Arts Flanders Cultural Heritage

Masterpiece monstrance on display in Germany

faro — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:16:35 +0000

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The monstrance from Herkenrode Abbey, which very recently was added to the Flemish list of Items of Exceptional Importance, will be on display in Münster (Germany) until May 2012. The exhibition 'Golden Splendour' gathers more than 240 medieval exhibits and shows outstanding goldsmith's art works from the 10th to the 16th centuries.

The Herkenrode monstrance is the oldest known monstrance in the world and dates back to 1286. Handcrafted by Parisian jewellers, the monstrance gives a true demonstration of the fine craftsmanship in those early times. Since medieval times it played a pivotal role in religious life because of the bleeding host which was shown and stored in the monstrance since 1317. By adding it to the list of Items of Exceptional Importance, the Flemish Government stressed its cultural and historical significance.

The exhibition 'Golden Splendour' focuses on the beauty and splendour of outstanding goldsmiths’ works in the Westphalia of the late Middle Ages. In this region, an unusually large number of goldsmiths remained as witnesses to Christian piety and the worldly need for representation. The exhibition recognises these treasures, which have often slumbered unseen, for the first time, both for their artistic standing and also in their original historical context.

When not on display in Münster, the monstrance from Herkenrode Abbey can be seen in Stadsmus, Hasselt (Belgium).

More information

Cultural Heritage

Flemish Primitives | An online museum

faro — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 11:04:54 +0000

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The new website 'Flemish Primitives' puts an important piece of cultural heritage in the international spotlights. The website informs both the interested layman as well as the expert art historian about the world of painting in the Burgundian Low Countries, from Jan van Eyck to Quinten Massijs. 'Flemish primitives | An online museum' is an initiative of the Flemish Art Collection (Vlaamse Kunstcollectie vzw (VKC)), an umbrella organisation stimulating the collaboration amongst the various art collections in Flanders and stimulating the international promotion of these collections.

In addition to the Flemish Primitives collections from the established partner museums of the KMSKA, MSK and the Groeninge Museum, the collections from the museums M in Leuven, Mayer van den Bergh in Antwerp and the Memling in Sint-Jan’s Hospital in Bruges are also displayed, along with the collections from the Saint Bavo Cathedral in Ghent and the Sint-Salvator Cathedral in Bruges. Thanks to a collaboration with Lukas, Art in Flanders, vzw, most of the works of art can be zoomed-in upon quite intensively so that the perfection of the painting technique of the Primitives is apparent. With most of the multi-panels, one can view each panel separately. Detail photos are also taken from the most important works. The Flemish Research Centre for the Arts in the Burgundian Netherlands of the Bruges museums and the Centre for the Study of Flemish Primitives of the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK) are responsible for the guarantee of the scientific and art historical correctness of the information provided.

The new website makes it very easy to surf from detail page to detail page. Whoever wishes to order an image or reproduction will be guided directly to the appropriate page of Lukas, Art in Flanders. Twenty-six domain names from various country extensions have been reserved so that the website will be easily found in different language regions.

More information

http://vlaamseprimitieven.vlaamsekunstcollectie.be/en

Cultural Heritage

Sagalassos | City of dreams

faro — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:10:30 +0000

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The Gallo-Roman Museum in Tongeren is mounting a blockbuster exhibition entitled ‘Sagalassos, City of Dreams’. The ancient city of Sagalassos in the south of Turkey is one of the most beautiful archaeological sites in the Mediterranean and the Belgian archaeologist Marc Waelkens of the K.U.Leuven has been carrying out excavation work there for more than 20 years. The Gallo-Roman Museum is the first and only European museum to present a retrospective exhibition of this kind. Never before have the precious finds been allowed to leave Turkish soil.

Sagalassos lies in the southern province of Burdur in Turkey, high up in the mountains some 100 km to the north of the seaside resort of Antalya. Under the Roman Emperor Hadrian (117-138 AD) Sagalassos flourished and magnificent monuments, temples, fountains, Roman bath houses, etc. were built. The ambitious elite dreamt of making the city great and they realized their dreams. Sagalassos became a City of Dreams. In the 4th century Sagalassos was Christianized and the Church became a major power. But an epidemic of plague and two powerful earthquakes at the beginning of the 6th and 7th centuries AD heralded its decline. In the 13th century Sagalassos became a ghost town. Fortunately, its remote location high up on a mountainside deterred plunderers. Layers of erosion material metres thick hid the buildings from view and protected them.

In the early 1990s started mayor excavation works under the leadership of Professor Marc Waelkens of the K.U.Leuven. An interdisciplinary team of scientists descended upon the site and they have spent the last 20 years systematically uncovering the ancient city in what is one of the largest excavations in the Mediterranean world. The many items brought to the surface by Professor Waelkens’ team testify to the city’s complex and fascinating history. These items include monumental architectural fragments, life-size statues of Roman gods and emperors and other intriguing objects ranging from prehistoric tools and red-painted pottery dishes through fragments of bronze sculptures and oil lamps bearing Christian motifs to freeze slabs depicting dancing nymphs and lavishly decorated capitals. Many of these wonders have been allowed to leave Turkish soil for the first time for a retrospective exhibition at the Gallo-Roman Museum in Tongeren.

Exhibition
The internationally-celebrated Belgian opera director and set designer Guy Joosten has come up with a bold design for the exhibition, which is presented as a dramatic event. Joosten wants visitors to look at things differently. He lights certain exhibits from different sides, including the monumental marble portrait of the Roman emperor Hadrian and images of ancient gods and goddesses. To evoke the atmosphere of the archaeological site, film shots are shown on a 270-degree panoramic screen that floats in the middle of the room above a scale model of Sagalassos in its heyday. The highly-original set, the use of media, the pervading atmosphere and the collection of chefs-d’oeuvre combine to make ‘Sagalassos, City of Dreams’ a ‘must see’ for the whole family.

