In March 1981, the mayor of Turnhout decided that "young people may not be forced to be confronted with the work of artist Liliane Vertessen, it is declared 'inappropriate'". Her exhibition 'Kunst Kempen Actueel nr.3' is moved to a room in the Cultural Centre where people are not forced to pass by when visiting the theatre. "By order of the fire brigade', so it is called.

From the very beginning in 1972, art has occupied a prominent place in the programme of the Warande. The excerpt above sketches the pioneering role played by the Warande from the outset and the choices we dared to make. Over the past fifty years, countless artists have exhibited here. First in what was called the A-room and the B-room. Later, in the Luifelzaal, the Houten zaal, the Witte Gang and, of course, in the renovated Expozaal, which celebrates its 10th birthday this season.

Many Flemish artists of international importance have created unforgettable exhibitions here. Who remembers one of the first art liquidation projects by Guillaume Bijl, in which he renamed the exhibition space into a 'professional orientation centre' including a boardroom, a secretariat, a 'waiting room', a test room and a 'dactylo-tasting room'? Or more recently, the monumental mirror installation by Nicolas Provost in which, as a spectator, you threatened to lose all notion of time and space.

For the anniversary of the Warande we are bringing together 25 artists who have previously exhibited in the Warande. They will not be coming alone. We asked each of them in turn to select someone for the future. In this way, the exhibition 'OUDE WIJN/NIEUWE ZAKKEN' will not merely be a look back at what once was, but also at what is yet to come.

Participating artists: Fik van Gestel, Stefan Peters, Liliane Vertessen, Zacharia Testelmans, Guillaume Bijl, Evelin Brosi & Elvis Bonier, Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven, Charlien Adriaenssens, Fred Bervoets, Floris Van Look, Anita Evenepoel, Flora Miranda and Esther Stocker, Luk Van Soom, Lieven Decabooter, Hans Op de Beeck, Celeste Mattot, Vaast Colson, David Sherry, Tom Liekens, Adriaan Marin, Dries Segers, We Became Aware, Bart Van Dijck, Ignace Cami, Michèle Matyn, Laure Prouvost, Nicolas Provost, William Ludwig Lutgens, Nick Andrews, Denie Put, Peter de Cupere, Nancy Slangen, Nel Aerts, Gert Verhoeven, Ria Pacquée, Sietske Van Aerde, Filip Vervaet, Sharon Van Overmeire, Carole Vanderlinden, Shikh Sabbir Alam, Peter Morrens, Maikel De Greve, Nadia Naveau, Gaston Bertrand, Philip Aguirre y Otegui, Hervé Yamguen, Luc Deleu, Stijn ter Braak, Filip Francis, Wout Vercammen