studio exhibition

crete x bilbao

Atelier Hilde Goossens - Oudenhovestraat 39 - Sint-Maria-Oudenhove, Belgium
Public views: May 2-3, 2026 - 11-18h
Private views: May 1-31, 2026 - by appointment

A catalog of this studio exhibition is available on request

Painted landscape of a highway with an overpass, trees, and a car under a blue sky, stylized with broad brushstrokes.
Living room with wooden benches, a large painting on the wall, and a plant on the left side.
Several young boys are sitting on the ground, bowing or leaning forward, with their heads close to the ground, possibly in a classroom or gym setting.
A painting of a young boy in athletic shorts and sneakers, holding a hockey stick, standing on ground outdoors, with a blank wall behind him.
A room with a wooden floor, a white wall with framed artwork, a doorway leading to a dining area, and exposed ceiling beams. There are plants hanging from the ceiling and a light fixture.
Painted mural of the Sonar Theatre sign with two people walking on a sidewalk in an urban area.
Interior of an attic room with exposed wooden beams, a white ceiling, and hardwood flooring. There are plants, books, and artwork on the walls and furniture, including a white cabinet, a small table, a black stool, and an easel with a painting. The w
Abstract painting with horizontal lines and geometric shapes in shades of beige, brown, blue, and black, depicting a person standing in front of a wall or window.
An artist's studio with a slanted ceiling, featuring a large painting on an easel, several potted plants, art supplies, and wooden furniture, all situated on a black and white leaf-patterned rug.
Painting of a city street with tall beige and gray buildings on either side, cars parked along the curb, and a clear sky above.
Close-up of a wall covered with various painted messages in Spanish, including phrases like 'GUERRA', 'DE GLORIA', 'ANDAS', and 'COME RACIAL', with a stylized, textured painting style. The background has a tan and beige color with dark letters.
A painting of a city street with tall buildings on both sides and a clear sky overhead, viewed from the ground level.

Hilde Goossens schildert om niet te vergeten. In deze Studio Exhibition brengt ze twee recente reizen samen: Kreta en Bilbao. Twee bestemmingen, twee verschillende manieren van kijken, en dezelfde onderliggende vraag: wat blijft er over als een ervaring voorbij is en het geheugen vervaagt?

In de beelden over Kreta onderzoekt Goossens de spanning tussen authenticiteit en toeristische beleving. Strandstoelen en parasols, spelende jongens aan de kust, verlaten restaurantstoelen, verwaarloosde zwembaden, de verdwenen windmolens van het Lasithi Plateau: noch nostalgische vakantieherinneringen noch kritische documentatie, maar iets daartussenin. Door selectief te wissen of niet te schilderen, transformeert ze het fotografische moment tot geschilderde herinnering. Zoals notities in de kantlijn van een reisgids bestaan ze in de ruimte tussen officiële beelden en persoonlijke ervaring.

Bilbao voelde minder exotisch, meer vertrouwd. Oktober bracht kortere dagen en een meer gedempt licht. Wat bleef hangen was het menselijke netwerk: mensen die hun hond uitlaten, vrienden die samen hardlopen, gesprekken op de vele bankjes in de stad. Op vrijdagavond ontplofte de stad: iedereen buiten, één groot openluchtfeest. De brommende energie hing in de lucht. In Bilbao ging Goossens een stap verder: schilderijen op papier werden verticaal in stroken gesneden en in een nieuwe volgorde heropgebouwd. Het originele beeld verschuift. Er blijft iets herkenbaars over, maar het brein heeft tijd nodig om te begrijpen wat er is veranderd. Collage werkt doorgaans met gevonden materiaal uit bestaande bronnen. Goossens werkt anders: haar bronmateriaal is volledig zelfgemaakt, geschilderd met het oog op het versnijden. Werk maken om het daarna te ontmaken.

Hilde Goossens paints to remember. In this Studio Exhibition, she brings together two recent journeys: Crete and Bilbao. Two destinations, two different ways of looking, and the same underlying question: what remains when an experience is over and memory fades?

In the images Goossens made about Crete, she explores the tension between authenticity and tourist experience. Beach chairs and parasols, boys playing by the coast, abandoned restaurant chairs, neglected swimming pools, the vanished windmills of the Lasithi Plateau: neither nostalgic holiday memories nor critical documentation, but something in between. By selectively erasing or not painting during the process, she transforms the photographic moment into painted memory. Like notes in the margin of a travel guide, they exist in the space between official images and personal experience.

Bilbao felt less exotic, more familiar. October brought shorter days and a more muted light. What lingered was the human network: people walking their dogs, friends running together, conversations on the many benches throughout the city. On Friday night the city exploded: everyone outside, one big open-air party. The buzzing energy hung in the air. In Bilbao, Goossens took the work one step further: paintings on paper were sliced into vertical strips and reassembled in a new sequence. The original image shifts. Something recognisable remains, but the brain needs a moment to find the logic of what has moved. Collage typically draws on found material from existing sources. Goossens works differently: her source material is entirely her own, painted specifically to be cut. Making work in order to unmake it.

Public views: May 2-3, 2026 - 11-18h
Private views: May 1-31 - by appointment

Atelier Hilde Goossens - Oudenhovestraat 39 - 9620 Sint-Maria-Oudenhove