On Sunday, May 29, Sophie passed away in an intimate circle from an illness she had lived with for years and which struck mercilessly in recent weeks. Bozar loses in her an experienced leader and inspiring colleague. Until the end, she continued to work for our institution. We will remember Sophie as a refined personality who stood in life with passion and much humor. She drew strength from beauty and art and radiated that with a smile to those around her.
Sophie dedicated herself heart and soul to our arts institution for 20 years, first as exhibitions coordinator, from 2011 as head of the exhibitions department and in recent months as director general. From the beginning, Sophie sought cross-connections between classical art and contemporary art, but also between the visual arts and other disciplines. As exhibitions director, she pursued a three-track policy featuring major classical art, leading figures of modern art after the two world wars and contemporary artists from home and abroad. Sophie also breathed new life into the tradition of the 'Antichambres': recent works by artists in a strong spatial constellation. The successful exhibitions around Michaël Borremans, Keith Haring and David Hockney are in large part her achievement. She alternated major names with less obvious artists such as Jacqueline Mesmaeker and found equal attention for female artists self-evident.
Her mandate as director general, Sophie expressly viewed as teamwork, an expedition between what we already know and what we still need to discover. Connection, generosity and the imagination of artists were at the forefront of her vision. In her application letter she wrote, among other things: 'The Palace of Fine Arts in Brussels is the institution that has reshaped me. I learned there how to deal with complexity, how to anchor convictions in a world that is continuously moving, and to remain efficient under changing circumstances by increasing my adaptability. I continued to grow and learn there by taking risks and making proposals. I also learned there to move forward collectively and to see the importance of nuance, in a world where consensus is not self-evident and where diversity is a strength, despite all the friction it can sometimes cause.'
The Palace of Fine Arts will open a public condolence book from June 10 to 28, created by Valérie Mannaerts. Everyone is welcome daily between 10 and 6 pm to write a farewell message. Anyone wishing to send a personal message to the family can send it to the condolence address: Bozar/Sophie Lauwers – Ravensteinstraat 23 – 1000 Brussels.
The continuity of Bozar's daily operations is assured. Daily management will continue under the leadership of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors, the Executive Committee and all staff of Bozar are deeply affected by this loss. Our thoughts go out to her husband, children, family and friends.