EXPO
WHERE THE WILD
THINGS ARE
18/05
—
30/07
VILVOORDE
WHERE THE WILD
THINGS ARE
18/05
—
30/07
Shining a light on the underbelly of our urban fabric, where the energy vibrates, breathing life into a city.
A new urban district
Since Horst landed at the military base “Asiat” in 2019, the site has been transforming from a rough and undefined framework (a blank canvas on which DJs, artists and architects could leave their mark) into a new urban district. Asiat currently welcomes various organisations (with a focus on culture, leisure and community work) to build, create and imagine together, becoming a much-needed lung for wellbeing, creativity and collectivity in Vilvoorde and by extension Brussels.
Site-specific commissions
Our upcoming edition marks a reorientation of the arts program in symbiosis with this new ecosystem, taking the first steps towards art interventions that surpass the temporality of the exhibition-format. Participating artists become protagonists, working closely with Horst to develop site-specific commissions that tap into the future potential of the park. Each protagonist is facilitated in their mission by the artistic team of Horst and various other stakeholders - be they financial supporters, collaborators, institutional partners.
Where the wild things are
Horst 2023 thus pays tribute to those that define urban spaces, make cities livable and alive: residents, temporary visitors and communities often shunned by city councils, project developers and urban planners. Where the wild things are shines a light and celebrates exactly those energies which we usually don't see reflected in the sleek renderings of the so-called "cities of tomorrow".
Program
Visual artists
Emirati artist Farah Al Qasimi will develop a psychedelic musical garden, ready to be activated by children throughout the running time of the exhibition, and by visitors of the festival. Belgian artist Sharon Van Overmeiren contributes with a permanent monument allowing Asiat-park visitors to cool down, by integrating an ancestral air-cooling-system. Lebanese artist Joe Namy brings their Automobile to Belgium, fostering a gathering of car-tuners at the festival grounds, while Greek fashion and art collective Serapis conceives a new roof for the iconic Rotunda-stage.
British artist and Turner Prize laureate (2008) Mark Leckey will design an ambient stage for during the festival that will afterwards stay on site as a unique in-situ installation. French artist Marc Leschelier explores the dysfunctionality of architecture in a pavilion with draped concrete, while the Brussels-based Angolan-Zambian artist Maria Muehombo aka M I M I, fosters forgotten alliances with natural energies by growing an intimate garden, a secret refuge. Video’s by Sicilian artist Elisa Giardina Papa and Moroccan artist Meriem Bennani further explore dissident and disobedient, though vital forms of citizenship.
Breathing life into a city
We look for inspiration in the underbelly of our urban fabric; where the energy vibrates, breathing life into a city. Where the wild things are brings an ode to DIY, unregulated but indispensable forms of community-life and creativity, to disobedience and disruption, to those operating outside the calibrated paths of organised consumer-focused public life.
Calendar
GUIDED TOURS
Guided art tours to visit 'Where The Wild Things Are' are held throughout the weekend. It is the perfect opportunity to fully immerse yourself in the wider narrative of the Expo, accompanied by insightful background stories about the artists and their work. Timings are as follows:
Saturday: 14h00 - NL
Sunday: 14h00 - NL
Sunday: 16h00 - FR
Tours start at the entrance at Mechelsesteenweg 255, where your guide will warmly welcome you.
Free entrance
Thanks to the support of the National Lottery and its players, the Horst Expo is this year free of charge again. ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ will be freely accessible from May 18 until July 30, weekly from Thursday to Sunday between 12h00 and 20h00. The whole Exhibition is accessible to wheelchair users. There's sufficient space to park your car in the adjacent neighbourhood.
Support us
Did you enjoy the Horst Expo? Help us keep it for free and support our non-profit arts program. It is thanks to the support of our partners and visitors that we can expand our program and develop new and unique exhibitions outside usual hotspots for arts in Flanders and Belgium. You can support us by scanning the QR code.
Summer Events
Like last year, Horst Arts & Music is set to launch two Open Air events, a 'Summer Opening' and an 'Expo Closing' on the unique Asiat site in Vilvoorde. Both events remain true to the Horst DNA. Two Saturdays to experience the summer expo and watch it shine bright, enjoy a relaxing day in the green oasis with a drink at the Asiat bar or let loose on cutting-edge electronic music. More info will follow.
Guided tours on request
You can book your personal guide to explore the Expo in depth. This costs €75 per group (max 15 people), the duration of the tour is 1h30. These tours are available only upon prior reservation and during the opening hours of the Expo.