Research project MO/40/007 (Research action MO)
The subject of the project deals with one of the most important episodes in modern art in Belgium, between 1884 and 1914 when the Les XX and La Libre Esthétique circles of artists determined the face of Belgian and international avant-garde art. The Octave Maus Fund, named after the secretary and figurehead of both circles includes correspondence, documents and photographs flowing from these activities. Due to its historic importance, its richness and variety, the fund belongs at the top of national cultural heritage. The project includes, first of all, a critically annotated edition of the correspondence and documents from Octave Maus in English and the original French, and computerization and development specifically intended for archive management (through a planned multilingual database). The development and publication of these valuable written sources guarantee not only their distribution, but also a more efficient conservation. The development of a database format also enables computerization of the AHKB’s collection which is compatible with the museum’s existing systems
