The chronological and thematical exhibition reflects the broad range of the artist’s practice, with more than 85 drawings and paintings complemented by videos, collages, posters, murals, archive documents…

Haring’s work is ingrained in the (pop) culture of the 1980s, and the social themes he touches on are still relevant today: human rights, AIDS/HIV, racism, LGBTQI+, drug addiction.

At the exhibition’s fringes BOZAR presents a broad public programme which brings Keith Haring’s themes into the present day.

KEITH HARING

Keith Haring was a unique presence in 1980s New York, playing a key role in his generation’s underground counterculture and creating an immediately recognisable style. Best known for his iconic motifs, such as barking dogs, crawling babies and flying saucers, Haring’s paintings and drawings were politically charged and motivated by activism. His work as an AIDS/HIV activist and educator remains his most essential legacy. Elsewhere, he responded to equally critical and relevant social issues, contributing to nuclear disarmament campaigns, creating a famed Crack is Wack mural, and designing anti-apartheid posters. An openly gay man, he remains a figurehead for the LGBTQI+ community.

Haring expanded on wide-ranging legacies and influences from abstract painting, pop art, Egyptian hieroglyphs and calligraphy, to the work of New York graffiti artists and the Belgian artist Pierre Alechinsky. His singular, seemingly spontaneous style, was animated by the energies of the 1980s; from space travel and robotics to video games. The exhibition evokes the style and spirit of the time in rarely seen archival documents, video and photographs while Haring’s immersive ‘black light’ installation from 1983 presents fluorescent works under UV light accompanied by disco and post-punk electro music.

Dedicated to the creation of a truly public art that would reach the widest possible audience, Haring commented: ‘I remember most clearly an afternoon of drawing… All kinds of people would stop and look at the huge drawing and many were eager to comment on their feelings toward it. This was the first time I realised how many people could enjoy art if they were given the chance. These were not the people I saw in the museums or in the galleries but a cross-section of humanity that cut across all boundaries.’ He collaborated with Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat who shared his desire to unite high art and popular culture.

The exhibition also sheds light on the performative nature of Haring’s work, from his live chalk drawings on the New York subway to working with artist and photographer Tseng Kwong Chi who documented Haring’s practice. Haring went on to become a pop art icon of the era: he collaborated with Madonna, Grace Jones, Vivienne Westwood, and Malcolm McLaren, making sets and designs for videos and performances. He was also an active contributor to New York’s legendary Club 57, an underground party club and arts space, where he gave performances and organized exhibitions.

In the late 1980s Haring developed a love for Belgium, spending a productive summer in Knokke in 1987 where he created a solo exhibition in the Casino. It was also in this period that he created the large wall painting in the MUHKA in Antwerp.

Keith Haring’s career was concise, and on 16 February 1990 he died of AIDS-related complications at the age of 31. Haring expressed universal concepts of birth, death, love, sex, war and compassion to create a body of work that remains as relevant today as it was when it was made.

Keith Haring is curated by Darren Pih, Curator, Exhibitions & Displays, and Tamar Hemmes, Assistant Curator, Tate Liverpool. It is realised in collaboration with Tate Liverpool, the Keith Haring Foundation and in partnership with BOZAR, Centre for Fine Arts Brussels, and Museum Folkwang, Essen. After BOZAR the exhibition will tour to Museum Folkwang (22 May to 6 September 2020). It’s the second collaboration between Tate Liverpool and BOZAR, after the exhibition Yves Klein. Theatre of the Void presented in both institutions in 2017.

The post Keith Haring: Iconic visual style at BOZAR appeared first on Brussels Express.

Smile Safari

Welcome to Smile Safari, Belgium’s first ever Instagram museum. This is not just any old museum; it’s an adventure through optical illusions, pink palm trees, rainbows and lots more. They’ve joined forces with artists and designers to make it unforgettable. The search for the perfect photo has begun!

Location: Tour & Taxis
Dates: from 2 October to 30 November 2019
For more info visit the website.

Brancusi

The flagship event from EUROPALIA ROMANIA is a prestigious exhibition dedicated to Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957), the most influential sculptor of the 20th century. This is the first exhibition devoted to this enormously versatile artist in nearly 25 years.

