NW, Open House for Contemporary Art and Film, is hosting Brazilian artist Fernando Marques Penteado’s exhibition Tender, Trivial, Totemic Table Talks until September 28, 2025.
Exhibition Concept
Penteado creates a space where social rituals materialize through installations featuring:
1. Recovered tables sourced from thrift stores in Aalst.
2. Totemic sculptures layered with snacks prepared by local communities.
3. Textiles and discarded objects engaging with the venue’s history as a former passementerie (ornamental embroidery workshop).
Core Themes
- Politics of hospitality: Reflection on the value of community labor.
- Invisible economies: Recognition of informal exchanges in cultural creation.
- Inclusion: Expansion of audiences traditionally excluded from the art world.
- Blurring boundaries: Critique of distinctions between art and daily life.
Spatial Context
The choice of a former passementerie emphasizes:
- Exploration of verticality and structured forms.
- Transformation of decorative elements into politically charged installations.
- A challenge to cultural hierarchies marginalizing craftsmanship.
Aesthetic and Conceptual Impact
The works:
- Mobilize narratives through color, texture, and patterns.
- Invite contemplation of contemporary emotional and political dimensions.
- Reinterpret the trivial to disrupt cultural codes of taste and value.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
📍 Venue: NW, Houtkaai 15, Aalst (Belgium)
📅 Duration: Until September 28, 2025
On the cover: Fernando Marques Penteado, Jantar servido 01, 2017, print on jeans, braids, machine, and hand embroidery, 67 x 81 cm/ Mendes Wood DM
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