Dear Reader

Karin Borghouts is artist-in-residence at the Borinage in Hainaut, Belgium, where she is working on a new series of photographs. The photo assignment for the 600th anniversary of KU Leuven has been completed and is now in production. The Leopold Barracks in Ghent has a new destination.
Maison Van Gogh Petit-Wasmes, © Karin Borghouts, April 2024

Au Borinage

From 22 June to 13 October 2024, the two Van Gogh houses of the Borinage will host a brand new photographic exhibition: La Maison Van Gogh in Petit-Wasmes and in Cuesmes (pronounced Wam and Kwèm). A contribution is also planned for the ruins of the Marcasse mine.

The Borinage was one of the most inspiring regions that Karin Borghouts visited as part of her Vincent Was Here project. So much so that last year, at the request of cc Colfontaine, she decided to devote an entire photo project to it.
The Borinage, south-west of Mons, is a region with a turbulent mining past. This is still visible in the landscape in the form of the many slagheaps (terrils). Karin was attracted by the miners' houses in the hilly streets, the mining ruins, the now green terrils, but also and above all by the people. This led her to photograph borains - people from the Borinage - in special places. Since September 2023, Karin has been an artist-in-residence at the Van Gogh House in Petit-Wasmes. A video will be made in collaboration with Dieter Demey.

With the support of cc Colfontaine and Fondation Mons 2025.
Still life with mining tools © Karin Borghouts 2024 (Jean Lescarts collection, property of the City of Mons, in l'Arthotèque, a gift from Mrs Urbain-Bertiaux)

KU Leuven 600 years

Behind the scenes, the preparations for KU Leuven's unique anniversary are in full swing. In 2025, the country's oldest university will look back on a rich past with a series of publications, exhibitions, lectures, conferences and other cultural events.

Karin Borghouts was asked to portray some of the university's many iconic buildings. She photographed unusual interiors, lecture theatres, laboratories and collections at around 50 locations across the various campuses. The photographs will be published in a beautiful book and exhibited in 2025. She also composed and photographed still lifes with objects from various university collections.
Still life - Special Collections University Library KULeuven ©Karin Borghouts 2023

Leopoldskazerne Ghent

After several busy years of conversion works, the disused military barracks, which later housed artists' studios and HISK, has been transformed into the East Flanders Provincial Government buildings.
The idea was to turn a very closed building into an open, vibrant, multi-functional neighbourhood, such as the now completed Province House. Sustainability and attention to contemporary standards and the 'new way of working' are central to this, as is respect for and preservation of the heritage and historical value of the site. A successful project that Karin and her assistant Wouter Bollaerts photographed for Sergison Bates architects (Londen) with 360 Architecten (Ghent).

Provinciehuis Oost-Vlaanderen
Charles de Kerchovelaan 189 - 9000 Ghent Belgium

See here
Provinciehuis Oost-Vlaanderen - photo © Wouter Bollaerts/Sergison Bates architects/360 Architecten

Meet Karin

Watch the the video made by Dieter Demey (9 minutes).
Choose English or Dutch subtitles.

Listen to Kaat Celis' interview with Karin Borghouts via DonkereKamer.com (50 minutes, Dutch).

Books and special editions: karinborghouts.be/shop
Karin Borghouts

ZICHT is a monthly newsletter of Belgian artist photographer Karin Borghouts. She is working on her own projects and on commissioned assignments by museums, art and heritage institutions, architects, publishers and city councils.

www.karinborghouts.be
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