Baloji Augurism. through the Eyes of the Transdisciplinary Artist
The exhibition Augurism. immerses you in the creative universe of Baloji. For Augurism., the transdisciplinary artist delved into his archives of images, props and costumes. The exhibition is also inspired by Augure, Baloji's first feature film and the official Belgian entry for the 2024 Oscars. MoMu talks to him about the inspiration behind his installation and his collaborations with well-known artists and craftspeople.
What is the inspiration behind this exhibition?
BALOJI: "I have been working on an idea for an exhibition since 2019. Since I work with different media, an installation is the most organic way to present this kind of concept. The exhibition felt like a natural habitat to bring together multidisciplinary art forms."
What is the concept behind the exhibition design?
BALOJI: "The glass showcases in MoMu determined the atmosphere of the display and the concept. You can see those as an anthropological study window to some extent. We expanded on that idea with aquariums and floods. In turn, the timeline of the exhibition focuses on one of my favourite topics in art: 'the day after' or what things tell us after their use."
Which garments can we see in the exhibition?
BALOJI: "You'll see a New Orleans costume by the legendary Victor Harris and Jack Robertson, of Spirit of Fi-Yi-Yi. It was commissioned by myself, Rachel Breunlin and Bruce Sunpie Barnes for The Neighbourhood Story Project, an art collective I've been working with since 2019. We also made a dress in collaboration with Brandon Wen, the new creative director of the Antwerp Fashion Academy."
Baloji Augurism.
What else is there to discover besides fashion?
BALOJI: "Videos, photography, installations, masks and music. It's not only about what you see, but also about the experience of my whole creative world."
Baloji Augurism. is on view through 16 June 2024. More info and tickets available here
MoMu x Baloji Takeover
In conjuction with Augurism., Baloji is curating a series of nocturnes at MoMu. Much like Baloji's world, the nocturnes are collaborations with other artists.
On 8 February 2024, Baloji invites Parisian collective P3 for a women-only evening. On 12 March 2024, he will engage in conversation with Brandon Wen, artistic director of the Fashion Department at the Antwerp Academy, in collaboration with Expanding Academy. Discover the programme here