Study for "In a Given Situation"

"I read somewhere, I can't remember where, that concepts are timeless. They are open and therefore permanent and never-ending. They cannot be told, only executed." Francis Alÿs in In a Given Situation, 2010.

In addition to the film Tornado, which is a key work in Francis Alÿs' oeuvre, the KANAL collection also includes two series of studies linked to that work: In a Given Situation, which consists of 19 framed drawings, and Tornado, which comprises 41 drawings and five chromogenic prints.

In a Given Situation is a collection of poetic gestures on paper. They depict concepts such as the collapse of order, turbulence, uncertainty, chaos, loss of information, negotiation or spectacle, "in a given situation". The series shows the thought process Francis Alÿs went through when he attempted to capture the experience of stillness or "situatedness" in the heart of a tornado - and by extension the world. He derives the definition of "situatedness" from artist and author Suzanne van der Lingen.
The study series Tornado (2008-2017) traces the emergence of this theme in Francis Alÿs' oeuvre. The drawings provide context for the sociopolitical critiques and commentaries contained in the film and in his work in general.