Dirk Braeckman - Léon Spilliaert

- This book is published on the occasion of the exhibition Braeckman-Spilliaert at Kunstmuseum Den Haag from October 12 2024 onwards
A visual exploration between the work of acclaimed photographer Dirk Braeckman (1985) and symbolist painter Léon Spilliaert (1881-1946). The omnipresence of the color black, in its myriad shades and nuances, defines their works and adds a nuanced layer to their shared artistic expression. Braeckman's black-and-white photographs convey a sense of stillness, and combine intimacy and distance to create a private, secluded world whose meaning remains undefined. Text in English and Dutch.

Dirk Braeckman has spent the past 40 years developing an impressive portfolio. Working with the medium of photography, he occupies a distinctive place within the visual arts. Braeckman has taken part in numerous exhibitions both nationally and internationally. He has had solo shows at The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth (USA), LE BAL (Paris), De Pont (Tilburg), De Appel (Amsterdam), S.M.A.K. (Ghent), BOZAR (Brussels), M (Leuven) and ROSEGALLERY (Santa Monica, CA). Dirk Braeckman was invited to the 57th Biennale di Venezia, where he showed a selection of monumental works in the Belgian pavilion. Braeckman's works are part of important private and public collections around the world, including in FRAC Nord-Pas de Calais (Dunkirk), Sammlung Goetz (Munich), De Pont (Tilburg) and Fondation Nationale d'Art Contemporain (Paris), Central Museum (Utrecht), and Musée d'Art Contemporain et Moderne (Strasbourg). There are also several publications on his artistic practice and oeuvre.