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Rodin: Balzac, story of a masterpiece

12 October t/m 14 December 2008

The sculpture which Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) created of the author Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) is world-famous.

This long-term loan from the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp is the starting point of the permanent collection of the Middelheim Collection.

The sculpture, which was completed in 1897, received a very negative reception from French society, which considered it to be against everything that contemporary aesthetics represented. Today, this work is regarded as a key moment in modern sculpture and is praised for its power and technical skill.

The exhibition in the Braem Pavilion offers a unique insight into the work process of a prominent artist. His quest for the right form, the way in which he uses the matter, the balancing act between perfectionism and poetry. Moreover, the Middelheim Museum pays special attention to the monument in its final version.

The exhibition is organised in the framework of La Quinzaine Française, an initiative of the Consulate-General of France together with the Musée Rodin in Paris.

 

Examining the idea of the homage: Emilio Lopez-Menchero

In his artistic practice, Emilio Lopez-Menchero (b. 1960) examines the significance of the homage, of admiration. The artist does this quite literally, by altering his physical appearance to that of the person he admires. In the past year, he photographed himself as Pablo Picasso, Che Guevara, Rose Sélavy and Frida Kahlo. This time around, he transforms himself into Rodin’s Balzac.

 

Café littéraire: coffee with Balzac and Rodin

On the occasion of the exhibition, the museum organised three literary Sundays, dedicated to Rodin and Balzac, together with Antwerp Book Capital. The diverse programme included exciting panel discussions and lectures with music. The event started with a coffee tasting after which a contemporary sculptor guided visitors through the statue park.

  • Sunday 12 October: Writing or sculpting? Balzac and Rodin in conversation.
  • Sunday 9 November: Consumed by the fire of his lust. An impassioned discourse about Balzac by Bart Van Loo. With a bit of Brel as a digestive.
  • Sunday 7 December: Playstation Balzac. A discussion about the invention of the novel by Professor Franc Schuerewegen.

In collaboration with Antwerp Book Capital and Rombouts coffee.

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