Practical information

Sagalossos, City of dreams | 29/10/2011 - 17/6/2012

Gallo-Roman Museum, Kielenstraat 15, 3700 Tongeren, Belgium
Tel + 32 12 67 03 30, grm@limburg.be
www.galloromeinsmuseum.be

Cultural Heritage

Restoration of 'the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb'

faro — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:16:59 +0000

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Joke Schauvliege (CD&V), the Flemish Minister of Culture, has approved the restoration procedure for 'The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb', the famous Ghent Alterpiece by Jan and Hubert Van Eyck. The Royal Institute for the Cultural Heritage (KIK) will commence restoration work on the polyptych in the Ghent Museum of Fine Arts (MSK) early next year. The entire operation will take five years.

Minister Schauvliege gave her approval after receiving a positive recommendation from the Masterpieces Council, which ensures the proper implementation of the Masterpieces Act, the legal framework for the most important cultural heritage items in Flanders. The KIK has been tasked with removing a coat of varnish from the panel which obscures the work and damages the paint underneath. In addition, they will also restore old retouches and retouch repainted areas where necessary, completing the work with a new layer of varnish. The baptistery in Ghent's St Bavo Cathedral, where the masterpiece can be viewed, is too small for the restoration work, so the KIK will install a secured restoration studio in the MSK. Here the public will be able to see how each panel is restored by four full-time art restorers.

The total cost of the entire restoration is estimated at 1.4 million euro. The Flemish departments of Culture and Heritage will pay 80% of this and the remainder will come from the St Bavo Cathedral church council.

More information

'Van Eyck: The Ghent Altarpiece', website by the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK)

Cultural Heritage

Safeguarding of traditional games selected by UNESCO as best practice

faro — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 12:10:48 +0000

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The meeting of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage in Bali (Indonesia) from 22 to 29 November selected the programme for cultivating ludodiversity in Flanders as one of five best new safeguarding practices.

Ludodiversity refers to wide diversity in games, sports, physical exercises, dances and acrobatics. The non-governmental organization Sportimonium has taken measures to safeguard the heritage of games and sports in Flanders (Belgium), including shooting games, bowling games, throwing games and ball games. Safeguarding measures undertaken by Sportimonium include supporting specialized and umbrella organizations, publications, festivals, demonstrations, exchanges of expertise, promotion activities, loan services providing people with traditional games equipment, and a Traditional Games Park. The basis for the programme is systematic documentation and research, whose results can be consulted in a documentation centre.

More information:

Website UNESCO
Website Sportimonium

Cultural Heritage

Leuven's age sets added to Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

faro — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 10:46:56 +0000

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Leuven's age sets have been inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The decision was taken at the meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage in Bali (Indonesia) in November 2011.

The age sets in the Belgian city of Leuven are a decade-long rite of passage for men who share the same year of birth. Men form their group at the age of forty and participate in social and cultural activities that culminate ten years later with a celebration around the city’s statue of the prophet Abraham. Each age set chooses its own medal, flag and uniform, and has a ‘godfather’ who is a decade older. The age set rituals give both the participants and the entire city a strong sense of identity.

The Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage was adopted by UNESCO’s General Conference in 2003 and now includes 139 States Parties. Only those countries that have ratified the Convention are eligible to present items for inscription on the Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.

The Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage comprises 24 UNESCO Member States, elected for a term of four years. Half the Committee is renewed every two years.

More information:

Website UNESCO
Website The Age Set Society

Cultural Heritage

tapis plein wins 2010-2011 Flemish Culture Award for Cultural Heritage

faro — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 07:16:38 +0000

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Mrs Joke Schauvliege, the Flemish Minister for Environment, Nature and Culture presented the 2010-2011 Award of the Flemish Community for Cultural Heritage to tapis plein vzw, during the Het Groot Onderhoud study day of FARO (the Flemish Interface Centre for Cultural Heritage) in LAMOT in Mechelen. The laureate of the Culture Award will receive a bronze statuette by Johan Tahon and a cash prize to the amount of EUR 12,500.

The non-profit organization tapis plein vzw is an expertise centre that deals with heritage in a contemporary manner taking a new approach, which mainly focuses on the public's experience. Its projects always aim to push the boundaries. tapis plein translates heritage in an interdisciplinary way using multimedia to appeal to the widest possible audience. Facts that did not make it into the annals of history are unearthed and published. The non-profit organization provides support to the intangible cultural heritage field, capitalising on opportunities and collaborating with heritage associations, museums, artists and researchers in the frame of a larger network. It shares knowledge and makes its expertise available to projects with a more structural approach. Today tapis plein's efforts are widely recognised in the cultural heritage sector.

For the Onvoltooid Verleden Tijd project, that closed in May 2011, tapis plein launched a collaboration with another non-profit organization, ERFgoedjongeren vzw. The aim of this project was to encourage teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18 to devise an appealing 'heritage game' for teens in youth movements. In November the competition and website of Onvoltooid Verleden Tijd were presented to the general public. From then on, youth movements could register and start working with various types of heritage assignments. During the Design met Wortels (Design with roots) meeting the aim was to reflect on the future and on the industrial potential of traditional design, as well as the role of the heritage sector in this process.

“As the coordinator and driving force of tapis plein Jorijn Neyrinck has organised the qualitative efforts of a small yet driven team for several years. The Flemish Culture Award for Cultural Heritage should thus be interpreted as a 'thank you' to the team for their excellent work", said the jury.

Flemish Minister for Culture Joke Schauvliege: “tapis plein succeeds in weaving a brilliant contemporary narrative focusing on cultural heritage. And as such it also sheds new light on heritage for the general public. Congratulations to this small team!”

Today the cultural heritage sector gathered in LAMOT for the first Het Groot Onderhoud, an initiative of the FARO interface centre. During this event, FARO presented the key results of the PRISMA research project, which consists of a field analysis and future analysis of the cultural heritage sector. At the same time the organisation also discussed a number of crucial policy challenges with over 200 representatives of the sector in working groups.

