Beaufort, the controversial art triennial along the Belgian coast, is currently on display. From Knokke to De Panne, you can see various large-scale sculptures along the coastline.
This time, Beaufort’s art makes you think. These are not just beautiful images, but they have to do with the climate and the question of how we deal with the sea.
A good example of this is the work ‘Beach Castle’ by the French artist Jean-François Fourtou. When you drive into Knokke, it is the first work of art you see. It looks like an enormous pile of white blocks, but if you look closer, you will recognize the well-known beach houses. They are exact copies of the houses that stand on the beach from Knokke to De Panne. Fourtou’s sculpture consists of nine of these copies, which seem to have ended up on top of each other randomly, crookedly. It gives the impression of chaos, as if the houses were left behind in this way by a hurricane. This has made the sculpture a vision of the future, which contains a warning: are these the consequences that we will have to deal with in time due to global warming?
Another example is the artwork on the coast of De Panne by Jos de Gruyter and Harald Thys. This is the last image on the Beaufort route. ‘The three wise guys’ are three enormously high columns with life-size portraits on them. The columns are no less than fifteen meters high and stare out over the sea into the distance. An impressive image with an equally impressive idea behind it: the three heads look into our uncertain future from a great height.
The message that Beaufort 2018 conveys is clear: think about the future and climate change. The art route along the Belgian coast shows in this way that art cannot only be experienced aesthetically, or not aesthetically, but its influence extends much further. Boronski also does not only intend to give the viewer an aesthetic experience with his art, but he also wants to encourage reflection with his art. Not specifically about climate change, but about the responsibility that you have as an individual. Do not leave the reflection to others and do not accept anything blindly, but take your own responsibility and always try to look with an unbiased eye.
Beaufort makes us think about the future and the climate. Boronski wants to encourage us with his art to think for ourselves and always to form our own vision. By looking at his art, he hopes to surprise and amaze the viewer. In this way, Boronski encourages us not to be afraid of things that are unknown, but to embrace every form of diversity. Art can encourage us to think. Perhaps in a way that nothing else can.
