Johan Tahon - Embrace

About

Tahon is no stranger to IKOB – Museum of Contemporary Art, where he previously exhibited his works in 2007 together with Ronny Delrue, and having been presented in various shows of the museum’s collection ever since. Prompting his return to Eupen was a conversation in which the artist openly confessed a desire to revise his work “ Kreissaal” (2006), which has been part of IKOB’s collection for sixteen years. The resulting exhibition project, “Umarmung” (Embrace), tackles the pressing questions of art, its conservation, related copyright claims, and the general purpose of museums.Together with the artist, we decided to give him permission to alter his own work.The reinterpreted work is accompanied by newer pieces by the artist, as well as older ones from the IKOB collection. The aim is to show his practice in the context of older works, to point out new developments and old passions, and to showcase the connection between IKOB and Johan Tahon as it is: an embrace, which manifests through a trusting dialogue about the museum’s sensitive handling of artworks and their creators.