Hippocampus

The location carries a layered history: from habitation since the Mesolithic era, through the production of the renowned Pottelberg roof tiles, to the activities of Van Marcke and the internationally active Kunstwerkstede De Coene. The latter collaborated with leading figures such as Henry Van de Velde, Marcel Breuer, Charlotte Perriand, Jean Prouvé, Eero Saarinen, and Renaat Braem. De Coene also built several pavilions for Expo ’58, leaving a lasting mark on international modernist architecture and design. That dynamic legacy still resonates in Kortrijk today, where the area is being redeveloped under the name LandMarck into a breeding ground for innovative projects.

The buildings on the site reflect different periods of construction. Some facades still display the blue seahorse logo, designed in 1950 by Octave Landuyt for Van Marcke. This seahorse – hippocampus – appears as a symbol and a guide through the labyrinth of deserted factories and offices. It refers not only to the site’s history, but also to the brain region essential for memory and orientation. Just as the site reveals traces of its past and leads visitors through forgotten places, the hippocampus brings us back to memories and spatial signposts.

The exhibition brings together works by, among others, Elsemarijn Bruys, Arnaud Eubelen, Gordon Matta-Clark, Geert Goiris, Aglaia Konrad, Lawrence Lek, Brigitte Louter, Charlotte Posenenske, Shervin/e Sheikh Rezaei, and Lennart Lahuis. As we navigate the abandoned halls and corridors, the passage of time becomes palpable, and memories of both a near and distant past seem to linger in the air. Again and again, like a déjà vu, the winding shape of the seahorse appears as a spiritual guide through space and time.

Hippocampus opens on Saturday 13 September and runs until Sunday 2 November 2025. During this period, the exhibition is open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 10 am to 6 pm.

Part of the exhibition, including work by Gordon Matta-Clark, is freely accessible; tickets are required for the remaining sections.