Jan van Toorn at Galerie Vivid

8 July - 19 August ‘18

'i have the feeling that (these pieces) are no benefit to mankind – please, take a good look at them, and tell me your impression [...] answer me quickly whether it would be better to consider such things as studies that at most might influence one's usual work.'

(a letter dated february 1920 to architect ko oud from gerrit rietveld who sent a chair and a buffet in advance for a show house in rotterdam)

the exhibition consists of a second range of recent prints in continuation of the first series still lifes with borrowed furniture , plus printed matter (early calendars, collages and a few new posters).

in addition there is a staging of design pieces from the collection of gallery vivid that tries to replace the usual static, stylistic orientation of the presentation of the object by a more open form of presenting that solicits for multivocal reception.

part of this is a scene from the film directed by alain tanner and co-written by john berger jonas qui aura 25 ans en l'an 2000 , 1976 ( jonah who will be 25 in the year 2000 ).
this film follows the lives of eight people in the wake of the social and political events of may 1968 in france, including a history professor, a journalist and a trade unionist. ‘these key characters are', according to pauline kael's review in the new yorker magazine, ‘all in their twenties or thirties, and all seeking solutions to the problems brought to general consciousness by these tumultuous events. each of these people is autonomous, looks for his own answers, and acts upon them, and together, the film suggests, they can give birth to a jonah who will have the acumen to connect their vision.'