Hans Theys

Concurrent with Chambres d'Amis, a number of associations were founded pursuant to Ghent's Initiatief 86.  At the Sint-Pietersabdij in Ghent, they presented an overview of contemporary Belgian art.  For this exhibition, Panamarenko made an automatic playing-card dealer out of wood and iron. The cards were propelled by a motor and flew abundantly about.  On the cards was a representation of the drawing Le Siècle de Kafka, with as title 'Panamarenko's Nee' upon it.

'It was a 'nee' (i.e. no) against the power games of the museum directors who organized this exhibition.  It was also a 'no' against all that ballyhoo of Chambres d'Amis, going on in Ghent at the same time.  I wasn't in love with the idea of going to make something at somebody's house, and not being able to say 'no'.  And so I expressed my 'no' precisely by my taking part.  By showing all that money so ostentatiously, people felt that I was kicking them in the shins, I guess.  But you have to see it this way: take Mozart, for instance, rich and writing great operas for grand spectacles, and he's asked to go around to someone's house for a musical evening and write a little chamber piece or something... well, I don't think he'd do it either! (vehemently)  That Mozart had other things in his head!  He might well have done it if he was broke... (dryly)  But if you've got some money, then you don't do something like that!' - Panamarenko

(source: Hans Willemse and Paul Morrens, in: 'Copyright Panamarenko', 2005)