Jaarboek KMSKA 2013-2014

At various points over the course of the 20th century, the Belgian
State and its various ministries and provinces consciously chose to
subsidise not only the fine arts but also the applied and decorative
arts, and in particular the art of weaving tapestry. On the one
hand, orders were placed for World Exhibitions and for Belgian
embassies, and on the other competitions were held for tapestries
to be hung in important locations such as the United Nations and
NATO headquarters, and the exhibitions that were organized by
the various ministries over the years. They provided an overview of
the ways in which this branch of the arts was changing as well as
representative work by the best tapestry designers. The exhibitions
organized by the provincial authorities give quite a different image.
There were the highly conventional exhibitions of Brabantine tapestries
to promote the craftsmanship of the province and there were
the more innovative textile exhibitions.

Taken as a whole, the commissions, competitions and exhibitions
give a good overview of what was happening in Belgium in the
field of tapestry over the period 1945-1980. They also make it
clear what image was being projected abroad: that of a country
with rich traditions, master craftsmanship in weaving, and in the
1970s some affiliation to the latest developments in European textile
art.