When art enthusiasts gather in a multinational and multicultural city like Brussels, one thing is for certain. They seek to immerse themselves in as much culture as possible, in this case, visual arts. The opportunity to explore up close and examine the elements that define an artist - the very components that shape their artistic identity - is invaluable.
Archivorum, Fondazione Ratti and Galleria Continua ensured this goal was met in the best possible way. By joining forces, they offered us a meticulously organized and comprehensive two-day study trip concerning multifaceted archives. From every perspective the experience was enriching, and all of us participants are truly grateful.
The program was packed with visits to artists’ studios, museums, guided tours and discussions keeping us fully engaged in the visual arts scene at all times. To paraphrase the song title “Love Is in the Air”—art was everywhere in the air.
Coming from diverse backgrounds yet sharing a deep personal connection with art, each one of us seized every opportunity to exchange ideas—not only during our cultural visits to Brussels, Ghent and Antwerp but also over delightful meals and dinners.
Let me introduce to you the impressions and, of course, the highlights of the second day of our cultural study trip in Belgium, while my colleague, Anaïs, has already written about the first day in the previous blog.
Bright and early on Friday, we all gathered and took taxis to our first stop, the CKV The Flemish Centre for Art Archives at M HKA - Museum of Contemporary Art in Antwerp. Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by Jan Stuyck and Nele Luyts who - after brief introductions - presented the incredible work they do at the center, giving us valuable insight into their mission and services.
The Flemish Centre for Art Archives focuses on the wider field of contemporary visual arts, working with artists, curators, collectors, galleries and other art professionals. Their aim is to assist in shaping, conserving and making accessible their archives. They offer a variety of services, including studio visits, hands-on archival work, guidance through online resources, workshops and research-based mediation. They also engage in long-term projects such as oral history, art legacies and gallery documentation.
During our visit, we also explored the exhibition of Belgian performance and installation artist Hugo Roelandt titled “The End is a New Beginning”. This exhibition was particularly striking because it intertwined Roelandt’s personal archives - such as notes and newspaper clippings - with his artworks. This combination allowed visitors to step into the artist’s creative process, demonstrating that an archive is more than just a static collection of documents; it is an active part of artistic creation. By displaying these archives in a new light, the exhibition showed how the past continues to influence the present, transforming historical materials into living elements of contemporary discourse. For me, this was a powerful example of how archives, when actively engaged with, can become tools for creation rather than merely passive repositories of knowledge.
After taking in all this fascinating information, we had a much-needed break at the museum’s café. Over lunch, we shared our impressions and reflections on what we had seen, and how these archival practices could be applied to our own work. The discussions carried on as we made our way to our next stop, this time taking the tram to the Walter Leblanc Foundation .
There, we were warmly welcomed by María Inés Rodríguez, the director, and her team. Despite her busy schedule and the limited time she had before another engagement, María Ines Rodriguez was incredibly enthusiastic and generous in sharing insights about her work. She began by introducing us to the life and work of Belgian artist Walter Leblanc and his wife, Nicole, explaining their deep commitment to documentation and archiving. The foundation not only preserves Leblanc’s legacy but, also, invites artists and curators to engage with the archives in new and innovative ways.
One such project featured the Croatian-Flemish artist Hana Miletić, who was invited to create an exhibition in conversation with both Walter Leblanc’s works and the role Nicole played in the archive. The artist, who had recently learned weaving, presented a work inspired by her teacher’s unfinished piece, which she had completed. She exhibited this alongside Walter’s artworks, emphasizing the collaborative nature of artistic practice. Hana raised an interesting theory—was Nicole involved in preparing Walter’s canvases? The exhibition highlighted the often-unseen contributions behind an artist’s work, underscoring the importance of recognizing collaborative efforts in the creative process. Or, as the saying goes, “behind a great man, hides a great woman”.
The exhibition continues featuring elements of the archives were put on display. Here, notebooks meticulously written by Nicole and diagrams by Walter provided an invaluable resource for authenticating Leblanc’s artworks. Nicole’s precise documentation played a crucial role in preserving the integrity of Walter’s work and allowed for a richer understanding of his artistic development. The Foundation's Director explained how these materials are essential when curating exhibitions, offering deeper context and new interpretations of Leblanc’s contributions.
Walter Leblanc was deeply connected to various artistic movements and played a significant role in the formation of Group 58. The group emerged in opposition to Belgium’s official selection of figurative painters for the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair, which angered many Flemish artists, including Leblanc, for not including the new generation. As a response, they organized their own exhibitions focused on anti-painting, featuring over 40 artists. It is noteworthy that every time the foundation explores its archives, new and exciting discoveries emerge, adding to the ever-evolving understanding of Leblanc’s work.
One particularly intriguing discovery made by the curator Karima Boudou - during her residency - involved a collection of slides containing photographs taken by Walter and Nicole during their visits to Morocco. This raised new questions—did Leblanc draw inspiration from his travels? The presence of numerous images from this trip suggests that it may have had a significant impact on his work, but the extent of this influence remains an open question. María Ines Rodriguez described these materials as part of a dynamic and ever-unfolding archive, similar to opening a "Pandora’s box", where each new finding has the potential to reshape our perception of an artist’s legacy.
To sum it up, both the CKV Center and the Walter Leblanc Foundation demonstrated how archives can serve as catalysts for new artistic dialogues, bridging generations and perspectives. This experience reinforced my appreciation for the critical role that archival work plays in shaping our understanding of art history and artistic practice. It left me inspired to continue exploring how archives can be transformed into dynamic spaces of creation, dialogue and discovery. This is after all my modus operandi till now, focusing on creating an archive for Babs Haenen that is not just about preserving the past but about activating it, allowing it to engage with the present and the future.
One thing is clear; these two days passed in the blink of an eye, as a Greek proverb says - "like water" - meaning so swiftly that we hardly noticed.