At the request of an artist friend, the young Ghent-based architectural practice of Basile Graux and Koen Baeyens is building a new studio next to his farmhouse in Bachte-Maria-Leerne. Intended as a workshop for creating and exhibiting large-scale paintings and sculptures, it is above all a place to retreat and immerse oneself in silence.

Contemporary artist Stief Desmet lives on the banks of the Leie. The river has always inspired artists: from Emile Claus to the Latem School and Roger Raveel. Desmet grew up there, moved to nearby Ghent and even lived in Los Angeles for a while. Yet he returned to his roots on the Leie. “This landscape is my home. I cherish the tranquillity here.”