Wool Publishing is an artist run project, it aims to represent in exhibitions and print. It's not about wool or publishing. It's about collaborations in presentation.The first inspiration for Wool Publishing is 'A room of one's own' by Virginia Woolf.

You can find more photos about this project on the instagram page of Wool Publishing:
https://www.instagram.com/wool_publishing/

PROJECTS

To-no

To-no is a self-published book about words. The book contains the collected texts by the artists Yoko Enoki, Koyuki Kazahaya and Eline De Clercq. These short texts borrow words from Dutch, English and Japanese that can’t be exactly translated in order to explain what can’t be said in our own words. The texts are both in English and in the first language of the artists. This first publication is an unedited limited edition of 25 handmade books riso printed at the Frans Masereel centre, none of the books are for sale. Instead the book functions as an artwork and can be added to exhibitions and when someone wants to read it they can find the entire text online:

https://annuel2.framapad.org/p/r.d5ca689c2ea6de14be3bbfe465916bb7

The Gesamthof

The gesamthof is a communal garden project at Ploegstraat 25, it started as a garden activity in 2019 in the old monastery garden.

The ATLAS is a series of drawings mapping the geography, ecology and wildlife in the old monatsery garden.

A project in writing and drawing for teenagers:

Mnemosyne

Athena Syntax
workshop

Athena Syntax 'Out of All Times' workshop.

Mapping the bridges between art, urban life, and cultures with youths at the Atheneum in Antwerp. Charcoal drawing on paper, 1000 x 150cm, 05 March 2020.

artist talks

Wool Publishing invited Koyuki Kazahaya (1987, Japan) to talk about her work, books, print, drawings, literature and cultural differences. She gave an artist talk as part of the Downtown Hoboken exhibition. For more information about Koyuki Kazahaya please visit https://koyuki-kazahaya.blogspot.com/

Wool Publishing invited Farydah Moumouh (1978) to talk about her work, the influence of culture, photography, books, philosophy and literature in her life as an artist. She gave this artist talk in the exhibition Downtown Hoboken on 17th of November 2019. For more information about Faryda Moumouh, please visit https://www.faryda.com/

TOP 10 BOEKEN / TOP TEN BOOKS

Make a list of ten books and mail this list to studio@elinedeclercq.com if you like to be part of the TEN BOOKS project. The lists will be gathered in a book and used to inspire other list writers and readers.

On Situ

Artist in Residency, Artist Run Spaces, Contemporary Art Galleries & Art Centers in Tokyo.

When I was in Tokyo I was not looking for the famous and 'arrived' art, but interested in what happens right now on the groundlevels of art. As part of Wool Publishing I'm working on a report of what is happening here. This is a subjective list with information of what I found during my travels, it is not a grading system.

Artist In Residency

3331 Arts Chioda

art space, artist in residence

The tall, old tree in the middle of the garden welcomes you in at 3331. We are in the middle of an office area with sky high buildings, and the tree resembles what this place feels like compared with the neighbourhood. Life itself is at the core of this art space, with studios for artists in residence and several exhibition spaces.

address: 6-11-14 Sotokanda Chiyoda-Ku Tokyo 101-0021

website: https://www.3331.jp/en/

Ongoing

art space, artist in residence, cultural centre

In the superbly gentle and heart warming neighbourhood of Kichijoji is the artist run space of Ongoing. The founder Nozomu Ogawa started this project as a combination of art interventions: a symposium, performance, exhibition and music with room for new directions in contemporary art. Ongoing is an alternative place with an artist in residency program and a strong social awareness, especially in their concern about East Asia. Head over to this place to discover new artists and see something that is not mainstream.

address: 1-8-7 Kichijoji Higashi-cho, Musashino-city, Tokyo, Japan 180-0002

website: http://www.ongoing.jp/

Tokyo Arts and Space (Tokas)

artist in residence

Flanders selected Tokas as the artist-in-residency organization for cooperation, this means artists from Flanders can get financial support from the government if they apply and are selected for a residency here. To reach this institute you walk past a sports centre along a four-lane traffic congestion and fairground, on the plus side, there's a children's park nearby with some trees amidst lots of grey concrete. Except during announced openings, there is no open door policy.