'New Style' Culture Awards
As of the season 2010‐2011, 'new style' Flemish Culture Awards will be granted. This new style was introduced following an evaluation carried out in collaboration with a number of support centres in the sector. A jury of experts will pay tribute to individuals or organisations that in the course of the past season made a notable contribution to cultural life in Flanders. The laureate of the Culture Award is celebrated at an event specific to the sector involved. In this way both the sector and the winner will receive more attention and appreciation. This award carries the amount of 12,500 Euros. For the General Cultural Merit Award an amount of 20,000 Euros is appropriated by the Government of Flanders. Each laureate also receives a bronze statuette by artist Johan Tahon.

More information is available at www.cultuurprijzen.be and www.vlaanderen.be/cultuur.

Cultural Heritage

Lukasweb.be gets refreshing makeover

faro — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:26:28 +0000

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Lukasweb.be, the dynamic e-platform of Lukas | Art in Flanders not only got a renewed design but changed its technical side too. Lukasweb.be allows museums and collectors to create, manage, distribute and sell high quality digital photographs of artworks for a diverse array of applications. Lukas focuses on Flanders’ most important art heritage, from ancient and contemporary works to masterpieces from public and private collections. The database currently consists of 4180 images of works of art from 36 different collections. In 2012, the collection will expand substantially.

The data management system of the renewed website now uses the open source platform 'CollectiveAccess', making the exchange of information with other cultural heritage institutions possible. A more user friendly search function allows users to search by theme as well as by collection and to refine the search to artist, period or collection. Lukasweb.be focuses on Flemish masterpieces, which can be seen in the most detailed way imaginable thanks to the integration of a useful zoom function. Ordering and downloading images has been made easy with the simplified ordering mechanism and print on demand service.

More information:
www.lukasweb.be

Cultural Heritage

Medieval manuscripts: a triptych

faro — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 07:00:43 +0000

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Not one, but three exhibitions devoted to medieval manuscripts are planned for Belgium this autumn. From September 7th, you will have four months to marvel at decorative handwritten documents, dazzling miniatures and musical chef-d’oeuvres in three leading museums.

Firstly, the Royal Library of Belgium is joining forces with the Bibliothèque nationale de France and focusing their attention on the heyday of Flemish illumination. No fewer than 140 of the most prestigious illuminated manuscripts will be on display in a highly original exhibition set, which not only shows the manuscripts to their best advantage, but also sheds light on the context in which they were created.

M-Museum Leuven is mounting an exhibition of music manuscripts. The showpiece here is the Antifonarium Tsgrooten with its miniatures in what is known as the ‘Ghent-Bruges style’. To this end M has been working with the Alamire Foundation, International Centre for the Study of Music in the Low Countries, which made an inventory of Gregorian antiphonaries preserved in Flanders and dating from the period 1100 to 1800. The story of these ancient hymn books will be given a contemporary twist with a brand-new installation by media artist Rudi Knoops.

Finally, at STAM City Museum Ghent, one of Ghent’s prized possessions takes centre stage: the Liber Floridus. This very early (1121!) and colourful encyclopaedia describes the world and the cosmos and mankind within that greater whole. Juxtaposed with its sources and related works, the book’s uniqueness comes to the fore. Together with the University of Ghent, STAM will be serving up a sumptuous banquet of medieval knowledge in the refectory of Bijloke Abbey.

With this triple focus on rare and skilfully produced manuscripts which have miraculously stood the test of time, M-Museum Leuven, STAM and the Royal Library of Belgium provide a broad and in-depth look at several of the most illustrious pages from the history of the Low Countries. For those wishing to immerse themselves totally in the world of Jan Zonder Vrees, Hildegard von Bingen and Lambert of Saint-Omer there will be guided tours, a festival, concerts, workshops, study days and courses to complete this polyptych!

More information

Divine Sounds
M – Museum Leuven
in association with the Alamire Foundation and Illuminare – Centre for the Study of Medieval Art
08.09.11 – 27.11.11

Liber Floridus (1121), the world in a book
STAM, Ghent
in association with the departments of Geography (Faculty of Sciences), Archaeology, History and Literature (Faculty of Arts) and Ghent University Library
30.09.11 – 08.01.12

Flemish miniatures
Royal Library of Belgium, Brussels
30.09.11 – 30.12.11

Cultural Heritage

Unique exhibition about Flemish miniatures

faro — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 12:22:40 +0000

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For the first time in their history, the Royal Library of Belgium and the Bibliothèque nationale de France are jointly organising an exhibition, giving you the opportunity to admire more than 140 unique and extremely precious illuminated manuscripts up close. Some of these documents have not been exhibited for more than 50 years, while others have never even been shown to the public… The exhibition’s original scenography not only highlights the works themselves, but also sheds light on the context in which the manuscripts were created, increasingly immersing you in a wonderful medieval fantasy world, populated by heroes and legends, where you will find Alexander the Great, Lancelot, Charlemagne or the fairy Melusine side by side with winged dragons, Reynard the Fox and magnificent unicorns.

You probably know the 15th century, also called the Burgundian Century, as the century of Gothic churches, Flemish Primitives painting, tapestries or beautiful Flemish polyphonic music, but did you know that it was also the Golden Age of Flemish illumination? Adding illustrations or illuminations to manuscripts was a genuine art form and had never before reached such high levels. From John the Fearless’ accession (1404) to Mary of Burgundy’s death (1482), wealthy cities such as Bruges, Ghent, Brussels, Valenciennes, Lille or Tournai were breeding grounds for craftsmen, copyists, book binders and miniaturists.

Particularly interested in high-quality art forms, Burgundian rules commissioned works with the most talented miniaturists. In the 15th century, miniaturists such as Lieven Van Lathem, Simon Marmion, Willem Vrelant, Jehan de Tavernier or the Master of Wavrin were just as well-known as Rogier Van der Weyden, Hans Memling, Josquin Desprez or Guillaume Dufay. All were renowned artists who indefatigably illuminated chronicles, devotional tracts, chivalric romances or hunting tracts. Following the Burgundian rulers’ example, ducal families, knights, clergymen and the urban bourgeoisie also placed orders with the finest miniaturists.

