Exhibitions

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Water, water, every where,
Nor any drop to drink.
(Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Marriner, 1798)

The exhibition Water, Water Everywhere brings together the works of five photographers who made a strong impression at the most recent edition of Paris Photo, the pinnacle of contemporary photography. Water is not only the main component of our human bodies, but it is also one of the greatest concerns in the current climate crisis.

Anne Kuhn (F) immerses her models in an enchanting golden water stream, Julia Fullerton-Batten (UK) evokes historical scenes in and along the water, from the Chinampas in Mexico to the Thames in London, Harry Fayt (B) has his pin-ups perform pirouettes in his underwater ballets. In Frédéric Fontenoy’s (F) work, bodily fluids and bathroom water take center stage in darkroom scenes. Finally, the historical and mythological characters of Bart Ramakers (B) stroll along the surf of the Ostend North Sea in their search for deeper meaning.

With this exhibition, a collaboration with Galerie Baudoin Lebon in Paris, Galerie P+ opens its doors at Kursaal-Oosthelling 8, less than 50 meters from its sister gallery, Galerie P.

In the near future

The exhibition Menuets croisés promises to be an enchanting exchange between the universes of Mireille Robbe and Dany Tulkens. Both artists bravely and fearlessly explore their own mental worlds, always in search of new forms of expression. Robbe draws inspiration from her passion for nature and alchemy, while Tulkens conjures with anatomy. Their creations are each intricate masterpieces that astonish, provoke reflection, and invite rediscovery.

This exhibition opens on Saturday, March 15, on the occasion of the Night of Museums and Galleries. On that day, the gallery will be open until 10 PM. Welcome!

Here’s where to find more information about Dany Tulkens and Mireille Robbe.

Dive into a fascinating journey of discovery through the multifaceted world of women, as seen through the eyes of 20 highly diverse artists, from the demonic femme fatale of Félicien Rops to the contemporary Mary Magdalene of Abigail Tulis. This exhibition invites you to reflect on the role of women in art history: from muse to creator, from object to subject. How has society’s gaze – and, by extension, that of artists – shaped the representation of women throughout the centuries? And how do contemporary artists break these patterns to create new narratives and perspectives?

All About Eve challenges you to look beyond the surface and embrace the complexity, strength, and beauty of women in all their facets. It is a celebration of transformation, identity, and the evolving role of women in art and society. An exhibition not to be missed, from March 22 to April 21, 2025, at Galerie P+, Kursaal-Oosthelling 8 in Ostend. The vernissage will take place on Saturday, March 22 at 3 PM in the presence of the artists. You are warmly welcome.

This exhibition is realized in collaboration with arteVentuno archives.

Underwater photographer Harry Fayt has been a welcome guest at Galerie P for years. Currently, his work is part of the exhibition Water, Water Everywhere at Galerie P+. Starting March 28, you can admire his exhibition Once Upon a Time at De Oude Post in Middelkerke.

Existing landscapes are transformed into suggestive images by adding serenity, turbulence, and mysticism. Human disturbances present in the scenes are erased. In this way, new landscapes emerge, prompting the question: “Is this the future or the past?”

When viewing many photographic works, the observer’s intuition is often bypassed. This is not the case with the work of Karel Mus. His landscapes are abstractions of reality, and this gives them the space to dream. Life is full of abstractions, and the way we understand them is through intuition.

The landscapes of Karel Mus are an unconditional conversation from the heart, free of rules, obligations, and limitations. The vistas are like a blank canvas, open to the projection of ideas, thoughts, and impressions in a dialogue with an illusory theme that can last forever.

The exhibition Tactile Tranquillity – Screaming Silence by Karel Mus will open during the sixth gallery weekend of Oostende.art on May 1, 2025, at 5 PM.

Under the title Another Reality / Un’altra realtà Galerie P. presents at the Phair Torino three masters of staged photography: Julia Fullerton-Batten (UK), Frédéric Fontenoy (France) and Bart Ramakers (Belgium).
In an age where the line between the real and the imagined blurs, Another Reality invites us to embark on a visual journey that questions the very essence of our perceptions. This project serves as an exploration of the myriad layers that compose our understanding of existence.

Looking Back at 2024

The Verdegem exhibition “La vérité en peinture” marked our first InfluENSORed exhibition as part of the Ensor Year, a project that spanned all Oostende.art galleries. The Verdegem exhibition served as a counterpart to Bart Verschaffel’s Rose Rose Rose à mes Yeux exhibition at MuZEE. It was an instant success: alongside our loyal clients, a whole crowd of Verdegem enthusiasts found their way to our gallery. Eminent professors and curators were full of praise, press articles brought in even more visitors, and it turned out to be a dream collaboration.

