The exhibition project Middle Gate II – The Story of Dymphna is a collaboration between M HKA (Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp) and the cultural centre de Werft in Geel. Middle Gate II is the follow up to the exhibition Middle Gate, curated by Jan Hoet in Geel in 2013. The exhibition concept is closely tied to the legend of the holy Dymphna, saint of the possessed, the mentally ill and patroness against epilepsy and insanity. The legend of Dymphna shares a strong connection to the identity of Geel, "the charitable city".

Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven / AMVK

(c)still: AMVK
Theme for Thalys, 1996
Video , 00:03:50
VHS, computer animation

Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven filmed “steady hand” with a small camcorder whilst travelling in the Thalys. She focused the colour in the three middle lines of the seat across her, until the tape ran out. She sat motionless and held the image fixed. The least vibration makes the image blur, but it corrects itself in the camera. This machine-correction brings movement anyhow.

Her work with colour is painting with new media. In video she feels a lot of relationship with drawing. The drawing as seismograph of the overload of information, impressions, words and notions from outside. While in language we can cope with things larger than ourselves, in drawing she handles things that are smaller. Lines merge unconnected matters together so we can control life anew. By drawing lines we keep the form together, in an attempt to gain control over impressions for which words are not enough. A theme is territory in chaos. (Ph. Luyckx)


Sound: Mo Becha & AMVK

Producer: AMVK /Club Moral