raf van severen gallery

After the success of the first edition last summer, Raf van Severen, together with Maya Bogaert, will once again lend his shopfront for 5 weekends to contemporary artists in Virtual/Vitrine from 18 June. Art lovers can indulge themselves at the second expo of Virtual/Vitrine in Galerie Raf Van Severen (Antwerp). An initiative by Raf Van Severen and Maya Bogaert that - spread over five weekends - puts five artists in the spotlight. The ideal opportunity to plan a weekend of culture and be surprised by new art talent. The corona crisis hit the art sector hard: galleries closed their doors, artists had to stay in their room and their creations were left behind in abandoned exhibition spaces. During the first lockdown, art dealer and gallery owner Raf Van Severen and creative centipede Maya Bogaert put their heads together. The duo were determined to make art accessible, even if the government would (again) impose restrictions on the cultural sector. This is how their Virtual/Vitrine concept was born! An initiative with which they offer artists an off- and online stage on the one hand and build a community of art lovers on the other. In June 2020 they launched a first Open Call for artists and selected 14 artists from a lot of applications. Each artist was put in the spotlight on social media for a week and received a two-day pop-up expo in the showcase of Galerie Raf Van Severen. Everything was thought of! In the event of a new lockdown, the works of art would continue to be admired thanks to the large display case. 5 weekends, 5 artists - After a successful first edition in 2020, there will also be a pop-up Virtual/Vitrine this summer in Galerie Raf Van Severen on the Godefriduskaai in Antwerp, opposite the MAS. A second Open Call with a four-member jury selected five artists on the basis of their motivation, portfolio and talent, the originality of the proposed Vitrine project and the extent to which it matches the vision of Virtual/Vitrine. The lucky five will exhibit their work during one of the expo weekends during the summer.