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".

Philippe Van Snick

image: (c) M HKA, Courtesy Philippe Van Snick & Tatjana Pieters
Tennis, 1973
Photography , 18 x 24 cm (49 x 61 (framed))
4 zwart-wit foto's op glanzend barietpapier met lijntekening in alcoholstift

Like many conceptual artists in the 1970s, Philippe Van Snick concerns himself with concepts of place and time. This is demonstrated, among others, in the works in which he indicates “directions”: directions of hikers, planes or even tennis balls. Tennis is made up of four photos of television screens airing a tennis match. On three of those photos Van Snick connected two opposing players by means of a line made in permanent marker. By doing so he emphasises the momentum of the game, which evolves in time. The work functions autonomously, but also corresponds to other photo series, such as Richtingen.