Acclaimed artist Panamarenko names VLM Airlines aircraft

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The acclaimed artist Panamarenko has today lent his name to a VLM Airlines aircraft at a ceremony at the airline’s headquarters at Antwerp International Airport.

This follows a competition that VLM Airlines ran with leading aviation magazine, Airliner World, to invite readers to choose a name for one of its fleet of Fokker 50 aircraft.

Senior executives from VLM Airlines welcomed Panamarenko to the airport, where he named the aircraft with competition winner Koyan Goeree.

Johan Vanneste, Chief Executive Officer of VLM Airlines, said: “We are delighted to welcome Panamarenko to our home base, and are honoured that his name can be given to one of our aircraft.”

The judges selected Panamarenko as the winning name because of his Antwerp origins, and as flying is an integral part of his work. Panamarenko is an exceptional artist in contemporary art. Artist, engineer, poet, physicist, inventor and visionary, he has pursued a singular course of exploration of space movements, flights energy and the force of gravity. His work is famous for its many forms; from aeroplanes to flying carpets, birds and flying saucers, the link with the aviation industry is definitely present.

This is the only occasion that Panamarenko has agreed to lend his name to an aircraft.

Richard Maslen, Deputy Editor of Airliner World, said: “Airliner World has reported on the dynamic and impressive growth of VLM Airlines over many years, and we’re delighted to have made this competition possible.”

The competition winner, Koyan Goeree, said: “It is a great privilege and a great honour to be naming an aircraft and adorn it with the name of a favourite artist. His art is a tribute to our common dream: the dream of flying.

“I’m very grateful to Airliner World and VLM Airlines for offering me this fantastic opportunity and to Panamarenko for sharing with us so many great and inspiring ideas.”

VLM press release 24th April, 2009