Parbleu was a space I curated from 1987 until 1993, first in the Vrijheidstraat and then in the Verbrande Entrepotstraat in Antwerp. In total I organised about 40 exhibitions there plus some guest exhibitions by Paul Ilegems and the artists iniative Het Hemelrijken from Eindhoven. Parbleu was initially called Zebra but had to change its name because there was already an establishment with that name in Antwerp. Another 7 exhibitions were made under that name.

During the period of 1987-1993 I also participated in some group initiatves such as Antwerp Art Initiatives Present at the KNS, Antwerp (1991), Dossier Antwerpen at the ICC, Antwerp in collaboration with Club Moral and Ruimte Morguen (1993), 4 X VIDEO (1991) and Video7 (1993) in collaboration with Wendelien van Oldenborgh (1993). I also organised a collaboration with Gallery Fotomania in Rotterdam and the group exhibition Remember It’s Spring at the Cultural Centre Berchem (1991).

Find the full overview below. The archiving of these exhibitions is an ongoing project that I started spring 2020.

1993
Parbleu, Antwerp
Curator
Solo exhibitions by: Jimi Dams (B); Olaf Mooij (NL); Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven (B) in collaboration with Zeno X Gallery, Antwerp; Armande Franssen (NL);

Organisor Video7: Sylvie Bélanger (CAN), off program A’pen ’93

Dossier Antwerpen, ICC, Antwerp in collaboration with Club Moral and Ruimte Morguen

1992
Parbleu, Antwerp
Curator
– Solo exhibitions by: Kris Van Dessel (B); Cor Knops (NL); Zjos Meyvis (B); Nicoline Vanstapele (NL/B); Veronika Kellndorfer (D); Désirée Palmen (NL); Ien Lucas (NL)
– Group show Jo Brunenberg (NL)/ Hester Doove (NL)/ Jorge Orta (F)/ Robbert Roos (NL)/ Thomas Thys (B)/ Frank Toussaint (B) i.c.w. Galerie Fotomania, Rotterdam; Zomer van de Fotografie, Antwerpen;
Il faut cultiver notre jardin… with Johan Rottiers (B) and Koen Janssens (B), Patrick ‘t Hooft (B), Georges Uittenhout (NL)

Three Young Belgian Photographers, Galerie Fotomania, Rotterdam
Curator with Nadine Tasseel, Thomas Thys, Tanja Pieter Koen

1991
Parbleu, Antwerp:
Curator
– Solo exhibitions by: Honoré d’O (B); Jos Boetzkes (NL); Marc De Roover (B); Georges Uittenhout (NL); Raf Thys (B); Marc Schepers (B); Chris Gillis (B); Fréderic Geurts (B)
– 4 X VIDEO (co-organiser): Jo Huybrechts (B)/Georges Uittenhout (NL)
Remember It’s Spring, Cultureel Centrum Berchem, Antwerp with Ellen Augustynen (B), Anne Boons (B), Cel Crabeels (B), Goele De Bruyn (B), Jan Willem Maris (NL), Johan Rottiers (B), Georges Uittenhout (NL)

Antwerp Art Initiatives Present, KNS, Antwerp
Curator with Chris Gillis (B), Fréderic Geurts (B), Kris Van Dessel (B)

1987 – 90
Parbleu– location Vrijheidstraat 23, Antwerp
Curator
– Paul Bartels (NL); Marina Jans/Sabine Borgerhoff (B); Vered Ben-Kiki (Israel)/Stefan Diaz (B)/Steven Vetters (B) i.s.m. Paul Ilegems; Marc De Roover (B); Wim Strecker (B); Leo Reynders/Reinhilde De Peuter (B)
– ‘Voorlopig Plan’ – gasttentoonstellingen i.s.m. kunstenaarsinitiatief Het Hemelrijken uit Eindhoven (NL), gedeeltelijk in het kader van Zuid-Nederlandse Ontmoetingen, met Margriet Thissen, Stijn Peeters, René Bogaerts, Piet Dirkx, Ger de Greef, Johan Kersten, Joyce Cordewener, Stan Klamer;
– Ruud Balk (NL), Zomer van de Fotografie – Harrie Heirmans (B);

Parbleu – location Verbrande Entrepotstraat 9, Antwerp
Curator
Ronald Van Dokkum (NL); Manfred Sukrow (D); Elvira Wersche (D/NL); Georges Uittenhout/Jan Willem Maris (NL); Goele De Bruyn (B); Gerda Van Kersbergen (NL); Neal Barab/Katherine Du Tiel (VS, Zomer van de Fotografie); Ruud Balk (NL)/Hester Doove (NL)/Michael Greweldinger (NL/B)/Renate Schwartz (NL)/Hans Tak (NL)/Ingrid Van Meer (B) Zomer van de Fotografie; Hélène Keil (B); Jean De Groote (B); Cel Crabeels (B)

Guest exhibitions of Parbleu in Het Hemelrijken in the context of Zuid-Nederlandse Ontmoetingen: Anne Boons (B) – Fred Boffin (B)

half December 1987 – end 1988
Zebra– location Vrijheidstraat 23, Antwerp
Curator
Paul Bartels (NL); Jos Jans (B); Horst Rickels (D/NL); Nel Van Ratingen (NL); Fred Boffin (B); Erica Uhlenbeck (NL) i.s.m. Torch, Amsterdam, Zomer van de Fotografie-Antwerpen; Renate Schwarz (NL); Ellen Augustynen (B) i.s.m. Transparant vzw, Antwerpen