Next, Clément Jacques-Vossen took over our gallery with “Het geheim van de eenhoorn” (The Secret of the Unicorn). This was also a celebration: we attended the theater performance by Dries Vanhegen and Serge Feys with our valued clients, the giant Clem le Fou was baptized by James Ensor on the beach and paraded through the city accompanied by the Melody Makers drum corps—a highlight in Ostend. This first solo exhibition by the young Brussels-based artist was a bullseye. Flemish Minister-President Jan Jambon visited the exhibition, we published two booklets by Hans Theys on Clément’s work, we traveled with him and his giant to Venice for an art event at the Belgian Pavilion, and we organized an off-site exhibition at Zavel in Brussels featuring his work. Clément was also present at the 9th Biennale of Painting at MUDEL and in the Emile Claus exhibition there. This year, the collaboration will intensify further with a residency in Ostend, culminating in a duo show in June with Carolein Smit, a renowned ceramicist.

Given our focus on photography, it was only logical that in the subsequent exhibition “Ensorcelored”, we brought photographers into dialogue with themes from Ensor’s work. Alongside icons like Robert Mapplethorpe, Lucien Clergue, Marcel Mariën, and Joel Peter Witkin, we provided a platform for contemporary photographers such as Anne Kuhn, Alizee Bauer, Karel Mus, Frédéric Fontenoy, Harry Fayt, Henriëtte Van Gasteren, and Bart Ramakers (notably with the Ensor fresco “Les Secrets du Hareng Saur”, created for the Ensor walk Elle Adore le Noir). Dominique Gondry gave a highly appreciated spicy lecture on the lesser-known erotic aspects of James Ensor in this context.

Then it was Joke Raes’ turn, who held her first solo exhibition “Wanderwaves” in our gallery, a counterpart to her exhibition in the Japanese Garden. Her delicate porcelain masks, detailed organic watercolors, pen drawings, and other poetic artworks captivated many enthusiasts. Benedict Vandaele introduced her exhibition while Benjamin Glorieux provided musical improvisations on the cello, and at the finissage, we immersed ourselves in the wonderful world of sake. No wonder we are continuing the collaboration in 2025 with a duo show featuring Joke and her husband Thibo Moreels in May.

During the summer holidays, under the title “The Garden of Love”, we gave 45 artists from our stable a platform to explore their connection with Ensor. The list of artists is too long to mention here, but it must be said that this chambre de curiosités with old faithfuls and new friends created artistic fireworks.

Meanwhile, another old faithful, Tom Herck, made a splash at the Venice Biennale with his “Fisherman”. In September, he presented the final InfluENSORed exhibition at Galerie P, which was met with great acclaim, partly thanks to his enthusiastic lectures. The crowning achievement came when it was announced that “Fisherman” had been acquired by the Province of West Flanders and would be installed at the provincial domain Spiere-Helkijn as part of an art trail.

We are particularly proud of our participation in Paris Photo, the highly exclusive European summit of photography at the Grand Palais in Paris, where, together with Baudoin Lebon, we showcased works by Julia Fullerton-Batten, Harry Fayt, Frédéric Fontenoy, Karel Mus, Bart Ramakers, Joel Peter Witkin, Lisette Model, and Andreas Gursky. Our presentation of “Het Zevende Zegel” (The Seventh Seal) was highlighted by the prestigious l’Oeil de la Photo as one of the best entries.

Finally, we ended 2024 with a premiere: the very first exhibition of artworks made entirely from recycled glass by “The Green Soda Movement”, an international collective of artists led by Frederik Rombach, reflecting on our consumer behavior and its impact on the planet.

Out of the same concern for the planet, Swiss artist Pascal Berthoud is now presenting his exhibition “Frequency of Light”. In two weeks, a sister gallery of Galerie P, Galerie P+, will open its doors at Oosthelling 8 with the exhibition “Water Water Everywhere”. This marks the beginning of what promises to be an even more enchanting year on Oosthelling in Ostend—a welcome respite for those seeking solace in art amidst the chaotic state of current affairs. In the pipeline are a solo exhibition by Frank JMA Castelyns, a duo show by Mireille Robbe and Dany Tulkens, the duo show by Joke Raes and Thibo Moreels, and a new edition of the International Photo Festival Ostend. Beyond our walls, we are preparing for participation in the photo fair The Phair in Turin (May 2025) and Pan Amsterdam (November).

