Geert Bekaert
Geert Bekaert (1928–2016) was a Belgian architectural critic and writer on art and design. He was one of the most prolific non-fiction writers in the Dutch language of the late 20th-century.[1] As a young man he was for some years a member of the Society of Jesus.[2]
Bekaert's collected essays were published in nine volumes, 1985–2012.[3] A selection of his essays has been published in English translation under the title Rooted in the Real (Ghent, 2008).[4]
Biography
[edit]Shortly after the Second World War, in 1946, Bekaert joined the Society of Jesus. As a Jesuit, he pursued studies in classical philology, art history, theology, and philosophy. In 1950, he made his debut with a text on the work of sculptor Bert Servaes in De Linie, a magazine published through Belgian-Dutch collaboration by the Society of Jesus. Bekaert continued to publish on art and architecture in De Linie, as well as in the review Streven, likewise published with Jesuit editorial involvement.[5]
In 1958, Bekaert curated the exhibition "Ars Sacra" at Saint Peter's Church, Leuven, in collaboration with art and design critic K. N. Elno. Well into the 1960s, he played a crucial role in the discussion and theoretical development regarding secularized art vis-a-vis new, modern church architecture. In 1966, he published a booklet on the first theme with Davidsfonds, entitled Pop, het wezen van de kunst (Pop: the essence of art). His first major book on church architecture, entitled In een of ander huis: Kerkbouw op een keerpunt, was published by Lannoo in 1967.[6]
In 2006 Ghent University acquired his library for its Faculty of Engineering and Architecture.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Christophe Van Gerrewey, Geert Bekaert (1928-2016) Archived 2016-09-19 at the Wayback Machine, A+ Architecture in Belgium, 12 September 2016. Accessed 13 September 2016.
- ^ Ludo Bekkers, In memoriam Geert Bekaert, Knack, 13 September 2016. Accessed 14 September 2016.
- ^ Christophe Van Gerrewey, Architectuur als overlevingskans. Geert Bekaert Archived 2017-01-16 at the Wayback Machine, Streven, Feb. 2015. Accessed 13 September 2016.
- ^ Arjen Oosterman, Reading Geert Bekaert, Archis Publishers blog, 30 April 2014. Accessed 13 September 2016.
- ^ Francis Strauven (2017). "In Memoriam Geert Bekaert". Streven (84) – via dbnl.
- ^ Hopkins, Claudia; Whyte, Iain Boyd (2020). Hot Art, Cold War: Western and Northern European Writing on American Art 1945-1990. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-351-18765-7.
- ^ Overlijden Prof. Geert Bekaert Archived 2016-09-19 at the Wayback Machine, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, University of Ghent. Accessed 13 September 2016.
External links
[edit]- Geert Bekaert, "Wie over architectuur wil spreken, sta op, en zwijge." Wonen–TABK, June 1983, pp. 10–27. In Dutch. Available online Archived 2016-09-19 at the Wayback Machine.
- Publications available through the Digital Library for Dutch Literature: https://www.dbnl.org/auteurs/auteur.php?id=beka003