address: 2-4-16 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033

website: https://www.tokyoartsandspace.jp

Youkobo

artist in residence

Youkobo is located in the most wanted area for living spaces in Tokyo, simply because life is nice here. The traditional houses with gardens are on walking distance from Kichijoji, where you find artisan dried shrimps, an art center, an art collective (Ongoing) and the Musashino arts university, connected to affordable studio's for artists. You can reach out and meet the local artists. And that's just location! The building is a beautiful renovated small clinic with a private garden (and pond) and 3 proper studios as well as an exhibition space. With excellent international alliances and English speaking hosts who organize the annual outdoor art festival as well as micro residencies. Close by is a nature reserve park and eco friendly shinto shrine.

address: Zempukuji 3-2-10, Suginami-ku, Tokyo, 167-0041 Japan website: https://www.youkobo.co.jp/en/ and https://microresidence.net/

Artist Run Spaces & Exceptional Exhibition Spaces

Awoba Soh

artist run space

It was closed, I arrived on a sweltering hot day winding down the many alleys and back streets in one of the original pre-war Tokyo city scapes, walking for hours under a burning sun to stand in front of a closed door. Check facebook to see when there is activity: https://www.facebook.com/aobasoh/

address: 1 Chome-12-12 Bunka, Sumida-ku, Tōkyō-to 131-0044, Japan

website: http://awobasoh.com

Float

artist run space

If 'Paris, Texas' was filmed in Tokyo, this might have been a set location, there is something unusually beautiful about this place. While I was in Tokyo there wasn't an event in this venue, so I can't tell how it really functions, but the simple beauty is visible from the street side. Like many of these artist run spaces, communication is not easy and there is no open door policy. Check if they have something going on: staff@f-l-o-a-t.info

address: 2 Chome-6-3 Bunka, Sumida-ku, Tōkyō-to 131-0044, Japan

website: http://f-l-o-a-t.info/

Hagiso

art space, artist in residence

What is the difference between an art space where you can sleep and a hotel with a wall reserved for art? Hagiso is a bit of both, there's a restaurant and the queue is comfortably seated in the hall. As an artist, this might not be top of the list for exhibitions due it's touristic rustic atmosphere, but it is located in a beautiful area and it's only one street away from Scai The Bathhouse.

address: 3-10-25 Yanaka, Taitō-ku, Tokyo 110-0001, Japan

website: http://hagiso.jp/art/

Hara museum of contemporary art

This is one of my favourite places in Tokyo, a small museum that puts a lot of effort in bringing Japanese and international contemporary visual arts. The museum is from 1979, but the beautiful building is from 1938, it survived world war II when it was painted black to avoid detection. You'll find the work by well known artists, as well as unknown artists, always carefully curated.

address: 4-7-25 Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo

website: https://www.haramuseum.or.jp/

Mingei folk craft museum

When I was in Japan I tried to understand what it is that defines a Japanese style, their values in art, both contemporary as well as traditional. What is at the root of the very Japanese traditions? I found my answers in the form of the aesthetic concepts explained by Yanagi Soetsu. This man realized just in time that folk craft is at the very root of culture, and he started to collect these items for household use. The Mingei museum was built especially for this collection of arts and crafts, and combines a vision on how to present arts as well what is worth looking at.

address: 4-3-33, Komaba, Meguro-ku Tokyo

website: http://www.mingeikan.or.jp/english/

Nadiff

art space, publisher of art books, bookshop

Several bookshops I encountered in the museums of contemporary art are run by NADiff, and they are as much fun as the exhibition. NADiff is the professional selection of top shelf books, an excellent choice is made of international and local artists with plenty of special editions. The main store address holds an art space as well as a culture research center.

address: main store location: 1-18-4 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 1500013 Japan

list of shops: http://www.nadiff.com/?page_id=219

website: http://www.nadiff.com/

http://mem-inc.jp/

Rocket Space

gallery

In Japan, like in many places, a gallery is a word to describe a place of display, and the working of a gallery is sometimes not much more than 'you can rent the space'. Rocket Space is such a company, they occupy a very nice building in the busy shopping streets next to Omotesando Hills. It is not really about art, but as an artist you can choose the building for its original style. Many artists rent these places and you might find interesting shows.

