Group exhibitions/projects are moreover organised in various venues as well as teamwork projects with other artists' initiative concepts. For these specific "extra muros" projects, different exhibition modules are sought such as venues of architectural, historical and/or social interest.
A similar venue is to become the permanent premises of VOORKAMER: the historical Holy Ghost site in the shadow of the St. Gummarus church, presently owned by the OCMW/CPAS of Lier.
Het Heilig Geesthuis (The House of the Holy Spirit)
Since 1440, the former Heilig Geesthuis had been the seat of the Heilig Geesttafel from Lier: a town institution set up in 1265 for the poor and the sick.
The building is made up of two wings and two annexes, separated by a yard. The wing on the street side was the administrative seat of the Heilig Geesttafel (as from the French period, the Administration for Charities and the Administration for Hospitals and Hospices).
Around 1850, an institution for charity called the Berg van Barmhartigheid was set up, a forerunner of the C.O.O. and the present OCMW/CPAS, who are the owners of the historical site.
The wing at the back of the premises, built in 1616 in Brabant gothic brick and sandstone style, abutted on the Sint Pieters brook and was used as storage for any yields in kind.
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De Heilige Geesttafel (The Table of the Holy Spirit)
The institution for the poor of Lier was presumably set up in 1261, when Canon E.H. Ranck left all his goods for the poor. In 1483, Elisabeth van Immersele, widow of Knight Godevaert van Vilain, left all her inherited goods on the grounds of Lier for the poor. From then on, the Tafel went through a flourishing period and became the largest charity institution for the sick, the elderly, the lame and the poor.
The Tafel was run by the three Holy Spirit Masters, all belonging to the well-to-do class. These old chaplains would meet together in the House of the Holy Spirit and control together the goods of the Tafel. They would seat on fixed days in the office of the House and provide for the sick and the poor. They also took over the maintenance of the domain, the windmills, the farms and the farmlands.
Any yield was stored in the “Corenhuys”. The House also had a caretaker who watched over the House, controlled supplies, distributed the corn and reported to the Holy Ghost Masters.
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The amalgam of various buildings in different architectural styles offers an opportunity to present existing as in situ produced work. The interaction and variety in approaches in terms of plastic arts is precisely what VOORKAMER has aimed to present throughout the past ten years through solo exhibitions and venue-related projects.
VOORKAMER provides an insight into the heterogeneity of today's visual art and encourages an active dialog between the artist, the public and themselves. VOORKAMER's objective is to help artists carry out such an experiment without any commercial pressure and thereby provide them with the opportunity to hold an exhibition and carry through projects that might otherwise prove difficult in other venues. The gallery space can be adapted and/or extended, thereby becoming fully part of the process/experiment.
In addition, VOORKAMER seeks to provide a broader and more profound impression of the artists' manner of style, with the support of professional, didactic events involving talks, lectures, documents, videos, drawings, publications and workshop visits.
For every exhibition, a (limited) series of low-priced Multiples are made by the artist and form a synthesis of the exhibition.
VOORKAMER is a non-commercial organisation that "survives" with the aid from the Flemish community, memberships, private funding and lots of help...
Despite the renewed support of the Committee for Plastic Arts of the Flemish Community which still has faith in the quality of VOORKAMER’s operations, any income from subscriptions remains crucial. We therefore kindly request your supporting membership fee, the amount of which has remained unchanged: 7 EUR for ordinary members and 40 EUR for supporting members, which you may transfer on account 733-2040369-04 of VZW VOORKAMER.
