Public Defence Doctoral Thesis Aline Verstraten

On 20 February 2026 Aline Verstraten will be defending her PhD in the arts at Hasselt University and PXL-MAD School of Arts: The Withdrawing Image. An Artistic Research into the Active Resistance of Painting as Medium. The defence ends with the opening of the accompanying exhibition.

While contemporary visual culture is characterised by transparency and immediacy, this research examines the critical potential of certain images that not only withdraw, but draw the viewer along with them.

Their withdrawing quality is explored through a collection of art philosophical essays and a series of paintings. The essays are built on (visual) metaphors to approach the withdrawing quality of several artworks across history from various angles. In Aline Verstraten’s artistic practice, the specific role of painting as medium in the possible emergence of the withdrawing quality was explored.

The defence will be in Dutch.

This PhD was supervised by:

• Promotor Prof. Dr. Arne De Winde (Hasselt University, PXL-MAD School of Arts & LUCA School of Arts)
• Co-promotor Prof. Dr. Patrick Ceyssens (Hasselt University & PXL-MAD School of Arts)
• Prof. Dr. Hanneke Grootenboer (University of Amsterdam)
• Dr. Tine Guns (LUCA School of Arts)
• Dr. Jeroen Laureyns (LUCA School of Arts)
• Prof. Dr. Johan Wagemans (Catholic University of Leuven)

Exhibition

Opening:
20 February 17h00 – 19h00, Galerij Refugiehuis UHasselt, Maastrichterstraat 100, 3500 Hasselt

Opening hours:
20 February – 15 March, Wednesday – Sunday, 11h00 – 17h00, Galerij Refugiehuis UHasselt, Maastrichterstraat 100, 3500 Hasselt

Register here