A key figure in the history of art, Brancusi developed a new visual language, and is considered to be one of the pioneers of modernism. The exhibition presents several of Brancusi’s masterpieces, including ‘The Sleeping Muse’, ‘The Kiss’ and ‘Leda’, donated by museums and private collections around the world.

Location: BOZAR
Dates: from 2 October 2019 to 12 January 2020
For more info visit the website.

Dalí & Magritte

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium have devoted an exceptional exhibition to Salvador Dalí and René Magritte. For the first time ever, the relationship and influences between these two great surrealist icons are in the spotlight.

Through more than 80 paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings, films and archived objects, the exhibition reveals the personal, philosophical and aesthetic links between the two artists.

Location: Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Dates: from 11 October 2019 to 2 February 2020
For more info visit the website.

The World of Bruegel in Black and White

Bruegel is famous the world over for being a painter, but did you know that, in his time, he was better known for his prints? In 2019, you can enjoy a unique opportunity to see Bruegel’s prints up close.

KBR owns a complete and so far, unrivalled collection of Bruegel’s prints, which will be exhibited exclusively during this special Bruegel year. The ‘World of Bruegel in Black and White’ exhibition will transport you into the imaginary world of the Flemish master.

Location: The Royal Library of Belgium
Dates: From 15 October 2019 to 16 February 2020
For more info visit the website.

Back to Bruegel – Experience the 16th century

The mythical Hall Gate, the last vestige of Brussels’ medieval city walls, opens itself onto the world of the painter Bruegel, by way of an astonishing immersion into a virtual reality version of his internationally renowned paintings.

This discovery, along with genuine treasures from the New World, as well as weapons, armour and musical instruments, will help the visitor discover the world of the 16th century as if they were actually there. At the top of the building, visitors will also be able to enjoy a magnificent panorama over Brussels and be transported to the times of Bruegel through virtual binoculars.

Location: Hall Gate
Dates: From 18 October 2019 to 18 February 2020
For more info visit the website.
For more information on Bruegel exhibitions.

Jerusalem

The more we advance into the 21st century, the more we become aware of the huge paradox that the 20th century was unable to resolve. On the one hand, our societies are ruled by an unbearable rationality, with codes and checks, goals and threats as a daily burden, while every day the news is filled with messages of religious pressure and intolerance, with conflicts carried out in the name of religion and beliefs. The latest trend is populism and fake news.

Location: VUB
Dates: 17.10.2019 – 14.12.2019
For more info visit the website.

Paul Delvaux, the man who loved trains

Paul Delvaux has developed a superb work inspired by the world of railways. Integrated into the amazing scenery of Train World, the works of the surrealist master resonate with the unique atmosphere of the museum. The exhibition invites you to experience this magic and discover the work of an artist who was passionate about trains and stations. The journey presents the evolution of the painter: from his drawings, watercolours and paintings from the 1920s to his imposing works of the 1970s, including some of his personal belongings. The artist was even given the title of Stationmaster of the station at Louvain-la-Neuve – a supreme honour.

Location: Train World
Dates: from 22 October 2019 to 15 March 2020
For more info visit the website.

Ekphrasis

Image and text are very close, complementary, even interchangeable; over time, numerous artists have experimented with the fine line that separates them. Ekphrasis – the written description of art, curated by Bruno Cora, presents the works and texts of more than forty visual artists from the 1960s who have experimented with words as a means of replacing or describing an image. The viewer is encouraged to explore this practice through the works of major artists.

Location: Villa Empain
Dates: from 24 October 2019 to 9 February 2020
For more info visit the website.

Have you visited the 3 exhibitions for the end of the summer vacation?

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The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium dedicate an exceptional exhibition to Salvador Dalí and René Magritte. For the first time ever, the connection and influences between the two greatest icons of the surrealist movement are highlighted. The exhibition is opening on Friday, 11 October and will remain open until 09 February, 2020.

In the spring of 1929, Salvador Dalí and René Magritte meet in Paris, surrounded by the great names of the artistic avant-garde. In August of the same year, at Dalí’s invitation, Magritte travels to Cadaqués, the Spanish painter’s home base. This surrealist summer – which also includes visits by Éluard, Miró and Buñuel – will prove decisive.

