Friends of the Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp), Anne-Marie Poels (editor H ART – magazine for contemporary art), Wim Viaene (culture consultant Rossinant), Frank Herman (Heritage/museum advisor), Irene Schaudies (Art historian).
Participating artists
Åbäke, Nel Aerts, Philip Aguirre y Otegui, Francis Alÿs, Nick Andrews, Carla & Stéphane Arocha, Jessica Backhaus, Miroslaw Balka, Stijn Bastianen, Fred Bervoets, Karina Beumer, Guillaume Bijl, Karin Borghouts, Kasper Bosmans, Dirk Braeckman, Koen Broucke, Pavel Büchler, Wim Catrysse, Sarah & Charles, David Claerbout, Tine Colen, Vaast Colson, Leo Copers, Cel Crabbeels, Alexandra Crouwers, Honoré d’O, Anne Daems, Geoffrey de Beer, Sergio De Beukelaer, Claire de Jong, Eva De Leener, Damien De Lepeleire, Fen de Villiers, Koenraad Dedobbeleer, Luc Deleu, Stefaan Dheedene, Els Dietvorst, Kristien Dirkx, Marcin Dudek, Kris Fierens, Yannick Val Gesto, Tina Gillen, Geert Goiris, Nicolas Grenier, Johan Grimonprez, Liesbet Grupping, Kati Heck, Vermeir & Heiremans, Lodewijk Heylen, Pieter Huybrechts, Sven ‘t Jolle, Katrin Kamrau, Deborah Kelly, Jan Kempenaers, Ermias Kifleyesus, Susanne Kriemann, Germaine Kruip, Conny Kuilboer, Kim Kyoungae, Christophe Lemaitre, Bernd Lohaus, Antonia Low, Valérie Mannaerts, Jelle Martens, Pol Matthé, Michèle Matyn, Philip Metten, Wesley Meuris, Pieter Laurens Mol, Marc Nagtzaam, Surendran Nair, Nadia Naveau, Johan Nieuwenhuize, Ria Pacquée, Manfred Pernice, Tinka Pittoors, Tom Poelmans, Veronika Pot, Denie Put, Lucie Renneboog, Thomas Rentmeister, Cristian & Marius Bors & Ritiu, Perry Roberts, Rekha Rodwittiya, Guy Rombouts, Maxime Rossi, Karin Sander, Schraenen, Lieven Segers, Martine Stig, Tommy Støckel, Christophe Terlinden, Koen Theys, Adrien Tirtiaux, Luc Tuymans, Roeland Tweelinckx, Steve Van den Bosch, Benny Van den Meulengracht-Vrancx, Sofie Van Der Linden, Paul Van Hoeydonck, Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven, Marilou van Lierop, Vanessa Van Obberghen, Philippe Van Wolputte, Pieter Vermeersch, Robin Vermeersch, Katleen Vinck, Saskia Olde Wolbers, Linghan Ye.
Information
Veilinghuis Bernaerts
Verlatstraat 20
2000 Antwerpen
T +32 (0)3 248 19 21
Opening hours exhibition:
2016.05.19: 12:00 – 18:00
2016.05.20: 12:00 – 22:00
2016.05.21: 12:00 – 18:00
2016.05.22: 12:00 – 16:00
Auction: 2016.05.22: 16:00
Online catalog.
Bidding by phone: +32 (0)3 248 19 21