07.03 - 31.05.2026

The exhibition in MSK showcases the work of forgotten female artists from the Golden Age, challenging the notion of a linear and predictable art history. Taking the neoclassical architecture of Charles Van Rysselberghe as a starting point, the design subtly disrupts the symmetry and sequence of the eight enfilade galleries by incorporating lightweight, freestanding structures made from reusable wooden beams.

The galleries are redefined by shiny golden curtains and stretched fabrics cover these structures and follow curvy lines, which alter how movement and perception are experienced. Pleated curtains indicate a new route, while they are deliberately disrupted with taut canvases, which serve as display surfaces for artworks. The contrast between flowing textiles and stretched surfaces reflects both the presumed softness and the underestimated discipline of the featured artists, offering a more layered and fluid reading of art history. Each gallery is painted in a different colour to create contrasts that enhance the golden sheen of the fabrics and strengthen the spatial atmosphere.

To ensure continuity with MSK’s existing exhibition infrastructure, new plinths are finished in the same veneer as some of the museum’s current display inventory, while other existing displays are clad with veneer panels in the same finish. This creates a unified appearance across the exhibition, allowing all elements to be reused in future exhibitions.

Client: MSK (Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent)
Location: Fernand Scribedreef 1, 9000 Gent/ BE
Curator: Frederica Van Dam
Project direction: Jet Peeters, Inez De Prekel
Execution: Chloroform
Lighting & art handling: MSK
Soclage: Etoile Mecanique
Graphic design: Ruud Ruttens
Execution of graphic design: Bulle color sprl
Project lead: Olivia De Bree
Photography: Robbrecht Desmet

In response to the exhibition, Brussels based artists Christiane Blattmann, Manon de Boer, Melissa Gordon, Aglaia Konrad, Valérie Mannaerts, Hana Miletić, Annaïk Lou Pitteloud, Heidi Voet, and Asia Zielińska have created the collective work X as an intervention for the museum’s forum room.