1990. crox 10, BIJNA JAAR 10 COWBOY HENK.
1997. crox 70, Schilderkunst Hedendaags Belgisch.
1998. crox 72. Solo project. Schilderijen. During opening night, the first concert of the The Singing Painters as a trio.
[from the local newspaper De Gentenaar: an article by SGG. Notes by Laura van].
Title: KAMAGURKA EXPOSITION IN GALARIE CROXHA.(1) Sint-Amandsberg.
Body: 'Amateurs of Kamagurka's work can discover another side of the cartoonist's and comedian's work from the 1st of March. Kama shows screenprints and paintings, in Croxhapox in Sint-Amandsberg.
Croxhapox is a galery with its roots in the squatters movement.(2) Between 1990 and 1992 Hans and Christel managed the galery in a squat at Beverhoutplein.(3) When they had to leave, Croxhapox - by then a not-for-profit association - left the city centre of Ghent to continu its work in Aannemersstraat in Sint-Amandsberg.(4) A city mansion was turned into an exhibition space where the galerists are living at the top floor while the basement and the ground floor are used to show art.(5) During opening nights, drinks are offered in the kitchen.
The galery already showed work by Kamagurka and self-portraits by Herr Seele - by the way, Hans' brother is Kama's constant companion. The current exhibition has original drawings of cartoons, silkscreen prints and paintings. Kamagurka apparently has made peace with his brushes. Whoever wants a numbered "soft-boiledegged twin" or a "mother with naughty child", doesn't even have to have deep pockets: a serigraph comes at 3000 francs.(6) A painting easily goes for the tenfold..
Kamagurka feels at home in the margin of the art world.(7) Kamagurka: "I'm really pissed when someone starts bullshitting about the cubist influence or the cristian themes in my work. The contemporary art scene differs, as far as I'm concerned, little from the stalinistic art. A whole load of people are ready to tell you what to do and what your work stands for."
The vernissage on Saturday evening was animated by The Singing Painters, a somewhat roaring halfmetal trio with Hans as front man, offering a worthy alternative for the obligatory string quartet.(8) (SGG)
(1) (SGG)'s homework has been examplary: GALARIE CROXHA is in a distant solar galaxy.
(2) Croxhapox' activities started at a squat floor of a building that wasn't a squat. The owners planned to sell the building, which happened in 1991. Croxhapox did use the floor, so far the story is right, but it never had any roots in the squatters movement.
(3) Kristel, not Christel, was a member of the crox-team from 1994. At Beverhoutplein 7 she hasn't even been visiting. From March to June, croxhapox was managed by Hans. From September 1990, when it was turned in a legally registered association, by a trio, Hans, Frank and Guido. After the activities at Beverhoutplein, Frank became the captain.
(4) In between the period at Beverhoutplein and the period at Aannemersstraat, 4 years later, is a period of street projects. The actual situation is different from what the author writes. Hans moved in with his girlfriend Kristel in 1993, in Aannemersstraat at number 54. During the Summer of 1994 the basement became vacant and Kristel liked the idea to start a third version of Croxhapox there. From 1994 till 1999 Croxhapox was run by Hans and Kristel.
(5) The ground floor, the basement, were exhibition space and living space. The sofa remained at the basement. Television was watched. When croxhapox wasn't open, the space was dominated by the usual activities.
(6) The Kamagurka Project, crox 72, is by far the most commercial project we ever had. It is the only projct where the commercial side became more important than the project itself.
(7) A word is missing in the original text.
(8) The first performance of The Singing Painters as a trio.