Studio 100 has multiple arrows in its quiver. The stakeholders: Gert Verhulst and Hans Bourlon could not be more different, and yet they keep each other in balance: yin & yang. They are complementary and keep expanding their empire with ever new facets. Gert leans toward pure entertainment. Hans Bourlon prefers the calm away from the noise of the public arena and seeks depth instead. 'Het Kunstuur' (The Art Hour) is exemplary of this. Since the initiative was rolled out a few years ago together with his brother Joost, who inherited his love of art from their grandfather, painter Jozef De Bie, the unique experience of Het Kunstuur has grown into a successful formula. In the large museums, people often get lost or feel a threshold fear and think: this is for a privileged audience.
Anniversary edition
Het Kunstuur is art experience in a nutshell, supplemented with solid guidance, a new insight or a broader perspective.
In 2019, Hans Bourlon, together with director Frank Van Laecke and composer Dirk Brossé, sought a total experience with an added surplus. Our body is anatomically made up of vibrations. The colours of a painting vibrate. Music is a vibration. That is truly a displacement in the air of feeling over time. On top of that, there are stories told by (lesser-)known Flemings who have a special connection to one of the artworks. Sometimes difficult-to-read paintings become, so to speak, an open book when someone reveals their points of contact with them. They tell of their link with the painting or the artist. Each time, captivating and authentic stories. All these components together make it a unique, intimate experience. Het Kunstuur focuses on artists from our own country from the period 1850–1950, with quite a few heavyweights of international renown. It is also a period rich in diverse artistic movements. Together with about ten people, you view the paintings one by one at a leisurely pace.
The subjects of the paintings are very diverse: admiration for nature, the female body, scenes from everyday life: labour or sport, often also an ode to the imagination, or a sharp-observed protest against injustice. Art as an act of resistance. An impressive whole: great themes alongside small life stories of happiness and also sorrow.
Where museums and private owners were initially somewhat reluctant to lend works, given the success and the care and responsibility borne for the exhibited works, there is now a great willingness to lend. This time with 21 lenders, a record.
In this anniversary edition, work by 22 artists is shown, with 32 top works. Important names: James Ensor, Rik Wouters, Eugeen Van Mieghem, Théo van Rysselberghe, Frits Van den Berghe, Emile Claus, Valerius De Saedeleer, Edgar Tytgat, etc. There is also one foreign artist: Jules Bastien-Lepage, born within a stone's throw of the Belgian border.
Among the storytellers are well-known names such as Bart De Wever, Jean-Marie Pfaff, Marc Van Ranst, Alex Callier, William Boeva, Maaike Cafmeyer, and also the 96-year-old artist Inès van den Kieboom, with as eye-catcher 12 of her works in the exit area.
The combination of the adapted, atmospheric music, the vibrant colours of the artworks, and the intense stories bring understanding, comfort and connection in an intimate experience of one hour…
A beautiful exhibition that brings fresh air. Highly recommended. Enchanting art, seen in a historic location, the Heilige Geestkapel in the shadow of the Sint-Romboutstoren.
A new Het Kunstuur exhibition has also opened in Roeselare.