We cannot answer the question ‘what is art?’. But if you were to ask ‘where is art?’, then our answer is ‘in Ghent!’. In Ghent, art can be found outdoors and indoors, whether it’s official or unofficial, large or small, loud or quiet. In Ghent’s museums, you will be immersed in art on a variety of topics, from Flemish Masters and science to psychiatry or industry. Art in Ghent is aimed at the whole family, with activities that also excite children. And events such as the Light Festival, the street art festival ‘Sorry Not Sorry’ or the Museum Night add on to the artsy vibes in the city.

  • Revealing Van Eyck, six centuries later

    Conservation is a wonderful profession because it combines so many things: art history and science, tangibility and chemistry. Thanks to today's technology, we are revealing The Ghent Altarpiece as it originally appeared in the 15th century – and that's a magical experience when you experience it right up close.
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    Work in progress: the conservator Kathleen Froyen in front of the empty frames of the upper panels

  • Hubert and Jan: Ghent versus Bruges?

    A whole library has been written about the role of Jan and Hubert Van Eyck. We do not know which one of the brothers painted what part of the Ghent Altarpiece. No other works of art by Hubert have been preserved, which makes him more mysterious. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t exist. This persistent myth was invented by a Nazi sympathiser from Bruges…
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    Professor Jan Dumolyn doorbladert een boek in de gebouwen van Universiteit Gent

  • The new old lamb

    Large swathes of the Ghent Altarpiece had been painted over. That took place several times in the centuries after Van Eyck. Even the lamb got a facelift. It now looks us in straight in the eye once again, like it was originally intended. But why did subsequent generations decide to make alterations to this masterpiece?
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    Professor Maximilian Martens in his studio between various paintings

  • Van Eyck: seeing is believing

    How can mortals ever truly perceive God? This is a theological discussion people had been having for centuries in Van Eyck’s time. The artist himself attempted to answer this question through his art. He had a vision like no other and converted it into in oil paintings. But before we talk about this in more detail, we need to talk about something else first. Ghentians of that time never saw the Ghent Altarpiece the way we do today.
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    The Mystic Lamb in St Bavo's Cathedral

  • A new exhibition space for the Ghent Altarpiece

    Since 2021, the Ghent Altarpiece has been displayed at a new location in the cathedral. This is the third time the painting has been given a new spot. We were pretty nervous about this relocation, but after centuries, the work can once again be seen in its original splendour.
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    Two people admire the Ghent Altarpiece at its new location in St Bavo Cathedral

  • The invisible new structure of St Bavo’s Cathedral

    My visiting card says ‘Senior Project Manager’ at Bressers Architecten, but it might as well have been ‘site manager’ or ‘full-time meeting participant’. The construction of the visitor centre inside St Bavo's Cathedral cost us a lot of time and effort — but it was well worthwhile for such a masterpiece.
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    Maaike Blancke explains about St Bavo's Cathedral using the model

  • Ghent’s street art scene is a fascinating melting pot

    Ghent owes its flourishing street art scene to generations of artists rebelliously doing their thing, often in empty properties. Today, Ghent’s legal graffiti circuit is also alive and kicking, allowing every type of artist to seize their opportunity.
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    Street art werk van grijze vos op zijgevel van woning in Gent