Kunstenplatform PLAN B

These days Kunstenplatform PLAN B is in Valmiera, Latvia for the final conference of IN SITU: Culture Matters Here. Cultivating Creative Place-based Innovation in Non-urban Communities. Over the coming days, artists, researchers, policymakers, and cultural practitioners from across Europe gather to exchange ideas on the transformative role of culture and creativity in rural and non-urban contexts — and how place-based practices can contribute to more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable communities. We’re proud to contribute to the programme with the presentation 𝗥𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗴 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮 by Vivi Focquet, Leontien Allemeersch and Ewoud Vermote, during the session ‘Narratives of Place: Memory, Senses, and Intangible Heritage’. Looking forward to inspiring conversations, new connections, and collective reflections on the future of cultural work beyond urban centres. 🌱 With the support of Flanders State of the Art.

Time to look back! @kunstenzwalm is a biennial art route in the Zwalm region. For the 2025 edition, the programme was curated by Kunstenplatform PLAN B and revolved around the theme of soil. The soil we see and build on, where we live and grow crops - but also the invisible soil: shared or unshared roots, and the idea of common ground as a way of working and living together. Over three weekends, Kunst & Zwalm brought together visual art, film screenings, debates, workshops, music, theatre and installations, all in dialogue with the landscape, local communities and the themes that live there. On our website (link in bio), you can now explore a retrospective in words and images: photos of artworks and events, insights into the creative processes behind the works, and reports from our ‘Ten Gronde’ conversations on topics such as agriculture and artisanal practices. Be welcome to have a look! 🌱 📸 Leontien Allemeersch, Dhiaa Biya, Luc Gezels

“Vandaag de dag: nieuwe kalender van het oude mijnbekken” (New Calendar of the Old Mining Basin) is a calendar that gathers existing and newly imagined days of remembrance from the former Limburg mining region. It emerged from a two-year artistic research trajectory in which Martha Balthazar and Vivi Focquet immersed themselves in the region, guided by local voices, stories, and lived experiences. Driven by a fascination with shared memory — how it is formed, and who gets to shape it — they began each conversation with one simple question: “What or who should be remembered here?” Out of these conversations grew this calendar: a collective proposal for a more open, inclusive, and shared culture of remembrance. Designed and illustrated by Carole De Buck, the calendar intentionally includes blank days — because memory is never finished, and can always be added to, adapted, and reimagined. 📅 The calendar is available for free (Shipping costs are covered by the recipient.) Interested? Send an e-mail with your address to [email protected] — Artistic research: Martha Balthazar & Vivi Focquet Illustrations & graphic design: Carole De Buck Participating artists: Betül Şefika, Emine Cerkinaj, Gökhan Kızılbuğa, Hannah Jamine Zaouad, Ignace Wouters Co-production: C-mine With the support of the Flemish Government 📸 Leontien Allemeersch

Laatste weekend - 𝗞𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘁 & 𝗭𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗺! 🐑 Duik mee in een onderwaternetwerk vol oventjes, ga in gesprek over de toekomst van landbouw of luister naar de (on)zichtbare dieren die in de omgeving verblijven. Wroet mee in de grond van Zwalm, welkom! Zaterdag 13 en zondag 14 september, telkens van 12u tot 18u. Ontdek het volledige programma via link in bio. • Final weekend – 𝗞𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘁 & 𝗭𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗺! 🐑 Dive into an underwater network of little ovens, join conversations about the future of agriculture, or listen to the (in)visible animals living in the surroundings. Dig into the soil of Zwalm, welcome! Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 September, from 12 pm to 6 pm. Discover the full program via the link in bio. 📸 Leontien Allemeersch & Dhiaa Biya

