To mark the centenary of Guy Vandenbranden’s (1926–2014) birth, the KMSKA presents a special exhibition dedicated to one of Belgium’s leading representatives of constructivism. Discover how Vandenbranden became a pioneer of geometric abstraction and explore the career of a key figure in the post-war European avant-garde.
The exhibition traces Vandenbranden’s artistic development, from his early expressionist works to his clear, geometric compositions of colour and line. Inspired by artists such as Paul Klee, Piet Mondrian and Victor Vasarely, he developed a distinctive constructivist visual language in which form, colour and space are carefully balanced. His pursuit of precision also led him to experiment with industrial materials and fuelled his interest in modern architecture.
Through works by the artist himself, as well as by his Belgian and European contemporaries, the exhibition highlights the constant dialogue between his work and the international avant-garde. Surrounded by artists such as Jef Verheyen, Lucio Fontana, Piero Manzoni and François Morellet, Vandenbranden was active in groups such as Art Abstrait, Formes and the International Working Group for Constructivism. Although he was never officially part of the ZERO movement, his work is closely connected to the innovative ideas that shaped the European avant-garde in the 1950s and 1960s.
“I conceive a composite form and explore it in every possible way: black and white, colours, pastel. Until the series is exhausted. […] I believe that geometric art brings balance, harmony and beauty.”
The exhibition Guy Vandenbranden in the European Avant-Garde was organised in collaboration with the Guy Vandenbranden Estate / Callewaert Vanlangendonck Gallery.
For the focus presentation at KMSKA, Callewaert Vanlangendonck is publishing an extensive new survey of Guy Vandenbranden’s oeuvre. The publication explores his artistic development and his place within the European post-war avant-garde. Working from Brussels and Antwerp, Vandenbranden built a network of artists that extended to Amsterdam, Düsseldorf, Geneva and Milan. His contacts and artistic exchanges with figures including Lucio Fontana, Piero Manzoni and François Morellet demonstrate how closely his development was intertwined with the international movements of artistic innovation of his time.
The book draws on years of archival research. Correspondence, historical photographs and exhibition documents offer fresh insights into his oeuvre and the artists with whom he engaged in dialogue.
