Garden as refuge and battleground
The central theme of ‘garden’ – a symbol of nurturing, creation and resistance – links Rebel Garden’s three venues: the Groeningemuseum, the Gruuthusemuseum and the St John’s Hospital Museum. Gardens are local barometers for the state of the planet: they are an idyllic part of life but, at the same time, a place of resistance where the consequences of ecological change are becoming increasingly visible. An ideal starting point to test our complex relationship with nature.
Historic and contemporary art
Rebel Garden tackles urgent topical themes such as the effects of global warming, the sixth mass extinction and climate activism, people’s symbiosis with nature and the relationship between the artist and the garden. These themes are also reflected in the extensive public programme that accompanies the exhibition. A selection of artworks from Bruges’ own collection introduces the topics and creates a dialogue with an array of contemporary artworks and creations.
The museum will be showing works from its collection by Roger Raveel, Emile Claus and Otobong Nkanga, amongst others. These are supplemented by over fifty works by contemporary artists such as Guillaume Bijl, Christine Ödlund, Giuseppe Penone, Rose Wylie and Per Kristian Nygård, whose garden sculpture for Rebel Garden is one of the eye-catchers on Gruuthuseplein.
Rebel museum garden
The Groeningemuseum’s courtyard will be transformed into a rebellious guerrilla garden, where thought will also be given to the various functions of the future BRUSK garden, which will be created right next door within a few years. An edible garden, a forest for foraging, a green meeting place for Bruges residents and other visitors...
A co-creation experiment in collaboration with Howest’s Applied Architecture students and coached by eco-entrepreneur Louis De Jaeger. It can be visited throughout Rebel Garden.
