Monster Chetwynd presents her first solo outdoor exhibition, 'A Friends Making Machine,' at Middelheim Museum in Antwerp from 16 May to 11 October 2026. The show features her trademark salamander sculptures, a permanent 'Salamander Portal' gateway connecting the sculpture park to a nearby healthcare complex, and other whimsical installations like 'Proscenium Arches.' The exhibition draws on her signature blend of performance art, set design, and playful, disruptive creativity, with past highlights including slug sculptures at Tate Britain and immersive play sets at Tate Modern.
The exhibition matters because it demonstrates how contemporary art can engage with community healing and recovery. The 'Salamander Portal' was specifically designed to provide direct access for patients, staff, and families from a general hospital, children's hospital, and adolescent psychiatry center adjacent to the park. Chetwynd's work, rooted in fairy-tale darkness and imaginative provocation, offers a model for how artists can thoughtfully integrate art into therapeutic and public spaces, expanding the role of sculpture parks beyond traditional aesthetic experience.