The MAS inaugurates a new expo on 18 October: ‘Dazzling Desire’. This exhibition illustrates how people have always made their desires tangible with striking objects, often consisting of diamonds. ‘Dazzling Desire’ sets the tone for the Antwerp Diamond Year.
Objects of human desire
People desire. Status, power, love and romance, eternal life, wealth. For many centuries, mankind has expressed all of its desires in stunning, precious and often rare objects that appeal to the imagination, such as sparkling diamonds. In fact, a diamond is just a bit of compacted carbon – nothing more than that. But if you look at it from a cultural perspective, diamonds are unmistakeably objects of human desire. Ancient rulers used them to illustrate their power. Lovers express their feelings by giving each other diamond jewels. For the rich a diamond is a status symbol indicating wealth and success.
Kick-off of the Antwerp Diamond Year
The exhibition ‘Dazzling Desire’ examines how desires have always disguised themselves as diamonds and how people derive meaning and a sense of purpose from valuable objects such as diamonds. Contemporary works by Berlinde De Bruyckere, Jan Fabre, Phillip Aguirre, Sobudh Gupta and Thierry De Cordier provide a critical viewpoint. Can mankind really draw meaning from diamond objects? Or are they merely a symbol of desires that are, in the end, unattainable? This magnificent exhibition kicks off the Antwerp Diamond Year ‘Antwerp Diamond Capital since 1447’. It will be a year full of dazzling activities!
‘Dazzling Desire’: Practical information
- Visit the expo from 18 October 2017 to 14 January 2018
- Opening hours:
- Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:00
- Closed on Mondays
- Last Wednesday of every month: late night opening until 19:00
- Tickets:
- Adults: 8/10 €
- Free entrance until 12 years
- Book your tickets online
- Guided tours for groups on request, book via tickets@visitantwerpen.be or call +32 (0)3 338 95 30