Ostend (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The 9th edition of The Crystal Ship arts festival in Oostende (March 31 to April 12, 2025) will have an advisory board pick projects, not one curator. Peter Craeymeersch highlights themes of change, growth, and hope. The slogan is now “Change is for everybody.”
The 9th annual arts festival will happen from March 31 to April 12, 2025. Artists from different places will come to the city. They will create art installations and murals.
An advisory board will pick the works instead of just one curator. This change aims to make the process more open and friendly. The board will have experts from various fields. They will look at the artwork to ensure it fits the festival’s goals. They also want to offer new ideas to the audience.
What changes are coming to the 9th Oostende arts festival?
An advisory board will pick the works instead of just one curator. This change aims to make the process more open and friendly. The board will have experts from various fields. They will look at the artwork to ensure it fits the festival’s goals. They also want to offer new ideas to the audience.
Peter Craeymeersch said:
This year’s updates show the festival’s commitment to growth and improvement.
He mentioned that one major change is happening. This change will allow for more teamwork and creativity. This year, 2025, the festival will focus on themes like change, growth, and hope.
We are looking at the festival with a fresh perspective and we want to innovate,
says Peter Craeymeersch, general manager of Toerisme Oostende vzw.
The festival has a new way to choose artists. An advisory board will select six art projects based on their experience and vision for the festival. At the same time, artists can also nominate themselves for a chance to be included. This two-part process allows for a mix of different voices and helps new artists get involved. By combining selected projects with open submissions, the festival aims to showcase both established artists.
To support the festival’s theme, the first artwork created for the event has been updated. The well-known slogan “Art is for everybody,” which was displayed on a wall along the A10 motorway, has been changed with the help of the artist Mister Fiksit.
The new slogan now reads, “Change is for everybody.” It encourages everyone to embrace change as part of the artistic journey. Authorities mentioned that the new message aims to inspire people and shows the festival’s commitment to making art accessible and meaningful for all.
The festival is changing how it selects projects after the removal of former curator Björn Van Poucke in September 2024. Van Poucke had worked on past editions of the festival. He said that the changes this year mean a fresh start for the festival. There will be a focus on being open and working together in choosing art. With this new approach, the festival hopes to keep its good reputation in contemporary art while building trust with artists and the audience.