The Royal Library of Belgium and the Bibliothèque nationale de France will publish catalogues in French, Dutch and English, containing over 450 pages and 230 full-colour illustrations. Twenty specialists from all over the world helped create the catalogues. In addition to the exhibition, many other peripheral activities will be organised, such as concerts, international speeches, guided tours, educational projects and nocturnes. A CD with medieval music will also be released in co-operation with Capilla Flamenca and young illustrator Arnaud Stouffs will publish a children’s book on Aldo the dragon.

Practical information

Royal Library of Belgium, Keizerslaan 2, 1000 Brussels
30.09.11 – 30.12.11

+32-(0)2-519.53.11
miniatures@kbr.be
www.kbr.be

Cultural Heritage

Seven new dossiers added to Flemish Inventory for Intangible Cultural Heritage

faro — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 09:19:07 +0000

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Seven new dossiers have been added to the Flemish Inventory for Intangible Cultural Heritage. This recognition will not bring any financial return, only prestige value and possibly recognition by UNESCO as world heritage. The Inventory forms the basis for the development of a high-quality long-term policy for the protection of intangible cultural heritage in Flanders. Key concepts in this policy are the promotion of research on this heritage, the transfer and the opening up of it.

The seven dossiers which were added to the inventory by Flemish Minister of Cultural Affairs Joke Schauvliege (CD&V) are:

the septennial coronation festival of Tongeren and its four processions;
the Last Post ceremony in Ypres, the daily last farewell to the fallen soldiers of the First World War at the Menen Gate;
the traditional crowing cock challenge;
the Belgian beer culture;
the Flemish carillon culture;
lace making in Flanders;
the tour of Hegge, a procession in De Kempen to commemorate a miracle from 1412 that takes place on the Sunday after sacrament day.

More information: Agentschap Kunsten en Erfgoed, http://www.kunstenerfgoed.be

Cultural Heritage

New web site allows study of unique images of Ghent Altarpiece

faro — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 11:33:21 +0000

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In 2010, Van Eyck’s renowned Ghent Altarpiece was subjected to urgent conservation treatment within the Villa Chapel in St. Bavo Cathedral in Ghent. The altarpiece was temporarily dismantled for this intervention, which facilitated the making of new scientific imagery, funded by the Getty Foundation. This project generated a wealth of highdefinition digital images that will be available on the internet. This will provide open access to this documentation for anyone wishing to study these paintings in microscopic detail, and to peek under the paint surfaces by means of infrared reflectography and Xradiogradiography.

The first part of this project is now on line. Twenty infrared assemblies are available in full resolution to study and download through a special preview website: http://vaneyck.kikirpa.be. Through innovative use of web technology, the user will be able for the first time to study the under-drawings of any two panels of the Ghent Altarpiece side-by-side.

The upcoming, more comprehensive website is a collaborative project between the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK/IRPA), Lukasweb, and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. It is funded through additional support from the Getty Foundation and with the support fof the Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO). This site will be hosted by KIK/IRPA and is scheduled to be online by January 1, 2012.

More information: http://vaneyck.kikirpa.be

Cultural Heritage

The Michel Wittock Fund, from passion to donation

faro — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:23:21 +0000

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Co-organized by the King Baudouin Foundation and the Wittockiana, the exhibition 'The Michel Wittock Fund, from passion to donation' highlights major works from the collection of Michel Wittock and provides an anthology of the Michel Wittock Fund for everyone to see.

Michel Wittock has assembled a truly magnificent collection of book bindings, from the riches of the Renaissance until recent artistic expressions. To valorise this ensemble he founded the Bibliotheca Wittockiana, a private museum that he developed into a study centre and museum of international acclaim. He wished and hoped that his collection and the research activities could be made permanent. The King Baudoin Foundation enthusiastically wanted to join in the realization of this initiative.

To that aim Michel Wittock founded within the King Baudoin Foundation the Michel Wittock Fund, encompassing the most representative parts of the collections. Each part will be taken care of by the Bibliotheca Wittockiana. The Michel Wittock Fund is devoted to the remarkable collection of ancient, modern and contemporary bindings, to the Valère-Gille Collection, which testifies of the cultural and literary dynamism of ‘La jeune Belgique’, to the Lucien Bonaparte Collection and the totality of the scientific and artistic documentation, as well as the archives assembled during its existence.

The exhibition takes place from 5 May to 1 October 2011 at the Bibliotheca Wittockiana.

More information
Bibliotheca Wittockiana, 23 rue du Bemel, 1150 Brussels

http://www.wittockiana.org

Cultural Heritage

Museum M in Louvain wins Museum Prize 2011

faro — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 07:41:21 +0000

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Each year the MuseumPrijs awards the museum in each of the three Belgian regions, which makes the most effort at public innovation and involvement. These prizes, valued at 10,000 euros each, are intended to encourage museums to pursue their set direction. A similar prize is awarded by the public for each region. This year, both the MuseumPrijs and the prize from the public were awarded to Museum M in Louvain. In Brussels, the honour went to the Museum of Elsene (Ixelles) and in Wallonia to the Musée de l'Orfévrerie in the Château de Seneffe.

Museum M, opened in Louvain in 2009, received the prize for its ability to position itself so strongly after only two years. The jury was particularly impressed by the diversity of the museum: its confrontation of past and present, the addressing of a highly diverse range of target groups, the confrontation of various disciplines, the collaboration with amateur artists and for the presentation of a diverse range of subjects in order to interest a broad public. The museum works closely with other players in the city and has managed to assume a unique role on a regional, national and international level in a short space of time. Finally the museum was praised for its contemporary architecture (designed by Stéphane Beel) which does not lose sight of the past.

www.museumprijs.be

Cultural Heritage

The Gallo-Roman Museum in Tongeren wins European Museum of the Year Award 2011

faro — Thu, 26 May 2011 09:43:09 +0000

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The European Museum Forum (EMF) has awarded the Gallo-Roman Museum in Tongeren, Belgium, with the prestigious European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) 2011. The European Museum of the Year Award is the most prestigious museum award in Europe. It stands for innovation, public quality and professional excellence in museums and brings together both professional reputation and public benefit under one umbrella.

