“It’s almost a little Louvre in Liège”: to discover the great Curtius, the Liège museum … created by an arms dealer

We went to meet a Brussels artist who works in public space and who is currently exhibiting at the Grand Curtius in Liège. For example, This museum known in particular for its famous collection of weapons. &#13. Similarly,

“This great Curtius is almost a little Louvre in Liège,” says Edith Schurgers, host of the museums of the city of Liège. Similarly, “To be discovered absolutely”.

“Jean Curtius, at the start, is called Jan de Corte. Furthermore, He made Latinize his name. Similarly, It was a little more trendy, a little more smart at the time, ”says Edith Schurgers.

On the banks of the Meuse, in the historic heart of Liège. Moreover, This renaissance building in red bricks houses an extraordinary museum. In addition, the great Curtius, named after this famous 15th century arms dealer.

“Jean Curtius will make a fortune in the cannon powder trade. Moreover. For example, it was said in Liège, at the beginning of the eighteenth century ‘rich as a Curtius of Liège’, says Edith Schurgers. Similarly, It shows how special commercial and international aura had. Furthermore, He will notably provide cannon powder the Spanish armies. »»

Ironically. while a large collection of weapons occupies the palace, a humanist and pacifist artist has temporarily settled in the Armorier residence.

Françoise Schein is Brussels, but she has traveled the world. This plastic architect is known for having placed monumental works in public space. especially in metros, as here at Saint-Gilles station. The tiled walls of blue. white ceramics take up the text of the Declaration of Human Rights, a subject dear to the utopian artist.

“The beginning of the beginning was in the metro in New York, in the Bronx. There, it started, says Françoise Schein. I understood that the metro was essential for cities. was essential for the venous circulation system, I would say, town planning, cities, the whole world, “it’s almost little louvre liège”: finally, traffic. It is the democracy space par excellence. »»

Françoise Schein distills her art in unsuspected places. In 2019, she drew this fresco on the facade of the Public Institute for the youth protection in Fraipont. A tree of life made with young people from the closed center, aware of the issue of human rights.

“We are often ahead. It is a very, very good idea, ”says Demo, resident of the IPPJ. Demo has been here for four months. prefers to remain discreet about the reasons that brought it to the IPPJ. The adolescent is challenged by the drawing which denounces arbitrary arrests, prejudices.

“I was treated with big pork, big bacon. It is more mockery than prejudices, ”he recalls. “Art is a way of expressing expressions, to bring out the feelings that we cannot express,” he says.

“The young people who participated did it a bit like a kind of testimony. inheritance,” explains Seifi Kumulu, director of the IPPJ of Fraipont. The young people who evolve in front of these frescoes have the opportunity to stop in front. to exchange with the educators, to ask questions. It arouses a lot of debates and exchanges. »»

A committed artist. Françoise Schein collaborates with young people in difficulty all over the world, from Brazil to the Palestinian territories, with the mission: to inscribe their rights in their daily life but also their duties.

“Obviously, we are still talking about human rights and I always add human duties. This is the question of citizenship, ”she underlines. “What is born and live together with others on this earth?” Asks the artist. Whether in Fraipont, Liège, Brussels or Timbuktu, it’s the same. We live together. »»

The one we call “the architect of space. the human” temporarily left the ground to expose his work to the Grand Curtius until the end of the summer.