During the 2005-2006 season, CRAC Alsace decided to open up its program to other forms of expression, closely linked to visual arts. The exhibition ‘What Now’  (Dec 2005 > Feb 2006) explored the influence of music and graphic design in contemporary art made in the UK.

Fashion Victim is an international group show focusing on the possible cross-over and links between art and fashion. The exhibition includes clothes, photographs, videos, installations and objects (some created specially for the occasion) created by ten artists. Special attention is given to the city of Shanghai: for the first time in Europe we present the work of the young designers Zhang Da, Wang Yiyang (presented in a recent issue of Vogue) and the photographers Peng & Chen (who will start working on a project for Benetton in spring). This invitation is part of a larger, ongoing exchange-programme between our art centre and China, started one year ago.

French artist Frank Perrin (also artistic director of the trend-setting magazine CRASH) will present a selection of photographs illustrating the glamorous world of the Parisian défilés. The contribution of Timur Celikdag from Turkey (famous since he won the prestigious Fashion Festival of Hyères), adds an interesting note, combining oriental elegance and revolutionary concepts.  The Swiss artist Margot Zanni offers a personal view of the multi-cultural city of New York. Alicia Framis is a Spanish-born artist, living in Amsterdam: in her video entitled ‘Anti_Dog’, presented at the Venice Biennale in 2003, she transformed famous designer’s dresses into uniforms protecting us in the urban jungle, by replacing the original tissues by the material used for fabricating protections used by people who train police-dogs.

The other pieces completing the show (Inez Van Lamsweerde, Liza May Post and Roy Villevoye) all belong to the collection of the Dutch Museum ‘Het Domein’ (Sittard). Like CRAC Alsace, this institution is located in a so-called ‘peripheral’ area, surrounded by important cities and it focuses on young, contemporary artists from Holland and abroad presenting a high-quality exhibition program.

Fashion Victim was organised with the support of Mondriaan Fund.