黑料不打烊

Through her solo exhi颅bi颅ti颅on Ver颅min artist Isa颅bel颅le Andries颅sen aims to address the vio颅lent rites and dehu颅ma颅ni颅za颅ti颅on that pre颅ce颅ded the Beel颅den颅storm of 1566, a peri颅od mar颅ked by pover颅ty, reli颅gious con颅flict and upri颅sings against here颅tics in The Low Coun颅tries (cur颅rent颅ly Bel颅gi颅um and the Nether颅lands.) Her mecha颅ni颅cal, moving sculp颅tu颅res, devel颅o颅ped for Kunst颅hal Gent, con颅front the vie颅wer with vio颅len颅ce and sub颅ju颅ga颅ti颅on. Next to the颅se new sculp颅tu颅res, pre颅sen颅ted in the Old Hou颅se, Andries颅sen also installs the work Ivo颅ry Dam颅pers (2019) in the gar颅den near the Old Hou颅se, as an addi颅ti颅on to the End颅less Exhi颅bi颅ti颅on.

During the 16th cen颅tu颅ry in refor颅med Fran颅ce and the Low Coun颅tries, peo颅p颅le with dif颅fe颅rent beliefs were cal颅l颅ed here颅tics, and even ver颅min. 鈥嬧�榁er颅min鈥� deri颅ves from the Latin ver颅mis (worm) and was ori颅gi颅nal颅ly used for worm-like lar颅vae of cer颅tain insects that would spread disea颅ses, many of which infest food颅stuffs. The mobs that took part were not just acting out of anger or cha颅os; they were per颅for颅ming a ritu颅a颅lis颅tic act of reli颅gious puri颅fi颅ca颅ti颅on. By using terms such as 鈥嬧�渧er颅min鈥� or 鈥嬧�減la颅gues,鈥� the catho颅lic church devel颅o颅ped a nar颅ra颅ti颅ve in which here颅tics were seen as dange颅rous, undesi颅ra颅ble ele颅ments that had to be era颅di颅ca颅ted. This rhe颅to颅ric con颅tri颅bu颅ted to the jus颅ti颅fi颅ca颅ti颅on of harsh mea颅su颅res such as excom颅mu颅ni颅ca颅ti颅on, imprison颅ment, tor颅tu颅re and exe颅cu颅ti颅on, to con颅trol and 鈥嬧�榗lean颅se鈥� or 鈥嬧�榩uri颅fy鈥� the community.

An impor颅tant anchor for Andriessen鈥檚 exhi颅bi颅ti颅on is 鈥嬧�楾he Rites of Vio颅len颅ce鈥�, an essay by Nata颅lie Zemon Davis, that exa颅mi颅nes how acts of vio颅len颅ce have been fra颅med as sacred or ritu颅a颅lis颅tic under cer颅tain peri颅ods, such as during reli颅gious wars, inqui颅si颅ti颅ons, or the use of ter颅ror by reli颅gious autho颅ri颅ties in order to instill fear and obe颅dien颅ce. The poli颅ti颅cal assas颅si颅na颅ti颅ons, which were often car颅ried out in high颅ly ritu颅a颅li颅zed ways, dis颅play how public exe颅cu颅ti颅ons were not just acts of vio颅len颅ce, but also of sym颅bo颅lic mea颅ning. Through this exhi颅bi颅ti颅on Andries颅sen makes a refe颅ren颅ce to the way how the颅se ritu颅al acts were used as a tool to increa颅se power, legi颅ti颅ma颅cy, and autho颅ri颅ty, whi颅le also con颅si颅de颅ring how poli颅ti颅cal and soci颅al con颅texts sha颅ped peo颅p颅le鈥檚 under颅stan颅ding of vio颅len颅ce and justice. 

A noto颅rious instru颅ment of ter颅ror deri颅ving from the Spa颅nish Inqui颅si颅ti颅on during this time was the Coun颅cil of Blood (or 鈥嬧�淏loed颅raad鈥�), which was a court set up to inves颅ti颅ga颅te and punish tho颅se sus颅pec颅ted of rebel颅li颅on or here颅sy. Mass exe颅cu颅ti颅ons were com颅mon, and tho颅se found guil颅ty were often behe颅a颅ded, bur颅ned ali颅ve, or han颅ged in public squa颅res during reli颅gious rites or cele颅bra颅ti颅ons as a warning to others. The exe颅cu颅ti颅ons were bru颅tal and public, using fear and spec颅ta颅cle to deter fur颅ther rebel颅li颅on and dis颅sent. Doing so the ritu颅a颅li颅za颅ti颅on of vio颅len颅ce beca颅me a form of col颅lec颅ti颅ve acti颅on, often with clear soci颅al or reli颅gious purposes. 

For Ver颅min Andries颅sen dedi颅ca颅ted her inves颅ti颅ga颅ti颅on to medie颅val armour and Wes颅tern Euro颅pean tor颅tu颅re tech颅ni颅ques used to car颅ry out oppres颅si颅on, destruc颅ti颅on and muti颅la颅ti颅on. She not only addres颅ses the peri颅o颅dic geo颅po颅li颅ti颅cal ten颅si颅ons, but also how they give way to resi颅lien颅ce and com颅mu颅ni颅ty mobi颅li颅sa颅ti颅on. The works can be seen as acti颅vist enti颅ties that together per颅form an unpre颅dic颅ta颅ble and uncan颅ny cho颅re颅o颅grap颅hy. The vie颅wer beco颅mes the eye颅wit颅ness to a rite that incre颅a颅sin颅gly affects the spa颅ce over the dura颅ti颅on of the exhi颅bi颅ti颅on. The颅se new sculp颅tu颅res form a lands颅ca颅pe of armou颅red car颅cas颅ses acting out their own agen颅cy, making tan颅gi颅ble the gro颅wing dark颅ness resi颅ding in cur颅rent socio-politics. 

Through ana颅ly颅zing this his颅to颅ri颅cal event and lin颅king it up to the pre颅sent Andries颅sen sculp颅tu颅res spe颅cu颅la颅te a grim futu颅re sce颅na颅rio in which armou颅red car颅cas颅ses are acting out their own agen颅cy, making tan颅gi颅ble the gro颅wing darkness.