Not every piece of art can hang on every wall. Utrecht's Galerie Kuub has one such wall, which is a challenge for anyone wishing to hang a work of art in the otherwise generous space. This is because the wall is medieval, and over the centuries has been given more layers, stamps and anchors than an average new-build house will be able to handle in its lifetime. With or without a sofa in front of it.
'A narrative wall', gallery owner Jaap Roëll calls it, and that designation perhaps covers the load a little better than 'a wall with a story'. For this wall not only has a story, it also shouts that story rather emphatically into the space all the time.
Artist Mirjam Hagoort paid tribute to the wall in the exhibition she set up 'Architectures', on show at the Utrecht gallery until 29 March. Hagoort, whose work excels mainly in clean lines and textured shades of grey, is loosely nailed to the monumental wall. Indeed, a frame would be disturbing, and colour on the canvas would be out of place. Cleverly, then, done with a good sense of image and space. And that actually applies a bit to the entire exhibition in Utrecht.
Where architecture becomes art, and where art has become architecture. With blood spatters (Lydia Schouten), market stalls (Dré Wapenaar), hanging 3d models (Frank Havermans) and touching, narrative comic overviews of Jan Rothuizen.
The artworks engage with each other, thanks to Hagoort's beautiful selection. As a result, every wall at Kuub ends up telling a story, without being drowned out by that one wall.
And that's quite an art, actually.
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