AL GAL - Inkijk in het universum van GAL

History repeats itself

Gerard Alsteens has been creating graphic and visual work all his life. His oeuvre is extremely broad and includes drawings, paintings, sculptures, book designs, stamps and posters. The quality of his graphic and visual work is beyond dispute: in 1980, for example, he participated in the Venice Biennale. And he is also the creator of an ever-growing collection of wondrous objects, painted bottles, panels and other curious creations. A collection that until now, unfortunately, was rarely or never on display.

Some time ago, I wrote a book about amazement. Among other things, I talked about the fact that we are all naturally curious and that, as children, everything seems like a miracle. Unfortunately, most of us lose that open-mindedness somewhere along the road to adulthood. The fire of curiosity is gradually extinguished and there is little room for imagination or amazement in everyday life. The most interesting people manage to hang on to their open-mindedness. That is what often makes them so good at what they do. Gerard Alsteens has always kept an open mind, which is what makes him such an interesting artist and such a wonderful man.

–Caroline Pauwels