Force Mental. Kultureel Magazine. Nos. 1 - 15. [All published]
Force Mental
Antwerp. Club Moral V.Z.W. 1982–1988
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Club Moral was founded by Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven and Danny Devos in Antwerp on January 1st, 1981. For over 10 years, it focused on the presentation of art and live events of an extreme nature.
In the 1980's this controversial collective of artists shook up the Belgian art world. With noise concerts, performances, unusual exhibitions and the 'cultural battlezine' Force Mental, Club Moral proposed a quite different view on art as it was known by the cultural establishment. The breakdown of the soft 1970's ideals can be seen in the collective's interest for the radical, the excess and aggression. It was often transformed into taboo-breaking aesthetics, as well in imagery and sound as in words and deeds. In its communication Club Moral used a strong, forceful low-tech style which can be situated in the slipstream of the late 1970's punkzines.
In a factory building in Borgerhout (Antwerp) Van Kerckhoven and Devos organised numerous exhibitions, performances, music concerts, lectures, film shows and theatrical plays of Belgian and international artists from 1981 until 1993.
From 1982 onwards the magazine Force Mental was published as an extra platform for their activities and those by allied artists from Belgium and abroad. Force Mental was published in an edition of 500 or exceptionally 750 copies in offset print, the first seven numbers on coloured paper, the later editions on white maco paper. The first issue was in A3 format, all the others on A4 format, some issues have special inserts or handmade contributions. In all, 16 issues were published, first bi-monthly, then quarterly and finally irregular; the sixteenth issue was only published 18 years after the fifteenth and could only be read digitally on the internet. Texts in Dutch, English and French. The original 15 printed issues of Force Mental are virtually unfindable nowadays. A seminal publication from the Antwerp industrial underground.
In the 1980's this controversial collective of artists shook up the Belgian art world. With noise concerts, performances, unusual exhibitions and the 'cultural battlezine' Force Mental, Club Moral proposed a quite different view on art as it was known by the cultural establishment. The breakdown of the soft 1970's ideals can be seen in the collective's interest for the radical, the excess and aggression. It was often transformed into taboo-breaking aesthetics, as well in imagery and sound as in words and deeds. In its communication Club Moral used a strong, forceful low-tech style which can be situated in the slipstream of the late 1970's punkzines.
In a factory building in Borgerhout (Antwerp) Van Kerckhoven and Devos organised numerous exhibitions, performances, music concerts, lectures, film shows and theatrical plays of Belgian and international artists from 1981 until 1993.
From 1982 onwards the magazine Force Mental was published as an extra platform for their activities and those by allied artists from Belgium and abroad. Force Mental was published in an edition of 500 or exceptionally 750 copies in offset print, the first seven numbers on coloured paper, the later editions on white maco paper. The first issue was in A3 format, all the others on A4 format, some issues have special inserts or handmade contributions. In all, 16 issues were published, first bi-monthly, then quarterly and finally irregular; the sixteenth issue was only published 18 years after the fifteenth and could only be read digitally on the internet. Texts in Dutch, English and French. The original 15 printed issues of Force Mental are virtually unfindable nowadays. A seminal publication from the Antwerp industrial underground.
15 issues. (First issue lacks a spread of pages, otherwise complete). Original wrappers.
#41833
