TRACK is a temporary exhibition in the public and semi-public space of the city of Ghent. Philippe Van Cauteren and Mirjam Varadinis invited 35 artists to make an in-depth exploration of six typical neighbourhoods in Ghent and to come up with artistic proposals that interact with the different communities in various ways.

The curators took the time to select surprising, meaningful and hidden locations in the wider city centre of Ghent and invited artists who have an affinity with the thematic context of the various places. The selected artists use the local reality as a fertile source of inspiration to reflect upon the city and the contemporary human condition in a global light. The results of their explorations are not simply traditional works of art, but artistic projects with an intense relationship with the city and its inhabitants that will leave permanent traces.

TRACK consists of six clusters in the city, each with its own distinct character and atmosphere:

CITADEL: the neighbourhood between St Peter’s Station and the Citadelpark, where the 1913 world exhibition took place and where the city’s major museums are now located.
BLANDIJN: the university quarter, with its high concentration of educational institutions and student amenities.
CENTRE: the historical centre of the city, where trade has flourished for centuries and where present-day tourism is concentrated.
MACHARIUS: the quarter where the rivers Leie and Schelde meet and where the city was born.
TOLHUIS: the area around Fratersplein, which is home to a large number of healthcare institutions.
TONDELIER: an industrial site on the outskirts of the city, which is being transformed into a new quarter for housing and business.

TRACK as a whole offers a historical, cultural, architectural and mental cross-section of Ghent and the idea of a city today.

The exhibition parcours invites you to explore the city, its history, its inhabitants and its relationship with the globalised world. TRACK is not conceived as a linear narration with one theme but as a universe of parallel (hi)stories  that offers a wide variety of angles and experiences.

TRACK was initiated by S.M.A.K. It continues the tradition established by the large-scale exhibition projects Chambres d’Amis (1986) and Over the Edges (2000), that had installed contemporary art in the context of the city and entered into a direct dialogue with the public.

Artists: Lara Almarcegui, Pawel Althamer, Sven Augustijnen, Massimo Bartolini, Johanna Billing, John Bock, Michaël Borremans, Mike Bouchet, Christoph Büchel, Peter Buggenhout, Mircea Cantor, Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset, Cerith Wyn Evans, Cao Fei, Peter Fischli & David Weiss, Cyprien Gaillard, Mekhitar Garabedian, Christina Hemauer & Roman Keller, Tadashi Kawamata, Alon Levin, Bart Lodewijks, Emilio López-Menchero, Mark Manders, Teresa Margolles, Tatzu Nishi, Ahmet Öüt, Tobias Putrih, Kateina Šedá, Superflex, Pilvi Takala, Javier Téllez, Tercerunquinto, Benjamin Verdonck, Lonnie van Brummelen & Siebren de Haan, Erik Van Lieshout, Danh Vo, Lawrence Weiner.

Curators: Philippe Van Cauteren and Mirjam Varadinis
Organised by: S.M.A.K., the Museum of Contemporary Art in Ghent
Supported by: City of Ghent, Flemish Community, National Lottery and Port of Ghent

Site: Track
Exhibitión: TRACK A Contemporary City Conversation
Place: diferentes espacios públicos de Ghent
City: Ghent
Country: Belgium
Dates: 12 May–16 September 2012