images and text by Sofie Taes, KU Leuven

teaser english from Anna Gruskova on Vimeo.

The second instance of All Our Yesterdays took place from February 1 to March 15, 2015, in Campus Library Arenberg – Heverlee and Tweebronnen Library – Leuven (BE). While, for the greater part, this exhibition re-produced the first run of All Our Yesterdays, its Belgian flavor was enhanced by including photographs from the Leuven City Archives. At the Heverlee site, traces of local citizens’ “Yesterdays” figured side by side to those of their international counterparts, as a new but integrated part of the original All Our Yesterdays-setup.

In Leuven’s city center, the public library hosted an additional exhibition chapter of the exhibition narrative, dedicated to Trading Spaces / Changing Places: how have the city and its rural surroundings interacted throughout the years and what remains of this? Which century-old street views are bound to draw up a stir when compared to today’s cityscape? And in how far or by what means have people tried to adapt their living environment to something more comfortable or more agreeable to the eye…?

From lost landscapes to stunning portraits and fascinating shots-in-action, Trading Spaces / Changing Places seizes the most compelling images from Leuven’s past, to make for a powerful injection into the present-day city dynamics.