It’s hard not to smile when you spot Erwin Wurm’s bent yacht Misconceivable perched above Middelheim castle moat. It provides the perfect introduction to the quirky art on display in Middelheim sculpture park.
Located in the rich Antwerp suburbs, the park has a fascinating collection of Belgian and international sculpture. Wander around and you will come across quirky works such as the tiny mechanical bird Archaeopterix Lithografica by the Antwerp artist Panamarenko that sits on top of a dead tree flapping its wings helplessly.
You sometimes have to hunt to find the hidden artworks such as Guillaume Bijl’s Roman Street which looks like a genuine archaeological site, complete with a notice in three languages stating that the stretch of broken paving dates from 39BC. It was in fact placed here by Bijl in 1994.
Other works are equally deceptive, such as Alik Cavaliere’s Omgeving, which looks like a street of typical Belgian town houses, until you look around the back to discover it is simply a row of façades, like a film set.
The museum also has a sculpture pavilion designed by the Belgian modernist artist Renaat Braam and a stylish cafe located in the former castle. The perfect trip for a summer afternoon.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