address: jingumae 4-12-10 Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

website: http://www.rocket-jp.com/

Spiid

artist run space

This might be a great place, possibly most inspiring, extra points for nice location et all, but check if someone's there waiting for you before you step out to find it. This place was closed, and it's a pity, because it looks promising from the outside.

address: 3 Chome-30-6 Kyōjima, Sumida-ku, Tōkyō-to 131-0046, Japan

website: https://www.facebook.com/Spiid-%E3%82%B9%E3%83%94%E3%83%BC%E3%83%89-185090055418124/

Spiral

cultural centre, gallery, art space, design and stationary shop, restaurant, event hall

Between Herzog & de Meuron's Prada building and Yoshitomo Nara's A to Z café you can see Spiral, a post-modern building connecting several floors with different functions. The unique original architectural design has been conserved both inside and outside. Sit in a design chair, look at the soft pastels and imagine it is 1985.

address: 5-6-23 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062

website: https://www.spiral.co.jp/en/

Galleries Promoting Artists

Ando

Next to the Museum of Contemporary Art and Kiba park this gallery looks deceitfully small, but that's just the entrance. As it usually goes 'what you see is not what you get'. There's a backspace, covered in virginia's creeper, where cutting edge art is shown and art, design and architecture books are published.

address: 3-3-6 Hirano Koto-ku Tokyo 135-0023 Japan

website: http://www.andogallery.co.jp/en/gallery/artists/

Art trace

There's no need to be here, in these run down and grey streets, except for the kindest gallery on this level of contemporary art. Well worth the trip you'll find art has a lot more to it than just making interesting things, and it's beyond walls and display. Art Trace is a gallery with an awareness of why art matters.

address: Akiyama bldg.,2-13-19,Midori,Sumida-ku,Tokyo 130-0021 Japan

website: http://www.gallery.arttrace.org/

Capsule

Almost every big gallery was once small, and this gallery has the potential for being big as the mindscape fits the landscape of contemporary art. Instead of following what is already trending, here you can see new ideas taking shape. Initiated by collectors this not an art gallery, nor an art space. Take the steps down into the minus 1 patio and look to your right for a metal door with a capsule logo.

address: 2-7-12 Ikejiri, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo

website: http://www.capsule-gallery.jp

Clinic

While I was in Tokyo I read the work by Soetsu Yanagi on the Japanese concept of 'muji', or how a bare wall doesn't need plaster and white paint. Unlike every other art space, clinic has uncovered grey concrete walls showing traces of the past. This framework for contemporary art puts the aesthetic in a new meaning, where you don't need a white cube to show what art is about. The gallery is hard to find, as it is hidden behind a artisan coffee bar, follow the side path on the right into the traditional garden and be surprised by visual art.

address: 1-33-18 Sangenjaya, Setagaya Ku, Tokyo 154-0024, Japan

website: http://www.clinictokyo.com

Scai the Bathhouse

Located in the picturesque old Tokyo town of Yanaka, this gallery is not what it looks like. From the outside you can still see the bathhouse, but on the inside you find exhibitions by the leading Japanese contemporary artists. Already since 1993 this place has given an identity to the Japanese art scene, and perhaps because of its solid reputation it doesn't feel like a commercial space at all.

address: Kashiwayu-Ato, 6-1-23 Yanaka, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0001 Japan

website: https://www.scaithebathhouse.com/

Other projects in 2019:

Who is he?

An artist talk on context & reference in oil paintings.

Who is she?

This talk took place in the exhibition 'Tell Me About You' in Den5 gallery, Tokyo.

Curated by Yoko Enoki ad presenting the works by Yoko Enoki, Ada Van Hoorebeke, Nele Tas, Koyuki Kazaya and Eline De Clercq. The exhibition combined oil paintings with watercolours, charcoal drawings and batik in situ wrappings.

The artist talk was set in the exhibition, where I added extra prints with references, context information and representations of the other paintings that are part of the series I usually work on. The prints were a temporary installation only for the duration of the talk.

The talk started with a situation sketch of Antwerp, a city with a lot of contemporary painters. From there we went back and forth to painters as Judith Leyster and fashion photography of today.

At the end of the talk was a sketching collaboration, where everyone could join in the experience of noticing and noting down in black and white. The sketches, mostly of plants I had added to the exhibition, were souvenirs and everyone could keep their own sketch.