Forty museums applied for the European Museum of the Year Award 2011, which has been run by the EMF since 1977. Museums were primarily assessed on their public quality, defined by EMF's founder Kenneth Hudson as "the extent to which a museum satisfies the needs and wishes of its visitors." According to the EMYA Judging Panel, the Gallo-Roman Museum (Gallo-Romeins Museum) in Tongeren, Belgium, "does not shy away from the task of dealing with the uncertainty, and the presentations guide the audience through the issues but do not assert firm conclusions. The exhibitions are authoritative but not authoritarian. They provoke thought and provide the visitor with the information needed to take a view." Regarding the social aspect, the Judging Panel concludes: "The museum is socially engaged not just with issues of heritage but also with its role in the local economy and in its commitment to education for which it has provided excellent facilities and for which it works with a large number of teachers who are employed by the museum. The integration with the town of Tongeren is strong - the museum is a meeting place available to all citizens' groups."

More information

http://www.galloromeinsmuseum.be | http://ww.europeanmuseumforum.ru/

Cultural Heritage

Bruegel Land

faro — Thu, 26 May 2011 09:09:00 +0000

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The work of Pieter Bruegel the Elder has been a source of inspiration to innumerable Flemish artists. This exhibition Bruegel Land at the Municipal Museum in Lier explores the extent of Bruegel’s influence on subsequent generations of painters.

The Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp is closed for major renovation until the end of 2017. However, the collection remains close by thanks to numerous exhibitions and projects at host venues in and around Antwerp. For Bruegel Land, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts gave some hundred genre paintings on loan to the Municipal Museum in Lier. This collection is completed by works of art from the collection of the Municipal Museum itself.

Bruegel Land brings into focus the folk tradition in Flemish and Dutch art. On a regular basis the basic exhibition gets a new scope and zooms in on special topics such as popular traditions, Adriaen Brouwer, Jan Van Beers ...

More information

Stedelijk Museum Wuyts-Van Campen en baron Caroly
Florent Van Cauwenberghstraat 14, 2500 Lier

www.kmska.be | www.bruegelland.be

Cultural Heritage

The MAS opens its doors

faro — Mon, 16 May 2011 07:45:20 +0000

First-rate architecture and dynamic scenography in a vibrant new part of the city

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On Tuesday, 17 May the Museum aan de Stroom will open its doors in Antwerp. The MAS brings together the collections from the former Ethnographic Museum, the National Shipping Museum and the Folklore Museum. They are given a new home in the MAS along with part of the Vleeshuis Museum collection and the Paul and Dora Janssen-Arts collection. The collection amounts to a total of 470,000 objects and is still growing. The new museum regroups the collections in an innovative story, through universal themes with which everyone can identify:

The MAS is a tower full of history. The place where it stands, the neighbourhood it inhabits, and the story it is based on all played a part in the museum building’s design, and in its future role. In 2000, the Antwerp city council organised an international architecture competition for the design of a new city museum. Out of the 55 projects submitted, Neutelings Riedijk Architects’ design was selected by the jury as the winning concept. Precisely 10 years later, they delivered their ‘Stapelhuis’. The Dutch company’s concept ties in perfectly with the historical function and the location’s atmosphere. The MAS is located on the site of the former Hanzehuis (Hanseatic House), which was a storage depot in the 16th century. There were, and actually still are, dozens of similar buildings in the area.

Antwerp’s B-architecten were given the task of designing the interiors of the museum rooms. The company first compiled a master plan for the scenography and then worked out
the designs floor by floor. The collections are not displayed side by side. The pieces are connected through a dynamic scenography on the different floors. They don’t just impart information. They tell stories, they endure, they are actors in an ever-changing play. The visitor is also stimulated by the music of in-house composer Eric Sleichim. Or he can sniff the scent boxes in the theme about the World Port. The Visual Storage is a real journey of discovery and offers the chance to look behind the scenes of the museum.

The MAS recounts the story of a relationship between Antwerp and the world that has lasted for five centuries, which is still ongoing. The museum allows contemporary artists to continue writing the story. Luc Tuymans designed a mosaic for the museum square. Graphic designer Tom Hautekiet and writer Tom Lanoye created the medallions in the MAS Boulevard. The museum called on Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven, George Nuku and the in-house composer Eric Sleichim for their help in decorating the museum floors.

More information about the new MAS can be found on the website, www.mas.be

Contact:

Museum Aan de Stroom
Hanzestedenplaats 1
B - 2000 Antwerp
www.mas.be | mas@stad.antwerpen.be

Cultural Heritage

Memphis in May International Festival celebrates Marc Sleen

faro — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 12:57:33 +0000

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The 2011 edition of the month long festival Memphis in May will host an exhibition celebrating comic strip artist Marc Sleen. Sleen, whose real name is Marcel Honoré Nestor Neels, was born on the 30th of December, 1922 in Gentbrugge (Belgium). Apart from several other comic strips like De lustige kapoentjes and Piet Fluwijn en Bolleke, Sleen created his most succesful character Nibbs (Nero in Flemish) in 1947. In total Sleen would produce more than 200 Nibbs-stories. The 217th album De Zilveren Tranen (Silver tears) closed the series when Sleen was 80 years old. In 1999 Marc Sleen was knighted by King Albert II. He was the first Flemish comic strip author to earn this distinction.

In 2009 the Marc Sleen Foundation opened in Rue des Sables, Brussels. The Foundation set up its very own museum aiming to protect the work and memory of Marc Sleen, and endeavouring to make his work known to a large public. With a travelling exhibition, the Foundation now wants to travel the world and make people abroad familiar with the work of the popular Belgian comic strip artist.

The Memphis in May Festival is held during the month of May in Memphis, Tennessee, includes four main events and an international week which focuses this year on Belgium. The exhibition can be visited in the Central Public Library of Memphis.

