Jef Declercq

Past few months at @kinbrussels

@publiekpark is more than only an exhibition - it’s a living ecosystem that connects art with its green environment in a public dialogue. Therefore, we proudly share documentation from the public programmes and our third publication Walking Guide. Walking Guide intertwines essays, archival fragments, and artistic voices to trace both the exhibition route at Plantentuin Meise and the historical journey from the creation of the Jardin Botanique in Brussels to its relocation to Meise. Like a quilt, it layers perspectives, textures, and timelines, linking artistic narratives with reflections on urban gardens, public space, and botanical imaginaries. Featuring texts by Nikolaos Akritidis, Denis Diagre-Vanderpelen, Koen Es, Lana Jones, François Makanga, Noam Youngrak Son, and Jean Watt, alongside photographs by Michiel de Cleene, the book was designed by Victor Verhelst and Corbin Mahieu. Launched on 3.09 at the steps of Botanique, writers François Makanga and Noam Youngrak Son presented their essays, while artist Myrthe van der Mark enriched each copy with drawings. The programme continued on 14.09 with film screenings by Blue Screen (in collaboration with Level Five), a guided walk by Nikolaos Akritidis, and performances by Roy Köhnke and Elise El Yousfi. The closing nocturne on 28.09 at Plantentuin Meise featured a guided tour with the curators and writer Lana Jones, and an experimental film programme by Art Cinema OFFoff, including works by Jef Cornelis and Léonard Pongo. 📖 Walking Guide will soon be available through bookshops and distribution platforms dedicated to art publications. In the meantime, you can reach out to [email protected] to get your copy! Photos by Lars Duchateau, Corbin Mahieu, Victor Verhelst, Emma Van Der Put, Anna Laganovska & William Ludwig Lutgens.

🌿 FIVE MORE DAYS TO VISIT PUBLIEK PARK 🌿 (2/2) In the final week of @publiekpark , we highlight the artworks that remain on view at @plantentuinmeise until Sunday, 28.09. The exhibition concludes that day with a festive free nocturne, including a guided tour with writer Lana Jones (17:00) and an experimental film programme by Art Cinema OFFoff (20:00). The third edition of Publiek Park, a nomadic contemporary art project exploring urban parks and gardens as exhibition sites, brings together works by eleven international and local artists in Plantentuin Meise. The trail of eleven artistic interventions guides visitors through a spectrum of narratives: from gardens as architectural-administrative complexes that classify and contain nature, to reflections on plants as commodities within global trade networks. Along the way, it invites encounters with species’ co-evolution, imagined hybrid beings, and flora whose histories intertwine with personal stories of migration and colonialism. These works extend into imaginative narratives – drawing from medicinal, technological, and scientific knowledge, indigenous traditions, linguistic lapses, intimate memories and science fictions. With site-sensitivity as a guiding ethos, Publiek Park invites artists to engage with the specific textures of the green space – their shifting ecologies, architectural traces, and layered histories. The project unfolds as a walking route through the residues of history into futures not yet mapped, from botanical research to reflections on contemporary life. Participating artists: Bianca Baldi @bianca_baldi Gabi Dao @postdao Elise El Yousfi @elise_ely Judith Kakon @eversincifelldownthestairs Roy Köhnke @roykohnke Myrthe van der Mark @myrthe.christianne Office for Joint Administrative Intelligence @jointintelligence Josse Pyl @jossepyl Isa Schieche & Helen Weber @isaschieche @welen.heber Jura Shust @jurashust Līga Spunde @ligaspunde @ccstrombeek_expo @plantentuinmeise @offoffcinema 📍 Plantentuin Meise (Nieuwelaan 38) | 27.06–28.09.25 | Daily 10:00–18:00 📸 @michieldecleene

