Het Kunstuur – one hour of art

With headphones on and his stool, we enter a small, dimly lit room. Now begins Het Kunstuur, the Art Hour, the art lesson – an artistic delight!

But let’s start from the beginning

In Mechelen, there is the opportunity to experience a unique art event in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit right next to St. Rumbold’s Cathedral. Het Kunstuur is now taking place here for the seventh time – and more will follow!

There is a maximum of 8 visitors in the anteroom every 20 minutes. Spontaneous visits are unfortunately not possible. You must book your appointment and time slot in advance and preferably not at too short notice. Punctuality is also important (at least 10 minutes in advance), the door closes after admission and only opens again for the next group. A little tip: it’s better to go to the toilet beforehand – the next hour offers no break and I was so captivated that I forgot everything around me.

Each visitor receives a pair of headphones and takes a small stool. The sound check begins about 2 minutes before the door opens. You can adjust the volume, listen to the language and receive some safety instructions. Only the following languages are offered: Dutch, English, French.

The art lesson begins

Then the door opens to a small, dimly lit room. The group enters and everyone puts down their stool and sits down. As no one knew exactly how and where it would begin, everyone looked in a different direction and tried to catch the first impressions of the pictures hanging on the walls. The light went out and a spotlight illuminated a work of art on the wall. Everyone moved, turned and repositioned their stool – despite the 8 people sitting relatively centered, you could see very well.

Music starts and then a very pleasant voice begins to talk about the illuminated picture. Fortunately, it’s not just a description of the painting, as we know it from school. We learn something about the painter, his story and the motives for creating this picture. The whole thing is told in an easily understandable, well narrated way that captivated me and really kept my focus on the painting.

In total, there are around 10 pictures hanging in the room, which are all gradually viewed in the same way. Sometimes a projection also appears on the wall. Then a person, who is of course also introduced, explains something about the picture. A nice change that makes the whole thing even more interesting.

After a little under 20 minutes, all the pictures are explained. The light gets a little brighter, everyone stands up, takes the stool and enters the next room through a door. As soon as the group is in room number 2, the door opens for the next group in room 1.

There are also about 10 pictures in the second room. Here, too, everyone looks for a seat and listens to the explanations of the works. From time to time, my gaze wanders over the other participants in the group. Relaxation and yet a certain concentration can be seen on their faces. Everyone here is clearly enjoying being able to look at the art in peace and listen to the stories through the headphones with full concentration. It is only now that I notice that no one has even spoken when we move to the other room. Het Kunstuur is a silent art lesson in the truest sense of the word.

After another 20 minutes or so, we change rooms for the last time. This time we enter the Chapel of the Holy Spirit. This 13th century chapel is now just an exhibition space. There is hardly anything left to remind us of its former use. The room is larger than the previous exhibition rooms and there are also very large works of art here.

In total, we looked at 32 different works of art during the one hour. All the works were by Belgian artists from the period 1850-1950 and were loaned by museums and private collectors for this unique way of enjoying art. The way the paintings are presented here is unique. For us, who like to look at pictures but not “talk them up”, this visit was an unforgettable experience. We were given “measured” information about the paintings and were able to view and enjoy the works of art in peace. The concept of limiting the visit to one hour was just right for our attention span. I realized during the last 3 paintings that my mind was wandering.

Het Kunsthuur, the Art Hour, the Art Hour is a great concept for presenting art!

Het Kunstuur at other locations

Het Kunstuur is also offered in the city center of Hasselt (in the historic town hall) and in Roeselare in the Sint-Amandskerk. Please check the exhibitions and times online.

Visitor information

Address

Heilige Geestkapel
Minderbroedersgang 1-3
2800 Mechelen