Trivia

The artists he admired include, among others: Joseph Beuys, Marcel Broodthaers, Bruce Nauman and Pablo Picasso.

Panamarenko received two honorary doctorates: In 2010 at the University of Hasselt and in 2014 at the Univerity of Mons.

He became interested in aeroplanes and human powered flight. This interest is also reflected in his name, which supposedly is an acronym for "Pan American Airlines and Company". The name Panamarenko may also be influenced by Panteleimon Ponomarenko, a politician-ambassador from the former Soviet Union.

He once said: "To make good work, you first have to be lazy for a time, with nothing at all to do. That's when you begin to think and play with ideas, and then something can grow out of that.".

Panamarenko's fascination with flight started from an early age when he saw German V1's fly over Antwerp.

His airship the Aeromodeller (1980) is a major exhibit at MSK Ghent.

His father was an engineer and introduced him to technology.

International fame came in the Noughties when he staged exhibitions in London, Basle and New York.

Panamarenko studied at the Antwerp Academy from 1955 till 1960 where he staged his first exhibition in 1963.

On 24 April 2009, VLM Airlines based in Antwerp, Belgium named one of its Fokker 50 aircraft in his honour.

While retired, Panamarenko created the Waving Crabs, a series of fountains sprayed by crab figures on three stainless-steel half bowl shaped islands situated in the Zegemeer, a large pond at Knokke-Heist. He inaugurated it on 7 October 2011 stating the idea dated from 1975.

At the opening of a large-scale overview exhibition of his work in Brussels in 2005, Panamarenko announced his retirement as an artist. He has since promoted his own coffee brand PanamaJumbo.

Famous for his work with aeroplanes as theme; none of which are able nor constructed to actually leave the ground.

Starting in 1970, he developed his first models of imaginary vehicles, aeroplanes, balloons or helicopters, in original and surprising appearances.

Many of his works were based on the dream of flying and the mythical character Icarus.

Panamarenko was seen as one of the greatest Belgian artists of the second half of the 20th century.

In the Seventies he constructed scale models of imaginary aircraft and started to build his first Aeromodeller or Zeppelins.

Many of his sculptures are modern variants of the myth of Icarus. The question of whether his creations can actually fly is part of their mystery and appeal.

In the Sixties Van Herwegen adopted a new name incorporating Pan American Airlines and the word Company.

Before 1968, his art was inspired by pop-art, but early on he became interested in aeroplanes and human powered flight.