‘The Pursuit of Knowledge’: M and KU Leuven join forces

KU Leuven is celebrating its 600th anniversary with a wealth of events. One of which is ‘The Pursuit of Knowledge’ at M, an exhibition dedicated to the university’s study collection of educational and research-related objects. Highlights include dinosaur models and plaster casts, a giant deer, and even an engine.

But how do you actually organize a joint exhibition? Who does what? How do you complement one another most effectively? We asked Annelies Vogels, Exhibitions Assistant at KU Leuven, and Babette Rummens, Exhibition Coordinator at M.

Annelies: “Of course, this isn’t the first time the university and the museum have collaborated. In fact, we’ve been doing so right from the start. M’s very first exhibition, in 2009, was dedicated to Rogier van der Weyden. It was curated by Jan Van der Stock, lecturer in the Art History Research Group at KU Leuven. At the time, I was already involved in the exhibition, although in a different role. Then there are the city festivals, such as ‘BANG!’, a collaboration between M, the City of Leuven, and the university. In other words, our two institutions are deeply intertwined.”

“I am one of the curators of ‘The Pursuit of Knowledge’. Together with four colleagues, we defined the themes and made a broad selection of the objects we wanted to exhibit. Two years ago, we brought that substantive concept to M.”

Kennis in zicht — © Josefien Tondeleir voor M Leuven

Museum spectacles

Babette: “That’s when a phase starts that I particularly appreciate: the exhibition becomes concrete, but equally, there are still a number of paths we can go down. There is still time and space to shape the project into something that everyone supports. That’s when the collaboration truly begins, and you feel: this is something we’re really going to stand behind together.”

“Immediately after this first presentation, I put on my museum spectacles: how are we going to exhibit these objects to the public under the best possible conditions? How do we present the story convincingly? To answer these questions, we established an interdisciplinary project group of museum colleagues – communications, production, public engagement, and so on. An exhibition is supported by many hands, both here in the museum and at KU Leuven.”

Annelies: “M is a very well-oiled machine, with years of experience – you really feel that. KU Leuven also has a great deal of heritage, but we are first and foremost an education and research institution, while M is above all a museum. That museum experience is highly valuable.”

“And at M you also immediately have access to an audience: many visitors come regularly. You can also see exhibitions in the University Library, but people don’t always make the connection. I think KU Leuven can sometimes be a little intimidating for a wide audience. With the programme for KU Leuven’s 600th anniversary, we are throwing open our doors to the general public, but it is still a different situation from M, where reaching an audience and sharing collections are the main mission.”

Wealth

Babette: “For me, the strength of the university lies in its enormous in-house expertise. For example, we’ve had a highly fruitful collaboration on the theme of ‘The Changing Gaze.’”

Annelies: “Yes, that gallery features pieces from the African collection that were acquired during the colonial period. We also show medical teaching films from around 1900, which depict patients in vulnerable positions. They reduce people to medical ‘objects,’ often without their consent. It’s all highly sensitive, which is why we brought in experts to help select and contextualize the material.”

Babette: “In the exhibition, you see interviews with these experts, and the presentation also highlights the pieces very effectively. That’s where the university’s in-depth expertise and our museum experience dovetail beautifully, in my opinion.”

“M is an art museum, so for us this is a somewhat atypical exhibition. For me personally, it was also something new: discovering this wealth of objects at KU Leuven – sometimes tucked away in cellars and attics. The sheer volume of what is stored there is incredible. In any case, it has made me look at the university with new eyes. If the same happens for visitors, then we have achieved what we set out to do.”

One ticket, two locations

In 2025, KU Leuven is celebrating its 600th anniversary with an expansive festive programme, including the exhibitions ‘The Pursuit of Knowledge’ at M and ‘Routes to Knowledge’ in the University Library. Together, the exhibitions reflect on six centuries of the university’s history in Leuven. In ‘The Pursuit of Knowledge’, visitors come face to face with a selection of fascinating study objects that span the centuries, all of which have been collected by the university. In ‘Routes to Knowledge’, the story unfolds across six hundred years of KU Leuven via the lives – both modest and illustrious – of remarkable individuals who either worked or studied there: from young minds with lofty dreams to scientists who pushed boundaries.

With a discount combi ticket, you can visit both exhibitions.

More info