Guillaume BijlActor uit M HKA Ensembles

Guillaume Bijl

©image: M HKA

1946 - 2025

Né à Antwerp (BE), décédé en Antwerp (BE).

On June 15th, Belgian artist Guillaume Bijl passed away at the age of 79. Bijl, known for his immersive installations that blurred the lines between reality and artifice, leaves behind a body of work that continues to challenge, provoke and gently unsettle.⁠
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Emerging from the Antwerp art scene in the late 1970s, Bijl began crafting hyperreal reconstructions of everyday spaces — a driving school, a dog grooming salon, a discount carpet store — transforming them into museum installations. Through these meticulously staged environments, he revealed the theatrical absurdity and quiet melancholy of consumer culture, inviting viewers to reflect on truth, illusion, and the performative nature of modern life.⁠
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Born in Antwerp in 1946, Bijl remained deeply rooted in the city throughout his life — both personally and artistically. As a key figure in the M HKA collection, his work holds a central place in the museum’s narrative. ⁠
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We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and the many who were moved by his singular vision.⁠
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Media

Oeuvresfilter for M HKA works

>Guillaume Bijl, Project - notities [Project Notes], 1969-1975.Drawing, ink, paper.

>Guillaume Bijl, Behandelingen, 1975-1979.Collage, ink, paper, 6 x (80 x 60 cm).

>Guillaume Bijl, Project Pleasures, 1977.Collage, ink, paper, 6 x (80 x 60 cm).

>Guillaume Bijl, Projecten [Projects], 1977.Drawing, ink, paper, 13 x (30 x 40 cm).

>Guillaume Bijl, 10 kleurenfoto’s van installaties, 1979-1985.Photography, photographs, 31 x 49 cm.

>Guillaume Bijl, Autorijschool Z [Car - driving school Z], 1979-1989.Installation, mixed media, 260 x 535 x 1024 cm.

>Guillaume Bijl, CHAUSSURES Icécé, 1980.Performance.

>Guillaume Bijl, CHAUSSURES Icécé, 1980.Mixed Media, ink, paper, paint, wood, variable dimensions.

>Guillaume Bijl, 235 Belangrijke en Minder Belangrijke Foto's van de 2de helft van de 20e Eeuw. [235 Important and Less Important Photos from the 2nd half of the 20th Century.], 1986-1995.Installation, photo, paper, 235 x ( 26 x 19 cm).

>Guillaume Bijl, Sorry, 1987.Sculpture, mixed media, 15 x 8 x 15 cm.

>Guillaume Bijl, Mon Chalet [My Chalet], 1987.Installation, mixed media, 310 x 310 x 230 cm.

>Guillaume Bijl, Guillaume Bijl 'Four American Artists (Janet Fleisch, William Hall, Sam Roberts, Rick Tavares)', 1988.Book, ink, paper, 25.9 x 20.9 cm, 11p., language : English, concept catalogue : Guillaume Bijl, publisher : Museum am Ostwall, Dortmund .

>Guillaume Bijl, Composition Trouvée (Rommelmarkt), 1988.Installation, mixed media, 75 x 220 x 230 cm.

>Guillaume Bijl, Guillaume Bijl - Passages - "An intro to creative visualization", 1989.Book, ink, paper, 21 x 14.9 cm, 59 p., published by Stichting Kunst en Projecten vzw, Zedelgem, series : Passages, nr. 3/1, idea/concept/layout by Guillaume Bijl.

>Guillaume Bijl, Neuer Supermarkt, 1990.Poster, ink, paper, 81 x 71.5 cm.

>Guillaume Bijl, TV-Quiz decor [TV Quiz Show Decor], 1993.Installation, mixed media, 1300 x 900 x 400 cm.

>Guillaume Bijl, Composition Trouvée (à l'affiche / prochainement), 1993.Installation, mixed media, 100 x 180 x 6 cm.

>Guillaume Bijl, Guillaume Bijl, 1996.Book, ink, paper, 23 x 31,5 cm, 136p., publisher : Museum van Hedendaagse Kunst, Antwerpen, ISBN : 90-72828-02-X.

>Guillaume Bijl, Sorry, 2014.Multiple, 35 x 35 x 40 cm.

>Guillaume Bijl, Sorry (Paddestoelen), 2016.Sculpture.

>Guillaume Bijl, Affiches.Poster, ink, paper, variable dimensions.

Expositions & Ensembles

> Exposition: A NON-U-MENTAL HISTORY OF M HKA – Part 1: Foundation Gordon Matta-Clark. 02 May 2021 - 29 August 2021.

> Exposition: EXTRA MUROS: Geel – Middle Gate II – The Story of Dymphna. 15 September 2018 - 04 November 2018.

> Exposition: EXTRA MUROS: Visite Bornem – Gedeelde Ruimte. 03 May 2014 - 25 May 2014.

> Exposition: EXTRA MUROS: Visite Genk - Genkenaren kiezen kunst. 02 July 2014 - 31 August 2014.

> Exposition: Guillaume Bijl. 13 April 1996 - 09 June 1996.

> Exposition: Guillaume Bijl – “40 YEARS INSTALLATIONS" 1979 - 2019 (Celebration). 14 September 2019 - 05 January 2020.

> Exposition: Guillaume Bijl - Projecten en Extensies (Guillaume Bijl - Projects and Extensions). 05 October 2012 - 20 January 2013.

> Exposition: Museum E!: Els Vanden Meersch – Storyboard. 28 January 2017 - 25 February 2017.

> Exposition: The Collection II and a Choice of Donations and Loans. 30 June 1990 - 04 November 1990.

> Exposition: The Collection — Luc Deleu. 31 May 2003 - 17 August 2003.

> Exposition: The collection XXVII — East of 4°24'. 03 March 2011 - 21 August 2011.

> Exposition: The collection XXVIII — If You Shoot a Bullet in a Vacuum, Will It Keep Travelling Forever? (Emily Wardill). 17 June 2011 - 18 September 2011.