Ostend (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – More than 120 artists dedicated their artistic talents to express their homage to Thermae Palace and Royal Galleries through unique postcard collections.
The artists produced exclusive postcard designs to honour the Thermae Palace and Royal Galleries, with their work surpassing 120 creations. The exhibition currently extends throughout three city locations, displaying 229 artworks that artists developed after submitting them to the 2023 call. The collection started as a reaction to proposed tall residential buildings that would encompass the Thermae Palace parking lot until organisers successfully stopped the development.
Curator Irène Philips indicated that the exhibition included artists with local roots as well as participants from around the world who, including a Belarusian artist. John Crombez, the mayor of Ostend, devoted his presence to the exhibition opening, where he lauded the event for effectively displaying why these historic buildings matter.
“124 artists responded to the call and created a total of 229 works of art,”
explains curator Irène Philips.
Curator Irène Philips is tired but satisfied.
“We did this to support the vzw Dement, which is the heritage association of Ostend that opposes the mutilation of the city by construction projects and the plans for the residential towers behind the Royal Galleries in particular. The participating artists come from home and abroad. There is even someone from Belarus.”
Mayor John Crombez (Vooruit) also came to take a look during the opening.
“There are some really great things in there,”
he thinks.
“The fate of the buildings is not only alive in Ostend but also elsewhere in Flanders. No wonder, because this is one of the most striking places in our city. This expo is a really nice way to draw attention to the matter.”
What is the historical and cultural significance of Ostend’s Thermae palace and royal galleries?
The Thermae Palace from 1933 serves as a prime example of modernist architecture in Ostend and stands beside the Royal Galleries, which were built in 1906 with neoclassical design. The two structures draw large numbers of tourists each year because they maintain substantial cultural and historical value. As a former seaside luxury hotel that earned official monument protection, the Thermae Palace now stands as a symbol of Ostend’s coastal history, and the Royal Galleries, which extend 380 meters along the beach, were established in 1906.
The dispute regarding urban development escalated in recent years when city planners proposed building residential buildings on Thermae Palace parking spaces in 2022. The development proposal received firm resistance from heritage preservation organisations, including Vzw Dement, who contended the skyscraper buildings would mar both the city environment and its historical identity.
The combined public demonstrations and petition signatures, resulting in over 5,000 signatures, prompted authorities to suspend the project during the last quarter of 2023.
The public request for artwork at postcard dimensions emerged following the dispute to establish public recognition regarding building conservation efforts. The exhibition reveals a broad interest in Ostend’s architectural history, with 124 artists from 229 entries across international borders joining the exhibition.
Statistical records from tourism activities demonstrate a vital economic impact of Thermae Palace together with Royal Galleries, since Ostend receives 3 million tourists each year. The exhibition exposed the continuing struggle between economic advancement and architectural preservation in Belgian coastal metropolitan zones.
