The Brenta Riviera has always been a place of transit — between Venice and the mainland, between private wealth and open water. This spring, two of its historic villas become sites for new work by Koen Vanmechelen, shown as part of Ancestrale, an arts and culture festival rooted in the landscape and history of the river. The works on view at Villa Moscheni Volpi and Villa Widmann were first presented at the opening of We Thought We Were Alone , Vanmechelen's major exhibition

From 1 April to 5 May 2026 Koen Vanmechelen is both a featured artist in GLASSTRESS – The Modern Art Revolution in Venice at Tsinghua University, as Chief Artistic Director of the project. The exhibition, curated by Ma Sai, Dean Academy of Arts & Design, Tsinghua University and Adriano Berengo, founder Berengo Studio, brings together 56 artists from over 20 countries and presents more than 60 works. Unfolding across four thematic sections, it explores the role of glass within

Glasstress © Koen Vanmechelen From history to glass: Glasstress Vicenza opens the door to a renewed vision of transparency, craft and collaboration. The international exhibition, curated by Francesca Valente and Jean Blanchaert, brings together over 40 works by internationally renowned artists such as Ai Weiwei, Laure Prouvost, Monica Bonvicini, Koen Vanmechelen, Jaume Plensa, Emilio Isgrò, and many others. The show also debuts new works by Peter Shire, Tony Cragg, and M

The prestigious Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam invites Koen Vanmechelen to participate in the group exhibition Metamorphoses . Rijksmuseum - 2014 - © John Lewis Marshall Passion and desire, lust and jealousy, cunning and deceit — few classical texts have stirred the imagination of artists as deeply as Ovid’s Metamorphoses . In the eponymous exhibition artists as Titian, Correggio, Cellini, Caravaggio, Rubens, Rodin, Brancusi, Magritte, and Bourgeois rival the imaginative power and

Koen Vanmechelen presents his first solo sculptural exhibition in Venice, We Thought We Were Alone , at Palazzo Rota Ivancich during the 61st Venice Biennale. The exhibition features more than 40 new sculptures and installations created specifically for this historic palazzo. Moving beyond human-centred perspectives, the exhibition explores the dynamic relationship between living organisms and the inorganic environment. Across three floors of Palazzo Rota Ivancich, visitors e

Along the Meuse in Rotem (Dilsen-Stokkem), a new artwork will rise in 2026: Future Fossil, by Belgian artist Koen Vanmechelen (BE, °1965). The monumental sculpture embodies the ongoing dialogue between humans, river and nature – a tribute to the landscape of the RivierPark Maasvallei. A fossil from the future With a view over the Meuse, between Kempenstraat and the cycle dyke towards Elerweerd, Future Fossil will soon take shape. The work is rooted in old sandbags once piled

On Sunday, November 2, artist Koen Vanmechelen will once again open his studio to all visitors. A unique opportunity to admire Vanmechelen’s work in progress inside the striking building The Battery – a design by Swiss architect Mario Botta. Take a break at Nomadland, where the awnings of the colorful caravans are open for food & drinks. Practical Information Places for the Open Studio are limited, so be sure to book your ticket in advance via tickets. Residents of Genk and

In recent years, birds have increasingly appeared in contemporary art. Why do artists today so often return to the image of the bird? Is it a revival of our age-old fascination with their beauty, elegance, and symbolism? Or does it signal a deeper concern with our changing relationship to nature, and the alarming decline of bird populations worldwide? Birds , the thirteenth exhibition at Het Kunstenhuis, is curated by artist Klaus Vescheure as a meditation on the bird in a

In a striking encounter between contemporary glass art and ecological reflection, FRAGILE – A Selection of Glasstress unfolds within the ancient walls of Castel Belasi in Trentino, Italy. This historic fortress, now a center for eco thought, becomes the stage for an unprecedented dialogue between fragility and resilience, transparency and strength. Curated by Sandrine Welte and Adriano Berengo, the Glasstress exhibition brings together over 20 internationally renowned artis

This summer, Wasserman Projects celebrates ten years of artistic innovation, collaboration, and community in Detroit’s Eastern Market...