November 12 to 19
Belgium Week is proud to showcase a wide range of contemporary Belgian art and artists at KEE Club and ArtOne in November, many showing in Hong Kong for the first time. The exhibitions are curated by Belgian Hong Kong resident Emilie Rolin Jacquemyns, who has brought together a varied collection of artists from galleries in Belgium and overseas, as well as private collections, notably from within Hong Kong.
One of the countries with the highest number of art collectors per capita, Belgium is fast becoming a contemporary-art hotspot, and the work presented throughout the week will showcase both established and exciting new artists from Belgium whose works reflect the country: rich in culture and artistic expression.
Three artists out of the thirteen exhibiting at KEE Club are Harold Ancart, Ann Veronica Janssens and Sophie Whettnall. Ancart, recently nominated by the Financial Times as one of this year’s hot names, was born in Brussels but now lives and works in New York, and will be presenting an untitled piece. Using space and repetition for his architectural installations and works on paper, his work is often minimalist with recurring motifs of parrots, the jungle and palm trees.
Janssens uses distribution of light, colour and reflective surfaces to reveal the instability of perception of time and space through installations, projections and sculptures. The UK-born artist, who now lives in Brussels, will showcase her piece Magic Mirror.
Whettnall, who lives and works in Brussels, focuses on light but also has an eye for its absence, as well as for landscape, a frequent theme in her work. She uses raw, natural elements to reflect contradictory concepts and perceptions, and will be exhibiting her piece Border Lines #26.
The KEE Club Exhibition, Poetic Views, is open to the public from November 14 to 18 between 11am and 11pm. Guided art tours are offered on Tuesday-Thursday 15-17 November from 11am to 12.30pm, with registration at KEE.
At ArtOne, photographer Yves Ullens de Schooten will be showcasing The Theatre of Lights, using abstract photography to express the emotion and energy of light and colour. The exhibition, Matières et Contrast (Materials and Contrast), will be open to the public from 11am to 7pm, Saturday 12 to Saturday 19 November, also with guided art tours at ArtOne on Tuesday-Thursday 15-17 November from 10am to 11am. Register at ArtOne (Hong Kong Convention Centre) or directly with Emily Rolin Jacquemyns via What’s App 5467 4593.
A panel discussion, Sharing: Through the Wonders of Art from Collecting to Investing, led by art advisor Jehan Chu, takes place at KEE Club on Wednesday 16 November at 7pm.
Regarding her selection of works for the two Hong Kong shows, Rolin Jacquemyns says: “I wanted to showcase a wide spectrum of artists that could really give a deeper feeling of Belgium. Each time I look at their work, there is a part of our culture, history and way of life that I see. Light is at the core of all their work; everything is subtle, minimalist and perfect. To me, there is a calming sense that unites all these pieces, and a sense of brightness, an expression of colour, that brings Belgium closer to home for me here in Hong Kong.”
Belgium has long been dedicated to art, and offers support to its artists. Ageas, the Belgian insurance company, is the title sponsor of these events, along with Axel Vervoordt Gallery, AXA Art and the artists’ collectors and galleries.
For more details, please visit the official website: www.belgiumhk.com