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Polydore De Keyser, the Flemish Hotelier Who Became Lord Mayor of London
30 May 2022
Polydore De Keyser was Lord Mayor of London from 1887 to 1888, a position that made him a celebrity in Britain and in his native Belgium. At the end of his year in office, he was knighted by Queen Victoria, and the town of Aalst introduced a Polydoor family of giants into its carnival parade, althou
Ballooning Over Bullets, and Other Escapes From the Siege of Paris
17 March 2022
On 23 November 1870, a gas-filled balloon carrying five men came to earth near the Belgian city of Leuven, its basket dragging across farmland for several kilometres before the anchor bit and it was brought to a halt. The balloon had taken off from Paris three hours earlier, flying over the Prussian
On the Road With Armchair Voyager Rinus Van de Velde
24 February 2022
Too famous now to still be considered the rising star of Flemish art, Rinus Van de Velde brings a selection of his latest work to the high-profile show Inner Travels at Bozar in Brussels.
When Flemish Rabbits Fed the Poor of London
11 January 2022
When people think about Ostend and food, it tends to be shrimps or mussels. But for Londoners in 19th century, it would have been rabbits. From the 1840s on, vast numbers of rabbits – skinned and packed into crates – were sent across the Channel by steamer to be sold in London’s markets. These
Laurens Legiers Distils the Essence From Dream Images
29 September 2021
Antwerp painter Laurens Legiers (b. 1994) takes animals, plants, and sailing boats, and formalises them, creating motifs that repeat through his paintings. Heavily stylised, with a strong sense of symmetry, they could be dream images, or cards dealt from a surreal tarot.
Duelling in the Dunes. When Tourists Fought in Flanders
9 September 2021
In the 19th century, a very particular kind of tourist came to Flanders: foreigners looking for a quiet place to fight. They came to settle debts of honour out of the public eye, and to avoid the increasing prohibitions on duelling in their home countries. Any trouble with the Belgian authorities co
Maika Garnica Conjures Soundscapes From Clay
2 September 2021
Maika Garnica (b.1992) translates form and material into sound, building objects in clay and playing them to produce atmospheric soundscapes. Some of her objects resemble traditional musical instruments, others are more abstract, playable sculptures that produce sound when blown, scraped or struck.
Finding a New Role for Flanders’ Historic Theatre Scenery
30 June 2021
Flanders has several significant collections of historic theatre scenery, including Europe's largest collection, in Kortrijk. But the extent and value of this heritage have only recently been recognised, and work is needed both to preserve it and to figure out how it can best be used.
The American Adventure of 17th-Century Stained Glass From Flanders
28 June 2021
When the religious order at the Park Abbey near Leuven fell on hard times in the 1820s, it sold off a remarkable set of 17th-century stained-glass windows. Split up, passed on, sold and resold, many of the windows ended up in the USA. Now 21 of the 41 windows have been restored to the abbey's cloist
Daems van Remoortere Trace a Line From Astronomy to Artificial Intelligence
25 May 2021
Working with light takes Antwerp-based duo Daems van Remoortere in different directions. On the one hand, they produce gallery works that draw on geometric abstraction and astrophysics. On the other, they make challenging multimedia installations that raise questions about public space and society.
Charles Degeyter Blurs the Boundaries of the Natural World
6 April 2021
Charles Degeyter (b. 1994) is fascinated by what happens when natural and artificial objects meet, merge or exchange places. His assembled and sculpted artworks raise questions about surface and reality, about collecting and cultural appropriation, and about our relationship with the environment.
Charline Tyberghein Turns Everyday Objects Into Symbols
16 February 2021
Charline Tyberghein (Antwerp, b.1993) paints enigmatic pictograms, like cards in a surrealist game whose rules remain obscure. With their trompe l'oeil effects, the results are visually striking, but also a little unsettling.
