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".

Guillaume Bijl

(c)image: M HKA/CC
235 Belangrijke en Minder Belangrijke Foto's van de 2de helft van de 20e Eeuw. [235 Important and Less Important Photos from the 2nd half of the 20th Century.], 1986-1995
Installation , 235 x ( 26 x 19 cm)
photo, paper

235 Important and Less Important Photographs from the Second Half of the 20th Century show images of reality and deal with ordinary subjects. There are smaller series within the larger whole. They often show banal subjects such as a dog in a bath, people dancing at a party, Indians in a shop, and so on. Bijl devotes a lot of attention to the presentation of the photographs. All their frames are the same and they are all the same size. Some of the older photos are discoloured and the pictures were taken from various angles: from a distance, from close up, from below and from above. In many cases one can only see a part of the people in the photos. Bijl shows every facet of our society, and the changes in fashions and interests in the second half of the twentieth century. Leisure, travel, various cultures, sport, dogs and food all make their appearance. He has made a visual inventory of our time and his favourite subject is all things average. He shows us our era and our civilisation.