An art exhibition that brings together site-specific installations in a celebration of the urban dwellers who bring cities to life.
Part of the Horst Arts & Music Festival, Horst Expo 2023 presents works by a series of contemporary artists. Titled Where the wild things are, the exhibition welcomes visitors in an open-air space at a former military base in Vilvoorde, near Brussels. Curator Evelyn Simons gathered a group of talented artists who created site-specific installations that explore the future potential of the site and create a dialogue with the terrain. Originally a space that acted more as a blank canvas for a variety of activities, the Asiat site is now a hub for culture, leisure and community events. The 2023 exhibition cements this transition, transforming the area into an open-air art gallery.
Intriguing works that explore a variety of urban themes in creative ways.
All of the artists worked closely with Horst to develop their work for the event, highlighting the future possibilities of the site, from functional to conceptual. With the Where the wild things are show, the organization celebrates the urban residents who bring cities to life as well as the spirit of community, DIY culture, and creative disruption. This year’s participating artists work in a wide range of disciplines. They also have diverse ethnic and geographical backgrounds. For example, Emirati artist Farah Al Qasimi created a psychedelic musical garden that will come to life as visitors explore it. In an automotive-themed work, Lebanese artist Joe Namy introduces his Automobile installation, while Brussels-based Angolan-Zambian artist Maria Muehombo brings a secret garden to life.
Belgian artist Sharon Van Overmeiren created a permanent installation that allows visitors to cool down with an air-cooling system, while Greek fashion and art collective Serapis designed a new roof for Horst’s Rotunda stage. In collaboration with Bottega Veneta, the organization commissioned an installation from British artist Mark Leckey, a work that will become a permanent fixture of the Asiat site. French artist Marc Leschelier draped a pavilion in concrete in a conversation about dysfunctional architecture, while Sicilian artist Elisa Giardina Papa and Moroccan artist Meriem Bennani present videos that explore forms of urban disobedience. Free to visit, the Horst Expo 2023 Where the wild things are exhibition runs from May 18 to July 30 at Asiat in Vilvoorde, Belgium. Photography © Horst Arts & Music.
