
AS LONG AS IT LASTS - as part of the WDWXXV edition set, 2015 - Lawrence Weiner
about this work
In 1993, artist Lawrence Weiner made a work on the 185 meter high Euromast in Rotterdam as part of a group exhibition at Witte de With on painting and architecture. He painted the phrase AS LONG AS IT LASTS – which also became the title of the exhibition – up the length of the tower, making it one of the largest works Weiner has realized to date.
Conceived of as a recurring work, AS LONG AS IT LASTS reappeared in Rotterdam inside the pedestrian tunnel of the central station, as part of the citywide exhibition Melanchotopia in 2011. On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Witte de With, Weiner’s words aptly articulate the ever-changing modus of operation of the institution. Each reiteration of the work prolongs the statement it embodies, resulting in a conceptual short-circuit which is forever finite. AS LONG AS IT LASTS is a cautious slogan, not quite pessimistic, but rather a firm reminder that one should never make assumptions about the future.
The photograph used on the lighbox and this edition was made by Bob Goedewaagen, and used with the kind permission of Lawrence Weiner.
This edition is part of a set that was produced in the context of Witte de With’s In Light Of 25 Years. On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, Witte de With examined its history, dedicating its ground-floor gallery to a series of commissioned presentations by a select group of contemporary artists. Each participant created an image-based work that analyzed certain sediments of contemporary art history. Presented on a large-scale double-sided light box these anniversary commissions were visible to the city day and night. Throughout 2015, In Light Of 25 Years functioned as a space for artists and curators to respond to developments in contemporary art, its landscape and possibilities, departing from Witte de With’s past program.
WDWXXV brings together the ten In Light Of 25 Years commissions. Presented in a slim Plexiglas box frame, inspired by the light box itself, this limited edition portfolio features ten high quality prints by the participating artists Özlem Altin, Wineke Gartz, Camille Henrot, Germaine Kruip, Mahony, Raimundas Malašauskas, Zin Taylor, Freek Wambacq, Lawrence Weiner, and Xu Zhen. Have a look at the individual artist pages to read more about each specific edition.