Dalí and Magritte both aim to challenge reality, question our gaze and shake up our certainties. The Catalan and the Belgian show a fascinating proximity, despite their very different creations and personalities, which would eventually lead them to drift apart.

The exhibition reveals the personal, philosophical and aesthetic links between these two iconic artists through more than 100 paintings, sculptures, photographs, drawings, films and archival objects.

The post Royal Museums of Fine Arts dedicate an exhibition to two surrealist icons: Dalí & Magritte appeared first on Brussels Express.

The Jardin des Quatre Vents in Molenbeek, one of BAUKUNST’s projects nominated for the European Union Prize of Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award, is a positive example of built environment. A schoolyard, previously disconnected from its surroundings and open mostly to children, is reshaped by urban necessity and the lived experience of local residents. The courtyard-cum-garden now offers the flexibility of serving both as a recreation place and, with the help of an awning, a shelter from the whims of weather. The new public space paves the way for new dwellers, enabling them to build their own response to it. To Adrien Verschuere, the founder of the architecture office BAUKUNST, it is important to “understand the value of a place as a sign…a sort of time capsule where imagination and memory are intertwined”.

The expressive capacities of architecture are central to the work of BAUKUNST. According to the British philosopher J.L. Austin words and signs do not merely have a descriptive function but enunciate performative utterances as well. Thoughts, perceptions, emotions, all on stage, engaging the audience in their play. So does the completed project, The Centre Sportif de la Fraineuse in Spa, which epitomizes the idea of theatricality in architecture.

The roof of the new building gives the impression of effortlessly floating above the base of a nineteenth-century neoclassical castle. They blend into a unified scenery, all the way preserving their solitude. Each structure performs its own role, and the mise-en-scène helps create a characterful environment.

The philosopher Gaston Bachelard argues that the ‘state of impermanence’ is superior to the ‘state of finality’ when we choose our location in space. The former encourages us to dream, to embrace the probable and hence allow new impressions enrich our experiences. The BAUKUNST exhibition echoes this longing for the hidden, for the comfort of imagination. It does not shut down reality, on the contrary, it redesigns it, by leading us on towards a public imagination where we can freely move around.

The post BAUKUNST at Bozar: A Journey into Memory and Imagination appeared first on Brussels Express.

The exhibition « The 100th anniversary of a Nobel Prize winner, Jules Bordet, a pastor at the ULB » retraces the path and discoveries of this great researcher in immunology, through historical documents, scientific objects and works of art , movies and photographs. The exhibition presents, in a clear and accessible way, his fundamental discoveries in the fight against infectious diseases.

Based on research by Jules Bordet, the exhibition highlights the drivers of experimental research: curiosity, rigor, imagination, the performance of tools and sometimes luck. Finally, it evokes the scientific diplomacy of the early 20th century and the current debates of society around the detection and prevention of transmittable  diseases.

Over the course of the exhibition, proposals from artists from bio-art will stimulate reflection and debate around current uses of biotechnology.

Practical Information:

Free entry 

Address: Solbosch Campus Espace Allende, ULB, Solbosch Campus (F1 Building) – 22-24, av. Paul Héger – Ixelles

More information on the website.

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Brussels and Bruegel are inextricably linked. A variety of original exhibitions and activities are on offer throughout the year to celebrate the 450th anniversary of the great Flemish master’s death. This is the perfect occasion to (re)discover the monumental work of the greatest Flemish painter of the 16th century.

Brussels was a major source of inspiration for Bruegel; two-thirds of his works were painted there. His most influential sponsors lived at the Mont des Arts, very close to his home. Today, it houses an important part of Bruegel’s work: after the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum) in Vienna, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium possesses the largest collection of paintings by Bruegel, and the Royal Library houses no fewer than 90 prints! All these treasures are on display in 2019. After his death, Bruegel was buried in the Chapel Church in the Marolles, where his epitaph can be found.

Brussels felt a duty to devote a number of events to this world-famous artist to mark the 450th anniversary of his death. Since January 2019, several organizations have been organizing guided visits based on Bruegel and all the sites linked to his history and his fascinating era.

