Talk

Wiels Talk

Petit Talk about the Marsh

Spokesperson for the Marais Wiels Moeras non-profit organization, Geneviève Kinet is one of the many Fé.e.s who, since 2015, have been cherishing, maintaining, observing, living, sharing, accompanying… the lake, its surroundings and their human and non-human inhabitants.

Prior to the purchase by the Region (which still intends to drain a good part of it to build on), the Fé.e.s created clean-up sessions. This is how the collective power of the people came together with the power of water to create the Wiels Marsh.

Geniève has a conversation with Valeria Cirillo, who conducted research at the University of Rome on the similarities between the Wiels Marsh and Lago Bullicante. This lake in the heart of Rome appeared in 1992, also as a result of a construction company drilling too deep. Expect a different perspective on ecology, community, and urban life.

Antoine Bertin

Aquatic Conversations

Antoine Bertin explores the conversation of aquatic species through scuba diving, field recording and machine learning. His research draws on advanced machine listening techniques to try and decode the intricate ways of beluga whale communication.

Presented for the first time as part of CurieuCity, Antoine will propose an intimate and immersive radiophonic plea for marine conservation, immersing audiences in the fascinating world of listening to the ocean. Blending spoken word, artistic visualisation and immersive soundscapes, this experience draws listeners into the deep, often unheard dialogues of the sea.

“The microscope enabled humans to see anew, with both our eyes and our imaginations. Digital acoustics are an invention of similar significance. Like the microscope, they function like a scientific prosthetic: as they extend our sense of hearing, they expand our perceptual and conceptual horizons.” – Karen Bakker, Research Question

To register click here: https://www.billetweb.fr/curieucity-forest

fungi night

Joske Ruytinx (VUB), Theresa Spielmann,SpecXCraft (ULB), Sara Manente, Britt Bakker

Fungi Talks

Join us for a stimulating debate with experts and artists as they introduce the world of fungi and speculative crafting as well as react to the fungi expo and explore the fascinating links between science, art and nature.  

Speakers include Joske Ruytinx, Britt Bakker, Rafaella Houlstan-Hasaerts, Giulietta Laki  and Sara Manente, each bringing a unique perspective on the role of fungi in our ecosystem and in our creative imaginations. What if fungi could help us radically change our relationship with the world? 

About the panellists:  

  • Joske Ruytinx is a professor bio-engineering sciences at VUB.  With her research team, she is studying fungal biodiversity and the role of microorganisms in enhancing plant resilience. She is particularly interested in mycorrhizal fungi. Joske completed her PhD at Hasselt University and a postdoc as an Agreenskills Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellow at INRAe Nancy, France. Joske has also been a visiting scientist at Montana State University, USA before settling in Brussels. 

  • Britt Bakker is an actress, creator, and writer with a passion for microbiology. She works on mycological water purification projects, produces natural cider under the name “Anargist,” and collaborates with institutions such as VUB and VLIZ. Alongside Karolien de Bleser, she is developing a theater piece centered on microscopic organisms, and she is writing Microbial Memoirs at De Letteristen. Combining science and fiction, she delves into the origins of life and our earliest ancestors—bacteria. 

  • Rafaella Houlstan-Hasaerts (architect) and Giulietta Laki (anthropologist) are co-founders of the action-research group Urban Species. Together with Natagora, Constant vzw & CVB they carried out specXcraft, a collaborative research project (funded by Innoviris/cocreate). Drawing on their respective practices and struggles for environmental- , social-, technological- and epistemological in/justice, they speculatively explored more situated, relevant and collective ways of imagining the future of Brussels. 

  • Before moving to Brussels, where she works as an artist and researcher, Sara Manente studied dance and semiotics (University of Bologna, Madrid, and Antwerp). She has been part of a.pass since 2008, as participant in the postmaster programme and Research Center as well as curator and dedicated mentor. She’s been teaching at KASK, ISAC, ZUYD, DOCH and EXERCE. In 2021, she was artist in residence at Wiels. Her work is being supported by the Flemish Authorities and presented in Europe, South Corea and Brasil.  In the last years, her projects explore the intersection of living cultures, fungi, and performing arts, using different formats to reflect on the contagion between pedagogy, research, performance, and publication. Drawing from the research project Wicked technology/Wild fermentation, she produced MOLD, a choreographic and sculptural work and ROT magazines and ROT Gardens, as editor and curator. Together with Sébastien Tripod and Deborah Robbiano, she realized RUINED, and TOWARDS A RUINED THEATER, a mycological building and degrading process that iterates in different architectures (EPFL Lausanne, Far Nyon, Nadine Brussels, kunstmuseum Bochum, VUB Pilar Brussels). 

