Melancholia, an exhibition of the Boghossian Foundation at the Villa Empain

Belles Demeures 17 Apr 2018
Partager sur

The oh-so-Brussels Art Deco Villa Empain is in the spotlight hosting an exhibition called Melancholia, on the theme of nostalgia.

Image
Melancholia, une mise en scène de la Fondation Boghossian, à la Villa Empain
Restored in 2007, the Villa Empain was built in 1931 as the office of Baron Louis Empain. © DR
Sommaire

Classed as a historical monument by the Brussels-Capital Region, the Villa Empain is the seat of the Boghossian Foundation, a cultural association which organises concerts, conferences and exhibitions. The current exhibition, Melancholia, invites major artists to explore the feeling of melancholy and its universal representations. It runs until 19th June 2018.

Melancholy museography at the Villa Empain

The 70 installations create a dialogue between painters, architects, artists, sculptors and decorators, drawn from several generations, who share a common initial inspiration : the nostalgia of an « elsewhere » or a « before », imaginary tableaux of solitude and the destruction of past ages.

Melancholia exhibition sculpted busts Lying on the ground, this accumulation of plaster busts reminds us of the fragility of time. © Claudio Parmiggiani
Melancholia exhibition sculpted head Placed on a book with an alarm clock, this sculpted head is inscribed in time and space. © Claudio Parmiggiani

An « Inside Out » exhibition

The trajectory follows 6 themes, respectively entitled Paradise Lost, Melancholies, Ruins, Time Goes By, Solitude and Absence. On the grounds, seek out the library of crystallized books before contemplating Animitas, a flowerbed made up of 800 Japanese bells planted in the garden. A quick selfie and you’ll seal this escapade with a smile…

Expo Melancholia triptych In this triptych, the artist has idealised the cliffs of Bamyan, whose grottoes have housed several civilisations. © Lola Pertsowsky

Artistic reflections on joyous melancholy

Cet article vous a été utile ?

Pouvez-vous nous préciser pourquoi ? (facultatif)

Partager sur
Read more
Image
Ferrari F8 Spider, une sportive au caractère affirmé
Lifestyle
Once the lockdown has lifted, the Ferrari F8 Spider is ready to zoom down roads able to accommodate this no-holds-barred sports car, which can reach speeds of up to 340 km/h.