By Benny Van den Meulengracht-Vrancx and Bent Vande Sompele

From 1998 till 2013, a former railway canteen in Antwerp was transformed into a cultural hub by youthful idealists, hoodlums and enthusiasts. The group, who called themselves Scheld'apen, was home to an eclectic stream of artists, who held over 1300 events over 15 years, creating a dynamic arts center before the space was demolished by city expansion plans.

The plethora of events produced a steady output of visual communication, an enormous flow of printed media that fascinated artists and Scheld’Apen aficionados Benny Van den Meulengracht-Vrancx and Bent Vande Sompele. Collecting items and building upon an already existing physical archive, their collection became the center of this volume.

Graphic Design of Scheld’Apen is the result of two years of collecting, three archival residencies at Het Bos (the new home of the still existing Scheld’Apen organisation) and a short scanning residency at Frans Masereel Centrum. The book contains over 200 graphic works from a variety of different artists, a preface by Pieter Willems and texts by Roel Griffioen and Pia Jacques.

The project is a collaboration between artist Benny Van den Meulengracht-Vrancx, musician Bent Vande Sompele, Het Bos and The Royal Academy of Antwerp, under the guidance of Nico Dockx.

Includes a preface in Dutch by Pieter Willems; two essays ("A Graphic Soil Sample," by Roel Griffioen, and "From the Photocopier to the Letterpress: Scheld’Apen through Print," by Pia Jacques); and an index.

Designed by Benny Van den Meulengracht-Vrancx and Bent Vande Sompele

Published by Stockmans Art Books, 2023

Softcover, 264 pages, full color, 9.5 × 11.75 inches

ISBN: 978-9-46-436339-5