BASICS

A series of projects
where the preliminary phases of the artwork are central. Browsing in the
kitchen of the artwork.
At first conceived as
a tryptich:  (1) drawings and sketches,
(2) three-dimensional works, (3) photography.

Basics 1, crox 110
(November-December 2003, Lucas Munichstraat). Review by Christel Lemmens (ZONE
09, December 2003): “CROXHAPOX SHOWS ART IN PROCESS BY 25 ARTISTS. Artworks
don’t fall out of a blue sky. Usually they haunt the artist before acquiring
their final form on paper, canvas or computer screen. A lot of experimenting happens
before that final form is reached. Usually, the audience has no access tot
these preparatory drawings, sketches, doodles, digital drawings, studies and
notes.

Croxhapox Galery, back
again on the Ghent art forum, and now housed in the Dampoort neigbourhood, has
been rummaging unashamedly in numerous artists’ workshops and returned with
some two hundred artworks in process. Together the are the first part of Basics,
an exhibition focusing on processes of thought and development.

In Basics 1 Croxhapox
presents in its own idiosyncratic way new or recent works on paper by 25 Belgian
artists. A cat couldn’t find its young in the intuitive hanging of the works but
luckily galery holder and artist Hans van Heirseele gives a full explanation. He
enthousiastically alks about the the numerous works by young artists: the studies
for the series Explosives by Pieter De Gand, the digital prints of Wouter De
Corte, the triptych Pinocchioschedel [Pinocchio skull] by Peter Lagast from
West Flanders Province, the fragile drawings of Carole Vanderlinden and the
Walloon artist who lives in Ghent Sylvie Duhamel, the studies by Michiel
Coppens, the stills from Evert Defrancq’s digital film and the brushpaintings
of Robin Vermeersch.

There are one or two
works each by more reknowned artists such as Philippe Vandenberg, Michaël
Borremans, Carlo Mistiaen, Dirk Zoete, Karel Dierickx, Mario De Brabandere and Ludwig
Van De Velde.

There are, for
example, two studies of a ship’s demolition by Frans Gentils.

Visitors can browse
through a book of charcoal drawings of Boston based wonende Jos Van Meerssche.
Johan De Wilde, who according to reports should be localised somewhere in the Lofoten
Islands, shows an intriguing pencil drawing on archival cardboard. And
furthermore there are works by Bart Baele, Merlyn Paridaen, Nicoline Van Stapele,
Pieter Vermeersch, Ruth Mentens, Thomas Lerooy and Thomas Broadbent* (USA). It
may be a jumble but at least it makes a lasting impression.”

Corrections:
Explosies instead of Explosives - Decorte instead of De Corte – by Mario De
Brabandere there are three works, five by Dirk Zoete - Thomas Broadbent forgot
to send in his contribution. Instead of his, two drawings by Xenia Borremans
(daughter of) were selected for the project.
That a cat couldn’t
find its young in the hanging (the hanging in Croxhapox is chaotic etc…) is a
very subjective interpretation of the show which was conceived as a print
collectionl.

BASICS 2

Starting point for
the second edition of Basics is 3-dimensional work; focus again on thought and
work processes. For this project the team builds meters high shelves and racks.
All elements are presented on them.

53 artists
participate in the first edition of Basics 2 (crox 145-I, June-July 2005), more
or less than 90 participate in the sequel in Abdij Maagdendale (crox 145-II,
April-May 2006): Adriaan Verwée/ Alan
Smith (GB)/ Alda Snopek/ Ann Cannoot/ Annelies Slabbynck/ Anton Cotteleer/ Bart
Baele/ Bart Vandevijvere/ Bas Decaluwe/ Brahim Bachiri (MAR)/ CAMP/
CarianaCarianne (US)/ Christophe Engels/ David Bruneel/ DD Trans/ Dianna Frid
(CAN)/ Dirk Peers/ Dirk Zoete/ Doris Kuwert (D)/ Els Soetaert/ Emmanuelle
Flandre (F)/ Eva-Maria Bogaert/ Evert Defrancq/ Fia Cielen/ Frank Van Den
Berghe/ Gerd Ververs/ Guy Couckhuyt/ HAP/ Hedwig Brouckaert/ Hendrik Vermeulen/
Jamez Dabramski Dean/ Jan Dheedene/ Jan Wiels/ Jelle Clarysse/ Johan De Wit/ Johan
De Wilde/ Johan Parmentier/ Johan Van Roy/ Joris Van der Borght/ Juliane Heise
(D)/ Kaatje Lannoo/ Karien Vandekerkhove/ Kurt Duyck/ Leentje Vandenbussche/
Lieve D'hondt/