TRANSITIONAL SPACES, 2025
A series of paintings created for the new detention centre in Antwerp.
Giovana Tows
Oil on cotton
190 x 140 cm (74.8 x 55.2 inches)
Series with 8 paintings
Oil on cotton
190 x 140 cm (74.8 x 55.2 inches)
Series with 8 paintings
THE PROJECT CONTEXT
The Royal Academy of Fine Arts has obtained the exclusivity to integrate works of art with a permanent character in the buildings of the new detention centre that is being built at the Blue Gate site in Antwerp. This people-orientated prison is scheduled for completion by 2026 and can accommodate up to 440 inmates for a few months while they are waiting for their trial. The project also considers the daily experience of maintenance, administrative, legal, and medical staff who work within the facility.
The students of the Academy were invited to submit project proposals for the various rooms of the site. The ambition is that life in prison corresponds as much as possible to the “normality” of life in the outside world – in order to increase the chances of successful reintegration. The organisers asked the following question: “How can art contribute to a more humane environment?” and “How can your creation offer reflection, perspective or comfort to people in this situation?”
Hortus Conclusus project - New detention centre in Antwerp.
THE SERIES
Giovana Töws is a student of the bachelor in painting at The Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. She created a series of paintings entitled “Transitional Spaces” that was selected for a corridor of one of the living blocks in the new detention centre. This series consists of eight oil paintings, each measuring 190x140cm.
The large paintings create an illusion of windows inside the room. Giovana aims to bring a feeling of openness to the space, which is confined by definition. By referring to familiar views from the city of Antwerp, the artist intends to bring a sense of comfort and familiarity to the viewer and inspire personal inner reflections about life in society.
Antwerp has an especially intriguing landscape. The city is dotted with old towers that stand in stark contrast with new modernistic buildings. The city is constantly changing, either renovating old structures or building new ones. The cranes stand out in the horizon, reminding us that nothing will ever stay the same – even the most solid skyscrapers are victims of time, transformation and eventually oblivion. This is enforced by the impressionistic approach in the paintings, further enhanced by the diversity in the materiality of the paint – thin, transparent layers, with drippings contrasting with thick and marked brushstrokes.
The paintings in this series are finished with self-made wooden frames that are an important element in this series. They reinforce the idea of windows – open spaces that allow people to look beyond the walls – as a source of light, colour and hope for a better future.
EXHIBITION
The “Transitional Spaces” series was presented in the De Lange Zaal at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, on view from 6 to 14 November 2025.
STUDIES AND REFERENCE
The idea for this series emerged from a collection of acrylic sketches Giovana painted by perception from the window of her studio in the academy.
Series "Impermanence" - Studies of acrylics on paper (size around A5).
Photos of the view from the studio of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp. This cityscape was the main source of inspiration for this series.
PROCESS
Photos of the sketches of the series "Impermanence" were applied on a digital simulation that was crucial to understand how the series would interact with the space and to approve the proposal with the organisers.
Images of the 3D render made by Giovana simulating how the series would be displayed in the hall of the detention centre.
The execution of the series took approximately six months. It involved assembling the aluminum frames, preparing the cotton canvases, painting, and constructing the wooden frames.
Photos from the process of making the paintings and the frames.
FINAL INSTALLATION
The final series was installed permanently in the Hortus Conclusus detention centre in February 2026.
