Haegue Yang in Museum in Motion, exhibition view, Museum of Contemporary Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium (2022). Courtesy of the artist. Photo: M HKA/clinckx, Antwerp.
Haegue Yang takes part in the group exhibition Museum in Motion. Focusing on an expanded image of the museum’s collection, the exhibition seeks to reflect its longer-term aspirations by presenting the work of several artists that are considered strongholds within the collection alongside artists the museum is seeking to include in the years to come, or strengthen their presence.
The exhibition is named after a key book on the particular praxis of contemporary art museums, Museum in Motion, as this is the specific reflection that will be undertaken in the years to come.
VIP's Union is one of Yang's formative works. Its premise lies in bringing together chairs and tables borrowed from numerous people who are considered 'important' within their own professional fields as well as being connected to the exhibition's city, in this case, Antwerp. These items, which have traveled from the various domestic or work spaces of their respective owners, form a temporary community in the gallery space, portraying the different stylistic expressions and social conditions of these individuals' lives, activities and their aspirations. Yang creates a space of collectives and engagements where the traditional distinction between functional design and the art object become obsolete, performed through the generosity of the lenders in agreeing to share their items.
