AS LONG AS IT LASTS

In 1993, artist Lawrence Weiner made a work on the 185 meter high Euromast in Rotterdam as part of a group exhibition on painting and architecture. He painted the text 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. The first issue of Witte de With’s signature Cahier journal extensively documented the exhibition and featured a cover designed by Weiner. The Cahier also includes the two photographs of the work on the Euromast, now shown here on the light box, one taken by day, the other by night.

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.

Now, 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.

Concept: Paul van Gennip
Photography: Bob Goedewaagen

In Light Of 25 Years

Presented as part of In Light Of 25 Years, this project celebrates Witte de With’s 25th anniversary. For In Light Of 25 Years, ten artists and curators each create an image-based work that analyzes certain sediments of contemporary art history, departing from Witte de With’s archive.