Beaufort 21: Triennial on the Flemish Coast Opens with 30+ Artists

The seventh edition of Beaufort, the triennial en plein air along Belgium's Flemish coast, opened in summer 2021 under the curatorship of Heidi Ballet. Running from De Panne to Knokke-Heist along an 80-kilometer itinerary, the exhibition features new commissions and permanent installations. Artists include Laure Prouvost, Michael Rakowitz, Els Dietvorst, Heidi Voet, Goshka Macuga, Maarten Vanden Eynde, Oliver Laric, Raphaela Vogel, Rosa Barba (whose work becomes permanent), Rossella Biscotti, Nicolás Lamas, Maen Florin, Jimmie Durham, Marguerite Humeau, Timur Si-Qin, Sammy Baloji, Adrián Villar Rojas, Jeremy Deller, Ruben Bellinkx, Ari Benjamin Meyers, Saâdane Afif, Nel Aerts, and Gerd Verhoeven. Ballet's curatorial theme emphasizes non-anthropocentric history, focusing on natural processes like coastal erosion and the disappearance of Testerep island, aiming to foster collective consciousness amid climate change. Eight of the 2021 works will remain permanently, enriching the Beaufort Sculpture Park. Additionally, James Ensor's birthplace and studio in Ostend reopened on July 14, 2020, with nearly 700 square meters of new spaces, including interactive experiences and a temporary exhibition from the KBC Bank Collection featuring works from 1878 to 1912. The MuZee museum in Ostend holds over 8,000 works, including Ensor's. Beaufort 21 runs until November 7, 2021.