ELINE DE CLERCQ: WOOL PUBLISHING

Wool Publishing is an artists run project, it is about diversity and collaborations in exhibitions and print. The 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 (a selection)

18 september 2022

Wool Publishing is pleased to presents the exhibition [Trace] New works and a little workshop by Yoko Enoki. The exhibition takes place at Morpho, the organisation caring for artist in residencies and studio's for local artists in Antwerp. Many thanks to Morpho for their support. The book To-no is on view in the exhibition. This book was made during our collaboration with Koyuki Kazahaya and Yoko Enoki in the Frans Masereel centre. The text written by Yoko Enoki A personal View on 'Kawaii' is also available.

4 April 2022

Artist - in - residency in Manoeuvre, Ghent.

Publication of the zine The Waiting Field, a manual for making a beginning to a garden from an empty patch of land. The Waiting Field is an artistic approach to inviting change within a social and ecological set up in a field. The artistic practice of Manoeuvre's residency program has a focus on activating the community in a neighborhood together with artists.

3 Maart 2022

A Coversation

An exhibition by Sarah Van Marcke & Katrin Kamrau with printed matter by Inge Meijer, Martina Pozzan, Christian Doeller, Mémé Bartels, Eline De Clercq, Dries Segers, Sam Ayre & Claire Ratinon in DMW Galery Antwerp.

2 October 2021

Apples & Oranges artist's book presentation in CIAP, Genk. Together with Koyuki Kazahaya we presented To-no and the monotypes No Woman is an Island and This is Not a Question as well as the screening of Koyuki Kazahaya's animation film Lotus in Mud.

28 Augustus 2021

Learning About Plants, a guided tour in the Gesamthof, a lesbian garden. The printed booklet gives references to bridge the gap between the visitors and the garden. Printed with the support of Morpho vzw and communicated via Kunsthal Extra City.

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

June 2020

Founding of the Art Club Borgerhout with the support of vzw 't Werkhuys and the Antwerp city.

The Art Club Borgerhout started in the middle of the first lockdown in Borgerhout. It was a combination of workshops by artists and a weekly meeting in the club room to draw and paint and get to know each other and talk about our shared interest in visual arts. The Art Club Borgerhout is run by local youth to realise their own interest in art.

Making our own tote bags.

The Art Club Borgerhout was founded as a part of the Downtown series: Downtown Hoboken, Downtown Borgerhout and Downtown Kiel. The artists who participated in exhibitions and workshops are: Chiara Monteverde, Oona Vanderleenen, Kato Six, Tramaine de Senna, Koyuki Kazahaya, Faryda Moumouh, Yoko Enoki, Nyira Hens, Zahra Eljadid, Katrin Kamrau, Samyra Moumouh, Sesa and Soukaïna Bennani.

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.

On Situ

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

In 2019 I was in Tokyo to visit many art galeries, art spaces, residencies and small initiatives to find out what was happening in art. As part of setting up Wool Publishing - sharing space and looking for diversity - this is a list of places I visited and recommend.

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 to 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: symposium, performance, exhibition and music. Ongoing makes room for new directions in contemporary art. It is an alternative place with an artist in residency program and a strong social awareness and solidarity amongst artists. 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 residency

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 have to walk past a sports centre and along a four-lane traffic congestion and fairground. On the plus side, there's a children's park nearby with beautiful trees and the area of the residency house feels interesting. 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 because there is so much nature. The building is a beautiful renovated former clinic with a private garden (and pond) and 3 residency studios as well as an exhibition space. I received a warm welcome by English speaking hosts, aside of the residency work they also organize the annual outdoor art festival as well as micro residencies. Close-by there 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, to stand in front of a closed door. This happens often to me because I don't check beforehand and let chance surprise me. From the outside it looks like a very nice art space. 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, from the outside it looks like a really interesting place because of the set up. The simple beauty is visible from the street side and looks very inviting. I hope to return one day at the right time to see the art happening. 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/

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 and 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 wanted to see more traditional forms of art as well as contemporary art. Folk craft is preserved by the Mingei movement, not entirely without nationalist ideology the founder worked hard to value the overlooked beauty and quality of the cheap, handmade and local crafts. This Mingei movement realized just in time that simple folk craft is an important part of culture and collected objects from allover Japan. There is wonderful pottery (Bernard Leah was a friend) and beautiful fabrics as well as print, woodwork etc. The Mingei museum was built especially for their collection of arts and crafts, the architecture meets the style and reflects a vision on how to present these art pieces.

