Ostend and Antwerp celebrate James Ensor on the 75th anniversary of his death

In 2024, Flanders will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the death of James Ensor (Ostend, 1860 - Ostend, 1949), a leading figure in the Belgian art scene. Ensor’s avant-garde spirit continues to thrive both in his hometown of Ostend and in Antwerp. Indeed, this is home to the artist’s largest collection in the world, and starting in September 2024, a series of exhibitions in the city’s various museums will offer visitors an opportunity to immerse themselves in the master’s visionary works and explore his influence on contemporary art.

In his work, Ensor proves to be an innovator, often endowed with a flicker in his gaze that is sometimes across the board and always innovative. These qualities make Ensor a timeless artist. The museums in Flanders participating in the celebration of Ensor’s art in 2024 wish to demonstrate that the work of Ensor, known as “le peintre des masques” (the painter of masks), goes beyond the simple depiction of masks. Still lifes occupy a prominent role throughout his pictorial production. The artist reveals and conceals his personality through a large number of self-portraits and portrays his hometown from multiple perspectives. He experiments with different graphic techniques and materials, constantly searching for the right representation of light and surroundings. Like many avant-garde artists around the twentieth century, Ensor is fascinated by Impressionist colors and techniques. The focus will therefore be on the modernity of his vision and visual language.

From September 28, 2024 to January 19, 2025, at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) the exhibition Ensor’s Wildest Dreams. Beyond Impressionism will not only present the artist’s iconic creations but also compare them with Monet, Manet, and Munch. This unprecedented exhibition aims to present Ensor’s profound impact on the evolution of modern art. At the Museum Plantin-Moretus, from September 28, 2024 to January 5, 2025, Ensor in Search of Light will be presented. Experiments on Paper: this is the title of the project that aims to explore Ensor’s innovative forays into the art of graphic design. The exhibition will reveal the artist’s lesser-known but equally fascinating explorations in printmaking techniques, offering insights into his experimental spirit and artistic evolution. At the Museum of Fashion (MoMu), from Sept. 28, 2024 to Feb. 2, 2025, the intersection of makeup and masks is featured in Masquerade, Make-Up & Ensor, which will draw parallels between Ensor’s fascination with masks and modern interpretations of self-expression through cosmetics. Finally, from Sept. 28, 2024 to Feb. 2, 2025 at the Museum of Photography (FOMU), the exhibition Cindy Sherman: Anti-Fashion will be an opportunity to explore Sherman’s provocative photography and how it echoes with Ensor’s satirical commentary on social norms.

An additional project dedicated to the artistic world of James Ensor is Please, Touch the Artwork 2: an interactive game in which Ensor’s masterpieces come to life. Developed with the support of the Flemish government on the occasion of Belgium’s European presidency in the first half of 2024, the game is available for smartphones, tablets, and desktops.

Image: James Ensor, The Intrigue (1890; oil on canvas, 90 x 149 cm; Antwerp, KMSKA). Photo by Hugo Maertens

Ostend and Antwerp celebrate James Ensor on the 75th anniversary of his death

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