Ensor2024, Beaufort24 & Bruges Triennial overwhelm
Flanders is a state of the arts, which continues to be so in 2024. Two sparkling triennials and a year of celebration dominate the cultural calendar: Ensor2024, Triennial Beaufort, and Triennial Bruges welcome you with open arms.
Ensor2024 (16 December 2023 – 2 February 2025)
A good start, after all, is half the job. When 2024 dawns, the Ensor year will already be in full swing. This is an ode to James Ensor, a pioneer of modern art. He is inextricably linked to his hometown of Ostend, where he was born in 1860 and breathed his last exactly 75 years ago. The anniversary of his passing is a good occasion for a tribute to the Flemish Master.
The Ensor year kicks off in Ostend, a pearl on the North Sea coast that is inextricably linked with the artist. Five exhibitions form the backbone of the event that highlight the different aspects of the grandmaster, for example, the masks and carnival motifs that frequently appear in his work or the deep symbolism in his paintings.
Antwerp takes the torch in September. The Royal Museum of Fine Arts (KSMKA) owns the world’s largest Ensor collection. The In Your Wildest Dreams exhibition presents international sources of inspiration, his contemporaries and successors who emulated him.
Beaufort24 (27 March – 3 November 2024)
Our second artistic highlight returns to the Flemish coast, where Triennial Beaufort drops anchor for the eighth time. For Beaufort24, a selection of national and international artists will create a total of 18 new works. They will each find a spot in a public space along the North Sea coast.
Entitled Fabric of Life, Beaufort24 explores the idea of natural interconnectedness. What lives along the North Sea coastline? What legends, histories and stories are there? What art still resonates in the artistic field today? Beaufort24 provides the answers.
Bruges Triennial (13 April – 1 September 2024)
One triennial melds seamlessly with the other. Bruges also hosts a stunning artistic celebration every three years. In 2024, the city will once again be given over to Bruges Triennial, which brings contemporary art and architecture to the city. For five months, artistic events engage visitors in debates about the future challenges of cities in general and Bruges in particular.
With the title Spaces of Possibility, this year’s Triennial seeks to explore the dormant potential of the city. On one hand, Bruges is a historical great, with a center recognized in its entirety as a UNESCO world heritage site. On the other hand, it is a modern city with an eye on the future. Bruges Triennial bridges both aspects.
One year of celebration and two triennials form an exceptional artistic triumvirate in 2024 because Flanders is a state of the arts and will continue to be so.
