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| Centre de la Gravure et de l'Image imprimée | |
|---|---|
| Name | Centre de la Gravure et de l'Image imprimée |
| Established | 1981 |
| Location | Anderlecht, Brussels, Belgium |
| Type | Printmaking museum |
Centre de la Gravure et de l'Image imprimée is a museum and cultural institution in Anderlecht, Brussels, devoted to printmaking, graphic arts, and contemporary engraving. Founded in 1981, the institution curates collections, organizes exhibitions, and hosts educational programs that connect historical print traditions with contemporary practices. Its activities situate the centre within Belgian and international networks of museums, biennials, academies, and artist residencies.
The foundation of the centre in 1981 followed initiatives by local collectors, artists, and municipal authorities in Belgium, prompted by precedents such as the revival of print workshops in Paris, the influence of institutions like the British Museum and the Museum of Modern Art, and the growth of graphic arts festivals such as the Venice Biennale and the São Paulo Art Biennial. Early directors forged collaborations with ateliers in Antwerp, exchanges with the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Antwerp), and acquisitions related to artists connected to Flanders and Wallonia. During the 1990s the centre expanded programming in parallel with European cultural policies influenced by the European Commission and partnerships with the Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp and the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. Notable moments include retrospectives that engaged prints by figures associated with Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Francis Bacon, and print exchanges with institutions such as the National Gallery (London) and the Prado Museum.
The collection emphasizes original prints, plates, and multiples, ranging from historical etchings to contemporary multiples by artists linked to Belgian surrealism, Fluxus, and international movements. Holdings include works by printmakers associated with James Ensor, René Magritte, Paul Delvaux, Pierre Alechinsky, Joseph Beuys, Karel Appel, and contemporary artists active in residencies tied to Wiels and the PasquArt centre. The archive comprises portfolios, artist books, matrices, and documentation comparable to collections at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the Albertina, and the British Library. The centre also conserves prints by internationally recognized figures such as Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Anselm Kiefer, Louise Bourgeois, Edvard Munch, Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt van Rijn, and postwar print series connected to Giorgio Morandi and Jean Dubuffet.
Exhibition programming ranges from solo retrospectives to thematic surveys and traveling shows that intersect with festivals like the Print Biennale of Ljubljana and collaborations with institutions such as the Tate Modern, the Centre Pompidou, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo. Temporary exhibitions have presented monographic shows on figures including Luc Tuymans, Marcel Broodthaers, Gerhard Richter, Vik Muniz, and Kiki Smith, as well as thematic projects addressing techniques practiced at the Osaka University of Arts print workshops or by collectives linked to Printmaking Today. The centre organizes acquisition projects, curatorial residencies, and curated exchanges with the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the National Gallery of Art, and regional institutions such as La Cambre and École des Beaux-Arts de Paris.
Educational initiatives include workshops, lectures, and school programs developed with partners like the Université libre de Bruxelles, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and municipal cultural services in Anderlecht. The centre offers printmaking courses taught by practitioners trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Ghent), masterclasses featuring visiting artists from the Royal College of Art and the Slade School of Fine Art, and youth programs aligned with curricula of the European Council of Museums. Outreach extends to collaborative projects with community organizations, biennials, and international residency networks including exchanges with the Cité internationale des Arts and print workshops in Berlin, Warsaw, and Lisbon.
Housed in a renovated industrial complex in Anderlecht, the building integrates exhibition galleries, technical studios, a specialized library, and conservation labs comparable in scope to facilities at the Rijksmuseum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Studios are equipped for etching, lithography, screen printing, and relief printing, and support collaborations with print ateliers such as Atelier 17 legacies and contemporary workshops in Ghent and Antwerp. The library and archive maintain collections of catalogues raisonnés, auction catalogues from houses like Sotheby's and Christie's, and documentation paralleling holdings of the International Print Center New York.
Governance combines municipal oversight by the Municipality of Anderlecht with boards incorporating representatives from cultural agencies including the Flemish Community, the Walloon Region, and national ministries. Funding is diversified through public subsidies, project grants from the European Cultural Foundation, sponsorships by foundations similar to the King Baudouin Foundation, and partnerships with private patrons and auction houses. Strategic planning aligns with cultural policies promoted by institutions such as the Council of Europe and networks including the European Network of Cultural Centres.