curated by Philippe Braem and the Portiers van de Oceaan
16 June 2022, Ostend, Belgium
‘James’, the 18-piece artwork by Hans Verhaegen from 2020 based on the famous ‘unreadable’ book Ulysses by James Joyce, will be exhibited in the municipal library of Ostend for a special Bloomsday celebration.
From a distance, each of the 18 chapters (Telemachus, Nestor, Proteus, Calypso, Lotus Eaters, Hades, Aeolus, Lestrygonians, Scylla and Charybdis, Wandering Rocks, Sirens, Cyclops, Nausica, Oxen Of The Sun, Circe, Emaeus, Ithaka, Penelope) appear as a rectangle in a slightly different shade of gray. Up close, the viewer, with or without glasses, can sometimes just make out the playful figures which are characteristic for the oeuvre of Hans Verhaegen.
About this Bloomsday event:
This long-standing event, honouring James Joyce’s Ulysses – published 100 years ago in 1922 – and the protagonist of the novel, Leopold Bloom, which originated in Dublin and is now celebrated around the world, always falls on 16 June - the day that is immortalised in the book. James Joyce also enjoyed a summer holiday in Ostend in 1926, with his wife, Nora, and their two children. (Further reading see: James Joyce in Ostend by Xavier Tricot (Pandora, 2020)
For this celebration a special gazette ‘Ostende!‘ featuring original texts on James Joyce and other cultural figures associated with the city. With contributions by Dirk Beirens, Philippe Braem, Koen Broucke, Paul Claes, Adriaan Gonnissen, Geert Leernout, Nicola Nord, Koen Peeters, Jean-Yves Plamont, Helen Simpson, Els Snick, Hendrik Tratsaert, Xavier Tricot, Jef Van Eynde, Lieven Van Den Abeele and Hans Verhaegen. Designed by Lodewijk Joye.
Participants in this festive day willl be able to follow in Joyce’s footsteps as they stroll along the promenade and enjoy readings from Ulysses in different languages and dialects, attending a picnic (bring your own) and more…
Feel like dressing up? We’ll be celebrating in the style of 1926, the year of Joyce’s stay in Ostend. Costumes delightful but not obligatory.
