"The Clown Spirit – The Traveling Exhibition"
Opening March 19, 2025, at 21 Gallery, Treviso, Italy

An invitation to step into the realm of the clown, where humour and introspection collide. "The Clown Spirit" returns for another compelling chapter at 21 Gallery, Treviso, opening March 19, 2025. Curated by Joanna De Vos, this traveling exhibition continues its journey. From Antwerp to Namur, Rome to Treviso, and soon Athens and Belgrade, "The Clown Spirit" continues its journey accompanied by new voices, visions, and interpretations along the way.

Inspired by family history related to the circus, Joanna De Vos embraced this world of wonder as a theme. Fascinated by modern masterpieces influenced by the circus, and building on close connections with contemporary artists, the desire arose to invite artists to create a self-portrait as a clown. An invitation that was answered with enthusiasm and excitement.

The exhibition showcases a striking collection of self-portraits as a clown by 100 contemporary artists, each piece offering a deeply personal exploration of the clown’s duality—comedic and tragic, subversive and sincere, both performer and outsider. Through drawing, painting, photography and mixed media, these artists confront their own reflections, play with identity and transcend stereotypes.

“Many artists have at least some affinity with the existence of the clown. The melancholic artist, the serious clown, the comical artist, the tragic clown, the idiotic artist, the subversive clown, the comforting artist, they all have the gift to transcend life. The artist/clown is both a mask and a mirror, an enigma and insight.” – Joanna De Vos

Since its inception, "The Clown Spirit" has captivated audiences, first debuting at De Rossaert in Antwerp (2020–2021) before becoming part of the larger citywide exhibition "The Circus We Are", with "The Clown Spirit" showcased at the Belgian Gallery in Namur (2022). In 2023, it arrived at Galleria Mucciaccia, Rome, enchanting visitors with its thought-provoking take on the clown’s role in contemporary society. Now, as it reaches 21Gallery, Treviso, the exhibition continues to evolve, welcoming fresh artistic voices and new interpretations. Following Treviso, "The Clown Spirit" will travel to Athens in 2025 and Belgrade in 2026, furthering its exploration of humour and vulnerability on an international stage.

For centuries, the clown has occupied a paradoxical space in society—both beloved and feared, evoking laughter and unease in equal measure. From the auguste clown to the tragic mime, from the absurd to the philosophical, the clown embodies the contradictions of the human experience. As both a performer and a symbol, the artist/clown becomes a canvas onto which various meanings are projected, existing in a state of constant transformation, both modest and exalted in their extremes.

This exhibition explores the power of de-individuation—how clowns, through oversized costumes and exaggerated makeup, shed personal identity to become something both transcendent, yet deeply human. Visitors step into a space where laughter becomes a tool for resonant thought, and the enduring figure of the clown serves as both an archetype and a disruption.

At its core, "The Clown Spirit" is a multifaceted exploration of personal expression and collective experience. This contradiction between self and spectacle, humour and introspection, fiction and reality form the exhibition’s driving force. The artist/clown(s) invites us into their world, encouraging reflection and ultimately offering a mirror through which we see ourselves—and the artists—anew.

Participating artists:

Marina Abramović, Hugo Alonso, Homa Arkani, Uldus Bakhtiozina, Fred Bervoets, Guillaume Bijl, Elke Andreas Boon, Muhiba Botan, Oona Bovri, Carlos Caballero, Paolo Canevari, Jacques Charlier, Izumi Chiaraluce, Marco Circhirillo, Ilke Cop, Giulia Cotterli, Michael Dans, Laura de Coninck, Peter de Cupere, Samuel De Maré, Francesco "DEMO" De Molfetta, Wim Delvoye, Robert Devriendt, Sidi El Karchi, Manfred Erjautz, Dodi Espinosa, Che Go Eun, Inci Eviner, Jan Fabre, Mike Figgis, Flexboj & L.A., Michael Fliri, Sasha Frolova, Kendell Geers, Maya Gold, Oda Jaune, Fermín Jiménez Landa, Marie-Jo Lafontaine, Mous Lamrabat, Sigalit Landau, Tom Liekens, William Ludwig Lutgens, Arnaud Maere, Kris Martin, Enrique Marty, Fabien Mérelle, Messieurs Delmotte, Elena Minyeyevtseva, Pieter Laurens Mol, Jorge Molder, Mothmeister, Sofie Muller, Johan Muyle, Eleni Mylonas, Nadia Naveau, Katie O'Hagan, Florence Obrecht & Axel Pahlavi, Hans Op de Beeck, ORLAN, Ria Pacquée, Javier Pérez, Petrovsky & Ramone, Antonis Pittas, Viktor Popov, Anastasia Potemkina, Matteo Pugliese, Daniele Puppi, Anna Raimondo, Gabriel Roca, Antoine Roegiers, Maria Roosen, Julião Sarmento †, Carmen Schabracq, Rob Scholte, Danilo Sciorilli, Andreas Senoner, Raoul Servais †, Saye Sohrabi, Nedko Solakov, Giuseppe Stampone, Berend Strik, Elly Strik, Koen Theys, Filippos Tsitsopoulos, Hans van Houwelingen, Jan Van Imschoot, Yves Velter, Paolo Ventura, Nils Verkaeren, Fabien Verschaere, Henk Visch, Vadim Vosters, Andy Wauman, Santiago Ydáñez, Kyvèli Zoi, Mary Zygouri