More information on the themed year here.

Exhibitions

 

Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium are organizing a number of projects to celebrate the great Flemish master:

The permanent collection: visitors can (re)discover the second-largest permanent collection in the world of works by Pieter Bruegel the Elder in the Old Masters Museum.

‘Bruegel Unseen Masterpieces’ allows the public to discover the hidden secrets of the works of Pieter Bruegel the Elder. With a wide range of experiences accessible online and in situ, this original initiative allows visitors to immerse themselves in Bruegel’s paintings, accessing both the finest details of each painting and the knowledge of experts. The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium launched this event with the Google Cultural Institute, in view of the 450th anniversary of Bruegel’s death, in 2019. This innovative project brings together prestigious international museums, most of them European, around the figure of Bruegel. It is the expression of in-depth deliberations on the changes underway in the field of museum studies in the digital era.

Cultural and educational offer:

• Cycle of conferences based around Bruegel the Elder
• Visitor guide
• Creative trail for children
• Guided visits for all target groups (schools, cultural groups, families, vulnerable groups)
• Workshops and internships

Date: 2019-2020
More information here.

Red Cloister Art Centre

Bernard Van Orley. Red Cloister and the Sonian Forest in the 16th century.

The Art Centre puts the spotlight on Bernard van Orley, an artist inseparable from 16th century Brussels heritage and the creator of the cartoons for The Hunts of Maximilian tapestry. Their detailed representations of buildings, including Red Cloister, and hunting grounds are part of the richness of the decor, and the vegetation and flora are a direct testimony of what the Sonian Forest was once like. The exhibition also presents several previously unseen archaeological items from this historic site.

Date: until 20/12/2019
More information here.

Palais de la Dynastie

Beyond Bruegel.

‘Beyond Bruegel’ is an innovative artistic experience in which new technologies and classical works by Bruegel come together and raise the artistic experience to a higher level. In the first part of the exhibition, a multimedia installation immerses visitors in the painter’s life and work. An animated 360-degree projection then takes visitors into the imaginary world of the master. They can admire and even walk through his works; visitors find themselves in the heart of Dull Gret’s army, on a ship at the foot of the Tower of Babel and more. Figures from Bruegel’s work come to life and enter the visitors’ imagination.

Date: until 31/01/2020
More information here.

Atomium

Bruegel. A Poetic Experience. 

From 19 September 2019, to mark the 450th anniversary of the death of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, the Atomium presents an immersive, interactive exhibition on the famous Renaissance painter. Large reproductions of Bruegel’s works plunge visitors into the heart of his world. The ‘Bruegel, A Poetic Experience’ exhibition presents both known and unexpected facets of his work and personality.

Dates: 19 September 2019 to 20 September 2020

More information here.

Royal Library of Belgium

Bruegel in black and white. 

The Royal Library owns a complete and unrivaled collection of Bruegel’s work « on paper » (90 graphic works) and is preparing to take them out of its warehouse for a very special exhibition to mark this Bruegel year. The ‘Bruegel in Black and White’ exhibition promises to be a unique experience. The exhibition will take place at the Palace of Charles of Lorraine, one of the rare 18th century jewels in Brussels.

Dates: 15/10/2019 to 16/02/2020

More information here.

Halle Gate

Back to Bruegel – Experience the 16th Century

The legendary Halle Gate, a remnant of the medieval Brussels city wall, is opening up to the world of the painter Bruegel. Take a surprising leap into a virtual reality version of his internationally famous paintings. Four works by the master come to life and, just for a moment, immerse visitors in the day-to-day life of the time. This is a journey into the heart of the 16th century, with authentic treasures from the New World, arms and armor, musical instruments and other works from the Royal Museums of Art and History. At the top of the building, enjoy the magnificent panoramic views of Brussels and use the virtual telescopes to be transported back to the time of Bruegel.

Dates: 18/10/2019 to 18/10/2020
More information here.

Mini-Europe

Bruegel on the Grand Place

On the (miniature) Grand Place in Brussels, visitors meet the painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder, who is working on one of his masterpieces, « The Fall of the Rebel Angels », a work in which the Archangel Michael is fighting six monsters.