🌿 TEN MORE DAYS TO VISIT PUBLIEK PARK 🌿 (1/2) In the final weeks of @publiekpark , we highlight the artworks that remain on view at @plantentuinmeise until Sunday, 28.09. The exhibition concludes that day with a festive free nocturne, including a guided tour with writer Lana Jones (17:00) and an experimental film programme by Art Cinema OFFoff (20:00). The third edition of Publiek Park, a nomadic contemporary art project exploring urban parks and gardens as exhibition sites, brings together works by eleven international and local artists in Plantentuin Meise. The trail of eleven artistic interventions guides visitors through a spectrum of narratives: from gardens as architectural-administrative complexes that classify and contain nature, to reflections on plants as commodities within global trade networks. Along the way, it invites encounters with species’ co-evolution, imagined hybrid beings, and flora whose histories intertwine with personal stories of migration and colonialism. These works extend into imaginative narratives – drawing from medicinal, technological, and scientific knowledge, indigenous traditions, linguistic lapses, intimate memories and science fictions. With site-sensitivity as a guiding ethos, Publiek Park invites artists to engage with the specific textures of the green space – their shifting ecologies, architectural traces, and layered histories. The project unfolds as a walking route through the residues of history into futures not yet mapped, from botanical research to reflections on contemporary life. Participating artists: Bianca Baldi @bianca_baldi Gabi Dao @postdao Elise El Yousfi @elise_ely Judith Kakon @eversincifelldownthestairs Roy Köhnke @roykohnke Myrthe van der Mark @myrthe.christianne Office for Joint Administrative Intelligence @jointintelligence Josse Pyl @jossepyl Isa Schieche & Helen Weber @isaschieche @welen.heber Jura Shust @jurashust Līga Spunde @ligaspunde @ccstrombeek_expo @plantentuinmeise @offoffcinema 📍 Plantentuin Meise (Nieuwelaan 38) | 27.06–28.09.25 | Daily 10:00–18:00 📸 @michieldecleene

🌿 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗸 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗶𝘀𝗲! Every two weeks, our curators will walk you through the artistic interventions and ideas behind this year’s edition. Tours are available in Dutch and English. Discover how the artworks come to life in dialogue with the garden's landscapes and histories. The first tour will take place this Saturday!  Dates:  July 12, 14:00 - 16:00 July 26, 14:00 - 16:00 August 9, 14:00 - 16:00 August 23, 14:00 - 16:00 All you need is a valid ticket to Plantentuin Meise (free with Museumpas). The guided tour is free of charge with your garden entrance ticket. If you’d like to support the project, we warmly welcome a suggested donation of €5-€10-€15 per person. Is the ticket cost a barrier? You don't have a Museumpas? Are you not eligible for any of the existing reductions? Feel free to contact us at [email protected] – we have a limited amount of individual free tickets to distribute. Reserve your spot now via the link in bio! 🌱 Ga deze zomer mee op rondleiding door Publiek Park in Plantentuin Meise! Om de twee weken nemen onze curatoren je mee langs de artistieke interventies en ideeën achter deze editie. De rondleidingen zijn beschikbaar in het Nederlands en Engels. Ontdek hoe de kunstwerken tot leven komen in dialoog met het landschap en de geschiedenis van de tuin. De eerste rondleiding vindt deze zaterdag plaats! Data: 12 juli, 14:00 – 16:00 26 juli, 14:00 – 16:00 9 augustus, 14:00 – 16:00 23 augustus, 14:00 – 16:00 Je hebt enkel een geldig toegangsticket voor Plantentuin Meise nodig (gratis met een Museumpas). De rondleiding zelf is gratis. Wil je het project steunen? Dan stellen we een vrijblijvende bijdrage voor van €5, €10 of €15 per persoon. Is de ticketprijs een drempel? Heb je geen Museumpas? Kom je niet in aanmerking voor bestaande kortingen? Stuur gerust een mailtje naar [email protected] – we hebben een beperkt aantal gratis individuele tickets beschikbaar. Reserveer nu je plekje via de link in bio!

🌿 27.06.25 - PUBLIEK PARK OPENING IN PLANTENTUIN MEISE (16:00 - 22:00)🌿 Welcome on June 27 for the opening of the first chapter of Publiek Park 2025 at Plantentuin Meise, where eleven international and local artists will present artworks in one of the world’s largest botanical gardens. From Sept 3, the second chapter will unfold at a historically linked location: the Jardin Botanique in Brussels. This third edition moves across two locations and temporalities: 📍 Plantentuin Meise: 27.06–28.09.2025 📍 Jardin Botanique de Bruxelles: 03.09–14.09.2025 Each artist will exhibit work in both locations, responding to the specific textures of the sites—their shifting ecologies, architectural traces, and entangled histories. Publiek Park unfolds as a walking route through the shadows of the past colonial enterprise to future fictions, from botanical research to reflections on contemporary life. Participating artists: Bianca Baldi @bianca_baldi Gabi Dao @postdao Elise El Yousfi @elise_ely Judith Kakon @eversinceifelldownthestairs Roy Köhnke @roykohnke Myrthe van der Mark @myrthe.christianne Office for Joint Administrative Intelligence @jointintelligence Josse Pyl @jossepyl Isa Schieche & Helen Weber @isaschieche @welen.heber Jura Shust @jurashust Līga Spunde @ligaspunde Curated by @samulsu @adriennevdw @koi_persyn , myself and @lanajones____ @jeanwatt @alisemarija Free admission during opening June 27; everyone is welcome to celebrate the opening with us and the artists! Publiek Park 2025 is realised in collaboration with: @ccstrombeek_expo @plantentuinmeise @botanique_bxl @wiels_brussels @offoffcinema @track.brussels @levelfive.brussels @luca.schoolofarts @019ghent and others. With generous support from the @dept.cjm @vlaamseoverheid @cultuuroptil @nlinbelgie @extrafrbe @francebelgiqueculture @mondriaanfonds @prohelvetia , State Culture Capital Foundation of Latvia (VKKF), Federal Ministry Republic of Austria (BMKÖS), and more. Graphic design by @verhelstvictor 🔗 publiekpark.be

