Architecture, sculpture, and collectible design converge in “La Rencontre du Troisième Type”, the inaugural exhibition presented at THE GET, the new cultural space conceived by Belgian architect Glenn Sestig in Ghent. Curated by Fabian Jean Villanueva, the exhibition brings together the work of Belgian artist Bernard T. Sestig and the duo Middernacht & Alexander, establishing a dialogue between two distinct approaches to material transformation.
Conceived as an encounter rather than a juxtaposition, the exhibition unfolds through objects and sculptural interventions shaped by themes of erosion, memory, emotional tension, and preservation. The title “La Rencontre du Troisième Type”, suggests a meeting between separate artistic languages, one rooted in psychologically charged forms and the other in the afterlife of industrial materials.
Bernard T. Sestig’s multidisciplinary practice spans sculpture, painting, fashion, scenography, and architecture. Having collaborated with figures including Thierry Mugler, Olivier Theyskens, Nina Ricci, and Raf Simons, his work has consistently explored the relationship between volume, color, and the latent violence embedded within contemporary culture. Environmental collapse and emotional instability emerge as recurring concerns, translated into forms that oscillate between fragility and confrontation.
In contrast, Middernacht & Alexander approach materiality through acts of recovery and reinvention. The artistic partnership between Sofie Middernacht and Maarten Alexander has become known for transforming decommissioned underground oil tanks into collectible pieces that retain traces of corrosion and history. Their celebrated “How I Got Over” series treats deterioration not as damage to be concealed, but as a record of time itself. Through preservation, the duo produces objects that occupy the space between sculpture and functional design.
Installed throughout THE GET, the exhibition extends beyond the presentation of individual works. It also serves as an introduction to the newly inaugurated venue, envisioned by Glenn Sestig as a place where contemporary art, architecture, and collectible design coexist within a unified spatial language. Renowned for his refined approach to materiality and proportion, the Belgian architect has developed an internationally recognized practice that includes collaborations with cultural figures such as Raf Simons and Luc Tuymans. In THE GET, this architectural sensibility becomes the framework within which the exhibition unfolds.
Rather than imposing a singular narrative, “La Rencontre du Troisième Type” proposes a series of tensions, between destruction and preservation, memory and transformation, object and atmosphere. Through the convergence of these practices, the exhibition positions material itself as a repository of emotion and history, suggesting that meaning often emerges through processes of change rather than permanence.
“La Rencontre du Troisième Type” is on view at THE GET by Glenn Sestig in Ghent until June 28, 2026.
THE GET by Glenn Sestig Sint-Annaplein 7 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Photos: Courtesy of Bureau Clinica | Photography: Thomas De Bruyne @cafeine
www.glennsestigarchitects.com
@glenn.sestig
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