Date: until 31/12/2019

More information here.

Events

 

The Chapel Church

Flemish Master in situ 

The church is in the district where Bruegel lived and where his epitaph can be found. A copy of a work by Rubens adorns the epitaph. For this occasion, additional information and a video offer more information about the location, Bruegel and Rubens.

Date: until 30/09/2019

More information here.

Bruegel. The Great Escape. 

The works of Pieter Bruegel the Elder have never been so alive. Ten characters have escaped from the Flemish master’s paintings, 450 years after his death and have come together to pay tribute to the man who painted them.

Date: until the end of 2019

More information here.

Bruegel Cultural

CentreThe Dance of the Rebel Angels

The Dance of the Rebel Angels will lead visitors through the Marolles, following in the footsteps of Pieter Bruegel. To mark the 450th anniversary of the Master’s death, the company No Way Back, together with a Congolese delegation from the Goma Dance Festival and key dancers from the Royal Flemish Theatre (KVS), will give a new « urban » life to the painter’s works, remastered by the Farm Prod collective. In a combination of tradition and modernity, visitors will meet angels who will encourage them to join in the dance and become an integral part of the living painting!

Dates:
– Friday 20 September from 7 pm to 9 pm
– Saturday 21 September from 2 pm to 7 pm – Sunday 22 September from 2 pm to 6 pm

More information here.

Guided Visits

 

Bruegel City Run (FR, NL or EN)

In the city center, find out Bruegel’s legacy while running at your own pace. Date: throughout 2019
More information here.

Bruegel and his Marolles

Come on this walking journey and discover the Marolles of the 16th century… and more specifically the protagonist of our artistic culture: Bruegel.
Pieter Bruegel, who then lived in Antwerp, fell in love with the daughter of his master, Pieter Coecke van Aelst. Before the marriage could take place, his future mother-in-law stipulated that the couple must live in Brussels. A few months after their engagement, their union was made official at the Church of Our Lady of the Chapel in the Marolles.

Bruegel, who lived through troubled times due to the unstable political and religious situation, was a contemporary of Charles V, his son and successor Philippe II and the Duke of Alba, and witnessed the execution of the Counts of Egmont and Hornes.
Free With the support of the Brussels-Capital Region

FR/EN on even Wednesdays – FR/NL on odd Wednesdays

More information here.

Bruegel the Elder and the secret of the two keys (FR)

Exploration of the works of Bruegel and his fascinating world, full of hollow trees, athanors, proverbs, dances, blind people and monkeys, plunging visitors into 16th century Brussels, where he lived and painted his most magnificent works. A true alchemist, did he know the secret of the two keys?

Date: Sunday 8 September 2019
More information here.

Walk through a Bruegel painting (FR)

A bucolic 14 km walk through the Pede Valley, the Vogelenzang reserve and a corner of the Pajottenland where Pieter Bruegel often set up his easel. His paintings will reveal the evolution of the landscape: wooded countryside, damp meadows, marshes, quiet paths adorned with pollarded willows and garden towns – La Roue and Bon Air – create a charming scene…

Date: Sunday 13 October 2019
More information here.

Pierewaaien met Bruegel (NL)

The route goes from the upper city to the lower city or from the ducal site to the centre of Brussels. The focus is on the civilisation process and highlights the changes in eating habits, sleep and dress in the time of Bruegel and the impact of etiquette on human behaviour. This context is reflected in Bruegel’s work. The route is included in the publication « Pierewaaien met Bruegel », interspersed with humorous drawings by Pieter Fannes, who completely immersed himself in the painter’s world.

Date: Saturday 16 November 2019

More information here.

The World of Bruegel in Black and White

Everyone knows Bruegel as an internationally famous painter, but he is also known for his engravings. In 2019, visitors are invited to take a closer look at Bruegel’s engravings at the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR), in the ‘The World of Bruegel in Black and White’ exhibition, accompanied by a guide.

Date: Saturday 23 November 2019

More information here.

