Frederik De Preester (Oudenaarde, 1973) is a concept deviser, exhibition maker and poet.
After his studies in clinical psychology, he worked for a decade with the Museum Dr. Guislain as a scientific co-operator where he specialized in opening up the history of psychiatry to a wider audience. He was a curator of several temporary exhibitions and co-ordinated the European aspect of the museum, which won the Museum Prize as well as the Cultural Heritage Prize.
He has been working with Handelsreizigers in Ideeën as an exhibition maker since 2009 and curated historical exhibitions such as ‘Tram in Zicht’ (Ostend, 2010), ‘Turnhout Terminus Turnhout Centraal’ (Turnhout, 2012) and ‘Wat rest van het leven. Wat blijft van het land’ [What Remains of Life? What Remains of the Land?] (Diksmuide, 2014)
He has been working intensively since 2016 on the concept, the research of the collection and the creative development of the Ghent University Museum, which opened in 2020.
De Preester is also responsible for the concept, direction, programming and production supervision of artistic, educational and celebratory events.
He specialises in visual thinking and writing, devising and developing concepts and applying his imagination in art and business. His need for clarity and control has led in recent years to him taking responsibility for the business side of the Handelsreizigers and many of their projects.
Since his first grey hairs started to appear, he has also been working as a process supervisor and consultant.
In his private life, De Preester has a particular interest in houses, means of transport and fishing. He is fascinated by life and its peripheral phenomena and attracted to places where he isn’t.