Exhibition: ‘John Cockerill, 200 years of future’ at La Boverie
June 02nd 2017
On the occasion of the bicentennial of the arrival of John Cockerill at Seraing in 1817, the John Cockerill Foundation and the CMI Group are presenting, from June 2nd to September 17th 2017, an out of the ordinary exhibition entitled ‘John Cockerill, 200 years of future’ at La Boverie (Liège).
The ‘John Cockerill, 200 years of future’ exhibition provides a previously unseen look back at 200 years of industrial progress. In 1817, John Cockerill, recently installed in Seraing, set the Industrial Revolution in Belgium in motion. Thanks to the mechanization of industry, he irreversibly modified the course of history of the region, on economic, social and urbanistic fronts and far beyond. For 200 years, his visionary spirit and his absolute determination have been inspired thousands of men and women. All of these talented people have thus been able to devise the solutions to the preoccupations of each era.
As the industrial heir to John Cockerill, it was the duty of the CMI Group to preserve his memory and, during this anniversary year, to share it with as many people as possible.
Thanks to numerous objects, recollections, iconographs, films… the exhibition sheds special light on these events. Comprising a variety of experiences (meeting with John Cockerill, immersion in a Bessemer steelmaking plant, a voyage through time on the banks of the Meuse), the exhibition also stimulates a reflection on the place of industry in the connected world of today and tomorrow. The exhibition is indeed the culminating point of 200 years of industrial adventure, and also a pivotal moment between this important legacy and the future which is to unfold before us.
The ‘John Cockerill, 200 years of future’ exhibition is running at the ‘La Boverie’ museum in Liège from June 2nd to September 17th 2017. Tools enabling primary and secondary schoolchildren to reflect on all of this have been specifically created. Information, guided visits and tariffs can be found at www.cockerill200.com.