Wall Frescoes

Bruegel Street Art Route

visit.brussels, in collaboration with the Brussels Farm Prod collective and with the support of the City of Brussels, has developed a Street Art ROUTE in the heart of the capital that pays tribute to the great Flemish Master Pieter Bruegel. As many as 11 frescoes now adorn several facades in the Marolles district. This is a wonderful opportunity to see Bruegel in a different light.

More information here.

 

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From September, Brussels is overflowing with varied and original exhibitions aimed at everyone. Here’s a selection, in chronological order.

Crossroads

After Amsterdam, Bonn and Athens, Brussels will host the great Crossroads exhibition. Travelling through the Middle Ages, it portrays a period often referred to as the “Dark Ages”. Straddling several themes (connectivity, diversity, the heritage of Rome, knowledge, identity, warfare and faith), the Crossroads exhibition brings together distinguished collections of Early Middle Age masterpieces from museums both in Belgium and abroad, including the Netherlands, Germany, Greece and Hungary…

Location: Art & History Museum
Dates: from 27 September 2019 to 29 March 2020
For more info

Obsessions

“Obsessions” is an exhibition that will take the visitor on a journey through the universe of artists’ obsessions.

The exhibition will present each of these intimate worlds in a small nave to recreate an intense atmosphere. The visitor will delight in discovering these while weaving through a labyrinth designed by the “Superstructure” collective. Hundreds of amusing, figurative and abstract works, big and small, will make up a journey full of surprises.

Location: MIMA
Dates: from 27 September 2019 to 5 January 2020
For more info

Open Skies

Open Skies is an exhibition that challenges the ever-growing call for transparency in society.Seven artists delve into our public and private spaces of so-called freedom. The exhibition addresses the issue through artists who aim to escape from the domination of the “like” button, to undo the reductive statement of intent. They have created works which play with veils and masks, codes and devices, projections and fantasies.

Location: WIELS
Dates: from 27 September 2019 to 5 January 2020
For more info

Stay tuned for the next round starting in October.

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Citroën is celebrating its 100th anniversary and Autoworld’s major summer exhibition is dedicated to the make with more than fifty models which, all in their way, left their mark on the history of the make bearing the double chevron.

Renowned for its 2CV – but also its legendary « Traction Avant », its DS, ID — not forgetting the numerous innovations brought about by its founder, André Citroën, such as the famous hydropneumatics suspension on the four wheels, not to mention the revolutionary and audacious lines for those days, the make now celebrating its centenary is undoubtedly one of the most mythical of French car makes.

The exhibition organised in collaboration with Citroën Belux and the Belgian Clubs Citroën, as also with the Conservatoire Citroën (loaning us several gorgeous competition version models) will offer up a wide historical fresco taking in the most emblematic Citroën cars as also several spectacular vehicles.

From the Type A through to the C3 Pluriel, by way of the ‘sweet’ Rosalie, two plateaux will display the historic evolution of the make. The Traction has its very own plateau with no less than six different models.

No doubt the not so young among us will recall the radical change brought about when the twin-cylinder Dyane, Ami6 and Méhari appeared on the market… they will all be present, and many others also, fitted with special coachwork, LCV vans and a Kegresse, one of the first halftracks.

The competition and rally cars will be well represented by, among others, the Xsara WRC and the C4 WRC of Sébastien Loeb, 9 times WRC World Champion with Citroën, not forgetting the AX Superproduction…

Numerous other models are to be admired from 27th June through to the 3rdSeptember at the Autoworld museum, as also the range presently available with, among others, the « Origins » the collector edition, specially designed to celebrate the make’s centenary. C1, C3, SUV C3 Aircross and C4 Cactus will each have this elegant collection version.

On the exhibition’s periphery: 10 showcases and tables will display scale models. Historical videos will be projected in the museum’s media-room and children’s entertainment is also foreseen.

The start of the story in a nutshell.

DOUBLE CHEVRONS

André Gustave Citroen is born in Paris on 5th February 1878. He is the son of a Dutch father and a Polish mother. During his youth, and while studying at the polytechnic, he travels to his mother’s homeland and comes across something that would change his life: chevron gears which can transfer more power with less strength, and far more silently. He acquires this invention and, once back in Paris, improves it and has it patented, as also other iron and steel applications.

