Marcel Broodthaers at city gallery
Published - Sunday, 02 March, 2008
An exhibition by Marcel Broodthaers, an artist considered to be one of the most important of the 20th Century, is currently on display at Milton Keynes Gallery and continues until the end of March.

Thanks to important loans from SMAK (Museum of Modern Art) Ghent, The Broodthaers Estate, The Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven and various private collectors, visitors will be able to see around forty works in this free exhibition, including Pense Bête (1964), considered by Broodthaers as his first 'artwork'.

Belgian artist Marcel Broodthaers (1924-76) was a poet, photographer, film-maker and artist.  Throughout his career he challenged the role of the artwork, the artist and the art institution.  This is the most comprehensive exhibition of his work in the UK since the Tate Gallery retrospective exhibition of his work presented nearly thirty years ago and Milton Keynes Gallery is the only venue in the UK at which it can be seen.

Recognising the rare opportunities for British audiences to see Broodthaers’ work, the show at Milton Keynes Gallery deliberately explores the breadth of Broodthaers’ artistic practice and includes books, prints, editions, slide projections, sculptures, painting and installation.  Several works never seen in the UK before are featured, including Pense Bête, a volume of his poems encased in plaster, which addresses his enduring concerns about form and language and the construction of meaning. The exhibits reveal recurring themes in his work, such as the construction and power of language, the art world, commerce and nationalism – all conveyed with characteristic wit and humour, inspired by the Belgian  Surrealist artist, René Magritte (1898-1967).

Every Saturday from 2-4pm during the exhibition volunteers will be available in the gallery spaces to provide visitors with information about the exhibition and to encourage discussions about the artist, his work and its relation to contemporary art and life.  The related events programme includes the opportunity to hear former Milton Keynes Gallery exhibitor Keith Wilson and forthcoming exhibitor Richard Woods discuss the influence of Broodthaer’s work on their and other artists’ practice.

Free Prize Draw for Eurostar Tickets
All visitors to the Broodthaers exhibition are eligible to enter a Free Prize Draw to win a pair of Eurostar tickets to Brussels, simply by completing an entry form at the Gallery’s Information Desk.
The winner will be picked at random after 30 March; terms and conditions apply.

For further information on this and upcoming exhibitions at Milton Keynes Gallery contact 01908 676900 or visit www.mk-g.org.

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