The third edition of the Triennial open-air exhibition in Kortrijk starts on Saturday. The 5km trail takes in 14 locations, featuring works by a host of international artists. With the theme, After Paradise, the curators want to send a message of hope.
The theme is a sequel to the previous edition, which centred on Paradise. It explores the period after paradise in which society faces problems such as resource shortages, social tension and a very polluted environment.
Despite the subject matter, the artists want to present a positive story. “You might as well say that because paradise was lost, we can now understand what questions and challenges really matter today,” the organisers say in a press release.
“We humans can’t make the world perfect, but we can work to make it better. We all need to consider what parts of our past we do or don’t want to take into the future. It is up to us to shape that future.”
We humans can’t make the world perfect, but we can work to make it better
Curators Patrick Ronse and Hilde Teerlinck invited 20 artists to place works at various locations in the city.
One of the artists featured is Nathan Coley from Scotland, who made a model of all 140 religious sites in Kortrijk, including churches, chapels, mosques and a Buddhist centre. His work, created with students and staff of Kortrijk’s art school, aims to offer an unusual perspective on the value of Flemish religious architectural heritage that is losing its original function.
The previous edition, in 2021, attracted about 250,000 visitors to Kortrijk. The 2024 edition runs from 29 June to 6 October