Scenery 2: A Simulated Reenactment of a Squat Exhibition at De Brakke Grond

The exhibition "Scenery 2" at Centre culturel De Brakke Grond in Amsterdam (December 9, 2005 – February 22, 2006) is a facsimile of "Scenery 1," which took place in Antwerp in June 2004. Curated by critic Jan Woensel, Scenery 1 involved artists squatting a house to create a temporary, unconventional exhibition where visitors could stay overnight. Scenery 2 reconstructs that house at 1:1 scale using wood lattice, plasterboard, and stretched fabric, with each artwork placed exactly as it was in Antwerp. However, the works are presented as films, making Scenery 2 a "three-dimensional documentary" or simulation of the original. The exhibition thus becomes a meta-exhibition about exhibition-making, blurring the line between original and copy. Critic Paul Ardenne notes that while the concept is theoretically ambitious, the actual artworks are mediocre, shifting focus to the container (the fake house) and the curator. The promotional leaflet emphasizes the simulation over the art, effectively "forgetting" the artists. Ardenne sees this as an experiment to escape the traditional frontal exhibition format, despite its convoluted nature.