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Mladen Stilinovic, Zvrrr / Rrring, 1974 (detail), Felt tip pen, printed paper on paper, 21 x 30 cm

Language is more than words and the word is also more than just a mere string of letters. Poetry has always been a source of inspiration for the visual arts. The exhibition More Than Just Words [On the Poetic] shines light on what linguist Roman Jakobson described as “the poetic function of language”: the aesthetic dimension of language that reaches beyond its merely communicative function. Poetry is linguistic surplus. It is a language that defies conventional modes of exchange to communicate meaning. The idea of the poetic function acts as a point of departure for the show, exhibiting the ways in which thoughts and ideas may be expressed beyond semantic clarity by presenting photography, film, collages, installations, and performances.

Artists John Baldessari, Elisabetta Benassi, Nina Canell, Natalie Czech, Michael Dean, Jason Dodge, Jo.o Maria Gusm.o / Pedro Paiva, Ketty La Rocca, Bruno Munari, Olaf Nicolai, Fernando Ortega, Jenny Perlin, Gerhard Rühm, Olve Sande, Erica Scourti, Michael Snow, Mladen Stilinović, Artur Żmijewski