As the city slows down during the summer months, VCRB Gallery, in collaboration with /THE PLATFORM, opens its doors to Summer in the City, a group exhibition that stimulates the senses and invites slow looking and quiet experiencing. From June 19 to September 7, nine artists, both established and emerging, showcase a wide spectrum of contemporary artistic practices.
Summer in the City has become an annual tradition within the galleries’ exhibition program. Summer brings not only warmth and light but also a certain nonchalance, a different rhythm of seeing, experiencing, and being. This exhibition consciously aligns with that: it’s an ode to slowing down, to the accidental beauty of the moment, and to the city as a silent observer of human stories.
The participating artists – Werner Van Reck, Eline Klein, Hirofumi Fujiwara, Rodion Petroff, Eugene Shadko, Victor Paukstelis, Edvardas Racevičius, Samuel Lemba, and Orson Campos – present a diverse collection of works in photography, painting, and sculpture. Each explores themes of time, space, and identity within the urban and personal landscape in their own unique way.
A summer walk through image and story
Belgian photographer Werner Van Reck works with a Polaroid camera, capturing fleeting moments along the boundary between water and land. His images are unpretentious, intuitive, and imbued with a natural poetry.
Rodion Petroff, from Lithuania, creates paintings that combine architectural landscapes and everyday scenes. His work reflects on how cities preserve stories, forming a layered dialogue between past, present, and future.
Eline Klein (NL), originally a fashion photographer, remains true to the spirit of analog photography, despite her digital approach. She minimizes any form of post-production, maintaining a restrained aesthetic that exudes calm and simplicity.
Japanese artist Hirofumi Fujiwara creates naturalistic sculptures in biodegradable ‘plasticrete’, based on the multitude of faces and characters from his surroundings. No two figures are identical: each piece is a unique constellation of observations and interpretations.
Eugene Shadko (BY) draws from a rich stream of images and fragments, from social media to his own photos, transforming them into paintings that serve as thought images. Shadko’s works balance between abstraction and realism, using light and shadow to create deep emotion and meaning. Each piece arises from a multitude of references, thoughts, and reflections.
Lithuanian painter Victor Paukstelis intertwines autobiographical elements with visual quotes from art history, literature, and film. His paintings are layered, associative, and narrative; they offer both recognition and mystery.
Edvardas Racevičius, also from Lithuania, works at the intersection of craftsmanship and philosophy. Using a chainsaw and fine hand tools, he creates wooden sculptures that question the relationship between humans and nature, inspired by both folklore and theology.
Samuel Lemba explores themes of origin, memory, and identity in his paintings. His works stem from childhood memories and observations, translating into carefully constructed compositions where atmosphere, color, and detail are central. Instead of explicit characters, Lemba presents scenes open to interpretation, inviting the viewer to reflect and reinterpret. His paintings are like conversations without end, unfolding with each new glance.
Orson Campos, a young Brazilian-British painter from London, uses figurative imagery to explore personal stories and universal themes. His vibrant colors and expressive painting style reflect his Brazilian heritage. Campos’ work examines the transience of human existence and the resilience needed to endure life.
An invitation to rediscover
Summer in the City is an ode to the slowness and beauty of a summer in Antwerp. For those staying in the city or consciously choosing rest and stillness, the exhibition offers a place of reflection and encounter.
Summer in the City
June 19 – September 7, 2025
VCRB Gallery & /THE PLATFORM
De Burburestraat 14
2000 Antwerp
