On the occasion of the opening of BRON Research Centre, Musea Brugge, in collaboration with KIK-IRPA, Brussels, are organizing a conference in Bruges on 20 and 21 November 2025: Zooming In and Out: Reconsidering Hans Memling.

CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

THURSDAY, 20 November 2025

09.00 – 09.30 Registration and coffee
09.30 – 09.50 Word of welcome – Anne van Oosterwijk (Musea Brugge)

Session 1 – moderator: Jan Dumolyn (Ghent University)

09.50 – 10.15 To Memling or not to Memling—past, present and future of Memling studies
Anna Koopstra (Musea Brugge)
10.15 – 10.40 The Bruges commissioners of Hans Memling
Joannes van den Maagdenberg (Fondation Périer-d’Ieteren/Université Libre de Bruxelles/Ghent University)
10.40 – 11.05 Context of the portrait of Gilles Joye
Hendrik Callewier (KULeuven/State Archives Bruges)
11.05 – 11.20 Discussion
11.20 – 11.50 Coffee break

Session 2 – moderator: Bernhard Ridderbos (Independent scholar)

11.50 – 12.15 Unpredictable ambitions: Memling’s last judgment in perspective
Till-Holger Borchert (Suermondt-Ludwig-Museum, Aachen)
12.15 – 12.40 The draft commission of the triptych for the "Badia Fiesolana" in the light of the historical and humanistic events of Florence
Fabio Marcelli (University of Perugia)
12.40 – 13.05 Fragment of the Chain Reaction: What Michel Sittow Learned in Memling’s Workshop
Oskar Rojewski (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid)
13.05 – 13.20 Discussion
13.20 – 15.00 Lunch break

Session 3 – moderator: Bart Fransen (KIK-IRPA, Brussels)

15.00 – 15.25 Window and Mirror in Hans Memling’s Diptych of Maarten van Nieuwenhove
Sandra Hindriks (Universität Wien)
15.25 – 15.50 Hans Memling’s Artistic Inspirations from Germany: Diversity of Media and Vernacular Devotional Practices
Miyuki Yamagata (Kyoto University)
15.50 – 16.15 The Memling Carpet: Controversy at the Foundation of Carpet History
Jeffrey Taylor (Kaunas University of Applied Sciences)
16.15 – 16.30 Discussion
16.30 – 18.30 Visit to Museum St. John’s Hospital
18.30 – 21.00 Walking dinner/reception at BRUSK

FRIDAY, 21 November 2025

09.30 – 10.00 Registration and coffee

Session 4 – moderator: Ingrid Falque (UCLouvain)

10.00 – 10.25 Leaving no trace behind? Hans Memling in Cologne
Martin Hanβen (Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena)
10.25 – 10.50 Artistic Crossroads: Unraveling the Parallels Between Hans Memling and Hugo van der Goes
Erik Eising (Gemäldegalerie - Staatliche Museen zu Berlin)
10.50 – 11.15 New Analysis of the Melbourne Man of Sorrows
Cameron Hurst (University of Melbourne)
11.15 – 11.30 Discussion
11.30 – 13.30 Lunch break + free visit to Groeningemuseum

Session 5 – moderator: Christina Currie (KIK-IRPA, Brussels)

13.30 – 13.55 From Van Eyck to Memling - the expressive power of oil paint
Marie Postec (KIK-IRPA, Brussels)
13.55 – 14.20 Hans Memling's Ursula Shrine: New Insights from the IOHANNES Project
Melis Avkiran (KIK-IRPA, Brussels)
14.20 – 14.45 Memling’s Manoeuvres: Ins and Outs of the Blue
Carol Pottasch and Jan Bustin (Mauritshuis, The Hague and Independent)
14.45 – 15.10 New technical analysis of the Portrait of a Young Woman
Sofia Hennen and Joyce Klein Koerkamp (Musea Brugge)
15.10 – 15.30 Discussion
15.30 – 15.50 General discussion and closing remarks by Anna Koopstra (Musea Brugge) and Melis Avkiran (KIK-IRPA, Brussels)

The conference will take place in the auditorium of BRUSK, Musea Brugge, Bruges.
Registration is now open, via https://www.museabrugge.be/en/collections/bron/bron_academy/zooming_in_and_out_memling