Design Drinks & Talks 24.04

Abby will be a playful, approachable and polyphonic museum of visual arts in Kortrijk, opening festively the weekend of March 29 and 30. There, the urban collection enters into dialogue with contemporary art, dynamic heritage practices and the theme of identity in all its stratification. Together with a broad network of organizations, makers and communities, and using art as a universal language, they explore what defines and connects us as people, across borders, generations and cultures.

Abby is located in the renovated historic Groeningeabdij: an open house with many rooms, in a place with a long and fascinating history. With 1,000 square meters of exhibition space, it offers a mix of classical and contemporary art, and a fresh look at heritage and identity. To meet its ambitions, the historic abbey site will be complemented by a park pavilion above ground, and will have two high-quality exhibition spaces underground. The design by top architects Barozzi-Veiga + TAB Architects reworks the museum into a timeless, compact and sustainable architectural gem that puts heritage at the center and will act as a magnet for the city and for visitors from far beyond.

With a playful and accessible approach, Kortrijk's art collection enters into dialogue with contemporary art and heritage, with a focus on identity and connection between generations and cultures. Working with artists, organizations and communities, Abby explores not only who we are, but also what a museum, a city and a community means.

Kortrijk designers Giel Dedeurwaerder & Brent Neve have a long track record together. They form a designer collective in which they each express their love and respect for wood from their own perspective. With 'Noest' they launched last year a natural furniture brand that makes well-considered objects in solid wood tailored to the environment and with an eye for craftsmanship, based on the well-being of man.

The goal is to design furniture for green public spaces that invite people to stop, look around and enjoy for a moment. They are launching a permanent collection of seating, reclining and leaning furniture on the one hand and, on the other, they are developing installations tailored to the identity of a specific piece of nature.

In October 2024, they received the BKRK-award from Vakmanschap Bokrijk for Noest. With the BKRK award, every year Bokrijk and VAKlab look for the innovative enterprising craftsman of tomorrow, whose expertise is open to innovation and relevance in the future.

Hyper Vyper is an innovative game and software studio based in Hangar K. Its founders, Jasper Feyaerts & Vital De Wachter, are alumni of the Digital Arts and Entertainment program at Howest. With Hyper Vyper, they create fast-paced multiplayer games and groundbreaking applications, where creativity, technical precision and immersive interactions come together. With a focus on digital innovation and high-quality user experiences, they move between game development and application ontwerp.

Thursday, April 24, reception from 19.00.
First talk starts at 19.20.
Each speaker will speak for about 15 minutes.

Location:

Begijnhofpark, 8500 Kortrijk