Discover the many faces of the Gille through four themes: their history, the Gille, their image and their art. In Binche until 09/03/14!

But that's just the tip of the iceberg!

Each theme is showcased in an unexpected and particular manner, which reveals anecdotes (those of the individual not the community), and amusing, amazing, moving and sometimes scandalously daring exhibits.

The official and expected is confronted by the new, original and unexpected.

Is it a struggle for attention between both approaches? No, they give two different yet complimentary angles that show the complicity between the official history and that which is experienced. The Gille is more than just a carnival figure, he is a being in his own right.

He is a being brought to life my the thousands of people who incarnate him, describe him, photograph him, film him, draw him, etc.

The Gille is a symbol that a whole town, region and country adopts. They present him in all his forms, particularly his personality!

Carnival evokes feelings, memories, sounds, images, smells. Carnival is an experience, an intense one at that!

Here's an example of the anecdotes surrounding the Gille: A poster was commissioned for the festival and Pierre Kroll, the famous Belgian artist and caricaturist. The only problem was that the authorities were worried about possible negative reactions from the public and ordered it to be adapted.

The exhibition doesn't aim to present or explain carnival. It adopts a point of view, that of the most iconic carnival figure, the Gille.

Location

• International Carnival and Mask Museum (BINCHE)

Location