New edition: Koen van den Broek | Broken Road #3, 2024

Koen van den Broek, born in 1973 in Bree, first studied architecture and then painting, initially at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and later at the Academy of Visual Arts in Breda. In his own words, despite his painting studies, he has always remained an architect at heart. Since his student days, van den Broek has travelled constantly: across Europe, to the US, Mexico and even Japan. Always with his camera within reach. He takes photos, lots of photos, all depicting the same subject: man's architectural interventions on the landscape.

Early in his career, the artist developed a fascination for desolate landscapes in which man rarely appears, but always makes his presence felt. He shows the traces left on roads, streets and houses that have been abandoned.

Works by Koen van den Broek are part of important public collections, including LACMA, Los Angeles; SMAK, Ghent; M HKA, Antwerp; Busan Museum of Art, Busan; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Astrup Fearnley Museet, Oslo; Staatliche Kunsthalle, Karlsruhe and Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, Deurle. His work has been presented at the Venice Biennale (2015 & 2017); White Cube, London; Art Museum, Bonn; Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Antwerp and Brussels; Seoul Arts Centre, Seoul; Kunsthalle, Mannheim; Royal Academy, London; MAS, Antwerp and Kunsthal, Rotterdam. His work can also be found in numerous public spaces in Belgium, such as the Hofkamer, Antwerp; ‘t Zilte, MAS, Antwerp; AZSM Hospital, Mechelen and the Provinciehuis, Hasselt.

The artist shows work in the upcoming exhibition Painting after Painting and has several works in the S.M.A.K. collection.