What is hidden, forgotten, cast away, or overlooked in the day-to-day operations of a cultural institution such as Witte de With? How does one make tangible the container of knowledge that envelops the factual succession of exhibitions and publications?
For the duration of the exhibition WERE IT AS IF, 'guest readers' are invited to interpret/critique/analyse/translate/disrupt the very choices and methodologies artists Liesbeth Bik and Jos van der Pol deployed. The duo was invited to unfold and repack Witte de With's archive-in-progress, which they did by focussing on those projects from the near and distant past which tested the boundaries between the internationally operating institution and its home town of Rotterdam. Each invited 'reader' responds to the exhibition drawing from their own background and interests, opening up the documents and works on view to unexpected interpretations and complementary perspectives.
Throughout the summer of 2016, public interpretative tours of WERE IT AS IF will be given by Maziar Afrassiabi (Founder & Artistic director Rib Art Space), Samira Ben Laloua (founder of Extra Extra nouveau magazine erotique), Lex ter Braak (Director Jan Van Eyck Academie), and Wouter Davidts (art historian).
Limited attendance, tickets required.