Antony Gormley's 'Geestgrond' Brings Over 100 Works to KMSKA Antwerp
On May 23, 2026, Thaddaeus Ropac gallery announced that Antony Gormley's exhibition 'Geestgrond' has opened at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA). The show brings together over 100 works spanning more than four decades, including sculptures in clay, stone, wood, glass, bread, iron, lead, and steel. Curated by Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, the exhibition places Gormley's work in dialogue with the museum's architecture and pieces by artists such as Ensor, Rodin, and González, as well as medieval works from KMSKA's collection. Installed throughout the museum and extending beyond it, 'Geestgrond' is designed as a continuous spatial experience rather than a sequence of isolated galleries.
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The exhibition's title, 'Geestgrond', combines the Dutch words for spirit and earth, reflecting Gormley's refusal to separate the spiritual from the material. For collectors and curators, this survey underscores Gormley's sustained relevance in contemporary sculpture, particularly his investigation of the body as a site of knowledge amid technological change. The inclusion of historical works from KMSKA's collection signals a growing institutional trend of contextualizing contemporary practice within broader art historical narratives, offering a model for how museums can bridge past and present.
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- Artists: Antony Gormley, Ensor, Rodin, González
- People: Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev
- Galleries: Thaddaeus Ropac
- Museums: Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA)
- Locations: Antwerp
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