On the bikeway Leuven-Tienen-Namur. Combines with visit of Brabant, Hesbaye, Leuven, Tienen, Jodoigne 'The Enchanted Garden' is an international art exhibition in a structured, natural sculpture garden in a landscape full of water, contrasts and surprises. It is located on the Belgian language border, between Jodoigne, Hoegaarden and Tienen, halfway between Brussels, Liège and Namur, and on the 'R
AVEL' cycle route connecting Leuven, Tienen, Hoegaarden with Jodoigne and Namur. The exhibition shows artworks in bronze, ceramics, composite, glass, metal, stone, ... coming from all over the world, from Burkina Faso to Singapore, from Iran to Wales and, of course, from Europe, even Estonia and the Czech Republic! For the tenth edition, organisers Tone Aanderaa and Ignace Clarysse have invited poets from Wallonia, the Netherlands, France, and Flanders to create poems communicating with the sculptures in the exhibition. Printed on glass you can read several original, new poems by some twenty-five poets. They’re in Dutch, French or English. Some of the new artists in 2023:
- Amber Hiscott (United Kingdom - Wales; Stained glass): Original, expressive, and surprising architectural glass work.
- Daniella Rubinovitz (Netherlands; Bronze): Optical illusion in bronze.
- Ellen Rijsdorp Netherlands; Ceramic): Decorative Garden objects with gold and silver decoration.
- Emma Butler-Cole Aiken (United Kingdom – Scotland; Stained glass, metal): After ‘Chelsea Flower Show’ in ‘The Enchanted Garden’
- Gundula Menking (Germany; Glass fusion): Stories in glass.
- Helen Hancock (Ireland; Glass): Improving contact with nature.
- Helen Twigge-Molecey (United Kingdom; Glass): Hallucinogenic mushrooms blown in multicoloured glass.
- Heren4 (Netherlands, Installation): Philosophers' Trail, from Thales from Milete to Vincianne Despret from Liège.
- Jan Falta (Czech Republic; Glass sculpting): From Novy Bor, the Bohemian glass centre, - to our glass sculpture garden.
- Janneke Bruines (Netherlands; Ceramic): colourful humour with ‘pur sang’ female figures.
- Julie Coakley (United Kingdom; Stained glass): Despite losing her sight and most of her hearing she continues creating glass works.
- Kati Kerstna (Estonia; Glass): Three-dimensional glass structures of bees to promote this wonderful insect.
- Leen Kessels (Netherlands; Stone): Amazing patterns, labyrinths in stone.
- Steve Hubback (United Kingdom -Wales; Steel): Music instruments based on organic forms. Yaron Meyer (Israel; Glass lamp working & dot painting): Colourful mushrooms and nature elements invading wood.
- Yasin Jamali (Iran; Glass engraving): Deep engraving tells stories, myths. So it will be an eclectic exhibition for the tenth time. At least half of the visitors come for the garden with its many facets, such as ponds, brooks, meadows, woods, the 'Secret Garden', labyrinth, terraces, rose hedges and the numerous benches to relax with a view on the countryside of Haspengouw. There are no exotic plants, no 'cultivars', but a rich variety of indigenous, spontaneously grown wild plants (wild orchid in abundance). It is not for nothing that it is called a structured, natural, water-rich landscape garden full of contrasts. A visit to 'The Enchanted Garden' combined with the assets of Brabant's Haspengouw and Jodoigne will certainly pleasantly surprise you. The neighbours ask our visitors to use the large car park located 400 m from the exhibition, along the Ravel. A short, pleasant walk in the shade of the trees will lead you to the exhibition (parking address: Rue Saint-Marie 1, 1370 Saint-Jean-Geest). During the summer months (July, August and September): To avoid queues on Sundays between 2pm and 6pm, we advise you to make a reservation (theenchantedgarden.info/booking).
