The title Memento Mons invites us to meditate on the brevity of life and our insignificance in the face of the great ensemble formed by time, matter and space. Man is only on Earth for a limited time. Historical artefacts are silent witnesses to this transitional stay. What is the value of a canon of modern beauty compared with ancient aesthetic models, with human works that have already earned their place in the pages of history?           

Memento Mons is the result of a selection of objects from a rich heritage, of various artistic forms that interlink and form a narrative. From this connection – or clash – come sparks of unsuspected beauty and unexpected tensions that offer the visitor another perspective. And it is clear that, regardless of the era in question, the feelings and emotions evoked by these objects do not change fundamentally.

The historic collections of Mons, the works of contemporary art, and the applied arts rub shoulders in the manner of cabinets of curiosities where, formerly, were exposed rarities where collected to better understand the world. A step-by-step discovery where the subject falls into several themes to highlight its topicality. 

Exhibiting artists: A Kassen / Alejandro Monge / Alexandre Humbert / Alexis Arnold / Andrea Mastrovito / anne marie laureys ceramics / Antonino Spoto / Arnaud Sprimont / BeCraft / Boaz Arad / Bram Vanderbeke / Bosco Sodi / Caroline Andrin / Dan Wolgers / David Altmejd / Elisa Insúa / Gil Shachar / Huub Vinken / John Isaacs / Jonathan Callan / Justine Smith / Kristof Kintera / Levi van Veluw / Li Hongbo / Maarten Baas / Maddalena Ambrosio / Maria Nepomuceno / Marion Auburtin / Mark Wagner / Mehdi-Georges Lahlou / Miler Lagos / Nicola Bolla / Nobert Ghisoland / Nora De Rudder / Otis Laubert / Philippe Luiz / P.O.C. / Richard Hutten / Richard Stipl / Rogan Brown / Therese Lebrun / Wim Botha / Zeger Reyers