ICA-Belgium

21/09/2026

How does the body actually experience colour in architecture?

We revisit the Interaction of Colour in Space workshop held at the Josef Albers Museum Quadrat Bottrop through a reflective essay by Marlène SAMSON: Turning My Back.

Prompted by Juan Serra Lluch’s lecture and close encounters with works by Josef and Anni Albers, Marlène reflects on why colour cannot be held by the eye alone - only through movement, memory, and the craft of materials.

Read the full essay at https://www.ica-belgium.org/p/turning-my-back

Images:
1. Photomontage used by Juan Serra Lluch during his lecture, June 28, 2026. Source: photomontage made from images of Josef and Anni Albers, from “Josef Albers Murals,” 1969, in Jessica Boissel, ed., Josef Albers and Wassily Kandinsky: Friends in Exile (Yale University Press, 2015).

2. Josef Albers, Color Study for Homage to the Square, not dated, oil and graphite on blotting paper with varnish, 33,3 x 30,5 cm, on display at the Josef Albers Museum Quadrat, Bottrop. Photo: Maja Kaurin, 2026.

3. Anni Albers, Intersecting, 1962, on display at the Josef Albers Museum Quadrat, Bottrop, photographed at increasing proximity. Photos: Marlène Samson, June 28, 2026.

04/09/2026

If you haven't yet, check this article by Vinciane Lacroix.

This fourth article in the series written for ICA-Belgium explores the major Gerhard Richter retrospective held at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris (October 17, 2025 – March 2, 2026).

Spanning nearly 270 works from 1962 to 2024, the exhibition offered a remarkable chronological journey through the artist’s multifaceted career, set within Frank Gehry’s iconic architecture.

From early photo-paintings and blurred grey works to radical colour charts, systematic abstractions, and explorations of chance, reflection, and memory, Richter consistently defies categorization while maintaining an instantly recognizable signature.

The retrospective highlighted his technical mastery, his oscillation between neutrality and emotional depth, and his lifelong interrogation of colour - from the pursuit of indifference through grey monochromes to explosive chromatic experiments.

Particularly striking are his inversions of photographic codes, his use of constraint and randomness, and his reflections on reality through mirrors and glass. Even after announcing his retirement from painting, Richter continues to surprise and inspire with ongoing exhibitions worldwide.

A thoughtful and richly illustrated reflection on one of the most important artistic voices of our time.

Read the article at https://www.ica-belgium.org/p/parisian-colours-ii-richter

1. Gerhard Richter, Lilak 1982, photograph by V. Lacroix (© G. Richter, courtesy of the Gerhard Richter Archive Dresden)

2. Gerhard Richter retrospective at the Fondation Louis Vuitton, Paris, photograph by V. Lacroix.

03/09/2026

Join our next Colour Circle Book Club meeting on Sunday, 27 September, at 14:00 CEST, online.

The topic we will be discussing is COLOUR in ART.

We are reading "Exploring Colour in Contemporary Art - Epistemic Boundaries and Artistic Practices," by Harald Arnkil, published by Aalto University (in open access).

Bring along other books that focus on the topic of colour in art and have inspired you, and that you find valuable, we would love to hear about them!

The Colour Circle - ICA-Belgium’s Colour Book Club - is a space where you can discover inspiring books on colour, exchange insights, and reflect on how colour shapes our world.

The Colour Circle Book Club is open to ICA-Belgium members and paid subscribers (for € 5 per month or € 45 per year). It is designed to be private; there will be no recording.

Find more information at https://www.ica-belgium.org/p/colour-circle-book-club-meeting-27-69e

02/09/2026

We are very happy to introduce one of the winners of our Albers Accessibility Awards (for Young Professionals) - Asako Nakamura.

Through the generous support of The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, the awards aimed to support the next generation of creative talent in accessing high-level colour education.

With the help of the award, Asako was able to participate in our Interaction of Colour in Space workshop that took place in June 2026 at the Josef Albers Museum Quadrat in Bottrop, Germany.

"I was absolutely thrilled to participate in the Interaction of Colour in Space workshop and to be selected for the Albers Accessibility Awards. This was the unique opportunity for color exploration that I have been searching for, and I am deeply grateful to all the organizations and individuals who made it possible."

Thank you, Asako, for your kind words. It was an absolute pleasure to have you at the workshop and to get to know you!

Find the full feature at https://www.ica-belgium.org/p/introducing-winners-of-albers-accessibility-403

10/07/2026

In the last weekend of June, we held a 2-day workshop "Interaction of Colour in Space," organised in collaboration between ICA-Belgium and Deutsches Farbenzentrum, with the support of The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, Josef Albers Museum Quadrat Bottrop, and HAWK Hildesheim (Farbdesign).

Juan Serra-Lluch and Maria Zurbuchen-Henz guided the workshops, translating the art and ideas of Josef Albers into a three-dimensional experience. A group of 20 colour professionals created hands-on colour models, exploring the effects of colour on space.

The director of the Museum, Dr Linda Walther, gave us a tour of the beautiful museum and an overview of Albers's work.

It was a weekend full of experimentation, discussions, inspiration and new connections. A big thank you to everyone who made that workshop possible and to all participants for their enthusiasm, wonderful contributions and braving the extremely hot weather.

