'Open M: Time and Again'

For the sixth time, M Leuven welcomes regional talent to its rooms. International curator Melanie Bühler (Frans Hals Museum, the Netherlands) selected 13 candidates out of 370 entries for Open M. On Friday 6 May, the group exhibition 'Open M: Time and Again” opens its doors.

‘Time and Again’

Denise Vandevoort, alderman for culture and chair of the board of M, explains: "M engages with artists at different points in their careers. With the biennial Open M initiative, we give regional talent the opportunity to exhibit at M. The theme of 'time' remains, of course, a burning issue in society. “Time and Again' puts this into perspective

"The theme of this Open M edition immediately appealed to me. I grew up in Leuven and have many memories of the museum. I am very happy that I can now show my own work in M thanks to this initiative," says selected artist Bram Rinkel (1996).

"The selected works in this edition of Open M deal with the concept and perception of time," curator Melanie Bühler (Frans Hals Museum) adds.  "The experience of the pandemic has changed the notion of time for many.  The exhibition responds to this by bringing together a selection of artworks that reflect on how time can be experienced and represented differently."

Artist Laurence Durieu (1972) adds: "The open call for Open M encouraged me to look for historical artists and works that I could relate to my own realisations. I myself I paint petit genre. The characters are my family members and sometimes they appear several times in one work at different ages, which plays with our sense of time."

Open M:

Open M takes place every two years and each time has a different focus. This edition of Open M is a collaboration with the Frans Hals Museum in the Netherlands and revolves around transhistoricity. M is a museum that brings together and confronts art from the past and present in new ways. This creates new, surprising connections between past and present.

Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa

On Friday 6 May, M will also open the solo exhibition of Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa. Ramírez-Figueroa (1978, Guatemala) creates dreamlike works of art with elements from folklore, magic and childhood memories. His work explores cultural identity and history, trauma, colonisation and the connection between humans and nature. He does this using various media such as performance, film, sculpture, woodcuts and installations. The exhibition will feature new work as well as more recent sculptures and films.

Practical Information

‘Time and Again' and the exhibition by Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa will be opened on Thursday 5 May at 20:00. Admission is free and there is no need to register.

‘Time and Again' runs from 6 May 2022 to 28 August 2022. For more info and tickets, go to mleuven.be/openM. Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa’s exhibition runs from 6 May 2022 to 30 October 2022.  For more information and tickets, go to mleuven.be/en/naufus.

The press preview takes place on Wednesday 4 May in the presence of curator Melanie Bühler and a few of the artists.

Start: 10.45 AM

Guided tour of the room: 11:00 AM, with the possibility of an interview

Interviews with Naufus Ramírez-Figueroa are available on request