Subbacultcha Belgium March/April 2021 by Subbacultcha

Future of cyborgs March & April 2021

Semi-Annual Hybrid Festival by Pilar at VUB Brussels More info & tickets: www.pilar.brussels With amongst others: Miss Angel, Cocaine Piss, Kosmo Sound, Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer, Warda El-Kaddouri, Sam Debaecke, Lukas De Clerck, Bas van den Hout, Bombataz, Schroothoop, Caroline Pauwels, Khalid Benhaddou & Liesbeth Levy

04 — 31 MAR 2021 THE ECHO EDITION

Overview

Music 03.03 what ’subb: U.S. Girls x La fille d’O

18.03 - Roger Raveel: Een 21.07 retrospectieve BOZAR, Brussels online

until Cécile Massart - Sarcophagi - 25.04 Radioactive Waste Botanique, Brussels

10.03 what ’subb: Oklou x special guest online until It Never Ends 25.04 KANAL, Brussels 17.03 what ’subb: Elias Bender until Superstudio Migrazione Rønnenfelt x Alex Zhang CIVA, Brussels Hungtai online 16.05 24.03 what ’subb: Ian Isiah x 25.03 Kurt Hentschlager - ‘SUB’ iMAL, Brussels Eartheater online 23.05

31.03 what ’subb: Hand Habits x 25.03 - BXL UNIVERSEL II: multipli.city Centrale, Brussels Lauren Auder online 12.09

Expo

Film

MUBI until Céline Cuvelier 14.03 Botanique, Brussels As a Subbacultcha member, you can enjoy three months of MUBI entirely free. MUBI is a curated online cinema where

01.04 - Pierre Alechinsky you can discover the world’s greatest films. 31.05 Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium 01.04 - Aboriginal Art 31.05 Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium

Other

21.04 How to be a self-employed 16.04 Guided Tour Belgian Art & creative online Design Fair Prelude Vlaanderenstraat 25, Ghent Discounts Go shop at Paard Van Troje, Consouling, Art Paper Editions,

until MOØDe Hunting and Collecting, Bison 4, Veals & Geeks & Tipi Bookshop 18.04 Cultuurcentrum Scharpoord, Knokke-Heist and receive a 10% member discount (online or in the shop). until Lippenstift en Gasmaskers – 18.04 De Stadscollectie Antwerpen M HKA, Antwerp

ly or subscribe to our on the website regularnts. All events are free for da en ag e lin on r ou Check dates on new eve e/join ter to receive all the up? Check out our plans at subbacultcha.b 5 newslet yet er mb members. Not a me

WAREGEM

BRAECKMAN FIERET KOOIKER ŠTRBA 07.03—30.05

WESTERLAAN 17, WAREGEM DINSDAG-VRIJDAG, 13:00-17:00 ZONDAG, 13:00-17:00

While we’re all stuck at home trying to flatten that curve, Subbacultcha is bringing this common slumber party to the next level. So take a break from your DIY projects, gently exit the online yoga class, reschedule sourdough starter feeding to later and keep up personally with the most interesting artists of the moment. Here’s what we have in store for you! Come Zoom along!

U.S. Girls x La fille d’O

what ’subb:

intimate stories where she explores the acceptance of her models and their body, or in Meghan’s poignant political and feminist lyrics, both use their artistic outlets to advocate an underlying message tackling revolting institutionalized norms. The two have actually already met via one of Murielle’s stories on her website, where Meg leads a deep self-introspection of herself and her alter-egos. The date for episode 2 is now set, are you ready to join our party?

Oklou x special guest

what ’subb:

10 Mar - online

Elias Bender Rønnenfelt x Alex Zhang Hungtai

what ’subb:

3 Mar - online For more than a decade, Meghan Remy has been making music under the name of Toronto-based experimental pop project U.S. Girls. Murielle Scherre, Ghent-based entrepreneur, started lingerie line La fille d’O almost 20 years ago as a way to put out guilt-free underwears that are locally made, built-to-last aesthetics and most importantly recognizing and pleasing any body types and colours. Whether it is in Murielle’s series of

17 Mar - online

Ian Isiah x Eartheater

what ’subb:

24 Mar - online

Hand Habits x Lauren Auder

what ’subb:

31 Mar - online

Want to join our online talks? Every Subba cultcha member is welcome, make sure you fill in the form in the specific event on the website to receive all details.

Reservatie:

BA-D

F.BE

PRELUDE

03 april 09 mei 2021 Vlaanderenstraat 25, GENT

ontwerp: studiostudio.be

Artistieke voorbode voor de Belgian Art & Design Fair

Editor’s note

Is there a future to think about? Is this the future we had in mind? Without bringing down our positive vibes towards the Summer (!), this unreal present is the place we’re starting from. Even as a question mark hangs over young people’s future, at least you know you are not alone, feeling like a cyborg, masked and hidden away. However, do you also sense this great spirit of unity and non-conformity in a time that has almost forgotten recognition? Our wild guess: the future is for aliens, cyborgs and other misfits. We would like to thank all contributors to this newborn magazine: our freshly hired editors Milena & Laura; our chief agenda Julien; our eagle-eyed correction machines Iz, Meg & Gabriela, our layout princess Chloé; Simon and Louise for their strong words; Rebekka, Kayla & Thor for letting us look through their eyes; and the countless membercontributors we so deeply appreciate. From now on we’ll be showing more content of our community in this magazine and other channels. Please join us and use our platform to reach out to other cyborgs. Check the Sub_missions call on the website. Your editor-in-chief, Herlinde

Music

‘I don’t see myself becoming a big pop persona’ Oklou on the album you might have been crying to

Oklou

A self-dubbed composer of ‘adult music for children’, Paris-based Marylou Mayniel – better known as Oklou – writes lullabies that soothe you yet simultaneously tear you apart. The classically trained artist and member of the NUXXE collective ventured to the Spanish mountains with longtime collaborator Casey MQ to write her poignant full-length debut. You probably cried while listening to Galore. And so did she.

