Since 2019, I have been artistic director of KRIEG?, a university gallery founded in 2016, affiliated to PXL-MAD School of Arts (Hasselt, BE) and offering a public-oriented and autonomous artistic program. KRIEG? places artists at the center, and seeks to foster experimental connections between presentation, education and research. Recent solo projects include Julien Meert, Pilvi Takala, Wesley Meuris, Ryan Gander, Grace Ndiritu, Assaf Gruber and The Book Lovers.

The added question mark echoes a series of letters between Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud written in 1932 and published one year later under the title Warum Krieg? (Why War?) Both authors were trying to come to terms with the nature of war and violence as pervasive forces in the history of mankind, and the limited capacity of intellectual and spiritual leaders to directly influence the course of political events leading up to it. In turning to the founding father of psychoanalysis, Einstein was seeking explanations for the collective “psychosis of hate and destructiveness” that he saw reflected in the atrocities of war. KRIEG? is not meant as a political statement, but as an act of self-reflection on its nominal identity and an open invitation to further debate.

For an overview of all past, current and future projects, please consult the website https://krieggallery.art/