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Food for thought

A History of Touch and Care

Grace Schwindt’s research in M’s collection

  • Lecture
05.06.25
Grace Schwindt aan het werk aan nieuwe productie ‘A History of Touch’ in atelier RR Keramiek Branden (Nl)

© Salto Productions

How do we deal with damage and restoration? What does care mean in both a museal and societal context? During this ‘Food for thought’ lecture, we will take you through artist Grace Schwindt’s in-depth research into damaged historical sculptures and their meaning.

A History of Touch

In 2023, Schwindt explored how damaged artworks are stored and restored in the museum depot and what stories these fractures tell. She engaged in conversations with depot manager Benedicte Dierickx, conservator Linda Temmink, and head of the old masters department Marjan Debaene, and worked closely with contemporary art curator Eva Wittocx. Her research culminated in the solo exhibition ‘A History of Touch’, where she reflects on damage, care, and restoration through new sculptures, watercolors, and paintings.

Learn more about the exhibition
Visitors in exhibition 'Grace Schwindt. A Touch of History' in M Leuven

Elias Derboven for M Leuven

Documentary: To Create Closeness

During the lecture, we will show excerpts from the documentary ‘To Create Closeness’, which captures Schwindt’s working process and her collaboration with M. The film illustrates how damaged historical sculptures can shift our perception of fragility, physicality, and trauma, and how M supports artists in their research and creation.

In the meantime, Grace Schwindt, Eva Wittocx, Marjan Debaene, Benedicte Dierickx, and Linda Temmink engage in conversation. Using the documentary excerpts as a starting point, they discuss themes from the research and the exhibition, such as conservation and restoration, and the broader significance of care and vulnerability—both within museums and society as a whole.

When?

  • Thursday 5 June 2025
  • 20:00 - 21:30

Where?

Language?

English

Price?

Free

Tickets?

Registration is required and can be done via this link.

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