I have mentioned the event in several other articles, so you can guess I am enthusiastic about Beaufort on the Belgian coast.
Every 3 years, international artists are commissioned to create a sculpture on that year’s theme, with the sea and the coast in mind. In addition to new work, work from previous editions is also present at the event.
Sometimes we go to the Netherlands to visit family and friends, making it easy to have a detour and enjoy this great event.
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Beaufort on the Belgian coast
This year’s edition is organized for the 8th time. In 2003 was the first one. It is an ambitious and expensive undertaking and sometimes there is talk that a certain edition will be the last.
Fortunately, this has been a false alarm so far.
The sculptures meet high quality requirements and there is something for everyone. Some works are super realistic, others abstract. Sometimes you can only walk around them or look at them from a distance, but there are also large and monumental constructions that you can enter or walk over.
In another article, I added pictures of former exhibitions. Have a look at Plan A Visit To Discover Art In Belgium
Enjoy a holiday feeling while looking at art
We were in Belgium in May and arrived in a radiant sun on a Sunday. The beaches and boulevards were crowded with people and the terraces were totally occupied.
You can probably imagine the feeling: shouting children, the smell of suntan oil and sand in between your toes while discovering the statues on the beach.
This was the best weather to look for and at the statues. It was a pity we had lots of rain and cold the following days, but, as a friend remarked, you must make sacrifices for art. 😉
Beaufort24
Beaufort24’s theme was ‘Fabric of Life’. The artists can associate freely with the theme, so sometimes it is more recognisable in a work than at other times.
The overarching theme is sea and coast. It’s entertaining to try to discover what a piece of art has to do with the sea or coast.
It took me a while before I figured out Wim Delvoye’s “Caterpillar & flatbed trailer”. I was mesmerized by the details and the way it was built up with perforated metal plates. Only now do I realize that a lot of digging and levelling work takes place on the beach at the start of the season.
Beaufort24 contains 18 new and 61 existing sculptures.
Beaufort 2024, 67 km of Belgian coast, 27-03-2024 / 03-11-2024.
Just for a day or stay a whole week
When we still lived in the Netherlands, we went to Beaufort for a day. We would choose where we wanted to go by browsing the information on the website and driving from place to place, looking at the highlights.
If you just have one day to go, don’t worry, you’ll get a good sense of the vibe of this event. Go to Oostende to get an overload or pick one or two of the villages for a more quiet experience.
In May 2024 we stayed for 5 days at the coast. Clearly, it gives a different feeling to be there longer. We walked more and enjoyed everything at ease.
If the rain hadn’t been that heavy on the last day of our stay, we would have seen almost all the statues. That’s the only thing that can be a disadvantage of an outdoor event, the weather.
A fun part of being there longer is that we met some people several times. Most art lovers are recognisable by the guide in their hand, which makes getting in contact very easy.
Related: Enjoy Art for Free with these 17 Attractive Tips
Professional information
The information on the website is extensive and clearly arranged. There are separate sections for walkers, cyclists and visitors with children. Strangely enough, the latter category is not included in the English part of the website.
In the vicinity of the sculptures are information boards with a QR code that provides a link to the explanation on the website.
Although all information can be found with your smartphone while you are on the road, I found the visitor guide a very useful addition. It’s easier to flip back and forth in a physical guide and the overview is better on a page than on a small smartphone screen.
Attention to the experience of children
There is a separate magazine for children with stories, assignments and stickers. That makes it fun to go and look at art with your children.
By the way, I also really liked reading and doing the stories and assignments. 😉
Tram track connecting all coastal places
The entire Belgian coast is connected by tram. This is the perfect way to visit Beaufort locations without having to worry about parking. Day tickets are available.
If I didn’t go by car, I would prefer the bike to the tram. The waiting times can be long if you just missed one. But for rainy days it’s perfect.
Did you ever visit Beaufort? Tell me what your experience is in the comment box below.