More information

Marc Sleen at the Central Public Library: Goodwyn Gallery
May 1st to May 31st, 2011
3030 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38111

Website Memphis in May | Marc Sleen Foundation

Cultural Heritage

James Ensor. A virtual museum

faro — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:47:55 +0000

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Very recently, the Flemish Art Collection launched a virtual museum on one of the most celebrated artists in Flanders, James Ensor. The website is the first in a series in which a solid piece of Flemish culture is put in the international spotlights.

The website Ensor. An online museum is fully dedicated to the Ostend artist. It explains in detail the life and oeuvre of Ensor, and focuses on certain aspects of the Ensor Research. Ensor. An online museum very regulary publishes additional newsitems and viewpoints. Web 2.0 applications are provided to give the website the widest possible resonance.

The Flemish Art Collection is a grouping of three art history museums in Flanders: the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, Groeninge Museum in Bruges and the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent. The site is made both in Dutch and in English, the domain has several relevant international extensions (. eu,. fr,. com,. us. jp. the) to optimize findability. The three partner museums of the Flemish Art Collection together have the most representative collection of works by Ensor. The extensive collection of Mu.ZEE in Ostend was also involved in the project. Other partners are Archiefbank Flanders, Letterenhuis Antwerp, Lukas-Art in Flanders and FARO. Flemish interface for cultural heritage.

Cultural Heritage

Heritage Day 2011 | Hard times

faro — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 09:18:39 +0000

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The 2011 edition of the annual event "Erfgoeddag" (Heritage Day) will take place on Sunday, May 1st 2011. Hundreds of organizations based in Flanders and Brussels join forces to set up a wide range of expositions, lectures, guided tours, culinary discoveries and much more. The central theme of this year's edition is 'Hard times'.

Heritage Day is held annually on the first Sunday after the Easter Holidays, the next being on Sunday 1st of May 2011. Heritage Day is free of charge and can be visited between 10:00 and 18:00.

Heritage Day is, first and foremost, a celebration. In 2011, Heritage Day will celebrate its 10th anniversary. Its approach, public reach, innovative role, and – especially – the commitment of those involved, have made Heritage Day one of the most important heritage events in Flanders and Brussels. Heritage Day places cultural heritage in the spotlight for the sector itself, the public, the media, and policy makers in our country.

Each year Heritage Day is made possible by the museums, archives, churches (kerkfabrieken), documentation centres, collecting libraries, local heritage centres (erfgoedcellen) and organisations dedicated to folk culture, but also by cultural clubs, public libraries, youth organisations, academies/universities and other schools. Every year this results in a fantastic, rich and diverse selection of activities.

More information

A full programme is published on the eventwebsite, www.erfgoeddag.be

Cultural Heritage

Museums in the 21st century

faro — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 14:22:50 +0000

Ideas, Projects, Buildings

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Musea stad Antwerpen, the Museum of Contemporary Art (M HKA) and the Royal Museum of Fine Art (KMSKA) are holding an exhibition entitled Museums in the 21st century: Ideas, Projects, Buildings. It will look at the main trends in contemporary architecture for museums, on the basis of 29 projects. It will be held in the empty rooms of the KMSKA as of 29 January 2011 and links into current developments in museum architecture in Antwerp.

Museums in the 21st century: Ideas, Projects, Buildings is an international architecture exhibition compiled by Art Centre Basel, whose director Suzanne Greub provided the idea and the concept. Since 2006, this exhibition has toured no less than fourteen cities on four continents. Musea stad Antwerpen*, the Museum of Contemporary Art (M HKA) and the Royal Museum of Fine Art (KMSKA) will be presenting the exhibition in the empty KMSKA.

The fact that the exhibition is coming to Antwerp is no coincidence. After all, there’s plenty of architectural activity in this city at the moment. One only has to think of the new law courts (2006) by Richard Rogers, who, with Renzo Piano, also designed the Centre Pompidou in Paris (1977). And more recently there’s Stéphane Beel’s extension of deSingel in 2010. By 2013, the future head office of the Antwerp Port Authority will have been transformed. This will be designed by Zaha Hadid’s architectural firm, whose MAXXI project, the Museo Nationale delle arti del XXI secolo in Rome, the Italian capital, is being shown here.

The extension of the oldest museum (KMSKA) and the construction of the newest (MAS | Museum aan de Stroom) in Antwerp also fits perfectly into the concept of the exhibition. The KMSKA will be closing its doors for a thorough renovation in 2011. The Claus and Kaan architectural firm has designed a master-plan for the museum, which will not change the appearance of this 19th-century building but will increase its exhibition area by 40%. The construction of the MAS | Museum aan de Stroom, which will open in the Eilandje, the old harbour district, on May 17th 2011, has already given a new impulse to its surroundings. It was designed by Neutelings and Riedijk Architects as a 60-metre tower standing in the water, and makes a great impression on everyone who sees it. The architects have, as it were, housed the exhibition rooms of this museum tower in stacked containers, each successive layer turned at 90°. Around this they built a spiral staircase, a sort of rising walkway, with large undulating glass sheets that offer a 360° view of the city. The MAS will accommodate the collections of the Museum of Folklore, the National Maritime Museum, the Vleeshuis (only in part) and the Ethnographic Museum. Together they will tell an updated story of the world in Antwerp and Antwerp in the world.

The exhibition shows 29 projects by internationally renowned architects and architectural firms, including Tadao Ando Architect & Associates, Atelier Brückner & ART+COM, Daniel Libeskind, Jean Nouvel, Renzo Piano, Mario Botta, Zaha Hadid Architects and Gehry Partners LLP. The result is an overview of the major trends in contemporary museum architecture. Each project is represented by a model, sketches, plans and photos. They are divided into four themed groups. The first focuses on the museum in the urban setting, where it encourages the revival of a neighbourhood. The second theme is the expansion of existing museums, whereby the architect has to take the individual spirit and history of the existing building into account. In the third theme, the detached building, the architect’s own particular style comes clearly to the fore. The final theme is the museum in the landscape, where museums set in the midst of nature adapt to their surroundings.

