Kunstenfestivaldesartes 2019 is already half way through … It’s not my business to write art critiques here - there many professionals who do that way better than me, but I like to share some impressions, pics and joy about the experiences with this festival (as with the diverse other cultural encounters here in BXL).
Saturday 18th (the #ibizagate day and the fall of the far-right Austrian government): I worked at CityTalk, a conversation on abandoned houses at Decoratelier in the festival centre. Protagonists form several organisations dealing with the use of empty spaces in Brussels have been sharing experiences and discussing with each other. There are already many good practices!
Sunday 19th: I went on a beautiful journey with Ductus Midi by french dancer and choreographer Anne Lise Le Lac & Arthur Chambry at Balsamine Theatre. This object and sound based performance had many magic elements and it was perfectly chosen for the open studio framework program in the days after the performance. There it was possible to visit Anne Lise and Arthur in their current studio at Recyclart and have funny conversations while video-gaming, making pottery or working with thermo-plastic with them … processes of their artistic practice.
The celebrated German director Ersan Mondtag comes up with the quite intense topic of suicide with the piece De Living at Teatre National. Even though the for a huge part synchronical performance of Doris and Nathalie Bokongo Nkumu was really good, the postcolonial approach in combination with the use of many classical theatre elements was rather disappointing.

Within in the framework program of kunsten I saw the photo exhibtion Expo Anneessens at Recyclart and my daughters took part in Hip-Hop workshop at Charleroi Danse together with many kids from neighboring schools - they loved it.