FOR EVERMORE is an accessible introductory exhibition that acquaints visitors with the commemorative landscape of the Westhoek. Its cemeteries tell a multicoloured story in which personal narratives, architecture, ideology and history converge.
The scenography combines objects and museum tools. Forty grave markers displayed on two gallery-high walls immediately draw attention, while an interactive model of the Grootebeek Military Cemetery teaches visitors how to “read” cemeteries — architecturally, historically and in terms of landscape.
The space is divided into zones with low white walls and a graphic path on the floor, inspired by the classicist architecture of British military cemeteries. The result is a stripped-down, archetypal cemetery layout that still preserves a clear view of the entire exhibition landscape. Using data, the exhibition creates a life-size infographic of 360 x 480 cm, showing all military cemeteries: metre-high bars indicate the number of deaths, while colour represents nationality.
The exhibition ends on an emotional note with a film by Arnout Hauben, telling the moving story of a soldier reburied in 2022 and the journey of his family from Canada to Belgium.
Together, scenography, objects and audiovisual tools offer an accessible yet poignant introduction to the commemorative landscape of the Westhoek.
29.04.2023 - 18.02.2024
Production: Blackbirds, Danse La Pluie, Ocular, Printville