𝗧𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲: 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺𝘀 𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗸𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗱 🌾 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝘇𝗲𝗴𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗷𝗱｡ Aanstaande zondag gaan we in gesprek over het hete hangijzer ‘landbouw’. De moderne boer krijgt heel wat op zijn bord: stikstofakkoorden, Europese regelgeving, investeren om te overleven, de klimaatcrisis… De boerenprotesten van de afgelopen jaren leken dan ook op veel begrip te kunnen rekenen bij de brede bevolking. Tegelijk moeten we ons de vraag stellen hoe duurzaam dit landbouwmodel is. Welke alternatieven kunnen we bedenken? Hierover gaan we in gesprek met theatermaker Martha Balthazar, die met Boerenpsalm een voorstelling over het thema maakte, Zwalmse Schepen van Landbouw Tom Van Canneyt en oprichter bioboerderij Ourobouros Karel Houdmont. 🎥 Het gesprek wordt ingeleid door de kortfilm ‘L’avenir le dira’ van Pierre Creton. Zondag 14 september, 13u - Locatie: Het Groene Lilare, Latemdreef 77, Zwalm Taal: Nederlands • 𝗧𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲: 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗶𝗹 🌾 𝗢𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀｡ This Sunday we’ll discuss the hot topic of “agriculture.” Today’s farmer faces many challenges: nitrogen agreements, European regulations, investing just to survive, the climate crisis… The farmers’ protests of recent years seemed to meet with considerable understanding from the wider public. At the same time, we must ask ourselves how sustainable this agricultural model really is. What alternatives can we imagine? Joining the conversation are theatre-maker Martha Balthazar, who created the performance Boerenpsalm on this theme, Tom Van Canneyt, Alderman for Agriculture in Zwalm, and Karel Houdmont, founder of the organic farm Ourobouros. 🎥 The talk will be introduced by the short film ‘L’avenir le dira’ by Pierre Creton. Sunday, September 14, 1pm – Location: Het Groene Lilare, Latemdreef 77, Zwalm Language: Dutch 📸 Still ‘L’avenir le dira’ + Leontien Allemeersch

Dit was het tweede weekend van 𝗞𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘁 & 𝗭𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗺! 🌱 Waterbrood, woorden over graan, landschappen vol verhalen, thee van lokale planten, maïs en nog meer maïs. Aankomend weekend is de laatste kans om mee te wroeten in de grond van Zwalm. Welkom op zaterdag 13 en zondag 14 september, telkens van 12u tot 18u. Meer informatie via link in bio. • This was the second weekend of 𝗞𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘁 & 𝗭𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗺! 🌱 Water bread, words about grain, landscapes full of stories, tea from local plants, corn and more corn. This coming weekend is the last chance to dig into the soil of Zwalm. Join us on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 September, from 12 pm to 6 pm. More information via the link in bio. 📸 Leontien Allemeersch

𝗞𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘁 & 𝗭𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗺 - welkom op deze zonovergoten dag! ☀️ 𝗞𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘁 & 𝗭𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗺 - welcome on this sundrenched day! ☀️ • Kunst & Zwalm is nog vandaag, 13 en 14 september te bezoeken, telkens van 12u tot 18u. Startpunt: Klein Zwitserland, Galerijpad 3, 9630 Zwalm Opgelet: de route is ± 6 km, maar om alle werken te bezoeken ben je ongeveer 3 uur onderweg. Meer informatie via link in bio. Kunst & Zwalm can still be visited today, 13th and 14th of September, from 12pm until 6pm. Starting point: Klein Zwitserland, Galerijpad 3, 9630 Zwalm Note: the route is about 6 km, but visiting all works takes roughly 3 hours. More info via the link in bio. 📸 Leontien Allemeersch

