Exhibition 'bOb Van Reeth, first Flemish Government Architect' (2026)

Architect bOb Van Reeth passed away on 30 September 2025. Following the tribute exhibition at the end of November 2025 at the Vandenhove Centre for Architecture and Art, which highlighted Van Reeth's entire career and his significance as an architect, the Flemish Government Architect Team looks back on his role as the first Flemish Government Architect. 

Using original images, publications, testimonials and a video interview, tribute is paid to the architect who not only filled the role of Government Architect for the first time, but also shaped it. The establishment and early days of the Government Architect, the creation of the Open Call and the Meesterproef (still important instruments in the functioning of the Flemish Government Architect), the focus on commissioned art, the collaboration with photographers and the entire conceptual framework that Van Reeth, together with the larger Government Architect team, set out to stimulate discussion about architectural quality and public commissioning, are evoked in the display windows of the Atelier Bouwmeester.  

The exhibition was curated by Alice Haddad and Maarten Liefooghe – both affiliated with our department – in collaboration with the Flemish Government Architect Team. Our colleague Pauline Clarot provided scenographic and production advice.

Project Info

Research group: Architecture Culture and the Contemporary (ACC) and Theory and History of Architecture
Start Date: from 25-01-2026 to 06-03-2026
Researchers: Maarten Liefooghe and Alice Haddad