A new exhibition opens at the BRUSK arts centre in Bruges on Friday. ‘Hoogtij’ (Figuratively heyday, literally high tide) is an exhibition exploring the impact of the sea and water on people, fashion and art. On display are swimwear by leading designers including Dries Van Noten and fashion houses including Versace and Chanel, as well as sculptures, video art and installations addressing social issues such as climate change and migration.
The sea gives and takes. It is with this idea in mind that the new exhibition ‘Hoogtij’ at the BRUSK art centre aims to challenge visitors. “Bruges’ location on the North Sea has had a major impact on the city’s history. It enabled the city to flourish. Seas and oceans have also had a significant influence on artists and fashion designers, right up to the present day,” explains guest curator Karen Van Godtsenhoven.
The exhibition brings together the work of fashion designers such as Dries Van Noten and contemporary artists such as Rinus Van de Velde. And it does so across a wide range of art forms: from video to photography, sculpture and installations.
On swimsuits...
The exhibition is divided into various themes inspired by the tides of the sea. “The first section, ‘Low Tide’, represents the joy and fertile power of water as the source of human life,” explains Van Godtsenhoven. Swimsuits by designers including Versace, Chanel and Dries Van Noten, alongside Martin Parr’s beach photography, take centre stage here.
To barbed wire
In the final section of the exhibition, ‘High Tide’, current issues such as climate change and migration are addressed. According to Van Godtsenhoven, this section aims to encourage visitors to reflect on, for example, the dual role of the beach. “For some, it is a place of leisure; for others, a place of crossing, offering hope for a different and better life,” says Van Godtsenhoven.
The Palestinian artist Abdul Rahman Katanani, for example, created a wave out of barbed wire, symbolising how he experiences the sea as a life-threatening border.