To commemorate the 190th birthday of Félicien Rops, Museum De Reede will bring the exhibition KARL MEERSMAN - Dangerous Drawings - With a Touch of Rops from 2 June to 9 October 2023.
Karl Meersman, who pushes the boundaries of caricature and portraiture, identifies deeply with the work and soul of Rops. As a draughtsman, Meersman fights the restrictions of the 'politically correct thinking' that confines critical voices today.
With his contemporary and politically social drawings, for which he often uses sharp satire as a weapon, Meersman regularly finds himself at the cutting edge of humour, admiration and indignation. In our current changing world, the rules appear to be rewritten on numerous levels. Not only the artist, but also humour and satire are subject to new laws.
The exhibition will bring together Meersman's most powerful drawings of recent years, covering a range of pressing topics. He sometimes does this with a little nod to his great inspiration Félicien Rops, sometimes they embark into conversation through their work. One thing is certain: armed with their craftsmanship, few topics are out of reach for either artist.
