Belgian Ambassador, Chris Hoornaert, was one of the first to visit the ‘Gekaderd’ exhibition at The Church of the Beguinage in Sint-Truiden - Limburg in April 2018. The exhibition ‘Gekaderd’ (meaning ‘Framed’ in English) showcased a themed selection of the province of Limburg’s vast art collection. The richness of the collection and its variety left a deep and lasting impression. Inspired by and ardent about these works of art, he worked with the two initial curators, Marc Milissen and Herman Maes, to select 46 of the collection’s pieces to be temporarily housed at his official residence in The Hague.
An international forum for artists
The selection includes art pieces by major Limburg artists; however, the works of international artists feature here as well. Pains will be taken to exhibit these 46 works with care and attention to detail in the ambassador’s residence located at the centre of The Hague. For several years now, the Belgian embassy has made it its tradition to give prominence to certain works of art during major international meetings taking place in the residence. This provides artists with the opportunity to sell their works, increase their notoriety, or advertise collections to a wider international audience. "That several artworks from the ‘Gekaderd’ exhibition have ended up at The Hague, is a testament to the uniqueness of the Province of Limburg’s collection, as well as to its international appeal.
In the spring of 2018, the ‘Gekaderd’ exhibition opened with 179 individual art pieces and a selection from the Province’s bequests, ranging from photography to graphic design pieces to paintings and sculptures. There was no doubt whatsoever in the minds of curators that this initial exhibition would be a perfect fit for the muralled walls and columns of The Church of the Beguinage in Sint-Truiden, a recognised UNESCO world heritage site.
Unique collection of over 2,000 decorative objects and works of art
The art collection in its entirety comprises in excess of 2,000 works of art and decorative objects: from religious-historical to contemporary visual art, from furniture, glass and textile art, to paintings, photography and graphic design pieces, and even including larger compositions, such as mixed media installations. A significant number of these works are displayed in the Province Hall and other institutions, while remaining works are stored securely in the province’s warehouse. The provincial collection policy was drafted mid-twentieth century.
Source: Limburg.be
