Parallel events for UNBEAT!

On the occassion of Yoshio Nakajima's exhibition UNBEAT!, KIOSK organises a series of lectures and performances!

Ephemerality and Resistance
Lecture by Stefan Wouters

The first happening that Yoshio Nakajima, together with Hugo Heyrman, performed at the Groenplaats in Antwerp (9/07/1965) was unprecedented in Belgium. Dozens of newspapers and magazines reported on it, and even national television was present. Following their lead, other artists and activists began organizing happenings, giving birth to a tradition of "ephemerality and resistance." Nakajima is therefore regarded as the pioneer of the Belgian happening scene. Stefan Wouters will give a presentation on these fascinating events.

Stefan Wouters (b. 1972) obtained a joint PhD in 2015 from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the University of Antwerp, specializing in art sciences, archaeology, and theater sciences (Vluchtigheid en verzet. Sporen van het internationaal Happeninggebeuren in België, 2016). He is currently co-coordinator of the René Magritte Museum/Museum of Abstract Art (Jette-Brussels) and teaches contemporary art and cultural philosophy at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp (DKO).

Practical information:

• Saturday 25.01.2025, 8 p.m
• English
  
• Free entrance
• Cirque Auditorium, Louis Pasteurlaan 2, 9000 Ghent

Ndaku ya La vie est belle
Performance + lecture by Bram Borloo & Ndaku ya La vie est belle

Ndaku ya La vie est belle, founded by Eddy Ekete, is an artistic cooperative and laboratory established in Kinshasa, since 2018. It is home to the KINACT festival, an annual event held each August that brings together international performance artists. KINACT's mission is to raise awareness about environmental and social issues while engaging the Kinois (inhabitants of Kinshasa) by bringing art to the streets for those who lack access to traditional visual art events. In addition to being a vibrant carnival of living sculptures crafted from waste materials, KINACT serves as a unique educational program.

Bram Borloo (b. 1976, Louvain, Belgium) is a visual artist, performer, musician, and organizer. He graduated with a Master's degree in Sculpture from the LUCA School of Arts in 1999. Currently, he lives and works in Brussels and partly in Kinshasa. His work consists of painting, sculpture, installation, sound art, and performance. Since 2018, Borloo has been a member of the KinAct collective. In 2021, he founded the collective Bilia Na Biso.

Practical information:
Performance by Ndaku ya La vie est belle

• Friday 31.01.2025, 12 p.m
• In and around KIOSK / KASK & Conservatorium, Louis Pasteurlaan 2, 9000 Ghent
  

Practical information:
Lecture by Bram Borloo & Ndaku ya La vie est belle

• Friday 31.01.2025, 6 p.m.
  
• English
  
• Cirque Auditorium, Louis Pasteurlaan 2, 9000 Ghent

Who is Yoshio Nakajima
Performance by Yoshio Nakajima with Nick Defour and Merzedes Sturm-Lie
Lecture by Martin Schibli

With a career spanning over sixty years, Nakajima’s work has alternated between celebrating the sun as a life-giving force and highlighting global threats, shaped by his experience of the atomic bomb and ecological concerns. His recent work also addresses the events in Ukraine and Palestine. In his lecture, Martin Schibli will trace Nakajima’s remarkable journey from 1950s Japan to contemporary Sweden.

Martin Schibli (b. 1967) holds a Master’s degree in Art History from Lund University, Sweden. Over his career, he has curated around 150 exhibitions in Sweden and internationally. He is currently a curator and producer at Dunkers Cultural House in Helsingborg. Schibli has also worked as an artistic director and exhibition director at various Swedish art institutions. Alongside his curatorial work, he teaches and writes about art. Recently, he co-curated a major retrospective of Yoshio Nakajima at Dunkers Kulturhus and co-published the book Yoshio Nakajima – Resa med solen (2024, Appell Förlag).

Practical information:
Performance by Yoshio Nakajima with Nick Defour and Merzedes Sturm-Lie

• Saturday 15.02.2025, 4 p.m
• KIOSK, Louis Pasteurlaan 2, 9000 Ghent
  

Practical information:
Lecture by Martin Schibli

• Saturday 15.02.2025, 6 p.m.
  
• English
  
• Cirque Auditorium, Louis Pasteurlaan 2, 9000 Ghent

Finissage featuring the launch of the new edition of De Nadruk magazine

The latest edition of the art magazine De Nadruk focuses on Yoshio Nakajima’s exhibition UNBEAT! at KIOSK and is produced by Stefan Wouters together with students from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp (DKO).

"In this edition of De Nadruk, we highlight visual artist Yoshio Nakajima (1940) and delve into various aspects of the rich Japanese culture, where—much like in Nakajima's work—tradition and innovation take center stage. We explore the influential Japanese cinema, feature a contemporary art gallery in Tokyo, and ‘unfold’ the art of origami. Additionally, we shine a spotlight on the artist collective Ndaku Ya La Vie Est Belle, who will perform during Nakajima’s exhibition."

Practical information:

• Sunday 16.03.2025, 3 p.m.
  
• KIOSK, Louis Pasteurlaan 2, 9000 Ghent