VISION

Recommended by his brother, André Citroën – in the meantime his name is now written with the diaeresis on the « e » for a more French pronunciation – is appointed to the management of the Mors car factory in 1908, not only to increase quality, but especially for his remarkable ideas in the fields of advertising and marketing. In less than ten years he multiplies the turnover by a factor of ten! After the war he acquires the Mors factories which will exist up until 1925, after which the buildings of the 15th district in Paris are converted into the laboratories of the Citroën Design Offices.

At the start of the First World War in 1914, he soon discovers that the French Army has a shortage of ammunition. He prepares a business plan to produce shells on a big scale, and he makes a fortune. He manages to convince the general staff of his ideas and in 1915 he converts allotments at the Quai de Javel, in the south-west of Paris, into a war factory. Without exception all his workers are women, seeing the men have gone off to war. Citroën realises that he needs to adapt and provides them with crèches and grocery shops, highly unconventional in those days.

POPULAR CAR

The visionary André Citroën does not believe that the Great War will last long. He plans his future: the mass-production of cars for the general public. He wants to take advantage of his experience of mass production of shells and decides to produce a vehicle for the general public. In 1917, following his trip to the United States, and more specifically to the Ford factory, where he discovers mass production; he purchases several cars and has these dismantled by his engineers. Jules Salomon, designer of French cars sold under the make of Le Zèbre, designs the first Citroën 10HP. The prototype is presented at the end of 1917 to the general staff in the Roanne barracks. But it would take another twelve months before peace is declared in western Europe. As from that moment Citroën can truly start to create his own car make.

11th November 1918, end of the war: Citroën’s project materialises. Some ten days later the 10HP Citroën is presented at the Service des Mines in France, with a view to obtaining the authorisation to drive the car on French soil. Following various modifications, the service grants permission. It would take a further six months before the first models are delivered to impatient clients. Brilliant communicator, André Citroën promoted his make with audacity and ingenuity. Citroën very quickly becomes the top car manufacturer in France, even in Europe.

The first Citroën Type A, in 4-seater model under a soft hood, was a type of French Ford T version. They were only available in Artillery Grey – it seems that André Citroën was able to acquire a limited quantity of paint from the army.
To recognise one of the very first Citroën models one merely needs to look at the headlights. There is no bar between these. It would appear as from 1920.

Showing no interest for company policy, the business soon experiences financial difficulties, which brings the expensive development of the « Traction » into jeopardy. On the verge of insolvency in 1934 André allows Michelin to take over control of his company and he dies in 1935. He would therefore never see the success of the « Tractions » in its 7-11-15 versions. After the war the incredible 2CV, the Type H van and the fascinating ID/DS ensure that Citroën would belong to the legendary makes out of automotive history.

And in Belgium

In Belgium, Hector Evrard is appointed as the representative. He lives 19, Rue du Gouvernement Provisoire in Brussels – an imposing town house nothing like that of a car garage. Hector Evrard would immediately be contacted by Marc Devergnies from Binche, who wants to become a Citroën concessionaire. On 6th May 1919, the first payment is made to Evrard, who passes it on to the company in Paris. The present Citroën concessionaire of La Louvière still carries the same name and is most probably to oldest Citroën garage in the world.

In 1924 Citroën’s first foreign branch is established in Belgium, rue de l’Amazone, and two years later a showroom opens its doors on the Boulevard Adolphe-Max. In the ’30s, the iconic building located Place de l’Yser opens its doors and would remain the headquarters of Citroën Belux up until 2012.

PRACTICAL INFO:

Autoworld Museum Brussels

Parc du Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark 11, 1000 Brussels
Metro Merode

Opening Hours :
Open daily 7/7 from 10am until 6pm

Entrance fee to the museum :
Adults : 12 €
Seniors : 10 €
Students : 9 €
Children 6-12 years : 5 €

The post The Summer Exhibition at AutoWorld: CITROËN 100 YEARS appeared first on Brussels Express.

Now, a totally new area has just been created, forging a stronger link between the current car museum and its history: Salon 1910.
Not many people know. The magnificent building that has housed Autoworld for more than 30 years hosted the very first Car and Motorcycle Exhibitions between 1902 and 1934, when the exhibition halls housing the current Car and Air Museums were linked and the Esplanade still did not exist.

