House of European History - Bellum et Artes

The House of European History entrusted Meyvaert with the design and build of Bellum et Artes, a temporary exhibition exploring the impact of war on art and culture. For this project, which forms part of an ongoing maintenance contract with the House of European History, Meyvaert was challenged to work within strict budget and time constraints, while reusing materials from the museum’s previous temporary exhibition. This included showcases, AV hardware and software, walls, etc.

Key requirements included upgrading existing showcases from other suppliers to airtight, conservation-grade standards to accommodate high-value loans from multiple European institutions. Each object came with specific conservation demands, requiring detailed coordination with curators and conservators, some of whom accompanied their objects during installation. Meyvaert played a central role in facilitating communication and building trust with all stakeholders, organising multiple workshops with lending museums to ensure clarity on display conditions, object handling, and security requirements.

The project was executed in a live museum environment, with all works carried out while the venue remained open to the public. One major challenge involved adapting unknown and undocumented wall structures and revising incomplete drawings of reused display cases. These issues were resolved through responsive engineering and precise fitting on site.

A defining feature of this project was its adherence to circularity principles. As many materials and products as possible were reused. All newly purchased elements were carefully studied to ensure they could serve multiple purposes beyond Bellum et Artes. Many of these materials have already been repurposed for the follow-up exhibition, The Presence of the Past.