𝗞𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘁 & 𝗭𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗺 maakt zich klaar voor het tweede weekend! 🌱Welkom om 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗱 in al zijn facetten te ontdekken: van gevilte sculpturen in een verwilderde tuin tot het rurale protest in Turkije tegen een thermische centrale. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱: Zaterdag 6/09, 14u- 17u: 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗻: 𝗩𝗮𝗻 𝗠𝗮 𝘁𝗼𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮 Processie, Zegening van de velden, Gedeelde maaltijd Zondag 7/09, 13u: 𝗧𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲 - 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺𝘀 𝗲𝗻 𝗴𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗸𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗱 Seeds in their Pockets: Carrying Resistance Between Ground, Seeds and Hands Zondag 7/09, 15u - 17u: 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝘃𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻 | 𝗗𝗥𝗨𝗞 𝗞𝗨𝗡𝗦𝗧! - Kunst & Zwalm is nog te bezoeken op 6-7 & 13-14 september 2025, telkens van 12u tot 18u. Startpunt: Klein Zwitserland, Galerijpad 3, 9630 Zwalm Opgelet: de route is ± 6 km, maar om alle werken te bezoeken ben je ongeveer 3 uur onderweg. Meer informatie via link in bio. • 𝗞𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘁 & 𝗭𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗺 is getting ready for its second weekend! 🌱 You’re welcome to explore 𝘀𝗼𝗶𝗹 in all its facets: from felted sculptures in a wild garden to rural protest in Turkey against a thermal power plant. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱: Saturday 6/09, 2pm until 5pm - 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗚𝗼𝗱𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗠𝗮 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝘆 Procession, Blessing of the Fields, and Shared Meal Sunday 7/09, 1pm - 𝗧𝗲𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲: 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗶𝗹 Seeds in their Pockets: Carrying Resistance Between Ground, Seeds and Hands Sunday 7/09, 3pm until 5 pm - 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 | 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗧 𝗔𝗥𝗧! - Kunst & Zwalm can still be visited on 6–7 & 13–14 September 2025, each time from 12–6 PM. Starting point: Klein Zwitserland, Galerijpad 3, 9630 Zwalm Note: the route is about 6 km, but visiting all works takes roughly 3 hours. More info via the link in bio. 📸 Leontien Allemeersch & Dhiaa Biya

𝙎𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙋𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙩𝙨: 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝘽𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙂𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙, 𝙎𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 📍Sunday 7 September at 13:00-14:30 Het Groene Lilare, Latemdreef 77, 9630 Zwalm 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚’s Metaspora (Mirra Markhaëva, Elli Vassalou, Anna Housiada) invites the millers of 𝙄𝙟𝙯𝙚𝙧𝙠𝙤𝙩𝙢𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣 (Jochen Delbeke & Emmanuel Meersschaut), alongside artist and chef 𝘼𝙨𝙡𝙞 𝙃𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙥𝙤ğ𝙡𝙪 and filmmaker 𝘿𝙝𝙞𝙖𝙖 𝘽𝙞𝙮𝙖, for a public discussion. Growing through Biya’s film 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙀𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙂𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙖𝙡𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙙? (2023), the gathering opens up a broader conversation about carrying seeds, recipes, crafts, and memory through the gestures of the hands — as tools of resistance and hope for both local and displaced cultures. It aims to weave together personal and political narratives through the lens of traditional agriculture and milling, as well as domestic and artistic practices. Can artisanal practices become a space for cross-cultural solidarity, mutual flourishing and survival, and transgenerational care between humans and non-humans? How can we resist their commodification and ensure they remain accessible to all, transcending barriers of race, class, and legal status? The ticket is included in the Kunst & Zwalm art route. Language: English

𝗗𝗥𝗨𝗞 𝗞𝗨𝗡𝗦𝗧! Hou je van stempelen en creatief experiment? Kom mee drukken tijdens de kinderworkshops! Iedere zondag openen de deuren van het drukatelier en ontdek je hoe een echte letterpress werkt. Al eeuwenlang worden boeken, posters en kaarten gedrukt met bijzondere technieken. Eén van de oudste én mooiste is de letterpress – een druktechniek waarbij je écht de letters in het papier voelt. 🎨 In samenwerking met het ambachtelijke drukatelier Atelier V.V. duiken we samen met kinderen en (groot)ouders in deze bijzondere kunstvorm. Je kiest je woorden, zet de letters klaar, en drukt jouw unieke werk op papier. Voor kinderen vanaf 6 jaar – samen met een (groot)ouder. Zondag 7 september en zondag 14 september, van 15u tot 17u. In de school Het Groene Lilare, Latemdreef 77, Sint-Maria-Latem - 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗧 𝗔𝗥𝗧! Do you like stamping and creative experimentation? Come and print during the children’s workshops! Every Sunday, the doors of the printing studio open and you can discover how a real letterpress works. For centuries, books, posters and cards have been printed using special techniques. One of the oldest and most beautiful is letterpress – a printing technique where you can really feel the letters in the paper. 🎨 In collaboration with the traditional printing studio Atelier V.V., we dive into this special art form together with children and (grand)parents. You choose your words, set the letters, and print your unique work on paper. For children aged 6 and up – together with a (grand)parent. Sunday 7 September and Sunday 14 September, from 3 pm to 5 pm. At the school Het Groene Lilare, Latemdreef 77, Sint-Maria-Latem. 📸 Leontien Allemeersch & Dhiaa Biya

