19 spheres on 12 planes forming a zigzag (1966) is one of the trademark kinetic sculptures which earned Pol Bury his global reputation. An uneven wooden zigzag structure supports 19 cork spheres, large and small, which are moved by a hidden motor.
The geometric volumes move in unexpected ways at an uneven rate that has been slowed to such an extent as to be virtually imperceptible to the viewer. Using this aesthetic of controlled slowness, the artist aims to seize the moment between movement and inertia, thus providing an abstract illustration of temporal awareness and giving the viewer cause for reflection.
Pol Bury (1922 - 2005)
“19 spheres on 12 planes forming a zigzag” (1966)
Elements made out of brown wood and tinted cork spheres driven by an electric motor,
60 x 122 x 10.2 cm
Inv. 7489
The Royal Museums of Fine Arts are home to the finest collections of Belgian painting and sculpture from the XV and XVI centuries to the modern era. Its star attractions include Breughel, Rubens, and Magritte, to name but three ... It is, in fact, several museums in one, including the striking Museum of Modern Art, which is located below ground and arranged around an illuminated shaft.
www.fine-arts-museum.be
The so-called “cradle of Charles Quint”, with its gothic style, is one of the rare surviving vestiges of furniture from the former Coudenberg Palace in Brussels. Partially preserved, it is adorned with the ‘double M’ coats of arms and motto of Marie of Burgundy and Maximilian of Austria (“Halt Mass in allen Dingen”, or “Show moderation in all things”). This cradle is likely to have been commissioned ahead of the birth of one of the royal couple’s children, either Philibert le Beau in 1478 or Marguerite of Austria in 1479.
The so-called “cradle of Charles Quint”. Polychrome oak with gilding. Southern Netherlands, second half of the XV century. Royal Museums of Art and History, inv. 360.
The slogan of the Royal Museums of Art and History rings like a manifesto: “Broaden your view of mankind and culture”. Its collections are spread over four sites: the Cinquantenaire Museum, the Musical Instruments Museum, the Museums of the Far East, and the Porte de Hal.
Boasting thousands of artefacts, the Cinquantenaire offers a wide variety of collections: National Archaeology, Antiquity, European Decorative Arts, and Non-European Civilisations.
The Musical Instruments Museum, which is located on Mont des Arts, has set up home in a remarkable Art nouveau building. This exceptional collection has interactive display cabinets which transmit the sounds of instruments to headphones worn by visitors.
The Orient is celebrated at the Museums of the Far East, comprising the Japanese Tower, the Chinese Pavilion, and the brand new Museum of Japanese Art.
The Porte de Hal, the last vestige of the city’s outer wall from the Middle Ages, hosts temporary exhibitions.
www.mrah.be
The Royal Institute for the Study and Conservation of Belgium's Artistic Heritage (KIK-IRPA) has recently been studying and restoring a set of works, Women of Virtue, by Liège artist Lambert Lombard. The canvas on display provides a fine illustration of the use of non-destructive analysis techniques which enable us to turn back the clock: using infrared reflectography, it is possible to make out the artist’s own preparatory sketch beneath the actual painting and the changes in composition he then made during the course of his work.
Lambert Lombard (Liège, 1505/1506 – 1566) and studio, David and Abigail, oil on canvas, 138.9 x 144.3 cm. Liège, Musée de l’art wallon
At KIK-IRPA, the work of art historians, photographers, chemists, physicians, and restorers is devoted to the study and conservation of Belgian artistic and cultural treasures as varied as a Rubens, a mural painting, a virgin carved in wood or stone, an ancient tapestry, or even an artefact fashioned out of glass or metal.
KIK-IRPA has an unique photo library, containing 900,000 pictures of heritage items from Belgium, and a specialist library which is open to the general public.
www.kikirpa.be