With just over two weeks to go until the opening of the third edition of Publiek Park at Plantentuin Meise, we would like to introduce the team working behind the scenes.🌱 EN (NL in reacties) Publiek Park is initiated and curated by Jef Declercq, Anna Laganovska, Koi Persyn, and Adriënne van der Werf – a curatorial collaboration that began in 2020 and shaped the previous editions in Ghent (2021) and Antwerp (2023). This year, the curatorial team is joined by Lana Jones, Jean Watt, and Alise Pētersone, whose thoughtful contributions and fresh perspectives have been vital to this edition. Together with all the participating artists, partners, and contributors, we look forward to sharing what we have been working on – beginning on June 27, when the first chapter of Publiek Park 2025 opens at Plantentuin Meise. This year’s edition of Publiek Park – a nomadic art project that reimagines public parks and gardens as exhibition spaces – unfolds across two temporalities. The presentation in Plantentuin Meise, where a series of site-sensitive installations will remain on view until September 28, will be followed by a second chapter from September 3 at Jardin Botanique de Bruxelles, dedicated to more ephemeral, time-based programme. Opening
 📍 Plantentuin Meise 
📅 Friday, June 27, 2025 
🕓 16:00–22:00 This year’s team portraits were taken by the wonderful Lars Duchateau @larsduchateau Follow here for more updates the programme, publication, and partners, and visit the link in our bio to learn more about the project.

We are pleased to announce that Jef Declercq has joined KIN as Artist Liaison & Sales. Jef Declercq is a Brussels-based curator, writer, and gallery worker. He is a co-founder of Publiek Park, a nomadic art project which reimagines public city parks and gardens as exhibition spaces. He has conducted research on art in public space, and his writings are published by e-flux, Glean magazine, and various galleries. Experienced in working with galleries and art fairs, he holds a master’s degree in Art History from Ghent University and a postgraduate in Curatorial Studies from KASK. He was part of the Young Curators Programme of the Belgian Pavilion at the 59th Venice Biennale. Welcome Jef! Image: Sarah Stone

Looking back at last year's edition of @publiekpark ! The Walking Guide was created to accompany the second edition of Publiek Park, in Antwerp. Following the walking route of the exhibition in word and image, the publication invites you to delve deeper into the stories that parks hold. Historical narratives are interwoven with the reflections of contemporary thinkers and artists, revealing the green space in its full complexity and highlighting its importance in the everyday life of urban dwellers. The historical research was overseen and written by the art historian @gertjan.oskar with the assistance of Annelies Clerix. In addition to that, the authors @laurammherman , @holst.sophia , @kopano.maroga , @mannojartens and @bart.tritsmans dived deeper into the architectural, historical, social and cultural significance of the parks today. Their voices range from academic, to personal and poetic, providing a multifaceted exploration that captures the essence of these urban spaces. Integrated into the walk, you will come across the visual contributions of the artists participating in this year's Publiek Park, as well as images revealing the past and capturing present of the parks. Artists @019ghent @yesyesbernstein @tuuerme @___alessioragnocapone___ @jonasdehnen #nicodockx @liseduclaux @jakub.jansa @monikaemmanuelle @kijiyo_ @metahaven @mathias.mu @yemomomo @paolasirirenard @leander.schoenweger @hussein.shikha @peihsuan_wang @guywouete Language: Dutch and English Concept: @jefdeclercq_ @samulsu @adriennevdw @koi_persyn Editing: @samulsu Editorial advice: Samuel Saelemakers Design: @verhelstvictor Photography: @michieldecleene Print run: 600 ISBN: 9789464775402 This publication was made possible with the support of @middelheimmuseum and @dept.cjm Still available on our website! (link in bio)