In the heart of the Leie region, the fourth edition of the Ooidonk Art Festival just opened. Until August 31, 2025, the historic estate of Goed Te Réables once again sets the stage for a captivating open-air exhibition where contemporary art and nature are in constant dialogue.
Under the theme “Nature in Motion,” the festival invites visitors to slow down, to lose themselves among the greenery, and to pause before art that is shaped by the changing seasons. The exhibition is in a state of perpetual transformation, just like the landscape itself. This year, the festival welcomes more than forty artists, many of whom have created new works specifically for this location-works that subtly interact with the landscape.
A Landscape as Inspiration
This summer, numerous impressive installations take center stage. Lieven Lefere presents a magical-realist set installation that explores the boundary between reality and illusion. What appears to be a tangible space is, in fact, a carefully constructed photographic staging in which light plays the leading role. As the day progresses, the experience shifts. The work is anchored in the landscape, yet simultaneously escapes the confines of time.
Another powerful piece comes from Stanislas Lahaut. His sculpture, And Still We’d Stare Out To Sea, transforms a childhood dream-a puzzle of a sailboat-into a monumental object that embodies both freedom and threat. In a world of rising sea levels, sailing through grasslands is no longer absurd but visionary. The work not only looks to the past but also projects a possible future.
Isidoor Goddeeris creates a living sculpture with his Bee Cathedral. This sculptural tribute to the bee as a source of natural life is an architectural installation that houses a real bee colony, which will continue to build the work throughout the summer. Visitors can witness this rare, intimate collaboration between art and nature through a video installation showing the interior of the sculpture – a partnership that relies on balance.
That theme of balance is also literally embodied in Joachim Louis’s monumental work Balance. From a single 195-year-old tree trunk, he crafted a six-meter-high tower of stacked forms, inspired by hikers who leave stones along trails. The work exudes tranquility and connectedness, urging us to reflect on the natural balance that humanity threatens to disrupt.
Johan De Wit presents his most extensive installation to date: a labyrinth of sculptural memories, composed of hundreds of elements made from paper, resin, and marble powder. Each object bears traces of time, action, and the past. De Wit draws inspiration from the serene simplicity of the Flemish Primitives and Dutch Masters of the Golden Age, as well as the contemplative atmosphere in Giorgio Morandi’s work. His objects, often shapes from everyday life, may seem familiar at first glance, but on closer inspection, they lose their functionality. These are sculptural memories: silent witnesses to a world between dream and reality, between transience and stillness.
Inside the historic Goed Te Réables, Sofie Muller transforms a room into a hushed, unsettling installation. Her cabinets of curiosities, featuring sculptural fungi and fragile relics, invite visitors to introspection. Muller’s oeuvre centers on human vulnerability and the traces of psychological and physical trauma. She works with materials that bear scars themselves: alabaster with its translucent veins, smoke traces on paper, and even blood or resin. The installation balances between beauty and alienation, memory and trauma, humanity and nature.
Ruth Devriendt lets her sculptures become overgrown by plants and exposed to the elements, allowing the works to transform throughout the festival. Anthony Duffeleer confronts us with a bed of artificial flowers, ironically titled LIARS, raising questions about artificiality and authenticity. Luc De Man plays with reflection and horizon-his work merges almost invisibly with the surroundings and invites slow observation. Toon Boeckmans creates a sensory space around a large blue disc, where time and space seem to dissolve.
Experience Ooidonk All Summer Long
In addition to the exhibition, Ooidonk Art Festival once again offers a rich program of encounters and experiences this summer. Visitors can enjoy a pop-up summer bar and restaurant, curated by Garçon Catering, serving seasonal dishes in a unique setting. The program is further enriched by nocturnes, guided tours, and performances. Meanwhile, the Francis Maere Fine Arts Gallery in Ghent hosts a parallel exhibition featuring works by the same artists in a more classical context. Ooidonk Art Festival runs until August 31, 2025.
When: Every Thursday through Sunday, from May 17 to August 31, 2025
Time: Open continuously from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Location: Ooidonkdreef 5, 9800 Deinze
Tickets: Available at the entrance, €10 per person. Children under 12 enter free.