About the moderator: 

  • The debate will be moderated by Theresa Spielmann, a doctoral student at the University of Antwerp and member of the ‘Performing Ends’ research project funded by the FWO (Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek). Originally from Germany, they earned an MPhil in Theatre Studies from the University of Warwick. Previously, Theresa studied Theatre at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität and worked as a theatre maker with the collective Büro Grandezza. They co-directed The 2051 Munich Climate Conference and edited its publication on climate change visions. Their background in both research and theatre informs their interdisciplinary doctoral work. 

To register click here: https://www.billetweb.fr/curieucity-forest

Felix Aerts & Arshia Ali Azmat

Talk on your neighbourhood of the future

Join us for an engaging debate and Q&A session featuring Arshia Ali Azmat and Felix Aerts at Park Ouest. a community organiser and a graphic designer, working with the Brussels Centre for Urban Studies as well as on the research project “WELCOMIN – Community Welfare Mixed Infrastructures”. Her work probes the nexus of culture, housing, and politics, aiming to envision a city that is more accommodating for all its residents. With a background in coordinating a cultural network addressing migration and social justice within artistic realms, Arshia brings a unique perspective to urban community welfare.

On the other side, Felix Aerts represents Toestand vzw, a rapidly expanding non-profit focused on revitalizing temporarily vacant spaces for social and cultural uses. Their current initiative transforms the area between Beekkant and Osseghem into Park Ouest—a space for community building, sports, relaxation, and more.

This discussion will delve into the future of the neighbourhood and the ongoing development of Park Ouest. Attendees are invited to contribute their visions for their community’s future, engaging with various scenarios inspired by prospective research. Don’t miss this opportunity to shape the future of your community through active participation and forward-thinking dialogue.

Super Terram & CiDéSol

Soil and dialogue: screening and debate

Discover the earth around us at a special screening followed by a fascinating debate on the state of soil in Brussels. This unique programme will begin with a short documentary exploring the challenges and solutions of urban soil management. After the film, take part in an enriching exchange with members of Super Terram, CiDéSol and Bruxelles Environnement.

This exchange will be an ideal opportunity to gain a better understanding of local environmental issues and discover what is being done to preserve the health of our soils.

Jonathan Vigne (Repair Together asbl)

Planned obsolescence

Are you frustrated that your smartphone seems to be gradually slowing down even though it’s only 2 years old? Are you dreading the day when your printer breaks down for no apparent reason? We’ve probably all experienced this kind of problem before. Who is responsible for this? Is it programmed obsolescence?

In this interactive animation, we will try to answer these questions by analysing with you concrete cases that you encounter every day.

Leo Van Broeck

Discover the essence of the city and the path to a sustainable future!

Leo Van Broeck (Antwerp, 1958) is a leading Flemish engineer-architect who has made an undeniable mark in the field of urban planning and sustainability. From 2016 to 2020, Van Broeck served as the fourth Flemish Government Architect. He is the co-founder of the architectural firm Bogdan & Van Broeck and a lecturer in architectural and urban design at KULeuven. He has brought the debate on urban planning out of meeting rooms’ confines and into the public agenda, advocating for inclusivity, sustainability, and biodiversity conservation.

Discover the essence of the city and the path to a sustainable future! In this lecture, Leo Van Broeck delves into what truly defines a city: its diversity, contradictions, and continuous evolution. A city is a living process, shaped by people, cultures, the economy, and policymakers. But let’s not forget that our future depends on a sustainable approach to urban development. Leo Van Broeck advocates for spatial humility, acknowledging that we cannot claim more than 70% of Earth’s fertile land for our needs. Hence, he calls for urban densification, towards a city accessible to people from diverse backgrounds. Let’s embark on a journey towards a city that thrives on its diversity, where sustainability and inclusivity are at the heart of concerns. It’s time to rethink the economic model, with the city at the center. Endless growth is not sustainable; we must strive for qualitative growth: better quality in less space, based on new sharing economies and cooperative economic models.