Commission (2011), film still
The 5th edition of Z-Files is organized jointly by SIR and Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art, and will take place on the 3rd of October. The evening will revolve around Erik van Lieshout, and his relationship with the Rotterdam Zuid area. At a special location, Zuidplein 88 (near the Zuidplein shopping centre), Van Lieshout will be presenting his movie Commission, which was commissioned by SIR, as well as his new artists book Rotterdam Zuid – Home, which Van Lieshout published with Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art.
In the week following the launch, Commission will be shown daily from 3 till 6pm at this venue.
Commission
In 2010, Erik van Lieshout spent three months in his ‘shop’ in the Zuidplein shopping mall. He talked to visitors and shop patrons, lived in Zuid for three months, and filmed his experiences. The result, Commission, is a biopic about the internationally working artist, who lived in Zuid for a number of years, and who engages in the life and architecture of Zuidplein. Commission premiered at the London Hayward Gallery, where it was received well. The movie saw its World premiere a month after, at the Zuidplein Theater in Rotterdam. Since then, the movie has been shown all over the world, and was bought by Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and the Bouwfonds art collection.
Rotterdam Zuid – Home
Erik van Lieshout’s latest publication, Rotterdam Zuid-Home starts with a bikeride which was organized by Witte de With in 2012, in collaboration with the Rotterdam Archiguides. Van Lieshout was asked to select a number of special locations for this tour, that he felt were relevant to his own artistic practice. Taking this tour as a starting point, the book opens with a map referring to the locations where he shot Commission and other films. Each essay in the book was inspired by one of Van Lieshout’s films, providing his perspective on the city of Rotterdam, while also referring to the broader role of artists in society.
Erik van Lieshout
Erik van Lieshout (1968) is known for his controversial video installations and drawings that explore the boundaries of vulgarity and show the most uncensored reality of our society. Van Lieshout often focuses on the Netherlands, and Rotterdam in his work.
Z-Files, Art and the City is a series of events organized by SIR and BKOR (the Art & Public Space program at CBK Rotterdam) that presents art, public space, and Rotterdam through lectures, workshops and excursions. The Z-Files series is organized to highlight and promote the artworks in Rotterdam’s public space, and to explore developments in contemporary art in public space.