Six Belgian art academies were represented. Prompted by two groups of facilitators, the participants drew on Surrealist heritage to understand today’s societal issues. The aim: to reclaim art as a force for change, capable of transforming our outlook on the world. Paul Nougé, a key figure in Belgian Surrealism, continues to inspire this reflection. His question “For what can we use a hand, a mouth, an eye, a foot, skin, man, woman, a mirror, a chair, a rope, scissors, etc.?” resonates as a call to reinvent the uses and functions of objects and beings in our contemporary society.
Atelier Bozar x Surrealism was centred around lectures and workshops encouraging collective reflection, dialogue, writing and co-creation. The formate of the page, carefully chosen by writer, researcher and educator Vivian Sky Rehberg, echoed the magazine Correspondance - an initiative by Paul Nougé, among others, which was exhibited at Bozar at the time - and, more broadly, the cultural formats of the tract and manifesto, while exploring their relevance as a tool for contemporary artistic communication.
"It was a new way of thinking about writing, which encouraged me to look at the creative process differently."
What can we do with a page?: A collective archive to have at home
The seven intense hours of Atelier Bozar ultimately took material form in a digital fanzine, to be printed at home. The 27-page publication, an archive meticulously collected and assembled by the curator and facilitators, attests to the productive hours of collaboration and lively discussions, providing an overview of the creations that emerged from this workshop.
An inclusive and collaborative approach
The event received an enthusiastic response from participants owing to its inclusive and collaborative approach, underlining the importance of a non-standard institutional space where cooperation takes precedence over competition. Students, lecturers, academic staff, facilitators and members of Bozar's Exhibitions and Education teams: all found their role without any hierarchy. And although English was intended to be the working language, participants spoke in the language of their choice. This flexibility made it possible to transcend linguistic and geographical barriers, creating an enriching collaborative space that respected and celebrated the cultural specificities of each participant. As a helpful guide in this creative process, Vivian Sky Rehberg invited two groups of facilitators who provided participants with methodologies that would undoubtedly inspire them.
“It was nice to have time to talk to people from other institutions about creative work. It facilitated conversations, and everyone was relaxed and open to dialogue.”
“[...] the enthusiastic engagement of the participants in Atelier Bozar x Surrealism, and their incredibly diverse responses to the invitations of the facilitators, as presented in this publication, show that, in a single day, whole worlds can be shaped, expressed, affixed, captioned and contained on a single A4 page.”
Stimulating cultural creation and the imagination
In addition to the events open to the public and Bozar’s strictly artistic programme, there are a host of more low-key activities but still of general interest, aimed at stimulating cultural creation and the imagination. Bozar is creating a link between research and theoretical thinking on the one hand, and artistic practices on the other. As a pilot project, Atelier Bozar has demonstrated the value of creating spaces for inter-institutional, inter-generational and inter-linguistic exchange, where young artists in training can meet and develop new ways of thinking and interacting with the world they inhabit.
We would like to extend our warmest thanks to all the participating schools: ArBA-EsA, ESA Le 75, ESA Saint-Luc Liège, KASK & Conservatorium Gent, Sint Lucas Antwerpen, and LUCA School of Arts Brussels, as well as the groups and facilitators involved, namely Short Pieces That Move! (Annabelle Binnerts, Linus Bonduelle, Ash Kilmartin) and Futures of Europe (Simone Ashby, Julian Hanna, Michelle Kasprzak, Alwin de Rooij, and assisted by Sonja Rozental). Thank you also to the photographer Pauline Lecomte, whose photos illustrate the publication. This first edition of Atelier Bozar has laid the foundations for an enriching dialogue between the artists of tomorrow, and we are eager to see where these exchanges take us in the future. Stay tuned for more on this promising artistic venture.
“It was a very special and wonderful day [...] The day was both fun and serious.”
