M HKA Ensembles

Installation, 390 x 170 x 250 cm.

Collection: Collection M HKA, Antwerp (Inv. no. BK005214).

The rooms of Jan Vercruysse occupy a place within the tradition of the “art room”, the theme in western history of art for reflecting upon art. They are works of art that imply art. These boxlike constructions, these places of worship are approached with specific expectations. Strict, monumental and seemingly sumptuous with their mahogany covering, it is as if they have been stolen from a sacristy, an impression which is further enchanced by the semidark interior where stairs lead to a mirror surface that only reflects a void. Isolated from the surrounding space and devoid of all specific timeliness, they are a staged collection of signs that have a specific timeliness, this room is merely a place, one that cannot be entered, neither physically nor mentally. As carriers of the absent image the rooms are negative spaces of representation, diametrically opposed to the “art room” and the exhibition hall. In that sense they indicate the non place of art.