WGDD / W139 2015
In this exhibition at W139 in Amsterdam, Philips deepened the concept of ‘underground’ as well as the influence of social activism in music. He investigated the influence of anti-culture on social resistance and vice versa, but more importantly how this is being incorporated by festivals and the curatorial sector. The exhibition space was converted into a bleak festival terrain with an opening performance by the Belgian black metal band Wiegedood. The performance attracted a mixed audience of both art and music lovers. The main motivation for this group exhibition was to see the way in which this atypical crowd would interact. Philips invited Belgian artists Daan Gielis and Tom Vanuytrecht and also Tasya Krougovykh and Vasily Bo, a Russian artist couple. As the cameracrew for the band Pussy Riot, they unwillingly got caught up in the Pussy riot versus Putin saga. At W139, they told their story of making this artistic documentary and therefore being considered a threat to national security by Russian authorities.
EXHIBITION CURATED BY KARL PHILIPS, WITH WORK OF KARL PHILIPS, DAAN GIELIS, TOM VANUYTRECHT, TASYA KROUGOVYKH & VASILY BO PERFORMANCE BY WIEGEDOOD, W139, AMSTERDAM, NL