We Love Brussels
  • Urban Life
    • Urban Jungle
    • Photo Stories
    • But Why?
    • Smart City
    • City Branding
    • Seniors
    • Real Estate
  • Culture & Creativity
    • New Economy
    • Local Makers & Shakers
    • Illustrations
    • Fashion City
  • Discover & Meet
    • Travel & Tourism news
    • Foodie guide
  • Event Diary
  • Europolitan Trends
Brussels Inspiration Bureau
Social Links
Instagram 69K Followers
Facebook 70K Followers
X / Twitter 10K Followers
  • Our Story
  • Partnerships & Collaborations
  • Contact
69K
70K
10K
We Love Brussels
We Love Brussels
  • Urban Life
    • Urban Jungle
    • Photo Stories
    • But Why?
    • Smart City
    • City Branding
    • Seniors
    • Real Estate
  • Culture & Creativity
    • New Economy
    • Local Makers & Shakers
    • Illustrations
    • Fashion City
  • Discover & Meet
    • Travel & Tourism news
    • Foodie guide
  • Event Diary
  • Europolitan Trends
  • Community news
  • Building the platform
  • Community of city admirers
  • Partnerships & Collaborations
  • Get in Touch
Become our contributor. Join the team!

Sign up for our newsletter

Get our periodical updates. Zero spam.

Peter Downsbrough, AND AS HERE, 2019 © Thibault De Schepper
  • Events diary

Ekphrasis, Writing in art, new expo at the Boghossian Foundation

  • Editorial Team
  • October 25, 2019
  • 2 minute read

The Boghossian Foundation presents the exhibition Ekphrasis, curated by Bruno Corà, director of the Burri Foundation in Italy. It brings together pieces from more than forty artists from around the world, whose languages are as varied as the media they use, but in whose works the use of words plays a key role.

  • Jaume Plensa, Nuage XIV, 2016 © Thibault De Scheppe
    Jaume Plensa, Nuage XIV, 2016 © Thibault De Scheppe

The definition of the Greek word ekphrasis is a constructed description of a work of art, real or imaginary, often designed on a model so as to achieve great evocative force. The first famous ekphrasis goes back to Greek Antiquity: this is the description Homer gives of Achilles’ shield in the Iliad. The weapon was forged by Hephaestus so that “everyone should be amazed”.

If the neo-rhetorical exercise of ekphrasis presents itself as an ancient practice, the genre has been used throughout the ages with remarkable continuity, with many famous writers exploring it. Conversely, many artists have also been inspired by reading ekphrasis, like Botticelli, who produced a canvas based on a description from Antiquity.

In fact, there is a great tradition of artists who have concerned themselves with both the visual arts and literature, poetry or politics, and for whom text is a constituent element of their work.

The exhibition explores through the contemporary artists gathered here the issues raised and various preferred modes of the use of writing in visual art.

  • Lawrence Weiner, Anything added to something, 2009 © Thibault De Schepper
    Lawrence Weiner, Anything added to something, 2009 © Thibault De Schepper
  • Vincenzo Agnetti, Libro quasi dimenticato a memoria, 1970 © Thibault De Schepper
    Vincenzo Agnetti, Libro quasi dimenticato a memoria, 1970 © Thibault De Schepper

Some of the artists featured in the exhibition use language as “charged” writing, where the meaning lies in the format, like Shirin Neshat, Barbara Kruger or Jenny Holzer. Others, like Art & Language, Tracey Emin or Alighiero Boetti, address personal messages to the viewer. Finally, the question of legible and illegible is evoked in particular in the works of Marcel Broodthaers and Fred Eerdekens, in whose works the use of words also has a decisive place.

Three pieces presented in Ekphrasis have been designed specifically for the exhibition: the sculpture hanging in the Grand Hall by Nasser Al Salem, the work by Lawrence Weiner in the staircase, and the works by Peter Downsbrough in the Salon, on the windows of the facade and in the swimming pool. The many proposals of all the artists illustrate in an exemplary way the concept of the ekphrasis.

Peter Downsbrough, AND AS HERE, 2019 © Thibault De Schepper
Peter Downsbrough, AND AS HERE, 2019 © Thibault De Schepper

Artists
Artists: Vincenzo Agnetti, Nasser Al Salem, Art&Language, Richard Baquié, Robert Barry, Taysir Batniji, Ben, Alighiero Boetti, Jean Boghossian, Marcel Broodthaers, James Lee Byars, Pier Paolo Calzolari, Lieven De Boeck, Thierry De Cordier, Christian Dotremont, Peter Downsbrough, Arpaïs Du Bois, Fred Eerdekens, Tracey Emin, Lalla Essaydi, Mounir Fatmi, Tom Fowler, Mekhitar Garabedian, Jef Geys, Jenny Holzer, Emilio Isgrò, Joseph Kosuth, Jannis Kounellis, Barbara Kruger, Ketty La Rocca, Mario Merz, Annette Messager, Shirin Neshat, Melik Ohanian, Giulio Paolini, Jaume Plensa, Renato Ranaldi, Pedro Reyes, Giovanni Rizzoli, Cy Twombly, Jan Vercruysse, Lawrence Weiner.

More info about the expo.

Total
0
Shares
Like 0
Tweet 0
Share 0
Share 0
Like 0
Share 0
Editorial Team

WeLoveBrussels is a digital platform focusing on the city life, culture, creativity, events, amazing places, lifestyle, urban development trends and simple beauty around us.

You May Also Like
View Post
  • culture & creativity
  • Events diary

There is a new art fair in town: The Rooms

  • Editorial Team
  • May 12, 2025
View Post
  • culture & creativity
  • Events diary

ceramic brussels launches a new event: Manifest Paris

  • Editorial Team
  • May 7, 2025
View Post
  • Events diary

Celebrate Europe Day at the European Parliament

  • Editorial Team
  • May 3, 2025
Brussels Inspiration Bureau

Exploring the best of Brussels since 2014. Get our free monthly newsletter!

Discover more!
Our columnists & bloggers:
Aleksandra Rowicka
Addicted to cultural life of Brussels, fashion photography and dark…
Aris Setya
Indonesian living in Brussels. Passionate about photography. Love…
Boro Milovic
Boro is the founder and editor-in-chief of WeLoveBrussels. His interests…
Dorka Demeter
Dorka is a Hungarian expat living in Brussels for 10 years. Admirer of…
Karolina
Karolina is a blogger sharing stories on European cities, local…
Laurence-Anne Doetsch
Brussels-born and bred, a few years living in Toronto only convinced her…
Meredith @ellesbxl
Meredith Geldof is a Flemish girl who moved to Brussels and enjoys…
Priyanka Roy Banerjee
Blogger, writer and editor at Writersmelon. Blogs: One and a Half…
Salvatore Costantino
Salvatore is an archeologist who has crossed over into contemporary…
Tireless_Traveler
Nath is born and raised in Brussels but with a serious case of…
Incentives & events in Brussels:
Incentives & events in Brussels:
Download our free guide!

Views & opinions expressed across this website are solely that of the authors and contributors themselves and may not reflect the position of WeLoveBrussels. The editorial or publisher of WeLoveBrussels cannot be held responsible for expressed opinions or unintended errors and oversights if any.

Get our periodical updates. Zero spam.

Instagram 69K Followers
Facebook 70K Followers
X / Twitter 10K Followers
WeLoveBrussels
  • Our story & more
  • Get in Touch
  • Privacy Policy
  • Legal notice
Brussels Inspiration Bureau. Your guide to city life, culture, business, travel, Brussels events agenda & cultural diplomacy.

Input your search keywords and press Enter.