Thomas Amerlynck

Brussels, 2021

It is with enthusiasm that I answer the call of the Kloster Bentagle by relaying the testimony of my experience. They also reflect the diversity of activities that develop there and their importance.

In 2011 I discovered the center by assisting Maurice Pasternak in a collaborative scholarship project between ENSAV La Cambre Bruxelles and Musashino art university Tokyo followed by an exhibition.In 2014 I return there for a Workshop in collaboration with the French artist Benjamin Viort and a group of students of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of Brussels of which I am the head of printmaking department.As an artist I participated in the Benelux triangle project in 2015, Two-week residency followed by 3 exhibitions (Kloster Bentlage, Ahlen, Borken)Finaly in 2015 I took part in SNAP 2015, the 3rd International Printmaking Symposium, organized by Knut Willich.

The magnificent setting conducive to a physical and mental retirement make it a privileged place for artistic production.The relationship with nature and the cultural richness of the Kloster (activities and heritage) are all elements that enrich the participants. The meetings, collaborations and projects carried out are of an indisputable richness. They are real oxygen bubbles, breaking with everyday life, which help to improve the spirit and practice of the participants.

In addition to the qualities of the place, I can only attest to the dynamism and excellence of the cultural collaborations in which I took part.The SNAP, of course, has established itself on the international scene by inviting recognized actors from the world of printed images.Residencies for artists by offering a place of production but also a place of sharing work by exposing the work to the public. The artistic research dimension scholarship in the field of printmaking offering international students an optimal educational framework for the development of practical and reflective workshops.

It was important for me to write this letter by attesting to the quality of the place and the dynamics, different and complementary, carried by Knut Willich and Jan-Christoph Tonigs. Among all the centers dedicated to printmaking that I have been able to attend (from China to Canada) as an artist / teacher, the Kloster Bentagle is one of the best centers that I have had the opportunity to attend.

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