🌾 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗮𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗚𝗼𝗱𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀: From Ma to Mother Mary Procession, Blessing of the Fields, and Shared Meal In the histories of religions, traces of Mother Earth worship reach back to prehistory. Linked to motherhood, these figures flow from one to another: from the “Great Mother” Ma and Cybele to the maiden-huntress Artemis. Anatolian goddesses travel together with seeds, through commerce, war, and migration. They are gradually absorbed into agrarian, family-oriented figures such as Demeter and, later, the Virgin Mary. Goddess rituals became woven into Mary’s celebrations. The church adopted the agricultural calendar, beginning on September 1, and Mary’s life came to symbolise the cycle of wheat—born with the first sowing, dying with the last harvest. On September 6, Metaspora invites you to a procession where the local Mary of the Seven Sorrows (Vrouw van Zeven Weeën), the Mary of the First Seed (Παναγιά Aρχισπορίτισσα), Buryat Shamanic and Buddhist practices of abundance meet. Participants are invited to walk with us, connect with the body of Zwalm (the elements, the plants, the animals and humans). Together, we bless the 'ground' of Zwalm for the new sowing season and wish freedom and fruitfulness to the land and its people. 📌 Saturday 6 September from 14.00 to 18.00. Onze-Lieve-Vrouw kapel V, Langemunte & Latemdreef str, Zwalm Point 17 in the Kunst en Zwalm Map. Special thanks to: Kunstenplatform PLAN B, BOEM, IJzerkotmolen, Atelier V.V., De Goede Zaak, Naturefarm Bos t’Ename, Nadine, Klein Zwitserland, Heemkundekring Zwalm, Asli Hatipoğlu and Juliette Mourad.   Photo 3: Procession of Sint-Maria-Latem, Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Zeven Weeën ©Heemkundekring Zwalm Photo 4: farmworkers having a meal, Greece, 1938, ©Lee Miller, published in Bread for the Living, Bread for the Dead, Tavros Press, 2025 NL Metasporische Godinnen: Van Ma tot Moeder Maria Processie, zegening van de velden en gezamenlijke maaltijd 📌 Zaterdag 6 september van 14.00 tot 17.00 uur. Onze-Lieve-Vrouw kapel, Langemunte & Latemdreef str, Zwalm Punt 17 op de Kunst & Zwalm-kaart. tekst loopt door in de commentaren-->

Ashes of us We will live again. We will rise from the ashes. We are not a metaphor, but a living reality: the spirit of a people who refuse to die. We are here. We choose life, not death. We seek peace, not war. We demand freedom. Freedom. Freedom. My composition of letters draws inspiration from the people of Ga_za from their yearning for life amidst geno_cide, and from their steadfast grip on the thread of hope in their journey toward survival. At Art & Zwalm 2025, Ismail will present Ashes of Us. This work is a visual installation that uses Arabic calligraphy to express the voices of the people of Ga_za, living under constant bombardment and oppression. The flowing lines of the script weave a powerful story of resistance, dignity and the indestructible human desire for freedom. From the ashes of Gaza and the dust of destruction, this artwork rises as a powerful symbol of hope. Thank you for your efforts ! @vivi_focquet @husseinshamia @qalaja_jo #art #2025 #installation #calligraphy #sclupture #genocide #gaza #art #children #life #