Wesley Meuris: Fiction as Method at Annie Gentils Gallery

Belgian artist Wesley Meuris (born 1977 in Lier, lives in Antwerp) presents his work at Galerie Annie Gentils in Antwerp until January 27, 2013. Meuris's practice revolves around organization and classification, often using fictional institutions to critique museum practices. His installation "The World's Most Important Artists" (2009) consists of 660 non-opening wooden drawers classified by discipline, theme, and psychological condition—empty yet complete through statistical data. This work is part of the larger "Center for Collecting and Conservation of Art Information" within the "Research Building," which also houses the "Congo Collection" (2010). In 2012, Meuris published "FEAK: The Foundation for Exhibiting Art and Knowledge," presented as a doctoral extract from Sint Lucas University College of Art and Design in Antwerp. The foundation, whose acronym evokes "Fake" and IKEA, aims to control and institutionalize the art world, visitor gaze, and critical discourse. Meuris's method uses fiction as hypothesis, producing plans, drawings, installations, and architectural fragments that generate new institutions and artworks. His work was recently shown at Casino Luxembourg and Mediaruinte in Brussels.