Not realized exhibition at art centre in Ghent (Mariakerke) 15 Feb. to 15 March 2011

Art Centre by Gent, Belgium

First the offer,

From: kunstencentrum cjk [mailto:mail@cjk.be]
Sent: Friday, July 02, 2010 2:19 PM
To: Hatto Fischer

Subject: Re: Info about Exhibition

Gent, Belgium,

Dear All,

we would be glad to provide (free) our exhibition spaces in Gent (Mariakerke) for this group exhibition. As Belgium is since yesterday chairman of Europe, why not. What we can offer ? Four rooms, one projection room, one multifunctional round room. Also lodging with three bedrooms near the building.

More you'll find on www.cjk.be (in Flemish) . Financially, sorry, but we can't offer anything.

Best greetings from Belgium,

Marianne Stevens & Bruno Steyaert

and then the cancellation on 24th of December 2010?

From: web2b [mailto:info@web2b.be]
Sent: Friday, December 24, 2010 3:42 AM
To: Hatto Fischer; Takuya Kaneda
Cc: 'Thomas Economacos', Athens; 'Bart Verschaffel', Gent; 'Bernard Conlon', Belfast; 'Rosa Naparstek', New York; 'Fatema Nawaz', Duesseldorf; 'Kissel Monique', Paris; Jad Salman, Paris; 'Stybor, Lisa', Berlin; 'Insa Winkler', Hade/Bremen; 'Kostas Kartelias', Athens; 'Gerold Schumann', Paris; 'Alexandra Zanne', Gezoncourt; Spyros Mercouris, Athens; 'Asit Poddar', Kolkata; 'Deniz HASIRCI', Izmir; 'Sara Lowndes', Dubai; 'iman nouri', Tripoli / Lebanon; Kate Parker, London; 'MARIA CAPARIS', Athens; 'Magnolia Albertazzi', Milano; 'Mugica Gonzalez Manuel', Gent; 'Maya Fischer', Athens; Ana.Magraner, Brussels; Tom Anderson, Tallahassee, Florida; 'Roger Simon', Toronto; 'Douglas Worts', Toronto; Doina Popescu, Toronto; 'Rick Towle', Sonderborg; 'Toska Belovska', Belgrade; 'Katia David', Berlin; 'Dorothea Amrhein', Berlin; Pantelis Sabliotis, Berlin; Haroula Hadjinicolaou, Athens; 'ΑΝΝΑ ΑΡΒΑΝΙΤΑΚΗ', Athens; 'Heymans, Gudrun' Brussels; 'Olga Sienko', London; Oleg Koefoed, Copenhagen; Gyongyi Pozsgai, Pecs; Mike Lawrence, Toronto; Pia Kleber, Toronto; Stephen Clarkson, Toronto

Subject: "In the shadow of Guernica"

Dear All,

after some sleepless nights, at the edge of a nervous breakdown, I have decided to withdraw our coöperation of the intended event 'in the Shadow of Guernica'.

First of all I kindly ask you all to excuse me if we didn't answer at your expectations. Started as an simple offer to give a possiblity to exhibit works of artists who were involved in the making of artwork Kid's Guernica, the whole idea became into an international event with the attending of lots of people coming over for discussions, in need of lodging, feeding etc. We can not stop our daily activities to take good care of all. We have not the personal nor the financial means to ensure an event of this size. We cannot take care as it should be of those who we would like very much to be our guests. The demands coming up are far over our possibilties.

An event as this needs a staff of some people, not the two of us, working for almost a year in such a project, instructed well, with the necessary financial and organisatory backup.

We are able to arrange in our own way, in our own schedule, as we do for over twelve years, an exhibition, only if we should have everything in reach (direct contacts, pictures, dimensions, even works) at least three months before date. We don't have.

Every mail coming in, the expectations become greater and greater.

We cannot arrange travelling, sleeping, feeding, organising for twenty people in less than two months without a professional staff used to deal with this matter.

We even cannot place the overwhelming amount of information about all things where we even think we are even not involved with.

