Les Fleurs du Mal

16-19 May, 2024, for Ballroom Project 2024

At Borgerhub (former courthouse of Borgerhout), Turnhoutsebaan 92, Antwerp (BE)

Drawing inspiration from Charles Baudelaire’s renowned poetry collection, Les Fleurs du Mal brought together a select number of contemporary artworks. The book was considered an insult to public decency upon its release in 1857. The French Ministry of Justice banned the publication for its subversion of bourgeois norms and values by exploring themes of eroticism, sin, violence, decadence, death and decay.

Set in the grandeur of a former neoclassical courthouse, this exhibition sought to articulate a delicate balance between ethics and aesthetics from a distinctly artistic perspective. Against a backdrop of increasing polarity, adversity, and turmoil, viewers are prompted to reflect on the nature of evil, the notions of disavowal and dissociation, the power of ambiguity, and the enduring relevance of art and beauty. The exhibition was accompanied by a series of artist talks.

Participating artists: Angélique Aubrit & Ludovic Beillard (Wouters Gallery), Fia Cielen (DMW Gallery), Bert De Geyter (Settantotto), Dodi Espinosa (Galerie Fleur & Wouter), Yorgos Maraziotis (Base-Alpha Gallery), Joost Pauwaert (Barbé Gallery), Eliza Pepermans (Schönfeld Gallery), Ulrike Rehm (Go Mulan), Sam Samiee (No Man's Art Gallery), Luzia Simons (Galerie La Patinoire Royale Bach), Pascal Vilcollet (Ballroom Gallery), Colin Waeghe (Galerie Zwart Huis) and Harm Weistra & Eddi Bal (Gallery Joey Ramone).