An ART CENTRE BASEL exhibition: Suzanne Greub (Idea and Concept), Felizitas Diering and Patrick Merz (Exhibition Management), www.artcentrebasel.com.
An exhibition of the Antwerp City Museums, the KMSKA and the M HKA.

Practical information
Museums in the 21st century: Ideas, Projects, Buildings
29 January 2011 to 30 April 2011
KMSKA, Leopold De Waelplaats, 2000 Antwerp

Website KMSKA | Website MAS

Cultural Heritage

An international colloquium on James Ensor

faro — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 12:31:42 +0000

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The exhibition Hareng Saur: Ensor and Contemporary Art is the final part of a series of recent events and exhibitions that have taken place to mark the 150th anniversary of James Ensor’s birth (1860) and the 60th anniversary of the artists death (1949). To conclude, the Museum of Fine Arts is organising an Ensor colloquium. Curators involved in recent exhibitions will evaluate their projects, and new findings in Ensor research will be discussed. The colloquium will also open paths for future research.

10.00
Welcome with coffee

10.30 – 10.40
Introduction by Robert Hoozee, director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent

10.40 – 11.20
Herwig Todts (Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp, curator of the exhibitions Goya, Redon, Ensor at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Antwerp, 2009, and Ensor Unmasked at the ING Cultural Center, Brussels, 2010) ‘Op zoek naar inzicht in Ensors creatieve processen’

11.20 – 12.00
Anna Swinbourne (Independent Curator, curator of the exhibition James (art) Ensor at The MoMA, 2009) ‘James Ensor’s Return to The Museum of Modern Art, New York’

12.00 – 12.40
Ingrid Pfeiffer (Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt, curator of the exhibition James Ensor at the Schirn Kunsthalle, 2005) ‘James Ensor at Schirn Kunsthalle in 2005/2006. An exhibition focusing on the eccentric, conceptually advanced and contemporary aspects in his work’

12.40 – 15.00
Free lunch (*) and possibility to visit the exhibition Hareng Saur: Ensor and Contemporary Art

14.30 – 15.00
Coffee break

15.00 – 15.40
Ronald Van de Sompel (Independent Curator, co-curator of the exhibition Hareng Saur: Ensor and Contemporary Art) ‘Ensor en de hedendaagse kunst. Problemen van betrokkenheid en distantie’

15.40 – 16.20
Geert Van der Snickt (Antwerp University) ‘James Ensors pigmentgebruik: evoluties en degradatie’

16.20 – 17.00
Susan Canning (College of New Rochelle, New York, advisor to the exhibitions James (art) Ensor at The MoMA, 2009, and Hareng Saur: Ensor and Contemporary Art) ‘Hareng Saur/Art Ensor: Ensor’s Re-Entry at 150’

17.00 – 17.10
Pascal Ennaert (Co-ordinator of the Flemish Art Collection) Presentation of the James Ensor website of the Flemish Art Collection

17.10
Reception

(*) Possibility to have lunch in the museum brasserie Mub’art. Day’s menu: 13 euro. Reservation required. Max. reservations: 50

Practical information

Thursday 24th February 2011, Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent
Organisation: Study- and Documentation Centre of the Museum of Fine Arts and the Flemish Art Collection, in collaboration with S.M.A.K. and FARO
More information: catherine.verleysen@gent.be
Registration: Registration form
Admission: 10 euro / students 5 euro. Max. registrations: 100
Languages: Dutch / English

Cultural Heritage

Roelandt Savery, visionary court painter in Prague

faro — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 10:09:21 +0000

Exhibition in Kortrijk

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The Broelmuseum in Kortrijk and the Národní gallery in Prague are, once again, bringing the painter Roelandt Savery (Kortrijk 1576-Utrecht 1639) to the forefront. Savery is considered to be one of the stars of seventeenth century cultural life, as he was one of the most loved painters of his time. His paintings were sold at considerable prices and major collectors used to buy his works. A selection of more than 40 of his paintings and drawings has been gathered from international museums and private collections, among which works that have been rediscovered only recently and that will be shown for the first time in Kortrijk.

The exhibition will first go on in Prague (from December 8th to March 20th) before coming to Kortrijk (from April 21st to September 11th).

Roelandt Savery was born in Kortrijk in 1576. He ran away from a dangerous religious context, settling first in Bruges, and later in Haarlem. From the Netherlands, he travelled to the imperial court of Rudolf II in Prague where he became court painter. In those days, Rudolf II’s court was the place to be for the cultural elite of Europe, and Savery found himself in the company of many scientists and artists.

Savery’s detailed and fantastic landscapes featuring all kinds of animals were coveted by kings, emperors and notables from all over Europe at a time when zoos were unknown… Savery’s representations of dodos, an extinct species which became the symbol of man’s destructive influence on nature, are still being analysed by art historians and biologists. As a matter of fact, they are one of the few remaining sources enabling us to reconstruct the physical aspect of this mythical bird. Maybe the dodo popping up in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland has been inspired by Roelandt Savery’s paintings?

And, did you know that, for a long time, one hardly could tell the difference between Savery’s masterful drawings – invaluable depictions of everyday life in Prague – and those by Pieter Brueghel? Savery’s sketches of Tyrolean and Bohemian landscapes even ended up in Rembrandt van Rijn’s private collection. The fauna and flora of these sumptuous landscapes served as materials and sources of inspiration for his fantastic paintings. After his stay in Prague, Savery went back to the Netherlands. He settled down in Utrecht, where he lived until his death in 1639.

