Welcome to the wwwshow of ‘wssohwte?’ By Wapke Feenstra ‘Who says seeing only happens with the eyes?’ does not look for answers but just shows the works of six artists, whose work I encountered looking at contemporary art. Their art stayed in my mind. Within the conventions of the ‘white cube’ the works of these artists can be viewed unmediated. Nevertheless, the way in which they address the public is very diverse. With ‘wssohwte?’ their attitudes and visions temporarily join forces, try to make sense, focalize - and might eventually infuse their own areas. To loosen fixed meanings, one has to start by creating opportunities for new meanings. For this, art offers a chance, mentally as well as physically. Presenting works of art in a group show offers the possibility for new lines of approach. It might change (all too) obvious connections. Meaning is always dependent on an act of the spectator. As such it constitutes a moment of translation. And although everything can be transported and ‘translated’ to every corner of the art world, the way ‘seeing happens’ will always have its roots in the ‘place’ from which one starts. The ‘place’ where one happens to be. And right now, that’s within the space of a website, which incorporates – through design and programming – the information contained in the ‘wssohwte?’ exhibitions at TENT. and Galleri F15. Several writers have been asked to write about the space taken up and evoked by ‘wssohwte?’ For information, questions or reactions, please mail to info@wssohwte.net. Rotterdam, November 2001 Credits Concept of ‘wssohwte?’ Wapke Feenstra wapke@wssohwte.net Production ‘wssohwte?’ Stichting Op Zuid, TENT. Rotterdam and Galleri F15 Moss Advisors Martijn Verhoeven, Jeanne van Heeswijk, Marianne Maasland, the artists and the writers Concept of this website Ariënne Boelens and Wapke Feenstra Design and creation of this website Ariënne Boelens arienne@wssohwte.net Editor Wapke Feenstra Webadvisors Daniel Rodenburg, Martien Wijers, Frank de Bruijn Translation Dutch-English and English editing Martien Wijers Copyrights Stichting op Zuid, Ariënne Boelens and Wapke Feenstra Texts The authors and/or Wapke Feenstra Pictures and works The artists, Wapke Feenstra, Ariënne Boelens and Arild H. Eriksen, Eivind Karlsen Thanks Financial support TENT. Rotterdam, Galleri F15 Moss, Mondriaan Foundation Amsterdam, Dutch Embassy Oslo, Utenriks Departemanget Oslo, VSB-Fonds Utrecht, Fonds BKVB Amsterdam, Austrian Embassy The Hague, Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds Amsterdam, Provincie Limburg Maastricht and Centre for Visual Arts Rotterdam. The design of this website was made possible through a designer-project-grant Ariënne Boelens received from the BKVB Fund in Amsterdam. Also thanks for their support to Johan Siebers, Duende Aktiviteiten and Kaus Australis in Rotterdam. And the technical staff of TENT. and Galleri F15