Video by Lina Schmidt of Farbkultur.Design

Jeannette Hanenburg, Maja Kaurin, Inez Michiels - ICA-Belgium
Timo Rieke, Julia Hausmann, Lina Schmidt - DFZ

09/06/2026

This essay by Maria Zurbuchen-Henz explores the relationship between visual art and architecture through the work of Josef Albers.

Starting from the spatial illusion of Homage to the Square, the text asks how colour can shape our perception of depth, volume and atmosphere - and whether concepts developed in painting can be transferred into architectural space.

Maria Zurbuchen-Henz will also be among the workshop leaders of Interaction of Colour in Space, bringing these questions into a practical exploration of colour, light and space.
—
Part of a collection of essays developed alongside the workshop Interaction of Colour in Space.

Read the full essay at https://www.ica-belgium.org/p/hommage-to-josef-albers-05

Image: Between testing-machine and wonder-box: Experimenting colour-concepts by means of models
Source: Maria Zurbuchen-Henz

Join us for the workshop Interaction of Colour in Space.
June 27–28, 2026, at Josef Albers Museum Quadrat in Bottrop, Germany.
https://www.ica-belgium.org/p/interaction-of-colour-in-space

30/05/2026

The eye and brain must learn to observe carefully to assess the complexity of colour experience.

This emphasis on observation and experience remains essential for designers.

Colours shift when light, neighbouring hues, surfaces or scale change.

Colour decisions therefore require time - an iterative process of observing, experimenting and re-evaluating.

Join us for Interaction of Colour in Space.
June 27–28, 2026, at Josef Albers Museum Quadrat in Bottrop, Germany.

2 subsidised places are available for early career practitioners (architects, designers or artists who completed their degree no more than five years ago, graduating year 2020 or later); apply by June 1.

More information about the workshop: https://www.ica-belgium.org/p/interaction-of-colour-in-space
About the Albers Accessibility Awards: https://www.ica-belgium.org/p/open-call

With Juan Serra Lluch & Maria Zurbuchen-Henz
Supported by The Josef and Anni Albers Foundation & Josef Albers Museum Quadrat Bottrop
Organised by ICA-Belgium Maja Kaurin Inez Michiels Jeannette Hanenburg and Deutsches Farbenzentrum Julia Hausmann Timo Rieke Lina Schmidt

12/05/2026

Early in your career as an architect, designer, or artist? This one is for you.

ICA-Belgium and Deutsches Farbenzentrum are offering 2 subsidised places for our workshop Interaction of Colour in Space at the Josef Albers Museum Quadrat, Bottrop (Germany), made possible by the generous support of the Josef & Anni Albers Foundation.

🗓️ June 27–28, 2026

💶 €40 instead of €350 (travel & accommodation not included)

📩 Apply by June 1, 2026

Open to practitioners in architecture, art and design, within 5 years of graduation.

Send a short essay (250 words max) + your professional profile link to [email protected]

Describe a question about colour in space that is currently relevant to your professional practice, and explain how participating in this workshop would help you explore or advance it.

Full details: https://www.ica-belgium.org/p/open-call

Expand your practice in the very halls where Albers' legacy lives.

Albers Accessibility Awards for Young Professionals active in architecture, design and art

13/04/2026

We welcome you to the 2nd April edition of ICA-Belgium Colour News, bringing you colour-related news from Belgium and around the world.

In it, we welcome our new team member Elisabetta Borriello, share news from our member Nanna Van Heest and an interesting colour-related exhibition "Joan Semmel: Continuities," opening soon in Brussels (Rivoli) at Xavier Hufkens and in New York at Alexander Gray Associates.

We invite you to read another article from the Collection of Essays dedicated to Josef Albers, this time by Julia Hausmann.

Students of architecture, art and design, don't forget to apply for our Open Call, deadline is the 1st of May!

Subscribe and read a full Newsletter at https://www.ica-belgium.org/p/colour-news-april-2026-no-2

See you there!

-your ICA-Belgium team

Colour related news and events - Workshop Colour in Space, Essay about Josef Albers, Colour related exhibitions, Open Call for Students

13/04/2026

OPEN CALL: The Albers Accessibility Awards

Are you a student or PhD researcher passionate about the power of colour in space?

ICA-Belgium and Deutsches Farbenzentrum are offering 4 subsidised placements for our upcoming intensive workshop "Interaction of Colour in Space" at the Josef Albers Museum Quadrat in Bottrop, Germany!

This is a unique opportunity to learn from world-class experts in the very halls where Albers’ legacy lives.

📍 Where: Josef Albers Museum Quadrat, Bottrop, Germany
🗓️ When: June 27–28, 2026

Thanks to the generous support of The Josef & Anni Albers Foundation, selected students will pay a reduced fee of just €40 (Standard fee: €350).

🎓 Who: Full-time higher education students (all levels)

How to apply:

1️⃣ Write a short motivation statement (max. 250 words) on how this workshop impacts your research or future career.

2️⃣ Email your statement + proof of enrollment to [email protected].

⏳ Deadline: May 1st, 2026
📢 Results: May 15th, 2026

To find more, check https://www.ica-belgium.org/p/the-albers-accessibility-awards

We look forward to reading your applications and welcoming a dynamic group of students to Bottrop this June!

Open Call for Students