In June 2015 I went to see an exhibition at Dépendance gallery in Brussels. The show, from an artist named Linder, was created around the work of the Belgian fashion house Maison Martin Margiela. Linder exhibited collages and appropriated elements from the previous collections of MMM. I’m not sure what I thought about the show. I wasn’t sure if it was good or bad, which is fine, that happens often. As I finished looking at the show, I was told by the gallerist that in order to see the second part of the exhibition, I had to go visit the MMM showroom around the corner from the gallery. I walked out and started looking for the place. The name of the shop wasn’t displayed on the façade, so I asked my way from someone on the street and found it. The employees wore white blouses. After explaining that I was coming from the gallery, I got an introduction to MMM by one of the people working there, as well as a chance to browse some vintage pieces by Margiela. Not being very familiar with MMM, this was a nice way to get acquainted. Afterwards, I walked back to the gallery, had a second look at the show and took the invitation card and the press release with me. I went for a coffee and read this:
In 1998, Maison Martin Margiela responded to several questions on the subject of colour. To the question “What is black?” The response given was “An absence, a mood, a mantle. (…) A second question posed to Maison Martin Margiela in 1998 was “What is art?” The answer given was “A need to reply”.
For Peach, we thought of a show that would consider very carefully the installation of the works. We imagined artwork made for the dimensions of the space. We imagined that gesture of ‘composing carefully’ as a counterbalance to the urban space of Rotterdam, which we find to be lacking fluidity and a certain active habitation or appropriation by its citizens. Therefore, the show would be a reply to Rotterdam as a cultural space as well. The exhibition would consist of an olfactive object created by The Interviewer, a sculpture by David Stamp, site-specific paintings by Perri MacKenzie, homemade beers served to our guests by Butcher’s Tears and a new carpet in the recurring series by Daniel Fogarty. On the facade of Peach, would be displayed a new sign, made especially for the exhibition.