Artist in Residence

Every year the museum invites a contemporary artist for a residency. Amongst the witnesses of yesteryear, the artist’s voice rings out loud and clear. Not only do artists bear witness through words, sounds and images, they above all call for reflection. It is important that a modern artistic voice can be heard, alongside the artists of the period. And that artistic reflection can be seen alongside historical arte facts and personal stories. The artist turns the public's eyes to reflection on war better and more directly than the museum itself could ever do, and in doing so fulfills a messenger’s role for the museum. “Messenger” in the sense bestowed on it by the British war artist Paul Nash after he had seen the battlefields of Passendale in November 1917.

“I am no longer an artist, interested and curious, I am a messenger who speaks on behalf of the men who fight, to those who want the war to go on forever.”

>   1999: Val Carman (UK)
>   2000: Berlinde De Bruyckere (BE)
>   2001: Lieve van Stappen (BE)
>   2002: Ann Veronica Janssens (BE)
>   2003: Mark Anstee (UK)
>   2004: Hans Op de Beeck (BE)
>   2005: Doron Solomons (ISR)
>   2006: Frans Vercoutere (BE)
>   2007: Kingsley Baird (NZ)
>   2008: Wendy Morris (ZA)
>   2009: Camiel van Breedam (BE)
>   2010: Rodrigo Braga (BRA)
>   2014: Thorsten Brinkmann (DE)
>   2015: Mehdi-Georges Lahlou (FR & MAR)
>   2016: Eva Kot’átková (CZ)
>   2017: Wilmer Wilson IV (USA)
>   2018: Val Carman (UK)
>   2019: Fabrice Samyn (BE)
>   2020: Philippe Viérin (BE)
>   2021: Sammy Baloji (CD & BE)
>   2022: Baptist Coelho (IND)
>   2023: Nikita Kadan (UKR)

State of affairs

In 2024 ...

project management

Dominiek Dendooven
0032 (0) 57 239 450