The publication Henk Visch: Facts and Rumours appears on the occasion of the exhibition Facts and Rumours that took place at Witte de With (31 August – 13 October 1991), and was curated by Henk Visch.
In 1991 Witte de With had invited the Dutch artist Henk Visch to curate an exhibition. He in turn invited 12 fellow artists, selecting works of art other than what was usually exhibited at Witte de With at the time. In this respect, Henk Visch’s choice challenged and commented on the other exhibitions that had taken place at Witte de With.
Significant questions were raised: How can a gathering of heterogeneous objects, like works of art in an exhibition, be coherent or lead to an expressive comprehension of the art world? Do works of art placed next to each other really have any power? And on what is that power based? Should an exhibition express something in the “correct” way or should it point out the inability of that expression? Are there hard facts to learn from the works of art in an exhibition or do they just spawn a torrent of rumours? Facts and rumours… The questions are always the same, just the answers sometimes differ. Which is how it should be.
…And here too, near these remains, among the many disjointed parts, thinking finds its contours. Something comes loose, frees itself, comes forward just like one does when setting foot on a dance floor – becomes image – standing in a self-defined clarity, full from emptiness, a short distance from behind himself, smiles at us – like one who enjoys being seen. Perfectly off balance. And who by means of his smile, in the newly opened space, where the reception of the spectator is being prepared, ignites thinking.