A site-specific presentation by American artist Jill Magid (b.1973) for Leuven’s St Peter’s Church, 'The Off Hours’ is a musical score inspired by the nocturnal flight calls of migrating birds and performs every night until the 28th of April. It emanates from the chapel that usually houses Dieric Bouts' world-famous triptych ‘The Last Supper’ (1464-1468), and echoes throughout the church.
'The Off Hours' is a new chapter of Magid's film and sound installation 'The Migration of the Wings' presented at M in the Spring of 2023. The project explores the forced migration of the side panels, or ‘wings’ of ‘The Last Supper’, commissioned for St. Peter’s church. Throughout the triptych’s 600-year history, it’s wings, depicting scenes of Jewish diaspora from the Old Testament, have been repeatedly removed and exploited as commodities, spoils, and reparations of war between Germany and Belgium.
Accompanying the installation, two books are on view: the 15th century 'Liturgical Manuscript of the Holy Sacrament Altar', also known as ‘The Book of Hours’ and Magid’s ‘Book of Off Hours’, a visual score of the new composition, with a volume proportional to the 15 nighttime closing hours.
