Part of this year's OFF program is The Oracle, an artist-run gallery founded by Annea Lyvv Dreisz. During the Antwerp Art Weekend, the gallery functions as a bakery where a selection of artists present homemade bread in a performative way.
On the occasion of Antwerp Art Weekend 2024, The Oracle wants to function as a ‘bakery’ and will ask participating artists of AAW24 to bake a bread which will be presented, some in a performative way, in the gallery space. Visitors can stop by for their ‘daily bread’ during the weekend. A fine line is created and one does not know if one enters a gallery space presenting bread or a bakery portraying art.
And what does art taste like? How does it influence one’s daily experience? Bread has always been synonymous with wealth, destitution, God and the mundane. The bakery can be seen as a political and spiritual foundation for society... The artistic and cultural relevance of bread is as strong today as it has always been. Bread has appeared in art throughout history. The importance of bread for survival meant that it also symbolised spiritual sustenance. A great example is The Last Supper as portrayed by Da Vinci, where the bread symbolises the body of Christ, symbol of eternal life. Vermeer, Van Gogh, Magritte, Velasquez, Dalì, Caravaggio and others have all included bread in their paintings. Bread created the structure of our modern-day society and our way of living. Our daily bread will be delivered at Het Orakel during the AAW24 as a festive experience.
Baguette! Now!