Egkleat and Onsepots

Cats inspire. And when cats and local artists find each other, that's interesting for the Yper Museum. With this philosophy in mind, two sculptures by Nick Ervinck were added to the collection. This artist from the region became intrigued by cats in the exhibition POES. How cats capture humans. He created two sculptures especially for this exhibition, EGKLEAT and ONSEPOTS. The museum subsequently added them to its collection and is now exhibiting them in the main exhibition.

Guardians of the future

Nick Ervinck (°1981) has created his own visual language, which has made him world famous. EGKLEAT and ONSEPOTS are also in this typical style. They look dynamic and lively. And yet we recognise a cat in these still movements. The sculptures represent “guardians of the future”. They are a synthesis of the past and the future. They are a reminder of Columbus, the cat from his childhood, and refer to the Egyptian goddess Bastet, who was depicted as a cat. At the same time, they refer to current cartoons. In this way, the present and the past are combined to form a new story with its own future. The connection between the present and the past is reinforced by the creative process. Nick Ervinck designed these images virtually and 3D-printed them. He then edited them manually and painted them by hand.

Important acquisition

The Ypres Museum collects the heritage of the city and the region, from the distant and not-so-distant past. This work by Nick Ervinck, a recognised artist from the region, inspired by Ypres' connection with cats, therefore deserves a place in the museum's collection. "First of all, it is an excellent opportunity to let these two cats tell the story of Ypres, the city of cats. In addition, as a young museum, we are very proud that a renowned artist such as Nick Ervinck was inspired by our 2021 exhibition “POES, hoe de kat de mens vangt” (POES, how cats catch people) to create two new works. Cats like attention, so they don't thrive in our depot. We are delighted to be able to share them with museum visitors every day." - Sandrin Coorevits (museum director)

‘As an artist, it is an honour to have your work included in a permanent exhibition. Too many works of art are hidden away or inaccessible to the general public. I hope that my contemporary versions of the “cat”, EGKLEAT and ONSEPOTS, will enhance the beautiful diversity of your museum's collection and inspire, amaze and make both young and old dream.’ - Nick Ervinck