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With great sadness, the City of Antwerp, Museums & Heritage Antwerp
and Middelheimmuseum notify you of the sudden death of Menno Meewis,
director of the Middelheimmuseum.
Menno Meewis, 58, passed away
in Canada on 17 October 2012 as a result of cerebral hemorrhage.
Menno Meewis started his career with the city of Antwerp in 1977, only
temporarily interrupted by a short period at the end of the eighties when
he went to work as coordinator of contemporary art exhibitions for
Europalia Japan (1989).
As director, Menno Meewis turned the
Middelheimmuseum into a meaningful player in the Flemish cultural field. He
was the driving force behind the notable rejuvenation and expansion of the
museum that was finalized earlier this year, with among others the
brand-new half-open pavilion 'Het Huis,' designed by Robbrecht en Daem as a
special exhibition pavilion for fragile works of art.
Through
the purchase of sculptures by international top stars like Lawrence Weiner,
Tony Cragg, Franz West, Chris Burden and Joep Van Lieshout, Menno Meewis
gave the Middelheimmuseum considerable and important impulses.
Temporary exhibitions with artists of international renown like Erwin
Wurm (2011) and Thomas Schütte (2012), he equally
put the Middelheimmuseum on the map.
Menno Meewis has always had
a keen interest in local and young artists and was the motivating energy of
many contemporary art integration projects that will define the outlook of
Antwerp for many years to come.
Menno leaves behind a big void
for his life companion Liliane Dewachter, his family and friends, and the
entire Flemish museum community.
The city Council, Museums &
Heritage Anwerp and the Middelheimmuseum offer their sincere
condolences.
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