Constantin Meunier — A Dialogue With Allan Sekula

This book is the outcome of a collaborative research project between LGC, the Leuven Museumsite and STUK Arts Centre. Constantin Meunier (1831–1905) was a Belgian painter and sculptor. On the occasion of the centennial anniversary of Constantin Meunier's death, the contributions by Sura Levine and Marjan Sterckx examine the importance of Meunier for Leuven, where he taught at the Arts Academy from 1887 until 1897 and lived from 1887 until 1894. As a complement, four authors from various disciplinary backgrounds address the actuality of Meunier's social realist thought today. Virginie Devillez investigates the possibilities of a social realist art after the debacle of socialist realism, focussing on the Belgian 20th century artistic context and the work of contemporary Belgian artists and filmmakers such as the fr?res Dardenne. Hilde Van Gelder specifically zooms in on the possibilities of making a social or critical realist art, comparing closely the work of Meunier and Sekula. Human rights specialist Eva Brems discusses the impact of contemporary globalisation on the current viability of social rights. Labour law expert Marc De Vos screens the jurisdictional actuality of social realist thought today, especially in respect to issues such as pensions and the greying of society.