Quirky Art Update
A quick peek into what I’ve been up to & been saving in my folders
On May 1st, I turned 30. And I’m doing something I haven’t done… Ever!! For one month, I’m offering a 10% discount on annual subscriptions.
Dear loyal reader,
What’s coming up in the next few weeks? Well, for one, I’m really looking forward to Antwerp Art Weekend at the end of May (29 May – 1 June). A week packed with art events right here in my own city. Antwerp is always buzzing during Antwerp Art, and afterwards it’ll be the perfect moment to share my Antwerp Art City Guide with paying subscribers. So just a little longer until the next city update, but it’ll be fully refreshed with the latest art discoveries.
But before that, I’m off to Amsterdam Art Week next week! And all the lovely things I find there will, of course, be making their way into the Amsterdam Art City Guide, which paying readers will receive in June. Also looking forward to visiting Fenix, the new art museum in Rotterdam (The Netherlands) dedicated to migration. It is also housed in a spectacular, architecturally striking building. I’m very curious to discover it, the curatorial programme already looks hugely promising.
And this week? Well, scroll down for a peek into my ‘saved’ folder on Instagram. I’ve got dozens of folders where I stash all sorts of bits and pieces — one of the reasons I would genuinely struggle to cut Instagram out of my life completely. I love to give you a little glimpse into the things that have caught my eye these past few weeks. Things that I found curious, beautiful, or interesting! Perhaps they’ll spark something for you too.
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“War Paint – Women At War” is a powerful new documentary that highlights the trailblazing contributions of female artists in the world of war. One of the featured artists is Zhanna Kadyrova, who has unique perspectives on conflict and challenges traditional views. Zhanna Kadyrova, born in 1981 in Brovary, Ukraine, was a member of the Revolutionary Experimental Space (R.E.P.). R.E.P. was founded at the end of 2004 during the "Orange Revolution" in the Ukraine. Its work began with a series of actions and performances called “Interventions”, which were developed in reaction to the politicized public space of the 'post-orange' Ukraine.
Clara Spilliaert: “Listen Well invites us to look deeper under the skin until we reach the heart and blood vessels of the bodies that fell off from the medical standards for centuries. This work was created in collaboration with researchers from KU Leuven on access to medicines and healthcare. In the Great Beguinage of Leuven, you will find 4 large, publicly accessible water wells. 'Listen Well' uses them as a microscope to look at the 4 layers of the female breast area. Cardiovascular diseases are examples in which differences in symptoms between sexes lead to insufficient care for women.
Out of my interest in the local fauna and flora, I noticed a group of hawthorns trees on the edge of the Beguinage. The leaves and berries are used in folk medicine to regulate the heart rhythm.”
The Antwerp Six refers to a group of influential designers who graduated from Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts in the early 1980s and helped put Belgian fashion on the global map. The group with Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Bikkembergs, Dirk Van Saene, and Marina Yee became known for their avant-garde approach, blending unconventional tailoring with artistic experimentation. Their collective debut at London Fashion Week in 1986 marked a pivotal moment, reshaping the narrative around European fashion by challenging minimalism with bold textures, deconstruction, and cultural references. Despite taking individual paths, their legacy remains integral to contemporary design.
It is reported that a documentary movie on the Antwerp Six will be released in 2026. According to the sources the feature is in pre-production and intends to feature interviews with the six as well as other key contributors to the period in which they rose to success. It is not yet confirmed if the “plus” (Martin Margiela) will be involved, though there are already multiple documentaries on his work.
For the first time since 2021, Broken Circle/Spiral Hill (1971) in Emmen (The Netherlands) is accessible again. Starting from 19 April, a series of excursions to Robert Smithson’s iconic artwork will take place over the coming seasons. The work is located on private land and is normally not open to the public.
Dan Flavin’s unforgettable fluorescent light installation at the stunning Santa Maria Annunciata in Chiesa Rossa Church in Milan (Italy). Invited by Italian priest Giulio Greco, Dan created this masterpiece just days before his death in 1996. The church’s 1930s neo-Roman architecture still beams with soft blues, pinks, yellows, and more, casting an otherworldly glow.
