DOKA | M Leuven

DOKA is the title of M’s new exhibition, assembled by guest curator Geert Goiris. It marks the return of the Belgian photographer to the museum after his solo exhibition in 2013. The natural state of the art collection is darkness. Most artworks rarely see the light of day. But just like a darkroom (‘doka’ in Dutch), that magical place where analogue photographs are developed and images are created, Goiris conceives of this exhibition as a space in which images light up from the dark.

Geert Goiris lives and works in Antwerp. He travels the world in search of unusual places to interpret into enigmatic images. Inspired by the ambiguous concept of ‘high fidelity’ (technology that makes itself invisible or inaudible, so to speak, to get closer to the ‘original’), he uses large-format analogue cameras and scientific films that are more sensitive than the human eye. Despite the abundant detail, the feeling that something is missing often prevails in his work. This lack of information stimulates the viewer’s imagination. The absence of clear temporal markers creates the feeling that we are viewing the past and future simultaneously.

Goiris’ work is held in the following collections, amongst others: Seattle Art Museum (US), Hamburger Kunsthalle (Germany), FOMU (Belgium), Centro de Arte Caja de Burgos (Spain) and the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (France).

A new look at the familiar

‘Attention is the beginning of devotion.’ The late poet Mary Oliver warned about the dangers of looking without observing. Her voice has never been more urgent in this age of distraction.

The familiar spaces that we regularly use are often strongly defined by ingrained habits and routines. Our perception in such places is truncated into assumptions rather than perceptions. The artworks in ‘DOKA’ disrupt the mundane – sometimes subtly, sometimes explicitly – and invite us to take a new look at the familiar. The works range between openness and reticence, abstraction and figuration, and uninhibited curiosity and control. A wave seems to flow through the exhibition, from the unreachable (the landscape) to the familiar (the interior), and back again.

Exhibition view ‘DOKA’, 2023, M Leuven, photo: We Document Art for M Leuven

Diverse media and techniques

‘DOKA’ encompasses diverse media and techniques. The video works link together a number of focal points, forming the backbone of the exhibition. Several videos play out in real-time: the viewing time equals the duration of the recording. They invite focus; those who stop can concentrate on the palpable passage of time.

Sculptures, installations, graphic and photographic artworks are also included. The artists play a game with everyday objects and figures. By reshaping, reworking and copying them, they acquire new meanings. Our gaze is challenged to reread what we are confronted with and to make our own associations.

‘Corolla’, Gintautė Skvernytė, 2019, Cera-collection with M Leuven © the artist

Under the motto ‘'Attention is the beginning of devotion’' (Mary Oliver), 'DOKA' brings together the following artists:
Leyla Aydoslu / Younes Baba-Ali / Dirk Braeckman / Raphaël Buedts / Paul Casaer / Honoré d’O / Lili Dujourie / Jef Geys / Gerard Herman / René Heyvaert / Ann Veronica Janssens / Jan Kempenaers / Valérie Mannaerts / Hana Miletić / Peter Morrens / Hilde Overbergh / Ria Pacquée / Benoît Platéus / Kato Six / Gintauté Skvernyté / Walter Swennen / Joëlle Tuerlinckx / Michael Van den Abeele / Philippe Van Snick / Richard Venlet / Jan Vercruysse / Marthe Wéry

All artworks on display are from the collections of Cera, the Flemish Community and city of Leuven, managed by M Leuven.

Curator: Geert Goiris

Visitors in expo 'DOKA' of M Leuven — Miles Fishler for M Leuven

One by one, the exhibition halls are lit solely by red lamps for seven minutes, evoking the experience of the darkroom bathed in red light. We advise visually impaired people to take this into account during their visit. Any questions? You are welcome to contact us via reservaties@mleuven.be or +32 (0)16 27 29 29.