In short: after a breathtaking 2024, we are shifting into an even higher gear in 2025!

Past

Galerie P is proud and honored to present, together with Galerie Baudoin Lebon at Paris Photo in the Grand Palais from November 7-10, the following artists: Joel Peter Witkin, Julia Fullerton, Lisette Model, Frédéric Fontenoy, Bart Ramakers, Harry Fayt, Karel Mus, and many others.

Pascal Berthoud, Joel Person, Petra Paesmans, Erik Simons, Luc Mabille, Mireille Robbe, Karel Mus, Tom Herck, Carmen Pareras, Bart Ramakers, Chris Vanderschaeghe, Marc Smeets, Hans Defer, Philippe Badert, Frédéric Fontenoy, Marc Galle, Karen Farkas, Alain Verdier, Frank JMA Castelyns, Sofie Verhelst, Geert Defurne, Joke Raes, Thibo Moreels, Frederik Rombach, Henriëtte van Gasteren, Clément Jacques-Vossen, Nina Koželj, Veerle De Smet, Rob Vanoudenhoven, Gwenny Nurtantio, Dany Tulkens, Martine Vyvey, Jan Torfs, William Sweetlove, Guido Janssens, Gerda Van Damme, Roel Stels, Ulrike Bolenz, Matthieu Lobelle, Siegfried Vynck, Manon De Craene, Alizée Bauer, Anne Kuhn, Harry Fayt, Theo Van de Vyver

2023

Exhibition Goddesses featuring works by Ulrike Bolenz, Harry Fayt, and Bart Ramakers. The exhibition runs until December 24, open Friday to Sunday from 2 PM to 6 PM.

Exhibition Sylvia Konior at De Traagheid in Tielt, December 2023 – April 2024.

Exhibition Bart Ramakers – The Bride Unveiled at De Traagheid in Tielt, October – November 2023.

As part of the International Photo Biennale Ostend 2023, Galerie P presented UOMO, a photography project by Jaouad Alloul and Bart Ramakers in support of punt vzw, from September 16 to November 12, 2023.

Also as part of the International Photo Biennale Ostend 2023, Galerie P presented Staging Stories by Joel Peter Witkin from September 16 to November 12, 2023. Staging Stories is a collaboration with Galerie Baudoin Lebon in Paris. Simultaneously, a retrospective exhibition of the American master’s work, curated by Stephane Verheye, was held at Fort Napoleon.

Midsummerdaydream, an exhibition featuring Karen Farkas, Siegfried Vynck, Sylvia Konior, Henriëtte van Gasteren, Marc Galle, Dany Tulkens, Roel Stels, Frederik Rombach, Guido Janssens, Clément Jacques-Vossen, Eric Luc Maquet, K. von Klingenberg, Gerda Van Damme, Joël Person, Pascal Berthoud, Frédéric Fontenoy, and Paul Zhen, held in July-August 2023.

Genesis, an exhibition featuring Joël Person, James Ensor, Panamarenko, Pascal Berthoud, Frédéric Fontenoy, K. von Klingenberg, and Bart Ramakers, held in April-May 2023.

On the Border, a group exhibition featuring Joel Peter Witkin, Greet Desal, Lieselot Wille, Matthieu Lobelle, and Henriëtte van Gasteren, held in February-March 2023.

Memories, an exhibition by Cecilia Paredes at De Traagheid in Tielt, January – June 2023.

2022

Paradise Lost, a group exhibition featuring works by Manon De Craene, Paul Zhen, Patrick Montagnac, Roel Stels, Frederik Rombach, and Victor Kastelic, held from November 4 to December 24, 2022.

Passages, a group exhibition featuring works by Marcello Chiarenza, James Ensor, Frédéric Fontenoy, Keith Haring, Clément Jacques-Vossen, Marc Lagrange, and Cecilia Paredes, held from September 2 to October 30, 2022.

Summer’s Fall, a solo exhibition by Victor Kastelic at De Traagheid, Krommewalstraat 6, Tielt, held from August 24 to December 24, 2022.

Strange Days Have Found Us, a group exhibition featuring Ulrike Bolenz, Koen Fillet, Dirk De Keyzer, William Sweetlove, Panamarenko, Bart Ramakers, and Rob Vanoudenhoven, held from April 2 to June 26, 2022.

2021

Exhibition Bart Ramakers – The Bride Unveiled in Brasserie du Parc, September – October 2021.

William Sweetlove – Bart Ramakers, Scream of the Butterfly, April-May 2021.