Therefore, we have, I think just in time, to stop before an event that should be high levelled could turn to be catastrofic.

We will now try to have some rest, try to take care of family and friends in this end of the year. Therefore we will close our computer for some time.

Sincerely,

Bruno Steyaert

nota : na een zoveelste mail met verwachtingen hebben we bovenstaande beslissing genomen. Verder doen heeft geen zin als we niet in het gevraagde kunnen voorzien. Bedankt voor de inzet van allen en het vertrouwen, het kon lukken, maar we voelen ons in de hoek gedreven en wachten dus liever geen KO af... Gelukkig zijn er nog geen stappen naar pers of publicaties gemaakt. Alvast welkom vanaf 14 januari voor onze volgende tentoonstelling.

Subject: RE: "In the shadow of Guernica"

Athens 24.12.2010

Dear all,

this is the second time that the gallery or exhibition space as promised has been withdrawn. The first one was B 26 in Kreuzberg , Berlin .

Now we do not give up.

There is another possibility to go ahead as planned.

As of late I am coming into contact with the Polish city Wroclaw , itself wishing to become European Capital of Culture in 2016. The city is in the final phase of preparing for the main decision by a jury of 13, 7 from the European Union, six from Poland .

Wroclaw wanted to do already something about Guernica and Picasso. I wondered why. First I have been told that the man responsible for the bombardment of Guernica originated from that place. But as I found out last night, there is an even stronger connection. For Picasso on his only visit to Poland drew his famous pigeon on a serviette while attending the International Peace Congress held in that city.

I shall ask Adam Chmielewski if it is not possible to hold our planned exhibition there instead and even with the same date. We are discussing already a conference to be held in Wroclaw either during April or in May but I see if we keep the dates reserved by everyone already for Ghent to do it now instead in Wroclaw.

As a matter of fact I shall be in Wroclaw Jan. 17 - 18 for advisory work on their bid to become European Capital of Culture. There is already a discussion of incorporating Kids' Guernica into their official program with the aim to bring about a Pavilion for various museums, with the idea being weighed if this cannot become in future a permanent home for Kids' Guernica murals.

It is only a pity that Bruno has turned off his computer so that he cannot receive the good news, namely that we understand and accept the reasons he puts forth for we would not want him to have a nervous breakdown. It is understandable that we had to discuss but not impose conditions every artist had to face if to attend and especially in these times with everyone stretched out in their financial capacity, it is only too natural to seek solutions for food, accommodation and travel.

Since Takuya has booked already his flight, and this in recognition of the importance of the artists behind and connected through Kids'

Guernica coming together, I want to make sure we do get together in

2011 and if possible for the same dates but instead of Ghent, then in Wroclaw . I shall let you know as soon as I know something definite.

ciao

hatto

Hatto Fischer

Poiein kai Prattein

("to create and to do")

Lycabettoustr. 23

Athens 10672

Greece

www.poieinkaiprattein.org

First response by Asit Poddar in Kolkata, India

From: Asit Poddar
Sent: Friday, December 24, 2010 8:44 AM
To: Hatto Fischer
Subject: Re: "In the shadow of Guernica"

dear hatto, go ahead, we will not stop. our motto is great.

wish very happy new year 2011

asit

Facilities at the Art Centre:

Exhibition spaces

Entrance

Reception desk at entrance with Bruno Steyaert

Marianne Stevens at the bar

Bruno Steyaert showing one side of the dining room

From the dining room there is a beautiful view out to the side where the Chateau is surrounded by water

Auditorium on ground floor has 50 seats with space for extra chairs

Stair case leading up to first floor with Bernarnd Conlon and Alexandra Zanne looking back

One room for exhibitions on first floor

Second room

Corridor

Third room for exhibitions

Special exhibition space for small objects or installations

Entrance to second auditorium on first floor

The second auditorium has been constructed out of donated seats taken from a cinema. It is ideal of small groups to look at videos or power point presentations as both auditoriums are fully equipped.

Atelier on second floor / underneath the roof