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 almost 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

Commercial gallery for rent

In Japan, 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. It used to be a traditional big building but they tore most of it down, making this galery a bit of beautiful architectural inheritance. Many artists rent these places and you might find all kinds of shows. On the oppposite side of the street you can find the best organic lunch buffet in Crayon House.

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 inspiring with extra points for the nice location. But check if someone's there waiting for you before you step out to find it. This place was closed and I hadn't contacted them beforehand, and it's a pity, because it looks really 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 and much more.

Between Herzog & de Meuron's Prada building and Yoshitomo Nara's A to Z café you can find 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. I have seen many nice art exhibitions here and one of the most expensive second hand art book sales I ever encountered.

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

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

Galleries Promoting Artists

Ando
Gallery

Next to the Museum of Contemporary Art and Kiba park you can find this gallery looking deceitfully small, but that's just the entrance. As it usually goes 'what you see is not what you get'. There's a long corridor and a huge 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
Galery

I arrived on a grey, rainy day in this quiet street and then I found the kindest gallery with really interesting and social contemporary art. Well worth the trip you'll find art has a lot more to it than just making bautiful 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

Galery

This gallery has the feel of playfulness in the contemporary art field. Here you can see new ideas taking shape. Initiated by collectors this is not an art gallery, nor an art space but the place and workings cared for by art enthusiasts. Take the steps down into the minus 1 patio and look for a metal door with a capsule logo.

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

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

Clinic
Galery

Unlike many other art spaces, where white walls are the usual, 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 use a white cube. The gallery is hard to find, as it is hidden behind an artisan coffee bar, follow the side path on the right into the traditional garden and be surprised by contemporary visual art.

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

Website: http://www.clinictokyo.com

Scai the Bathhouse

Galery

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 a white cube with exhibitions by the leading Japanese contemporary artists as well as Anish Kapoor or Louise Bourgeois. Already since 1993 this place has given an identity to the local surroundings, and perhaps because of its building 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/

Dulle

Objective and corrective reading of the painting 'Dulle Griet' by Bruegel painted in 1563, for the International Women's Day.

For International Woman's Day I want to question the interpretation of this painting by Bruegel from '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' wrote his understanding from merely looking at the painting and projecting hiw own story onto the artwork. His name is Karel van Mander and in 1604 he wrote the Schilder-Boeck. Pieter Bruegel the Elder died in 1569. It's a bit of a stretch to take Karel's interpretation for true especially since new technology found the 'dulle' inscription to be a mistake, but Karel based his interpretation on this word (meaning fury) and started an interpretation that still is teached today. Unless someone finds an original text from Bruegel or someone who commissioned the painting describing what it is actually is about, we will never know what Bruegel meant. From a painter's point of view the reading of this painting doesn't stroke with a mad and thieving old woman. Some items in the painting don't make sense in this story. It is interesting to see what Bruegel actually painted instead of seeing the painting trough the interpretation given much later.

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

She is old, with grey hair her eyes wide open andmouth open. There is a metal helmet or something functioning as a helmet.
The haphazardly harness has a sleeve inside out.
The other sleeve is not attached.
She's wearing a veil, very faintly visible.

She seems out of breath, running up a hill, carrying her most precious or much needed belongings.
If you're looting, would you bring a plain heavy iron pan and clay jar?
What is the meaning of the pan? Normally it should fall because of it's weight balancing out of the basket, now it sticks in a weird position.

She's not in hell, hell came to her by monsters crawling in from the dock, where do the boats come from?
That's the alarm bell warning the villagers for the looting monster soldiers.

Not a single normal man is depicted, there are giants and monsters, but the woman are all right.
The women have to fight off the monsters that try to steal their belongings.
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. There is a composition of different planes, at the fore is a hill from which we look down to the town and into the distance with the harbour.
She's running up a hill and we can see what she is fleeing from. This makes her a normal woman, an older woman out of breath carrying heavy belongings while fleeing from the horrors of war.

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' as the misogynistic story, 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.

The way I read the painting is based on the strange combination of valuable items, the iron pan and the gold cup, the harness and the kitchen knife, the veil and the sword. Given the political turbulence of the time, Bruegel might have made an allegory of the 'Iron Duke' or the third duke of Alba arrived in Flanders from Spain and Antwerp became the stage for plunder and worse. In this interpretation the woman in the painting would be the province of Antwerp.

ANTWERP ART ACADEMY BOOK FAIR