In the next year, Musea Brugge will be programming two top artists in the Sint-Janshospitaal: Otobong Nkanga and Hugo van der Goes.
The choice of a contemporary artist on the one hand and a mediaeval one on the other fits in perfectly with the policy Musea Brugge intends to pursue from now on: explicitly alternate exhibitions of ancient, modern and contemporary art and give them an equal chance. Musea Brugge already has a rich tradition of exhibitions of ancient art, with classics on Flemish masters such as Van Eyck, Memling, Pourbus, etc. In the field of contemporary art, we aim to rank equally high internationally. Moreover, we are taking a different course with these exhibitions for 2022: the traditional art exhibition will make way for exhibitions that are closer to contemporary society and visitors. Musea Brugge will show more points of view, multi-voicedness is key. Everyone should feel attracted to our programme, not just the traditional art and culture connoisseur. This will be continued in the new exhibition space, BRUSK. There, we plan five or six exhibitions a year, in which you will be able to admire old, modern and contemporary art. After the two top exhibitions in '22, the Sint-Janshospitaal will be given a complete makeover so that it can be reopened in the autumn of '23 with a completely renovated, contemporary set-up.
Otobong Nkanga (°1974) is included on most lists of ‘today’s most promising artists worldwide’.
She has already built up an impressive track record of success, with exhibitions worldwide. Nkanga’s oeuvre is a multi-faceted, including drawings, performances, sculptures and other media. For the exhibition in the Sint-Janshospitaal, this internationally respected artist will use objects from the collections of Musea Brugge and the memories inspired by the old hospital building as the starting point for her retrospective.
Hugo van der Goes (°1430-40 – 1482) together with Jan van Eyck, Rogier van der Weyden and Hans Memling, is one of the greatest of the Flemish Primitives. Following thorough restoration over a period of five years, his masterpiece ‘The Death of the Virgin Mary’ from ca. 1470, takes pride of place in this exhibition.
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