Simon Delobel
Letter from Wim Van Mulders to Danny Devos, 08.02.1979

“Under this floor lies Danny Devos – your presence actually pushes him through.” This announcement immediately set the tone. While a party is being held on January 11, 1979 in the studio of the Sculpture Department of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent, located at Berouw 77, Danny Devos, 19 years old, realizes his very first performance.

The aspiring sculptor did not notify anyone prior to his action, nor did he ask anyone for permission. The performance gives rise to the most diverse reactions among the visitors to the party. At 11 p.m. the performance stopped. With his action, Devos causes commotion within the safe cocoon of the academy. Art critic and theory teacher Wim Van Mulders confirms this in a letter that he sends to Devos more than three weeks later...

Thanks to Danny Devos, Wim Van Mulders, Els Lybeer, Thomas Peeters, Koen Brams and Valerie Verhack.

The Letters Project

In 2022-2023, KIOSK together with the research group Ghent, playing field of the visual arts (1957-1987), will focus on letters from or to people from Ghent, or concerning the Ghent art scene. The letters are selected for their content, but also for their form.

For a whole year, the group will present a different letter every week in KIOSK, and will highlight its context or the questions it raises. During these presentations, the letter (or a facsimile) will be shown, possibly with other artefacts that are mentioned or that can clarify its meaning.

Ghent, playing field of the visual arts (1957-1987) consists of Naninga Lens, Sofie Frederix, Wouter De Vleeschouwer, Koen Brams and Godart Bakkers. For The Letters Project the group is reinforced by Simon Delobel and some guests.