'Kleureyck' is an exhibition about the innovative and diverse use of colour, linking the past and present with each other. The starting premise of the exhibition is Jan van Eyck’s skilful use of colour, which is fully revealed in all its glory during the restoration of the Ghent Altarpiece.

Using oil paint and transparent, coloured glazes, Van Eyck was able to achieve an innovative variety of colour nuances, clarity and saturation in his paintings. His inspiring use of colour is the starting point for a selection of national and international designers. They all share an affinity with ‘colour’.

The exhibition is conceived as a walk through the seven primary colours and the universe of pigment which Jan van Eyck and his contemporaries explored, with knowledge, inspiration and mystery serving as the underlayers. Projects by designers in various design disciplines (product design, crafts, textile design, graphic design, jewellery design, architecture…) will be exhibited in diverse colour ensembles. Some designers prefer to research colour, focussing on its materiality for example, while others are more interested in colour and perception, or the impact of colour in a spatial context.

The period rooms of Hotel de Conick will also be incorporated in this exhibition. They will be transformed into experience rooms where contemporary designers will exhibit a project or create a new work, on the theme of colour and the senses.

'Kleureyck' from your living room

Curious about what you can expect from the exhibition? Or do you want to start preparing your visit? Then go to the website of Design Museum Gent and get a special preview of the exhibition. Nine participating artists provide an online presentation of the project that they developed for the expo and offer a word of explanation about their design. Nine works from the expo explained by the designers themselves, and all that from your living room!

The information continues beneath the illustrations.