Antony
Gormley
Geestgrond

From May to September 2026, British artist Antony Gormley, one of the world's leading contemporary sculptors, will join forces with the KMSKA. His exhibition Geestgrond. is curated by internationally renowned curator Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev.

Antony Gormley (London, 1950) gained worldwide fame with his sculptures and monumental installations that focus on the human body in space. His work explores how a person relates to architecture and landscape through the body. With minimal and powerful forms, and materials such as lead and iron, he raises fundamental questions about the position of humanity in relation to nature and the world.

This KMSKA exhibition explores the depths of Gormley's oeuvre, the museum's collection, and the layered foundations of our shared visual and material culture. What emerges extends beyond mere sculpture. It concerns emotion, physical perception, and our presence in the world.

The word Geestgrond refers to a type of light, sandy soil that was formed shortly after the Ice Age. This soil is mainly found in the northern part of Belgium and certain areas of the Netherlands and has become fertile with care. However, the title also carries symbolic meaning: geest refers to the soul or inner self, while grond means earth or soil. Geestgrond thus also becomes the foundation of inner life, the fertile ground from which sense and imagination grow. 

This idea manifests itself, among other things, in an intimate section called the Heart where early works, sketches, notebooks, drawings, photographs, books, materials and sources of inspiration and experiments come together and are organised as a Wunderkammer or contemporary dataset of the self. Here, the artist's creative process becomes visible: far-reaching, searching and powerful at the same time. 

Antony Gormley’s Geestgrond. neither begins nor ends at the entrance. The exhibition interacts with works from the permanent collection, and unfolds outdoors and throughout the building, across thresholds and halls. Gormley's sculptures are not confined to a single space but become part of the museum itself. They respond to the architecture, the artworks and, moving among them, the visitors.

The exhibition invites you to experience the museum as a living place of sensory exchange. Come and enjoy a unique encounter with art, space and time.