Concept Store

Art and commerce seem to be each others direct opposites. The philosophical basis of works of art clash with the practical use of the commercial products. The commercial product serves the greediness and vanity of the human being, while art stimulates intelligence, insight and the mental state. Shopping malls cause ever expanding heaps of waste, the remains of the products that serve our temporary satisfaction, while art strives for an eternal value.

With the emergence of branding; the enlargement of the brand in relation to the original product in the eighties and nineties, the ‘flag store’ appeared in the streets. De flag store may be considered as a hybrid between an exhibition space for contemporary art and a store. The presentation and experience of the brand is top priority, spaces are minimally decorated and radiate luxuriousness.

The project Concept Store, curated by Marius Lut and Frank Koolen, will explore the different forms of presentation used by shops, flagship stores and art spaces, and the influence these forms exercise on the appreciation of the presented goods.