Details of the new edition of the Ostend arts festival ‘The Crystal Ship’ have just been released. This year the popular festival will operate under the slogan ‘Change is for Everybody’. 10 new artworks or large murals will be created during the festival. The art will be selected by an advisory board and not by a curator as in the past.
The arts festival is celebrating its 9th edition this year. Artists from home and abroad will create art installations and murals in our premier seaside resort from 31 March to 12 April. This year, art projects will be selected in a different way. Now an advisory board and not a curator will make the selection. Curator Björn Van Poucke was sacked in September 2024 after complaints about inappropriate behaviour.
Change as the common thread
‘We are looking at the festival with fresh eyes and are looking at innovation,’ explains Peter Craeymeersch, director of the Ostend Tourism Board. ‘The switch from 1 curator to an advisory board allows us to make a number of changes. We are looking for artists who can bring powerful stories about change, growth and hope.’
The advisory board will choose 6 works, but artists can themselves also apply to participate.
To reinforce the festival's theme, the first work ever created during the festival received special attention. The iconic slogan ‘Art is for Everybody’ on a facade along the A10 motorway was given a makeover in collaboration with artist Mister Fiksit. The slogan now reads ‘Change is for Everybody’.