Silent Times at Kunsthal Extra City

Curated by Joachim Naudts, Silent Times explores silence, the unspoken, and the question of who gets to speak. In a time when freedom of expression feels increasingly fragile, these artworks delve into the weight and psychological impact of silence.

Overview

What if words fail us? At what point does something become unspeakable? In times where countries are involved in geopolitical power games, the voice of the individual is silenced. Silent witnesses, erased instructions, obliterated testimonies – the absence of words can sometimes be a relief, but most often it’s a foreboding prelude.

Silent Times is meant to be a zero point and brings together works by different artists, each confronting us with the unspeakable. But who decides who can speak? It’s no coincidence that the Dutch word for ‘voice’ (stem) is also the word for ‘vote’. One’s political voice and one’s personal voice are both heavily controlled. ‘Freedom of speech’ almost feels like a phrase from a past long gone.

Silent Times deals with the unspoken, with the psychological weight of silence and the burden of not finding the words. Contradictory as it may sound, the exhibition also includes a substantial public programme with (lecture) performances, talks, temporary installations and meditation sessions. After all, it’s only in reconnecting with each other, embracing ideas of safe spaces and neighbouring that this silence can be broken.

Exhibiting artists are Basir Mahmood, Adam Broomberg and Rafael Gonzalez, Taysir Batniji, and Younes Zarhoni. Among the artists and participants contributing to the public programme are Sana Ghobbeh, Benjamin Verhoeven and Amine Lahrach, Isshaq Albarbary, and Paloma Bouhana.

The group show includes Disruptions by Taysir Batniji, co-produced by PhMuseum on the occasion of the 4th edition of PhMuseum Days.

During the closing weekend of Silent Times, Kunsthal Extra City will once again embrace the human voice with a multi-day event titled Break The Silence.