For the KMSKA, visual artist Hans Op de Beeck creates one large, experiential trail through a fictional, mysterious place. It is a kind of enigmatic, dark evocation of a deserted nocturnal park, in which all kinds of images of characters, still lifes, objects, animals, architectural constructions and natural elements merge into a peculiar world.

With the title, ‘Nocturnal Journey’, the artist wants to invite the visitor to take a journey through time and space, in body and mind, in an environment that carries the silence, the meditative but also the darkness and latent derailment of the night. He creates a journey along recognisable elements and emotions, but which can equally take us into the unknown and subconscious.

Life-size sculptures alternate with images reduced and enlarged in scale, as in a surreal dream in which things often appear intermingled in various proportions. The characters reflect different stages of life, emotions and our daily human rituals, while the animals, objects and architecture evoke environments with which the viewer can identify, and they thus also trigger very personal memories and affections.

Courtesy Galleria Continua, San Gimignano, Beijing, Les Moulins, Havana, Roma, São Paulo, Paris / Galerie Krinzinger, Vienna / Galerie Ron Mandos, Amsterdam / TEMPLON, Paris, Brussels, New York / Associazione Arte Continua APS

Rubens was a master at organising his large studio, where he executed complex works efficiently. His preparation was thorough, with many sketches and studies in oil paint. Exceptionally, many of these have been preserved for the Enthroned Madonna Adored by Saints. As part of Studio Rubens, the KMSKA is reuniting the preparatory work with the altarpiece for the first time. Four spectacular oil sketches and a later studio copy bear witness, during this exceptional focus exhibition, to a creative quest.

Moreover, the retouching phase starts in January. To this end, the Enthroned Madonna Adored by Saints will be uprighted. In summer 2025, the restoration will be completed. The restoration of The Adoration of the Magi will then immediately follow in the autumn.

Inside the KMSKA, you will find historical grandeur combined with a distinctive contemporary volume. They invite you on a journey through time. Stroll along seven centuries of art. From Flemish masters such as Van Eyck, Rubens and Magritte to world-class artists such as Fouquet, Titian, Alechinsky, Modigliani and Rodin. They are a home to revolutionary pioneers and modern iconoclasts like James Ensor. In the KMSKA, you will find the largest collection of Ensor's work in the world. The interaction of greenery and sculptures makes the garden a haven of peace in the neighbourhood and the first museum room.

We kindly remind you that a ticket is required to visit the exhibitions at KMSKA. Get your ticket here.