The Inside Story. Art & Interior 1750-1950

ThIS
Department(s) 
Department of Art, music and theatre sciences
Other institution(s) 
VUB, Department of Architectural Engineering, æ-lab research team, Renovation and Reuse
VUB, Kunstwetenschappen & Archeologie
Contact 
Research focus 
Research Region 
Research Language 
Tags 
Design history
Art objects
Architecture
Interior design
Art history
Art collections

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Activities

NEWS/ NIEUWS !

 

CFPs

 

PAST activities (co-)organised by ThIS, or participated at by ThIS members: 

About

The Inside Story: Art & Interior 1750-1950 (ThIS) investigates art as related to architecture and the interior, between c. 1750 and 1950. It is an interdisciplinary research team, initiated in 2016, between Ghent University and Vrije Universiteit Brussel, with members from the Art History and Architectural Engineering departments. ThIS considers the place and role of art within architecture and the interior, the history of interiors, and the decorative arts. Starting from artworks, material objects, visual and textual sources, and inspired by the challenges of present-day living and the possibilities of digital technologies, ThIS studies underexposed art and historic interiors with an eye for heritage policy and for gender issues.

ThIS focuses on Belgium in an international context, as there is still a great deal of research potential, and many artists, artworks and historic interiors from the period 1750-1950 are still underexposed and often vulnerable. Through knowledge and expertise exchange, impetus can be given to better protection and preservation of this heritage. Annually, ThIS organises a colloquium on historic interiors and design in Ghent (Studiedag Historisch Interieur en Design), bringing together heritage professionals and scholars from various disciplines and institutions. Regularly, ThIS also co-organized/s international conferences, a.o. in collaboration with the European Society of Nineteenth-Century Art (ESNA).

Keywords: art, architecture, interior design, historic interiors, design, applied arts, long 19th century, 18th century, interwar period, gender, space

ThIS focusses on the following topics:

Fine arts and/in historic interiors & architecture

  • Fine arts in/and architecture, e.g.: ornamental sculpture; monumental painting; monumental sculpture;...
  • Artists’ studios and homes, studio practices, actual living conditions, impact of the private on the public lives of artists
  • The (artistic) representation and material culture of historic interiors
  • The (aesthetic) presentation of art in the interior (public-private); art collections; art salons

Decorative arts & design, arts & the decorative

  • The (artistic/aesthetic) decoration of the interior
  • Sculpture, painting and the decorative; the decorative arts at exhibitions; art, craft and technology/industry;
  • Interiors, decorative arts, and gender; 
  • Textile and fashion history; fashion & architecture

 

De onderzoeksgroep The Inside Story. Kunst & interieur 1750-1950, opgericht in 2016 door Marjan Sterckx, legt zich toe op het onderzoek naar de geschiedenis van kunst, interieurs en de interieurkunsten uit de periode ca. 1750 en 1950, en met name de rol en plaats van kunst in de context van het interieur en de architectuur, vaak vertrekkend vanuit het kunstobject. Het betreft een interdisciplinaire alliantieonderzoeksgroep die onderzoekers uit de UGent en de VUB groepeert, zowel van departementen Kunstwetenschappen als Ingenieurswetenschappen. 

De klemtoon van het onderzoek ligt op België, weliswaar in internationale context, aangezien er nog veel waardevol doch onontgonnen onderzoekspotentieel is. Om het onderzoek naar kunst, interieur en architectuur ca. 1750-1950 in België te stimuleren, organiseert ThIS jaarlijks de Studiedag Historisch Interieur en Design in Gent. In het beleid rond onroerend erfgoed is het historisch interieur nog onderbelicht: vaak onbekend en ontoegankelijk en bijgevolg ook kwetsbaar. Door kennis- en expertise-uitwisseling kan een impuls worden gegeven aan een beter behoud van uitzonderlijke interieurs.

Researchers

Members

External(s)

Ko Goubert

VUB, Museum M

Tom Packet

VUB, Art Sciences and Archaeology (SKAR)

Maddalena Oldrizzi

Universita di Verona

Ann Verdonck

VUB, department of Architectural Engineering, æ-lab research team, Renovation and Reuse

Vlad Ionescu

UHasselt, Faculteit Architectuur en Kunst

Werner Adriaenssens

KMKG & VUB, Kunstwetenschappen

Affiliated Members

Former Members

Projects