M in the showcase
Summer Course on Medieval and Renaissance sculpture
M is organising another Summer Course for the Study of the Arts in Flanders. This year’s edition – on Medieval and Renaissance Sculpture – runs from 23 June to 3 July. The course is organised in collaboration with the Flemish Art Collection and numerous museum and scientific partners.
Some fifteen young researchers will soon be heading to Leuven for a 10-day programme of lectures, workshops and excursions, curated and managed by M. The museum is active in the field of medieval sculpture through the international research network ARDS.
Zaalzicht 'Albast', 2022, M Leuven, foto: © Diederik Craps voor M Leuven
Breaking news
The landmark exhibition ‘DIERIC BOUTS. Creator of Images’ was widely covered by the international press. As many as 120 articles on ‘our’ Dieric were published in foreign newspapers and magazines.
Eline Willaert voor M Leuven
Triptychs return to St Peter’s church
St Peter’s Church and M might be a stone’s throw apart, but the triptychs by the Leuven master Dieric Bouts had never made the journey. In recent months, ‘The Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus’ and ‘The Last Supper’ have been true crowd-pullers in the retrospective exhibition ‘DIERIC BOUTS. Creator of Images’ and the focus exhibition ‘Atelier Bouts’ (until 28 April).
‘The Last Supper’ had to be removed from its frame for transportation, which presented an ideal opportunity for it to be examined by David Lainé of the conservation and restoration institute, IPARC. Through MACRO XRF scanning and infrared reflectography, he made valuable new discoveries about the underdrawing and pigments that Bouts used in his work.
The triptychs will be returned to St Peter’s Church, the place for which Bouts created them, on 8 May.
© Lionel Dutrieux
Extra storage space planned
M’s collection continues to grow. Good news indeed, but with a downside: the looming shortage of storage space. Which is why the City of Leuven has decided to purchase an 880 m2 garage in the Hanengang, adjacent to the museum. In the coming years, this will be converted into a sustainable depot where we can store works from the collection in optimal conditions. It will also accommodate researchers, restorers and collection registrars. A direct connection to M will minimise transport. We hope to have it up and running by 2030.
30.000
M’s events attracted an audience of almost 30,000 people in 2023. Just think of M-IDZOMER, the Summer of M and the exhibition openings, but also events organised by external partners. M has over 3,000 m² of floor space available for hire.
Zomer van M, 2023, M Leuven, foto: © Diederik Craps voor M Leuven
