The artist Aglaia Konrad (Salzburg, 1960) has an infectious fascination for architecture. At FOMU’s invitation, she created the exhibition Umbau specifically for the top floor of the museum.

Since the 1990s Konrad has been photographing urban processes in various metropolises. She approaches the work like an archaeologist, sifting through the layers of meaning - from the choice of materials to the underlying ideology. Her new photographic series on the subject of Ghent’s Boekentoren takes centre stage. The German title Umbau (rebuilding; change) refers not only to the recent renovation of this iconic building but also to Konrad’s creative process: from construction to deconstruction and vice versa. Umbau offers viewers a fresh look at architecture and architectural history.

Aglaia Konrad lives and works in Brussels. She studied and later became a mentor at the Jan van Eyck Academy in Maastricht and teaches at the LUCA School of Arts in Brussels. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Museum M, Leuven; Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam; Le Bal, Paris; and documenta X.

The central exhibition structure in FOMU Half-timbered, 2022 was designed by artist Richard Venlet for the occasion.

Artists: Aglaia Konrad