On Saturday, 29 March 2025, the Belgian city of Kortrijk welcomed a new museum to its cultural landscape. Abby, as the museum is called, presents a playful collection that combines historical artefacts with contemporary art.
Abby does sound quite similar to Abbey and this is no coincidence. The new museum is located behind the beguinage site in Kortrijk, on the grounds of the historic Groeninge Abbey. From 2007 to 2021, the site housed the ‘Kortrijk 1302’ museum. Following two years of construction, the space now opens as Abby. The architecture reflects a creative blend of old and new, with the standout feature being the tower-shaped structure of the museum café, designed by Barozzi Veiga and TAB Architecten.
Inside, visitors will find a dynamic, biennially changing collection titled the ReCollection. The displays feature objects from the city’s Visual Art, Decorative Art, and Urban History collections. These pieces are curated into vibrant exhibitions that merge historical and modern elements.
Rinus Van de Velde curates ‘The Living Room’
To celebrate the opening of Abby, two temporary exhibitions have set up camp. Firstly, Abby’s The Living Room space has been curated by famous Belgian artist Rinus Van de Velde, showing a mix of colourful, playful furniture mixing art and practicality. His set-up will be on show until September 2026.
“It sits in between design and art, because it had to be functional. The idea is for people to come and sit here, meet each other. I’m impatient to see how this space will be used. You can grab the furniture, regroup, slide in a chair like you do in your own living room. Anything is possible, it’s super organic. I hope the playfulness of the objects also invites you to treat them playfully”, Rinus Van de Velde tells Belgian news outlet VRT NWS.
Exploring evolving traditions in ‘Fklore’**
Secondly, 37 artists show how traditions, rituals, and craftsmanship are continuously evolving in “F**klore. Reinventing tradition”. The exhibition will be on show until September 2025 and includes works by artists such as Wim Delvoye, Patrick Van Caeckenbergh, Dennis Tyfus, Jean Brusselmans, and Gustave De Smet.
“We have had and taken the opportunity to think carefully about what a museum can and should be today. Who defines what art, artists, and communities are? We bring all these layers, identities and perspectives together here, as a meeting place. It is a warm invitation for visitors to make the museum their own”, Sarah Keymeulen, Abby’s director, tells VRT NWS.
The bill for the conception of the new museum, which ended up costing € 18.5 million, was split in half by the City of Kortrijk and Flanders. Over the coming years, Abby’s operation will mainly be sponsored by the city, which hopes to be welcoming 75,000 visitors per year.
Abby is located in Begijnhofpark, 8500 Kortrijk, and is open to visitors from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, Tuesday to Sunday. The museum remains closed on Mondays. Standard admission is priced at €12.
