Considering the philosophical developments in the 20th century the least of the tasks of the critical artist is to create illusions. However, history shows that both artists and spectators have a constant desire that is best described by the romantic phrase: Die Sehnsucht im Bild zu sein. In the exhibition Fantastic Illusions six Belgian and six Chinese artists build illusory spaces for the visitor. A continual interaction between the space of the artist and that of the spectator is the recurring theme of the exhibition. The artists work with various media such as painting, video art and computer installations. The history of Chinese art does not correspond with that of Europe, even though nowadays it appears that Chinese art has strong similarities with western art. To what extent can terms like immersion or virtual reality be traced back to Chinese art history? And how do the Chinese artists lead their audience into another world?

Curators: Art Yan [Exhibition Department, e-arts Shanghai], Christoph Dejaeghere, [Artistic representative, vzw Intentie]