02-10-2020 > 01-08-2021
Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
Bill Viola is a pioneer in video art.
he revolutionized the genre by quite early exploring the possibilities offered by digital technology, and developed a typical style characterised by his admiration for the great masters of ancient painting. 

Purification, a double projection created for Peter Sellars' staging of Wagner's opera Tristan and Isolde in 2005, offers a perfect synthesis of all these elements. with extreme slowed-down movements, a couple performs a purification ritual, which evokes a rebirth.

arty-farty.fun's opinion: set up as a temple for reflection
in these weird akward times, Bill Viola's work guides you to a serene moment of contemplation 

brings together a group of Belgian artists, at the initiative of Sandrine Morgante and the independent curator Maëlle Delaplanche. all artworks are sold online, with funds going to the artists and the non-profit organisation À Travers les Arts! which organises cultural projects for senior citizens.arty-farty.fun's opinion: **
to be regarded as an interlude, an exercise for young curators. would fit better in an art gallery than in a museum

the corona crisis has had an unprecedented impact on the cultural world. Artists as well as art institutions are facing great uncertainty as to their future. within this context the Royal Museums of Fine Arts invite you to rediscover the rich heritage of their own collections. The exhibition BeModern brings the Museums own collection of modern and contemporary art, both Belgian and foreign, back into the spotlight for the first time in many years. On level -3, the focus is on recent acquisitions, most of which are being exhibited publicly for the first time. You will find an extensive selection from the collection on level -4. The Minimalism section is located in the Patio, +2, next to some compositions of Frank Stella.

arty-farty.fun's opinion on the Royal Museums of Fine Art in Brussels: is a monument, a must for cultural addicts. we were touched by the message of the director. "help us! we have to finance the purchase of new artworks with the mere income from the sale of entrance tickets and our art shop" :-( 

arty-farty.fun's opinion on the BE MODERN retrospective
we are neither a fan of Luc Tuymans or Paul Klee. still, it's worth rediscovering the museum's permanent contemporary collection. a good marketing approach to attract visitors / press with "big"  names when one does not have the necessary financial means to create new stuff