Explore Trailblazers of the Abstract Art Exhibition at KMSKA Antwerp

This exhibition explores the intersection of the international De Stijl movement and Antwerp’s Modern Art Circle, showcasing their shared vision of geometric abstraction as a universal language. Visitors can explore how these avant-garde groups sought to transcend borders through painting, architecture, and design to build a new post-war world.

Following the destruction of the First World War, avant-garde artists across Europe sought to rebuild society through a new, universal aesthetic. This exhibition highlights the vibrant dialogue between Theo van Doesburg’s influential De Stijl movement and the lesser-known but equally significant Antwerp-based Modern Art Circle led by Jozef Peeters. By examining their shared commitment to geometric forms, bold colors, and an all-encompassing artistic idiom that extended into architecture and furniture, the display demonstrates how these artists envisioned art as a tool for creating new, interconnected communities. Central to the presentation is a rare maquette of the Café L’Aubette interior by Theo van Doesburg, on loan from the Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam. This dialogue is further enriched by a recently recovered work by Georges Vantongerloo, the only Belgian signatory of the De Stijl manifesto. Through a comprehensive selection of paintings, drawings, architectural designs, and magazines, the exhibition provides a stage for these visionary artists to re-examine their roles in shaping 20th-century abstraction.

The exhibition is located in the Print Room on the third floor and is included in the general museum admission ticket. No separate time slot booking is required for this exhibition.