Museum Abby opens this weekend in Kortrijk
The new visual arts museum Abby is opening its doors in Kortrijk this weekend. The museum features a ‘living room’ full of playful furniture created by Belgian artist Rinus Van de Velde. The first exhibition, ‘F**klore. Reinventing tradition', shows how traditions are constantly changing.
At the beguinage site in Kortrijk, Abby's doors will open this weekend after more than two years of works. The name is a nod to the former Groeninge Abbey. The museum has two spacious underground exhibition rooms and the sixteenth-century chapel of the former abbey was also converted into an expo space.
Abby’s first exhibition is ‘F**klore: Reinventing Tradition’, in which contemporary artists use folklore to address current themes. The two underground exhibition rooms include a tapestry with a scene reminiscent of a medieval battle, but actually depicting police on horseback knocking over a person during an illegal festival in Brussels' Bois de la Cambre. Visitors will also find an antique Indonesian cabinet filled with grinding wheels, painted in Delft Blue, with which artist Wim Delvoye refers to the former Dutch colony.
“With Abby, we want to make art accessible to the general public"
Another crowd-puller is the ‘living room’ filled with works by Belgian artist Rinus Van de Velde. The cardboard chairs, tables and plants form a film set in which visitors can take a seat. The artist worked on the installation for a year and a half.
“With Abby, we want to make art accessible to the general public,” said director Sarah Keymeulen. “Besides art you can sit in, you will also find our ‘Affordable Art Wall’ here. Those works cost just 600 euros.”
‘Urban living room’
The building itself is also remarkable, with a new pavilion in the shape of a tower, which houses the catering area. The design is by architects Barozzi Veiga and TAB Architecten.
“Around the museum, we are also creating an urban living room, where you can not only attend all kinds of activities, but also have the space to experiment, grow and connect,” said Keymeulen. The Salon can host lectures or small concerts, and those who want to get started themselves can organise workshops in the Atelier.
Abby cost 18.5 million euros, of which Kortrijk and Flanders each pay half. Its operation in the coming years will be mainly funded by the city. Kortrijk is, however, working on a dossier to attract more Flemish funding by 2028.
#FlandersNewsService | Expo at visual arts museum Abby in Kortrijk © BELGA PHOTO FLORENT MOREAU / LA VOIX DU NORD / PHOTOPQR
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