More information and memberships:
info@voorkamer.be
VOORKAMER since 1996
51N4E Adam Simon (USA) Almut Rink AU) Amanda Alic (USA) Analisa Catani (I) Andreas Brehmer (D) Andreas Mayer (D) Andreas Schelfhout Angela Wyman (USA) Anja Vermeir Ann Seebach (D) Anna Heylen Anne Daems Annina Van Seebroeck Ans Nijs Anton Cotteleer Artcinema OFF/OFF AUVID (CZ) Babak Afrassiabi Bart Dhaluin Bart Maris Bart Verwilt Baudouin Oosterlinck Bob Daenen Carol Warner (USA) Carole Guth Cellules d’intervention Metamkine (FR) Charlemagne Palestine (USA) Clean Brothers (J) Chino Shuichi (J) Chris Thijs Christoph Bangert (D) Christoph Fink Christoph Schlegel (AU) Claudia Kölgen (D) CoLa collectief Lierse architecten Collectief Ingelingen Colombe Marcasiano (F) D’auwe Danial Aycock (USA) Daniel Libens Daniela Verwilt Dario Parisini (I) David en Laurie Gwen Shapiro (USA) David First (USA) David Kostenbaum David Kramer (USA) David Shapiro (USA) David Wells (USA) Dimitri Cools Dirk Braeckman Dirk Feytons Dirk Wachtelaer Dirk Zoete Dr. Hugo Vanermen Dré Devens Eberhard Weible (D) Ed Daverveldt Elke Lehmann (D) Els Opsomer Erhard Hirt (D) Esther Bruggink (NL) Ethan Crenson (USA) Eva Maria Kollischan (D) Ever Meulen Experimental Intermedia Gent F.J. Navez Fabrizio Rivola (I) Félicien Rops Filip Francis FLACC GENK Frank Halmans (NL) Frederic Bell Frederic Geurts Freya Maes GAL Gerard De Lairesse Gerda Dendooven Gerda Steegmans Gert Verhoeven Gie Lieckens Guus Koenraads (NL) Guy De Bièvre Guy Lieckens Guy Richards Smit (USA) Guy Vandeplassche Han Van Meegeren Hans Eneman Hans Op De Beeck Hans Van Heirseele Hans Verhaegen HAP Harald Busch (D) Heike Kern (D) Heinz Weber (D) Hendrik Johannes Haverman Hendrik Vermeulen Henri De Braekeleer Hiroko Ichihara (J) Hubert Lobnig (AU) Ignace Raeth Ignace Van Ingelgom Ingrid Godon Ingrid Mostrey Jacques Charlier Jan Kempenaers Jan Schietekat Jan Verhaeghe Jan Wellens Jean Bernard Koeman (NL) Jean-Louis Prignot Jean-Pierre Ransonnet Jens Brand (D) Jeroen Hollander Jerome Noetinger (F) Jio Shimizu (J) Johan De Wilde Johan De Wit Johan Meskens Johan Van Geluwe Johan Van Roy Johannes Kahrs (D) Joost Surmont José en Irène Vandeplassche Josef Reiter (AU) Jun Ozaki (J) Karin Hanssen Katleen Vermeir Katrien Allaert Koen Broucke Koen Reybroeck Koen Theys Koen Wastijn Larry Walczak (USA) Leen Voet Leon Van Noorden (NL) LGG Lierse Musea Lieve D’hondt Lionel Marchetti Luc Coeckelberghs Luc Deleu Luc Dondeyne Luc Fierens Lucia Penninckx Lucie Malou Ludo Engels Machiko Tagami (J) Macunias Ensemble Manfred Werder (D) Marc De Blieck Marc Nagtzaam (NL) Marc Schepers Marc Sterkmans Marc Vanderleenen Marcel Van Eeden (NL) Marcel Zalme (NL) Marcelo Aguirre (ARG) Maria Blondeel Maria Gabriëlle Marie Julia Bollansée Mario Van Horrik (NL) Mark Manders (NL) Martien Van Beeck Martin Valcke Merlin Spie Michael Ballou (USA) Michaël Borremans Michael Jon Fink (USA) Michaël Schepens Michael Vorfeld (D) Michel Moers Michel Van Grieken Mitsuru Motomatsu (J) Naomi Watanabe (J) Natasja Kensmil (NL) Naval Cassidy (USA) Nicolas Lancret Niels Donckers Noise Makers Fifes Norma Markley (USA) Oxana Taran (UKR) Patricia Smith (USA) Patrick Couder Patrick Merckaert Patrick Vanden Eynde Patrik Kindermans Paul Gees Paul Panhuysen (NL) Paul Verstreken Pauline Oliveros (USA) Peter Boelens Peter Morrens Peter Rogiers Peter Schoutsen (NL) Peter Van Gheluwe Peter Warnier Petra Dubach (NL) Petra Van Dorpe Phil Niblock (USA) Pierre Bastien (F) Puddles Artist Initiative Links QO2 Qoqo & Schultheiss Raf De Raes Raymond de la Haye Remko Schultheiss (NL) Richard Human (USA) Rik De Boe Robin Michaels (USA) Ronald De Preter Ronny Heiremans room pr Rubio strijkkwartet Rudy De Greef Sam Ashley (USA) Sandra Schrevens Sante Scardillo (USA) Satoshi Ono (J) Shinichi Yanai (J) Singing Painters Stef Stagel (D) Stevie Wishart (AUS) Sylvie Janssens de Bisthoven Takashi Yamaguchi (J) Theo Van Rysselberghe Theo Verstreken Thomas Broadbent (USA) Trees De Mits Tytti Tapaninen (F) Walter Hermans Werner Cuvelier Willem Linnig Willem Van Genk (NL) Wim Cuyvers Winneke Van Muiswinkel (NL) Wouter Coolens Yoshi Matsumoto (J) Yosuke Ito (J) Yukio Fuyimoti (J) Yvonne De Grazia (I) Zjuul Devens...