Ugo Rondinone, long last happy, 2020, neon, acrylic glass, translucent foil, aluminum, 313 x 768 x 15 cm. Image © Studio Rondinone
From June 26 to October 24, 2021 the second Kortrijk Triennial will take place. Titled Paradise Kortrijk 2021, it includes works by Ryan Gander and Ugo Rondinone.
Paradise Kortrijk 2021 invites contemporary artists to participate and reflect on modern questions. What are meaningful values today and how can we construct a better society? By installing artworks in the heart of the dynamic city, the significance of the artists’ vision becomes present in public. The participative element is crucial in the project: through an active experience, interaction is activated by the visitor. Through this experience, the visitor is offered the opportunity to modify their way of thinking, both about themselves and about our current society.
During Paradise Kortrijk 2021, two immense, brightly colored, rainbow-shaped neons by Ugo Rondinone will appear on the roof of the Budatoren and the Heilig Hart Woon- en Zorghotel. While cry me a river (1997) is the first rainbow neon ever produced by the artist, long last happy is a new commission conceived specifically for the occasion.