# 073
16/11/2010

Club Moral RVSTD

Club Moral!
In the 1980's this controversial collective of artists Danny Devos and Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven shook up the Belgian artworld. With noiseconcerts, performances, unusual exhibitions and the 'cultural battlezine' Force Mental, Club Moral proposed a quite different view on art as it was known by the cultural establishment. The breakdown of the soft 1970's ideals can be seen in the collective's interest for the radical, the excess and aggression. It was often transformed into taboobreaking esthetics, as well in imagery and sound as in words and deeds. In its communication Club Moral used a strong, forceful low-tech style which can be situated in the slipstream of the late 1970's punkzines.

Monument
The Club Moral 'monument' was originally conceived for the exhibition Monopolis/Antwerpen (Witte de With, center for contemporary art, Rotterdam, 2005). After five years of wandering about it has now found permanent residence at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerpen. On a monumental memorial marble slab the names of all artists, musicians, poets, writers, authors, bands and individuals who collaborated with Club Moral between 1981 and 2005 in one way or another, are listed.
The monument is so to speak a congealed archive of networks and junctions, which is reactivated for this occasion. It is also the reason for the investigative group ArchiVolt to put Club Moral in the spotlights. By means of an exhibition, a complete reprint of the (by now ultra rare) magazine Force Mental, a documentary film show, panel discussions and performances the (after)works of Club Moral are represented and situated in past and present.

Exhibition
In the exhibition a diverse offer of original Club Moral material will be on show: posters, invitations, photos, cassette tapes, vinyl records, artefacts and the cut-and-paste layouts of the Force Mental magazines. There will also be permanent projections of films by and documentaries about Club Moral, and all audio-releases can be listened to.

Concert
At the opening event on 16 November 2010 there will be a music performance by the band Club Moral. Since 1981 Danny Devos and Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven are also among the pioneers of 'noise' music in Belgium. They released numerous of audio cassettes and can be found on several international compilations. In the past ten years the original duo was extended several times, and for quite a while the new members are Mauro Pawlowski and Aldo Struyf. Music performances by Club Moral are diverse and rare, so not to miss.

Programme
On thursday 18 November 2010 there is a panel discussion about the phenomenon of 'artists initiatives' and the documentary 'Sad in Country' will be shown, a large chapter thereof is dedicated to Club Moral.
On thursday 25 November 2010 the exhibition is terminated with a performance night. Mikes Poppe, Meggy Rustamova and Nel Bonte present performances inspired by the works of Danny Devos. And finally the Wallon Sébastien Rien with 'noussommesquatrevingt' will present a sound and vision concert.

in Koninklijke Academie voor Schone Kunsten.


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  • Force Mental gebundeld - een Monument voor Club Moral || <h>ART
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