Curated by Fadwa Naamna
Participating artists:
Valentin Cernat, Pierre Coric, Lola Daels, Maxim Ryckaerts and Eva van Tongeren

Artists worldwide are immensely influenced by their surroundings. They collect objects of inspiration and apply them in new contexts, making new connections. It’s a way of viewing the everyday functions of such objects an alternative, critical perspective. The exhibition 'Objects vs. Things' explores the artistic processes by which material inspirations are turned into elements that tell a story or elicit questions.

'Objects vs. Things' presents several installations created by the five artists participating in STRT Kit #5. The works diverge from each other conceptually and methodologically, but they all seem to share the same starting point: an obsession with collecting materials and a compulsion to investigate their qualities. From collections of soil samples and stones from distant landscapes, to barcodes from products passing through Antwerp’s harbour, objects linked to childhood memories and even words: the exhibition presents these materials within a new context, evoking specific questions regarding contemporary, personal and/or common experiences.

This group show is a part of the fifth edition of STRT Kit, an international program supporting emerging visual artists based in Antwerp. Organized by AAIR with the support of the city of Antwerp and the Flemish Governement, in collaboration with Kunsthal Extra City and H ART magazine.