Mon De Rijck · Mon De Rijck, Carl's father
Curriculum: the sculptor's journey
Born in Ninove, the fourth child of Johannes-Henricus and Rachel Hutsebaut, Mon De Rijck became a sculptor after a long education between Flanders and Brussels, before devoting his life to democratising art. Here is his journey by date, taken from his CV.
1947-1949 - Klein Kloosterke, Ninove.
1950-1956 - St. Aloysiuscollege.
1957-1958 - H. Kruiscollege, Denderleeuw.
1958 - St. Lukas, Brussels.
1959-1961 - Municipal Academy of Aalst, under professor Geo Vindevoghel.
1961 - First exhibition, "Sensuele naiviteit", Kunstkamer, Antwerp.
1962 - Royal Academy of Antwerp, under Olivier Strebelle; group exhibition at the Roxy in Ninove and exhibition at the Antwerp Kunstkamer.
1963-1966 - Ter Kameren, Brussels, under Rik Poot.
1964-1965 - In collaboration with the ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs, organised the "Young Flemish Artists" exhibition in Frankfurt am Main, then at the Belgian House in Cologne.
1965-1969 - Learned foundry techniques in Pietrasanta; worker then director of the National Bronze Foundry, then director of the Contemporary Art Foundry.
1970 - Promoter of "Mécénat Démocratique" (Democratic Patronage), aimed at democratising the art market.
1971-1976 - Director of the Art Lending Gallery (Galerie de Prêt d'Œuvres d'Art), Château Malou, Brussels.
1977-1978 - Appointed by the Flemish Minister of Culture to organise "Kunst in Huis".
From 1979 - Devoted himself exclusively to sculpture.
1983 - Exhibition at Galerie Beaumont, Lasne.
1984 - Group exhibition at the Centre Culturel in Roisin; founded "La Libre Académie" in Brussels (1984-1985): exhibitions, lectures, events and concerts with Michel Noiret, Hubert Mestrez, Gitla Szyfer, Edith Kestelyn, Guy Lejeune and Willy Fabre.
1986 - Settled mainly in Carrara to work marble and bronze. Prototype of his first solar sculpture (electronics, photovoltaic cells and optical fibres): the municipality of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre proposed he design one for Montgomery square, but the Minister of Public Works rejected the project on the grounds that it would distract drivers.
1987 - Monument "Poging tot geestelijke verheffing", white Carrara marble, Antwerp; exhibition at the Demaret jeweller's, Brussels.
1988 - Monument "De Liefdesborre", white Carrara marble, Josaphat Park, Brussels.
1989 - Exhibition at the BP Gallery, Brussels.
1990 - Founded Art-Pool International cvba, his fourth attempt to democratise art ownership: dozens of exhibitions until 1994, including "De Pick-nic op het gras", "Truc-Troc", "Uitbreiding Noord" and "Dijkbreuk".
1992 - Proposed the cultural-economic monument "de grote A" along the canal to the Brussels-Capital Region.
1993 - Fitted out the barge "De grote A"; monument "de gevleugelde muze", white Carrara marble, commissioned by Mr Vankerkoven; 300 m² stand for "Greenfair 93", commissioned by Minister Gosuin.
1994 - First exhibition aboard "De grote A"; conceived the cultural-economic project "HELLO EUROPE".
1995 - "HELLO EUROPE" launched in September in Ninove, with guest exhibitor Maurits Van Saene; second stop in Aalst, with teachers from the Academy of Fine Arts: Olivier Bras, Daniël D'Haen, Monique Meganck, Luc Tegenbos, Marijke Van der Elst, Stefaan Van der Haegen, Wim Van der Perre and André Van Schuylenberg.
1996 - Antwerp, with Mario Callens, Stojan Popou and Thomas Van Gindertael. In preparation: "Twee dozijn Vlaamse reuzen" (Two dozen Flemish giants). He was then living and working in Italy, in Ortonovo, with studios in Carrara (Laboratorio Luigi Corsanini, Avenza-Carrara; Laboratorio Carusi) and the Fonderia Versiliese in Pietrasanta.
Sources: CV de Mon De Rijck (documents familiaux, en néerlandais et en français) - le document de 1989 couvre 1943-1986, complété par le parcours 1983-1996