The CENTRALE for contemporary art presents the exhibition ‘Invitation au voyage’, bringing together works of the 14 winners of the Prix Marcel Duchamp on the 15th anniversary of this prestigious competition founded by ADIAF. This exhibition, which takes its title from a poem by Charles Baudelaire, is akin to an “invitation to a voyage”: a voyage through space, but also into memory, in places full of history and the journey within.
“Our time encourages artists to look at the world and travel around it: constantly on the move, they retrace the contemporary landscape. Some artists revisit the history of art, others react to political and social changes. In any case, rare are those who seem indifferent to our daily lives, that of information relayed by internet, accelerated transmission modes, confusion of categories, the proliferation of images.” underlines the Curator Alfred Pacquement.

The CENTRALE for contemporary art shows for the first time an exhibition of a major artist of the Brussels art scene. Emilio LÓPEZ-MENCHERO, a Brussels citizen of Spanish origin, was singled out by his performances in the capital (such as Checkpoint Charlie at the Canal – 2010) and the emblematic urban integration Pasionaria, a megaphone near the South Station – 2006. Multifaceted artist, he developed a protean work (painting, video, photography, performance). At our suggestion, he chose to enter into dialogue with the world-renowned artist, Esther FERRER, a pioneer of performance art. Both of Spanish origin, their efforts come together through the themes of identity and corporeality. An exceptional exhibition of two artists for whom art is a political space for freedom beyond the dictates of all kinds.

© Emilio LOPEZ-MENCHERO & Esther FERRER