Turning Towards Fluidity: Tournament of the Unknown
From 19 November until 18 December 2022, Gabriel Fontana’s Turning Towards Fluidity: A Tournament of the Unknown will take place at W139. Unfolding over a period of one month, and running parallel to the World Cup, A Tournament of the Unknown aims to overcome binary thinking and rigid social values, through a series of games, ceremonies, workshops and classes.
The Tournament of the Unknown will serve as a framework through which we think, act, and engage amongst each other, inviting us to re-imagine alternative modes of being together in society.
During the opening and the closing, the audience can actively participate in the tournament. Also, various groups – ranging from local schools to art organisations – will be invited to participate in the organised games held at W139. In addition to the tournament, an exhibition and public programme will take place in the W139 ‘arena’ so that the space is also activated in between games. We will be showing a selection of artworks and we will be organising a public program that includes lectures, a film night, and mediated world cup viewing sessions.
The exhibited artworks, which include installations, textiles, and video works, will intervene into the sports hall and provide new entry points into sports as a microcosm of society. Next to this we have curated a selection of clothing and accessories by independent designers and artists that engage with the intersection of sports and fashion. Merchandise, specially designed for the exhibition, will also be available at the W139 shop.
Participating artists are Ronnie Close, Delphine Dénéréaz, Martynas Gailiušas, Davy de Lepper, John Lucas, Claudia Rankine, Julius Thissen, Paul Whitty, Versatile Forever and Sample.CM.
Photography by Zazie Stevens and Elodie Vreeburg.
Visual identity by Sheona Turnbull and TAL.
Supported by VriendenLoterij Fonds, Creative Industries Fund NL, Mondriaan Fonds, City of Amsterdam and Concrete.
