DOMAIN BOKRIJK | A WOOD CARVING DEMONSTRATION | The Open-air Museum of Bokrijk | SYNTRA - Arts & crafts courses

The open-air Museum
BOKRIJK (Belgium)

Syntra Tongeren: Arts & crafts courses

In 2013, the management of Domain Bokrijk decided to once again introduce visitors of the Open-air museum to the traditional artistic crafts and is planning on organising training courses in this respect.
Every weekend, in the months of July and August, the various arts & crafts at Syntra Tongeren will promote their particular craft.  To this end, the classes: restoration of paintings, millinery, glassblowing, goldsmith, woodcarver, etc. ... will be present every Sunday to dazzle you with their skills and expertise.

On 21 July (Belgian National Holiday) I had the privilige to give a demonstration at the Open-air museum. For 13 years now I’ve been teaching a professional course in ornamental carving – woodcarving and these demonstrations are very important in arousing the interest of possible new recruits for my course.

Patrick Damiaens, Demonstration Wood Carving

Bokrijk

The Provincial Domain Bokrijk is currently 550 hectares in area and is situated in the midst of a vast forest and various nature reserves. The domain is mostly known for its Open-air museum. This is, however, just one part of a much larger recreational park. Due to its amazing scenery, many television series and movies were shot on the domain.

The Open-air museum of Bokrijk was officially opened on 12 April 1958. Approximately 140 authentical buildings form the core of this heritage collection. Apart from these buildings, the collection also consists of traditional tools and common implements from days of yore. 

In total, the collection entails 35 000 pieces of fragile heritage, baring witness of everyday life from the 17th century up to the 1950s.

 

Domain of Bokrijk, Belgium

The open-air Museum, Bokrijk

Bokrijk, The old town

Collection

The museum has a collection of approximately 35,000 objects. Most of those objects are stored in the new depot. The others are in the historical buildings in the museum. As much as possible, the stories, customs, techniques and interesting facts are collected along with the collections and the houses. In that way, the museum also collects (and studies and exhibits) intangible cultural heritage.

The collection of the Bokrijk Open-air Museum consists primarily of objects that illustrate daily life, primarily in a rural context between the 17th and early 20th centuries. Due to its diversity and wide range, it is a unique collection in Flanders, especially the farming & food collections, as well as the living culture and (to a lesser degree), crafts.The collection was brought together largely through gifts. Where possible, the context information is presented as much as possible, such as interviews with the users of the objects donated. In principle, objects without any context information are not accepted unless they are exceptional pieces.
The objects come from all five of the provinces of Flanders.

Website Bokrijk

 

https://www.patrickdamiaens.info