Hans Op de Beeck, Sea of tranquillity
By: images, Hans Op de Beeck ; interview, Emmanuelle Lequeux
Contributors: De Oliveira, Nicolas; Grand café (Saint-Nazaire, France)
Publisher: Ludion
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Antwerpen
Language: eng
Number of pages: 168
ISBN-13: 9789461300348
Subjects: Exhibitions
Other titles: Sea of tranquillity
Description: This unique artist's book is the culmination of Hans Op de Beeck's long-term project "Sea of Tranquillity". The ambitious publication includes film stills, texts, sculptures, watercolours and even a soundtrack (sung by Sandrine). In his familiar pictorial style - mildly surreal and resolutely critical - the artist confronts us with a large-scale but fictional luxury cruiser. This artificial city symbolises a postmodern society in which extreme luxury is accompanied by a moral vacuum. The book is conceived as a museum setting in which all the exponents of the engaging cruise irrevocably lead to perdition. On board we meet not only Eros and Thanatos, but also boredom, miscommunication and a hierarchial crew.
Notes: Published in conjunction with a travelling solo exhibition of the same name Le Grand café, Centre d'art contemporain, Saint-Nazaire, France, October 9, 2010-January 2, 2011; ARGOS Centre for Art and Media, Brussels, Belgium, January 22-April 2, 2011; Kunstmuseum Thun, Thun, Switzerland, June 11-September 4, 2011; Centro de Arte Caja de Burgos CAB, Burgos, Spain, September 23, 2011-January 15, 2012.
Table of contents: title: Celebrating emptiness, invterview; title: Sea of Tranquility, sculptural works and exhibition views; title: Sea of Tranquility, the movie; title: Sand, a novella / by Nicolas de Oliveira and Nicola Oxley; title: Sea of tranquility, watercolour paintings.