New acquisitions
For several years the Museum of Ixelles has developed a dynamic acquisition policy that allows it to develop its permanent collection. This policy is based on two considerations : to purchase contemporary art and to search for any missing works from the panorama of Belgian art, which is the DNA of our institution. An acquisition committee, made of experts of the 19th and 20th century art history – be it photographs, paintings or posters – meets annually or biannually to propose and decide what goes into our collections. Significant purchases took place in 2013 : Allegory of Literary Genres from symbolist Constant Montald, under-represented in our collection, African Women by Floris Jespers (bas-relief in cement), Panamarenko’s Paradox and finally Condolence Visit by Alfred Stevens, a historic piece of 1857. Here are some new acquisitions.
Léa Belooussovitch, Serie Processions, Comitancillo, Guatemala, 15 march 2021, 2021
This work is part of a series of drawings entitled "Processions", which are inspired by scenes of funeral processions that are usually intimate and have become public as a result of the global health crisis (here in Guatemala). Léa Belooussovitch draws these processions with coloured pencils on an original support, felt: "Felt is particularly white and luminous, it is chosen as a support for its soft, enveloping and protective aspect, in order to give body and to "repair" the content, the suffering of the scenes treated. The blur comes The blur provides a distance, perhaps a necessary one, an ethical perspective, and leaves room for the duty to remember", says the artist.
Koen Van Den Broek, Isabella Wallker pass road, 2019
The starting point for Koen van den Broek's paintings are his photographs of urban architecture taken during his many travels: motorways, bridges, lampposts, buildings devoid of human presence are his favourite subjects. But his painting moves away from the mimetic representation of his photos. He enlarges certain details, distorts, places lines and patches of colour which at the same time suggest perspective but which also dissolve into abstract motifs. The painting is punctuated by straight and curved horizontal lines while a black line connects them. At first sight abstract, the title of the painting refers to a specific place: Isabella Walker Pass road is a mountain pass road in the Sierra Nevada in California.
Matthieu Ronsse, Exp. To the Monsanto (flat), 2018
An extravagant figure described as baroque or post-modern, Matthieu Ronsse challenges the customs of painting. He draws from the history of art and risks controlled telescoping. Old masters and contemporary references are constantly intertwined. "Expo. To the Monsanto (flat)" is a large oil on cardboard, whose prancing horse seems to have come straight out of the 17th century. The cardboard has been abused: visible folds, cuts. The frame on which it is glued is left visible. This supposed dilapidation contrasts with the great finesse the artist brings to the handling of numerous pigments, lacquers, ashes and gums... like a punk chemist.
Sophie Kuijken, E.K., 2015-2016
Sophie Kuijken's E.K. has both an attractive and disturbing power. The artist composes a human being by searching on internet for anonymous portraits which she fragments and recomposes to arrive at a probable individual. Subtracting the language of ancient painting, in a style that is nevertheless close to hyperrealism, the artist offers the eye hybrid and mysterious works. She uses both oil paint, a reference to ancient painters, and acrylics. A panel from a 15th century Flemish polyptych or an American painting from the 1960s: in this work, Eve seems to have become aware of her nudity.
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The works of the following artists have entered the municipal collection of the museum since 2019:
Sammy BALOJI, Léa BELOOUSSOVITCH, Sébastien BONIN, Stijn COLE, Anne DE GELAS, Charles DEGROUX, Peter DOWNSBROUGH, Lili DUJOURIE, Bernard GAUBE, Gauthier HUBERT, Gudny Rosa INGIMARSDOTTIR, Sophie KUIJKEN, Ariane LOZE, Leo MARFURT, Jacqueline MESMAEKER, Constant NORTIER, Matthieu RONSSE, Fabrice SAMYN, France VAN DE VIN, Koen VAN DEN BROEK, Maarten VANDEN EYNDE, Emmanuel VANDER AUWERA, Angel VERGARA, Didier VERMEIREN, Sophie WHETTNALL, Cindy WRIGHT.
