Raw Materials
By Justin Bennett at GEMAK in The Hague
As part of the exhibition Gladstone ‘On books and the housing of them’
28.03.2014 – 10.05.2014
Location: Paviljoensgracht 20-24, 2512 BP The Hague, the Netherlands


Justin Bennett will show his work Raw Materials (2011) in the exhibition Gladstone ‘On books and the housing of them’, a project about ‘reading domains’ past and present. The presentation takes place at the Vrije Academie’s exhibition space, GEMAK in The Hague.


The project is inspired by William Ewart Gladstone (1809 – 1898), one of the most famous British prime ministers as well as a literary glutton and collector of books, who wrote an essay regarding reading domains entitled ‘On books and the housing of them’ (1898).


In Raw Materials Justin Bennett asks what it is possible to hear within field recordings. The protagonist types a letter while listening to sounds from his archive. He writes of the ability of sound to trigger memories, to conjour up events, places and emotions. He is playing a game with himself and the audience, implicating us: “Do you remember? You were there too.”


Blog and seminar
Gemak’s exhibitions are never isolated events; they are generally accompanied by lectures, interviews and debates, where art provides the inspiration rather than the subject. During the research and exhibition project, this blog will explore, highlight and share its themes.


Op top of that a seminar will take place on the 9th of May from 11:00 -17:00, thematizing the future of libraries, reading, archiving & disclosing knowledge and information as well as privacy and copyright.


More information about the exact programme will follow on GEMAK’s website: www.gemak.org.