Stanley Brouwn is one of the most radical figures in conceptual art; since the very early Sixties, he has pursued a form of expression connected to bodily measurements – his own and other people’s.
One famous example of his work is This Way Brouwn, drawings that came from asking passers-by for directions in Amsterdam. His recent books all feature the same format and layout.
And indeed, the book we are publishing for our first show with Stanley is square, and printed in Helvetica typeface; it lists the steps that Brouwn took as 2005 turned into 2006, and more specifically, from 12/12/2005 to 1/1/2006.
During this span of time, Brouwn counted his steps each day. Curious to find out how many there would be. One thing we can’t help noticing: on Christmas (December 25, 2005), Stanley walked around far less than usual.
The choice of dates is also telling: two repeated numbers, 12/12 and 1/1, as the starting and ending point. Little clues, in a work that’s not without its own subtle humor, for those capable of grasping it…

We’ve been pursuing this “show” of Stanley’s for years, ever since we started out, really.
And now the time has come, but… since Brouwn is a unique artist, his “show” will be unique, too.
It’s only a week till the opening, and all we know is that it will be something very special. We haven’t received the works yet; Stanley will be dictating them over the phone. He will be keeping a distance between himself and the gallery (moreover, his work has always been based on distance, measurements, steps, time going by).
It’s a way to “cool off” the work of an artist who has been a conceptualist from day one, and who carries the principles behind this artistic current to their extreme conclusions.
Conceptualism has held sway since the early Sixties, helping to put some clarity and order into an art world swamped by conflicting trends that cancel each other out.
A show you shouldn’t miss, if you want to fathom the relationship between artist and gallerist that it sometimes takes to arrive at a shared goal, even when—as in this case—the results can’t be immediately seen.