A Public Affair
Challenging our understanding of space, power, and autonomy, A Public Affair invites visitors to reflect on the ever-shifting boundaries between the private and the public. It considers how these realms continuously shape, control, and redefine each other.
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Across three floors of Cloud Seven’s gallery, Spaces, Systems, and Sovereignty offer three distinct perspectives on how private and public life intersect, overlap, and shape our daily experiences
Spaces challenge us to think about what makes a space private or public. Are spaces like a church, an artist’s studio, or a cinema truly private? Or are they always shaped by public rules, surveillance, and expectations? The artworks prompt questions about how our homes, workplaces, and even public spaces like parks and streets are constantly negotiated. Can a place be both private and public at the same time? How do historical, cultural, or political contexts change our understanding of a space?
Systems examine how larger structures of power—such as governments, economies, and social norms—control and organize our lives. What are the hidden rules that shape our behaviors and interactions? The artworks explore how people either fit into or resist these systems and how historical and global connections play a role in our present lives. Can we find new ways to organize ourselves that are fairer and more just? What happens when individuals or communities push back against these structures?
Sovereignty focuses on the idea of control and autonomy—both on a personal level and in a broader sense. What does it mean to have control over our own choices and identities? How do people claim or lose their right to self-determination? The artworks explore these questions, offering different points of view on how we navigate the tension between authority and personal freedom.
A Public Affair, curated by Bayo Hassan Bello, features 42 works from Frédéric de Goldschmidt’s collection by 31 artists: Helena Almeida, Reza Aramesh, Éric Aupol, Younes Baba-Ali, Aline Bouvy, James Casebere, Laurie Charles, Aleskandra Chaushova, David Claerbout, Margaret Courtney-Clarke, Tacita Dean, Dries Depoorter, Romuald Hazoumè, Jan Henderikse, Hideyuki Ishibashi, Sven ‘t Jolle, Kapwani Kiwanga, Maria Kley, Michel Mazzoni, Jacqueline Mesmaeker, Terrence Musekiwa, Sophie Nys, Camille Orso, Michael Patterson-Carver, Carmen Reátegui, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Barthélémy Toguo, Isaac van Nikelen, Nico Williams, Ulla-Stina Wikander, Wiktoria Wojciechowska, and Yunyao Zhang.