Biennial of Contemporary Art

Every two years, the Biennale of Contemporary Art offers a group of young artists the opportunity not only to show their work in confrontation with that of established artists, but also to offer it for sale in a shared atmosphere of generous solidarity. That special mood makes a big difference with the approach to galleries, art fairs and markets that all link making profits to the curious, ambiguous idea of ??investing in art. The initiator of the Biennale van Poeke has no fundamentally different goal than the optimization of her social patronage. In no way does she use visual artworks as a commercial elite product that should yield a quick profit. With their temporary group exhibition, the Rotarians meet the desire of many to have visible beauty at an affordable price. At the same time, they offer Flemish artists, who rarely commit themselves to galleries, the opportunity to show their work to a broadly oriented audience that usually does not come into contact with art on a daily basis. And everything happens in a spirit of cooperation on important social projects. Perhaps out of respect for this dual social function, the selection committee makes every effort to bring together artistic names, irrespective of any consumerist intent, that the public rarely sees together in one place. In the course of its existence, the Biennale van Poeke has rightly acquired a unique place in the world of Flemish visual art.

Frans Boenders