It could be a terrace in the south of France. The courtyard of the Regional and Weaving Museum in Weert (Bornem) is pleasantly busy and the sun is shining. People have a drink, chat, and wait anxiously for one special guest to arrive. Just after three, Prince Laurent crosses the gathered crowd without an entourage and takes a seat next to Mayor of Bornem Greet De Bruyn (CD&V).
“Braided Animals is a collection of weaving works of art depicting animals from all corners of the continent. Apart from their beauty, they fit perfectly in our museum and represent our region through the different materials used.”
Luc De Wachter
Chair
“We are celebrating a festive year. The De Zilverreiger Regional and Weaving Museum is blowing out 55 candles,” chairman Luc De Wachter addresses the audience. “We wanted to honor that with this beautiful vernissage. It’s called Braided Animals, a collection of weaving works of art depicting animals from all corners of the continent. Apart from their beauty, they fit perfectly in our museum and represent our region through the different materials used.”
Thirteen works from eight different countries will be exhibited at the vernissage: Belgium, the Netherlands, Northern Ireland, England, Spain and France. Some pieces are also for sale.
The chairman provides a bit of history. “The local brewery Van Steenberge, known for the Bornemse Tripel, has launched a beer especially for our birthday,” he says, as some bottles find their way to the podium. “There is a nice link between De Zilverreiger and the Van Steenberge brewery. The brewery also turned 55 years old. It was founded in 1969 on the current playground of the primary school in Weert.”
Brexit
Curator Anne Van Goethem briefly explains the exhibited artists before the vernissage opens. “Some works were difficult to bring here due to Brexit or practical difficulties. But we succeeded, and it is certainly worth it,” says Van Goethem. “One of the stars in the room is Bobbie Johnston from Bangor in Northern Ireland, who uses the latest technologies to take the ancient technique of weaving to a higher level.”
“One of the stars in the room is Bobbie Johnston from Bangor in Northern Ireland, who uses the latest technologies to take the ancient technique of weaving to a higher level”
Anne Van Goethem
Curator
Van Goethem then invites everyone to discover the Braided Animals. Of course, Prince Laurent is the first to explore. “I didn’t expect him to come by when I submitted a request to the Court. But one day I received a beautiful letter with a royal seal stating that Prince Laurent was interested in our vernissage. I shared the good news with the chairman as quickly as possible, of course.”
No one should be left hungry during the vernissage. A team of thirteen hobby chefs will serve ten snacks to the art lovers present. And the sun continues to shine wonderfully for once.
Chairman of the regional museum Luc De Wachter and Bornem mayor Greet De bruyn (CD&V) during a tour of the vernissage with the prince. — © Sarah Van den Elsken
2024-04-13 16:20:00
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