The Masereel Route was initiated by a group of volunteers from Kasterlee as part of a participation project between the municipality of Kasterlee and the Frans Masereel Centrum in honor of the 50th anniversary of the arts centre.
On October 15, the route was walked for the very first time and provided with artistic interventions by artists Lisse Declercq, Ben Christiani, Karl Wouters and Lieven Segers.
The walk takes you past the Frans Masereel Centrum and the old Atelier Grafiek on rural roads. On the way you pass Keeses Molen and Millekesbrug in the valley of the Kleine Nete.
Practical information:
- the walk is four kilometers long, follow the route description in the flyer*
- starting point: entrance Frans Masereel Centrum, Masereeldijk 5, 2460 Kasterlee
- free parking: parking Frans Masereel Centrum, Masereeldijk 5, 2460 Kasterlee*you can pick up a printed flyer at the Centrum or at Toerisme Kasterlee
A bit of history:
The special relationship of Kasterlee and its inhabitants with the Frans Masereel Centrum dates back to the 1960s, when ‘De Grafiek’ was the perfect place to go out. This studio/café of trailblazer Fons Mertens was the forerunner of the current arts center that arose in 1967-1968 on the Masereeldijk and where various artists from Kasterlee set to work. When the site was purchased by the Belgian government in 1972, they were happy to lend a hand in its development. The non-profit association ‘The Friends of the Frans Masereel Centrum’ also counted many residents from Kasterlee among its members. During the summer of 1982, the tenth anniversary of the center was celebrated with an art route. Not much later, Kasterlee received its oldest title, that of ‘Graphics Village’. In the decades that followed, the international reputation of the Frans Masereel Centrum grew. Today, the Frans Masereel Centrum is still an important cultural player in our municipality thanks to its exhibitions, publications, cultural education activities for schools, guided tours for groups and now also – in honor of its 50th anniversary: the Masereel Route.
‘Atelier Grafiek’
Fons Mertens studied at the Royal Academy of Antwerp in the Graphics department, specializing in lithography and related technical applications. As a young artist he had the talent to track down and collect old stone printing machines. Thanks to his contacts in the Turnhout industry, he was able to save many valuable, still traditional machines by buying them up at a price per kilo. In 1962 he found the ideal place to house his studio in an empty farm in Houtum. He set up a terrace in front of the farm where walkers and cyclists could relax during the weekends. More and more artists found their way to Houtum and it didn’t take long before ‘Atelier Grafiek’ became a popular nightlife spot. Young people from all over came to Kasterlee to enjoy themselves in ‘de Grafiek’ during the weekend.
Want to know more about our history? The research publication Diepdruk – vlakdruk – hoogdruk – doordruk – 50 jaar Frans Masereel Centrum, Kasterlee (1972–2022) digs into our fifty-years history (written in Dutch).
The Masereel Route was initiated by a group of volunteers from Kasterlee as part of a participation project between the municipality of Kasterlee and the Frans Masereel Centrum in honor of the 50th anniversary of the arts centre.
On October 15, the route was walked for the very first time and provided with artistic interventions by artists Lisse Declercq, Ben Christiani, Karl Wouters and Lieven Segers.
The walk takes you past the Frans Masereel Centrum and the old Atelier Grafiek on rural roads. On the way you pass Keeses Molen and Millekesbrug in the valley of the Kleine Nete.
Practical information:
- the walk is four kilometers long, follow the route description in the flyer*
- starting point: entrance Frans Masereel Centrum, Masereeldijk 5, 2460 Kasterlee
- free parking: parking Frans Masereel Centrum, Masereeldijk 5, 2460 Kasterlee*you can pick up a printed flyer at the Centrum or at Toerisme Kasterlee
A bit of history:
The special relationship of Kasterlee and its inhabitants with the Frans Masereel Centrum dates back to the 1960s, when ‘De Grafiek’ was the perfect place to go out. This studio/café of trailblazer Fons Mertens was the forerunner of the current arts center that arose in 1967-1968 on the Masereeldijk and where various artists from Kasterlee set to work. When the site was purchased by the Belgian government in 1972, they were happy to lend a hand in its development. The non-profit association ‘The Friends of the Frans Masereel Centrum’ also counted many residents from Kasterlee among its members. During the summer of 1982, the tenth anniversary of the center was celebrated with an art route. Not much later, Kasterlee received its oldest title, that of ‘Graphics Village’. In the decades that followed, the international reputation of the Frans Masereel Centrum grew. Today, the Frans Masereel Centrum is still an important cultural player in our municipality thanks to its exhibitions, publications, cultural education activities for schools, guided tours for groups and now also – in honor of its 50th anniversary: the Masereel Route.
‘Atelier Grafiek’
Fons Mertens studied at the Royal Academy of Antwerp in the Graphics department, specializing in lithography and related technical applications. As a young artist he had the talent to track down and collect old stone printing machines. Thanks to his contacts in the Turnhout industry, he was able to save many valuable, still traditional machines by buying them up at a price per kilo. In 1962 he found the ideal place to house his studio in an empty farm in Houtum. He set up a terrace in front of the farm where walkers and cyclists could relax during the weekends. More and more artists found their way to Houtum and it didn’t take long before ‘Atelier Grafiek’ became a popular nightlife spot. Young people from all over came to Kasterlee to enjoy themselves in ‘de Grafiek’ during the weekend.
Want to know more about our history? The research publication Diepdruk – vlakdruk – hoogdruk – doordruk – 50 jaar Frans Masereel Centrum, Kasterlee (1972–2022) digs into our fifty-years history (written in Dutch).
