Since Middelheim 2012 and the construction of the Het Huis exhibition pavilion, the Braem Pavilion is used for its original function again, namely to exhibit fragile collection pieces. Sometimes this is organised in collaboration with a guest curator, who makes his own personal selection. At other times, the museum chooses to highlight certain special artworks.
For this collection presentation, the museum has chosen to exhibit “Groot Schaakspel” (1966-1967), a monumental chess set with 32 unique pieces by Vic Gentils (1919-1997, Belgium). This monumental work marks a turning point in Gentils’s body of work, because he approximates the boundary between the non-figurative and the figurative so closely. Soon after he would cross this boundary. The scenography will enhance the idea of a battle or the game of chess, but will also offer visitors the physical possibility to view this monumental installation from various perspectives, for a longer time and comfortably.
Together with this work, the museum is also displaying “Gespietst” by Reszö Berceller (1912-1992, Hungary). This lesser known artist, at least in Belgium, worked on the other side of Europe and is a contemporary of Gentils. His body of work, at first glance, is strikingly similar to that of the Belgian artist. However, the Hungarian’s work is influenced by the impact of World War II and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and is almost entirely dedicated to the demise of mankind.