Curator
Willy Van den Bussche
From the museum website
The coast has always held a strong attraction for artists. Even if they were not based there, many avant-garde movements were inspired by the Flemish coast. This exhibition at the PMMK, the Museum of Modern Art in James Ensor’s home town of Ostend, is looking to emphasize that aspect.
The central figure in the exhibition is Ensor, who made an important contribution to the avant-garde on the Belgian coast and beyond. A fine selection of first-rate works by this unique artist is supplemented with works by artists who played a decisive role in the evolution of the history of art, from realism to surrealism through symbolism and expressionism. They include Spilliaert, Permeke, Delvaux, Magritte, Daumier, Munch, Van Gogh, De Chirico, Dali and Ernst.
On the fringes of this exhibition Tourism Ostend is organizing the second edition of the major gastronomic-culinary event entitled ‘Dining with Art’ (September 15th 2006 – March 25th 2007) in which culinary delicacies from twelve of Ostend’s best restaurants go hand in hand with exclusive art. For more information on “Dining with Art” and visits to Ostend check out the website of the Ostend Tourist Office.