Our bloggers

Olly Ceulenaere was at the bottom of his hotel-school cooking class. But the pull of the kitchen was strong, and he learned the craft in top restaurants – the hard way. The more experience he gained, the more he understood: it’s not about what you can do with a truffle. It’s about the experience you offer your guests. Today, he does that with effortless ease at Publiek in Ghent. He never asked for a Michelin star, but he got one anyway.

The bioanthropologist Jessica Palmer directs the lab at the Ghent Archaeological Science Centre. Together with her colleagues, she examined the bones of a woman who had rested for more than a thousand years in front of the entrance to St Peter's Church in Ghent. Was this Judith, the first countess of Flanders? 

Steven Vanderputten is a professor of history at Ghent University. He conducts scholarly research into our medieval society and culture, with a predilection for the period from the 9th to the 12th century – a period he is definitely does not wish to call ‘the dark Middle Ages’.

Lieve Staes handles the communication of complex spatial projects at the Project Office for Space of the City of Ghent. Her favourite subjects are the Light Plan and water. Professionally, she shares all the details through the website and walks, among other things. But even in her spare time, she can't resist taking family and friends around fairy-tale Ghent at dusk.  

The conservator Kathleen Froyen has been working full-time on The Ghent Altarpiece since 2018. She coordinates the conservation studio at the Museum of Fine Arts and sits on many steering committees and advisory committees, but most of all, she enjoys getting behind the microscope herself to do some real work: the conservation of Van Eyck's magnum opus.

Jan Dumolyn is professor of medieval history at Ghent University. As co-curator of Van Eyck — An optical revolution he re-examined the historical sources relating to the Van Eyck brothers. That was high time, because (too) many myths and half truths about the Ghent Altarpiece are endlessly repeated. 

Maximiliaan Martens is professor of Art History at Ghent University and is a world-renowned expert on Van Eyck. Since 2010, he has been heavily involved in the restoration of the Ghent Altarpiece and the expo Van Eyck. An Optical Revolution. He is still fascinated by the topic that interested him in his student days: how can technology and scientific research help us shed new light on the old masters? 

Hilde Langeraert has worked at the Museum of Industry in Ghent for ten years. As a history student, she fell in love with the museum because the subject fascinates her. How are goods manufactured? Where do people work? The relevance of her research topic is what drives Hilde Langeraert forward. As curator, she coordinates all exhibitions that come to life at the Museum of Industry.  

Maaike Blancke (Bressers Architecten) from Ghent is an art historian, interior architect and restoration expert. She worked on several Ghent landmarks, including the kiosk in Citadelpark and the Town Hall, but her biggest feat so far is the new visitor centre in St Bavo's Cathedral which houses the restored Ghent Altarpiece.