“Salon 1910” presents a step back in time and, over a space of close to 1000m² located in the museum’s right-hand wing, shows what these first Exhibitions looked like at the beginning of the last century, when cars were custom ordered; the future owner purchased a motorised chassis then went to a coach builder to sort out the bodywork for his new car.

Many photos and photographic enlargements, a showroom exhibiting chassis and cars with custom bodywork , videos from that era and, of course, about thirty cars like those sold at Exhibitions at the beginning of the last century complement the area which is intended to be as educational as possible.

All the cars exhibited were already scattered around the museum. Here they are gathered together in their historical context. It should be noted that, among others, you will find the 1912 De Dion DE2 there, one of the most important makes of that era, as well as a De Dion Torpedo. The Baby Peugeot will remind us that these baby cars already existed over one hundred years ago. A little further away in the museum, a double bodywork Minerva of course makes reference to our industry in the Belgian area, tells the history in detail. Other chassis and customs bodywork will catch your attention, like on the Rolls Royce stand, the chassis of the 1911 Rolls Silver Ghost and the 1921 custom bodywork of the same car. In fact, have you heard of the French make Sizaire Naudin? We are exhibiting one of their cars from 1911. A few motorcycles, such as the Minerva and Piedboeuf, will also be present.
With the “Salon 1910”, Autoworld is completely reconnecting with its history, while making the right-hand wing of the museum more attractive.

Practical Information:

Autoworld Museum Brussels
Parc du Cinquantenaire 11 Jubelpark
1000 Brussels
Metro Merode

Opening hours :
Open daily 7/7 from 10am until 6pm

Entrance fee to the museum :
Adults : 12 €
Seniors : 10 €
Students : 9 €
Children 6-12 years : 5 €

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The Belgian artist Jef Geys (1934-2018) spent two weeks photographing the 1969 Tour de France. The theme of his photographic reportage is not to show the glamour of the race towards triumph, but the merging of the unusual and the everyday in the life of the cyclist. Among the spectators, race bikes, team cars and advertising hoardings, a cyclist pops up here and there, and that cyclist could be Eddy Merckx.

The 67 black and white photographs are now being exhibited in Belgium for the very first time, 50 years after they were taken. They are shown with a montage of two pages from Belgian newspapers dated 20 and 21 July 1969, which put the event in perspective. On the day Merckx won the Tour, Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the moon!

A planetary and universal conquest alongside a sporting and national victory…in his art Jef Geys weaves different levels together and places them on an equal footing: a newspaper article alongside a photo, an achievement in science alongside one in sports, a famous racing cyclist alongside an ordinary cycling enthusiast. In this exhibition he once again demonstrates his mastery of the contrast of High and Low, making him one of the most influential post-war Belgian artists.

The exhibition has already been successful in seven cities in France, and the accompanying book (‘234’) won the ‘Prix Bob Calle du livre d’artiste 2019’.

Short Biography of Jef Geys

Jef Geys was a Belgian artist born in 1934 in Bourg Leopold, Limburg. He passed away in 2018. He represented Belgium at the 2009 Venice Biennale, took part in major artistic events such as Chambre d’Amis (Ghent, 1986), the Sao Paulo Biennale (1991), and documenta 11 (Kassel, 2002). Numerous museums have held solo exhibitions of his work like the Van Abbemuseum (Eindhoven, 2005), the Institut d’Art Contemporain (Villeurbanne, 2007), MOCAD (Detroit, 2010), M HKA (Antwerp, 2011), Culturgest (Lisbon, 2012), the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (Brussels, 2012), Cneai (Chatou, 2012, 2014 and 2016), Wiels (Brussels, 2013), and S.M.A.K. (Ghent, 2015).

Jef Geys explored all different kinds of artistic media: drawing, painting, sculpture, text, film, and even archival practice. From the beginning of his career in 1958, photography has always been Jef Geys’s defining medium. This early predilection for photography turned him into a pioneer in the Belgian art world and put his name on a par with those of renowned artists of the international conceptual art scene.

The post Jef Geys Exhibition: The Tour de France 1969 of Eddy Merckx appeared first on Brussels Express.