Practical information

Roelandt Savery, visionary court painter in Prague
April 21st to September 11th, 2011
Broelmuseum Kortrijk, Broelkaai 6, 8500 Kortrijk

Website Broelmuseum

Cultural Heritage

Illuminated Manuscripts from Belgium and the Netherlands

faro — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 13:52:57 +0000

Exhibition at the J. Paul Getty Museum

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The splendour of the late medieval courts of the dukes of Burgundy evokes the legend of Camelot. Its magnificence was expressed in lavish banquets, pageants, and tournaments, as well as luxury goods such as tapestries, paintings, metalwork, and illuminated manuscripts. On display, at the J. Paul Getty Museum, the Getty Center, Illuminated Manuscripts from Belgium and the Netherlands surveys the Getty's holdings of medieval manuscripts from Belgium and the Netherlands, including masterworks made for influential patrons such as the dukes of Burgundy, Philip the Good (r. 1419-67) and Charles the Bold (r. 1467-77).

Illuminated Manuscripts from Belgium and the Netherlands looks closely at manuscripts from the regions that comprise present-day Belgium, the Netherlands, and parts of northern France. During the Middle Ages these areas flourished economically and artistically. By the 15th and 16th centuries, the towns of Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, and Utrecht were at the centre of one of the greatest blossoming of the book illumination in Europe. The region's colourful, naturalistically painted books were eagerly sought after across the continent.

As their popularity grew, these books were produced for an international clientele of princes, dukes, cardinals, bishops, and the wealthy. Such patrons included the dukes of Burgundy, who ruled much of the Netherlands by the mid-1400s. They saw themselves as ideal Christian knights and commissioned chronicles such as the History of Charles Martel (1463-72), included in the exhibition, to justify their political claims and glorify their own lineage. This manuscript was originally commissioned by Philip the Good before his death and later finished under the direction of his son, Charles the Bold.

Philip the Good was a patron of art and culture and commissioned more than sixty books during his lifetime. The lavishly illuminated manuscripts ordered by Philip the Good and his loyal courtiers had an extraordinary impact on the book trade, which attracted the finest artists, encouraged innovation, and dramatically raised the quality of book production overall.

Charles the Bold continued this trend: first by seeing that books begun by his father were completed, then by commissioning further works, and finally encouraging wider patronage at his own court, including his wife Margaret of York, Duchess of Burgundy (1446-1503).

Margaret of York commissioned one of the most beautiful and original books from this period, The Visions of the Knight Tondal (1475), also on view at this exhibition. This manuscript tells the story of a wealthy and errant Irish knight whose soul is led on a journey through hell and paradise to learn the wages of sin. The book was illuminated by Simon Marmion (ca. 1420-1489), one of the epoch's greatest illuminators and also a successful painter in oil on panel.

Other major manuscript artists displayed in this exhibition include prolific Flemish illuminator Willem Vrelant (14541481), who was one of Bruges's most successful artists; Lieven van Lathem (1430-1493), the court painter of Philip the Good; and Simon Bening (1483-1561), the finest Flemish illuminator of the 1500s, who became famous for his landscape settings.

This exhibition also shows the growing interest for naturalism in manuscript illumination. One of the most influential Flemish artists during this period was the painter Jan van Eyck (ca. 1395-1441). Van Eyck elevated the technique of oil on panel to an unprecedented level of refinement and luminosity, achieving astonishing effects of light, color, and texture. While no illuminations by this artist survive, several works in the exhibition demonstrate the influence of his revolutionary visual style. The exquisite Christ Blessing (1440-45) is based on a lost painting by Van Eyck and was, quite possibly, painted by an artist he trained, while several other examples appear in the Llangatock Hours, also on view.

As part of the exhibition, an interactive touch-screen kiosk will be available next to the Joris Hoefnagel Model Book of Calligraphy (1596) on display. Visitors will be able to virtually look through 10 additional folios of the manuscript for each installation. The first installation will showcase extraordinary specimens of elegant display calligraphy, each embellished with carefully observed flowers and insects, while the second installation will display pages of the Gothic alphabet, which are richly decorated with playful grotesques, masks, and animals.

Illuminated Manuscripts from Belgium and the Netherlands is curated by Thomas Kren, acting associate director of collections at the J. Paul Getty Museum.

More information

Illuminated Manuscripts from Belgium and the Netherlands
>06.02.2011
J. Paul Getty Museum, 1200 Getty Center Drive, Los Angeles, California 90049, USA

Website Getty Center / The J. Paul Getty Museum

Source: The J. Paul Getty Museum

Cultural Heritage

Van Eyck to Dürer

faro — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 11:38:39 +0000

Bruges Central

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The major exhibition ‘Jan van Eyck, the Flemish Primitives and the South’ which the Groeninge Museum organised in 2002, showed how the Flemish Primitives conquered southern Europe. Now Bruges is looking to the East.

‘Van Eyck to Dürer’ illustrates, for the first time, what an artistic revolution the Flemish Primitives caused in the Central Europe of their age. The artistic and technical innovations of talented painters such as Jan van Eyck spread like wildfire across this exceptional region and inspired local artists and the young Albrecht Dürer. The cross pollination of proud traditions and new influences engendered a rich heritage.

Van Eyck and Dürer are grand masters from the 1420-1530 period, titans of the western history of art. The Groeninge Museum brings them together in a prestigious exhibition with major loans from top European and American collections. Masterpieces by major names such as Bouts, Campin, Lochner, Memling, Schongauer, van der Goes and van der Weyden and top pieces by lesser known, but certainly not less gifted, artists from Central Europe. Paintings but also drawings, illuminations, prints and sculptures take you on an exciting confrontation of the Flemish Primitives and Central European art. One of the ultimate cultural experiences in 2010.

The exhibition fits within the Project Bruges Central, which presents a broad range of art and culture in Bruges, in line with Bruges 2002 and Corpus ‘05. The cultural exchange between past and present, and between West and East Europe is central. Luc Tuymans is the curator of the contemporary section and will, amongst other things, clarify the interaction today in an exhibition. The same theme takes central stage in music (Estonia in the Concert Hall, Jazz Bruges), dance (December Dance) and theatre (De Werf). The Van Eyck to Dürer exhibition naturally deals with the historic section.

More information

Van Eyck to Dürer
29.10.2010 > 30.01.2011
Groeningemuseum, Dijver 12, 8000 Brugge

Website Bruges Central

Source: Bruges Central

Cultural Heritage