GHENT.- The exhibition The End Is Never Near in S.M.A.K. presents the first overview exhibition worldwide dedicated to the work of Belgian artist Jan Van Imschoot now opening at the museum S.M.A.K. in Ghent. The exhibition traces a rough chronological trajectory that spans more than 30 years and includes over 80 of his paintings. Van Imschoot is internationally known for his intimate, enigmatic works from the early 1990s and his recent large-scale, historically inspired tableaux.

Van Imschoot belongs to a generation of artists who laid the foundations for the critical reappraisal of figurative painting during the 1990s. Among his peers, Van Imschoot’s work occupies a unique place due to the profound art-historical awareness from which he paints. He approaches contemporary subjects such as gender, identity, war and peace from inspiration sources such as Dutch 17th- century painting, the work of Tintoretto, Caravaggio and especially that of Edouard Manet, the archetypal peintre de la vie moderne.

Besides the classical history of Western painting, film and literature also serve as important pillars in Van Imschoot’s creative universe. By also making them a focal point, the exhibition aims to bring Jan Van Imschoot’s world to life within the walls of S.M.A.K. "And that world, as the exhibition title suggests, is far from ending".

S.M.A.K. shows art from its own collection in dialogue with works of contemporary artists from all corners of the world.

By means of contemporary art, we seek and give meaning to this complex and fragmented world. In doing so, we make every effort to be accessible and inclusive, because art is for everyone. Because we experiment, every visit becomes exciting.

S.M.A.K.
Jan Van Imschoot: The End Is Never Near
October 7th, 2023 - March 3rd, 2024
Curator: Dieter Roelstraete