Dulle

Objective and corrective reading of 'Dulle Griet' for the International Women's Day.

For International Woman's Day I want to correct the title of this painting: 'mad Meg'. Without authority or any notes from Bruegel, the title was given to this painying 40 years after it was finished. The man who named her 'a mad, plundering thief' was wrong, but he started a consequently wrong interpretation that still is teached today. It's time to look at it in an objective way, and see what Bruegel actually painted.

When you have an objective look at some of the details, you can 'read' the painting for what it stand.

She is old, with grey hair her eyes wide open and looking traumatised
The haphazardly harness has a sleeve inside out.
She's wearing a veil, very faintly visible.

She's out of breath, running up a hill, carrying her most precious or needed belongings. If you're looting, would you bring a plain heavy iron pan and clay jar?

She's not in hell, hell came to her by monsters crawling in from the dock.
That's the alarm bell warning the villagers for the looting monsters that just arrived by boat.

Not a single normal man is depicted, but the woman are all right.
The women have to fight off the monsters that try to steal their belongings, but the house is on fire so they have to take everything out. This results in a chaos of directions.

Some people see her as a giant standing amidst small women, but when you compare the composition of this painting to other paintings by Bruegel and his contemporaries it seems the other possibillity is more likely: she's running up a hill and we can see past her in the distance what she is running from. This makes her a normal woman, an older woman out of breath carrying heavy belongings while fleeing from the horrors of war. As a painter myself, this makes sense, it is something you would want to communicate.

The woman in the middle is alone, this is what possibly misdirected the interpretation. There aren't a lot of paintings like this, showing a strong woman going her own way. My way of looking at the painting doesn't have to be 'right', without an explanation by Bruegel himself it is impossible to tell what he really meant. This doesn't mean we have to keep telling lies about 'mad meg', instead we can make our own interpretation. My suggestions match with the 'normal' details: the kitchen knife, the water jug, the simple shoes and commonly used perspectives. Let's not call her mad any more, the inscription added to the paint says 'dulle' and could mean a lot more than simply 'mad'.

IN THE PINES

In the Pines
an exhibition by Tramaine de Senna & Eline De Clercq
opening: vrijdag 16 November 2018, van 18h tot 22h

In a big city hotel room, stands a lobby employee watching frightfully as a herd of dogs attack a
wild stag between a couch and en-suite bathroom.

With a vacuum cleaner on plush wall-to-wall carpet, a pair of legs glide past in the yellow light of a floor
lamp. The cleaning lady, who begged the goddess Athena to rescue her, was metamorphosed into
this lamp.

In a crowded Japanese metro, every occupant presses too closely together; suddenly a young woman,
lifted atop a white bull, is unable to get away. This would catch the news.

If we rescue someone from a precarious situation, would the metamorphosis into a laurel bush be the
first choice today? Or, would one turn her into a cow?

‘Where will you sleep tonight?’ The sculptures are like Karyatides who have run away from the
Erechtheion, and now lay at rest with the sheets draped along their bodies. The folds follow the curves
and movements of their limbs. In the morning they have forgotten everything and with Eos, a new
dawn begins.

Ovid's Metamorphoses begin with chaos, an excellent start. The entanglement of threads and strings pulled tight, knotted like a blind woman's knitting. When I was a small child, I would untangle my great-grandmother's wool. She would instruct me to be kind, to loosen the strands and it will untangle without breaking.

Haecken en Ooghen | Klapdorp 35, 2000 Antwerpen, België
‘In the Pines’ 17 November tot 09 December 2018 | Za - Zo van 14h - 18h

ANTWERP ART ACADEMY BOOK FAIR

Wool Publishing with Japanese cotton and silk target prints, to be used as patches and signs of vulnerability. Presented collaborative works included with Yukipon (USA) and Yoko Enoki (Japan) as well as the imaginary museum printed in 'NOTICES'.

First table lay out in the Royal Academy in Antwerp, or the start of Wool Publishing.

Previous collaboration:

Yoko Enoki & Eline De Clercq

During Amsterdam Art Weekend 2017 Yoko and me set up a temporary exhibition space with a joined presentation of our paintings. Our guerrilla riso print invitations were distributed all over Amsterdam.