Artefact 2021

Curator: Karen Verschooren 

On June 10, STUK opens its doors for Wired for Empathy, the new edition of Artefact festival. Contemporary art, current events and societal challenges meet in a versatile exhibition, surprising concerts, in-depth lectures, performances and workshops. 

Recent developments in biology and neurosciences agree: We, as human beings, are exceptionally well equipped to walk through life as empathetic beings. Yet, increasingly it is said we find ourselves in an empathy crisis; a widespread lack of empathy in our society.

Through the artworks of 16 artists and collectives, Wired for Empathy explores the contemporary role and meaning of empathy: How can we understand empathy today? Who asks empathy from whom and what does that say about current power relations? Which evolutions within society strengthen or undermine our capacity for empathy? How can we relearn/train empathetic strategies and behaviours? And, is the concept of empathy limited to human relations, or can we expand the notion to involve relations to other living creatures?

The artists and their works in this exhibition address and challenge you to understand the other’s perspective and share their emotions. Deploying different artistic strategies; from language and visuals to the creation of participatory or immersive situations, they, each in their own way, speak about care, action for kindness, and the mending of the social fabric.

Artefact SOUND further investigates how experiencing music together can make us more empathetic. The programme focuses on surprising musical collaborations between for instance Slumberland & Sainkho Namtchylak, Will Guthrie & Mette Ingvartsen, or Geoffrey Burton & Sarah Yu Zeebroek. Other artists eagerly await the premiere of their new piece or the live presentation of their new album, like Zwerm, Pak Yan Lau and Benjamin Abel & The Unrequired Love. An audio walk and a podcast, alongside a series of lectures and workshops allow you to dive yet deeper into the theme of empathy.

Expo
Khaled Barakeh, Anouk De Clercq, Helen Cammock, Tom Callemin, Daria Martin, Charline Tyberghein, Claudia Fontes, Ben Thorp Brown, Eva Koťátková, Elliott Erwitt, Anagram, Suzanne Lacy, Alexandra Leyre Mein, Francesca Grilli, Ugo Rondinone, and Peter Aers. 

Artefact Sound
Bas Devos & Brecht Ameel, Benjamin Abel & The Unrequired Love, Farida Amadou, Geoffrey Burton & Sarah Yu Zeebroek, Het Audio Atelier, Maika Garnica & Ans Mertens, Pak Yan Lau, Slumberland & Sainkho Namtchylak, Velma Spell, Will Guthrie & Mette Ingvartsen, and Zwerm.

Talks, performance, workshop
Rudi D’Hooghe, Nidesh Lawtoo, Elke Plovie & Sam Pless, Anouk De Clercq, Soukaïna Bennani, Peter Aers, and Francesca Grilli.

Download the exhibition guide/publication here after June 10, 2021.