Interview by Milena Maenhaut, photos shot in Paris by Rebekka Deubner

What have you been up to lately? I’m getting my own flat in Paris! I didn’t have a proper home for over a year, I’ve been subletting and staying with friends. Now I’m getting my shit together [Laughs]. You live in a big city, yet your work seems to be located somewhere else. How would you describe the place in Galore? I needed to picture myself in a concrete environment to write: an isolated cabin in a forest, surrounded by mountains. However, I’d like to imagine that people can make up their own world when they listen to my music. Speaking of forests, during the set you played for ARTE, a little fawn was watching over the piano. That stuffed animal means a lot to me. My friends gave it to me when I was going through a hard time. I’ve always been fascinated by deer, I consider them my totem animal. I’ve seen them in so many movies growing up, and in real life too. As a teen, I would see deer in the woods near my house. I had a lot of dreams about them. Since Galore has been healing for many people, how did you feel when you were writing the album? I was very unhappy at the time because of the choices I had made 13

or had to make about my life. I had to focus on myself. Writing down what I was going through allowed me to take distance, which was what I needed. I needed a mission to pursue. What do you listen to when you need comfort? I’m still in a tricky emotional place right now. It’s hard to listen to sad songs, even though usually it’s my favourite thing. I live for drama and emotional music. Now I listen to silly things instead. While grocery shopping today, I was blasting oversaturated, speedy beats some teens uploaded on SoundCloud. That’s the mood right now. What about listening to or playing your music? I was scared before playing the ARTE concert because every time I sang ‘I didn’t give up on you,’ I would cry. I was afraid to cry on television [Laughs]. But in the end, I was too focused on the sound. I’ve also cried listening to that song, although I felt reborn after. It’s like you’re being torn apart and rebuilt slowly. Funny – you’re the third person to link the song to the concept of birth. My brother’s wife gave birth listening to Galore. She

Less violent: there are lots of marriage requests. [Laughs] People are crazy. Since the theme of our magazine is Future Cyborgs, what are your plans for the future? I don’t see myself becoming a big pop persona. Maybe because I’m 27 and I don’t dream of the same things I did when I was younger. I’m just so happy in a studio, writing melodies on the piano. I would love to write music for movies, especially for sci-fi or fantasy. There’s this technical part of me that’s most fulfilled when I’m working on a specific project. Like adding a certain emotion to a movie scene.

‘I want Or a ba to be a boy for o by. Tha t would ne day. be great

What’s the song about? It’s about leaving someone you’re still in love with. When Casey first heard the song, he told me – after he cried, obviously [Laughs] – that the song hits so hard because I’m screaming I won’t give up on someone. But the way I say those words screams that I have to. That’s what happened, even though at the time I didn’t see it clearly.

Someone used the airy part of ‘God’s Chariots’ on a video of people fighting. It’s quite violent actually, but it made me laugh.

’

didn’t really know what the album was about, but she wanted to listen to it because she found it soothing. It’s amazing to hear that people find those feelings in my music, especially because the lyrics were so hard to write.

‘Galore’, the title song, is about meeting someone online. How’s your relationship with social media? I’m very attached to online interactions. I’m on the internet a lot. Sometimes I wonder if I post so much because I’m not feeling good. Yet I also post a lot when I feel great, so maybe I just have a healthy relationship with it. It’s a great and funny way to express your feelings and to interact with people.

You often engage with fans online who are quite creative in describing what Galore means to them. What’s the funniest thing you’ve read recently? 16

If you lived in a sci-fi world, what would your superpower be? I would like to look however I want. If one morning I want to have short pink hair… [Snaps fingers]. I want to be a boy for one day. Or a baby. That would be great.

17 @aavril_alvarez What’subb: Oklou x special guest, 10 March - online Do you want to join our talks? Every Subbacultcha member is welcome! Make sure you fill in the form in the specific event on the website to receive all the details. Not a member yet? Check out our plans at subbacultcha.be/join and discover all the new music and art our community has to offer!

Art

A hybrid artist for the 21th century How Emma Terweduwe merges the digital with slow handiwork

Emma Terweduwe Textile artist and print designer Emma Terweduwe has only very recently graduated from KASK in Ghent, but has made quite a name for herself already. In November she moved to her own studio and is now preparing several future projects. In these times when technology brings us together and separates us at the same time, she manages to merge the digital with tactile craftwork.

Interview by Simon Baetens, photos shot in Ghent by Kayla Van Durme

‘I want to create interesting textures that seduce you to touch and feel them’ 20

When did you know you wanted to work with textiles? From a very young age, I’ve always been fascinated by textiles. I’ve travelled all around China because I had family living there and we visited many different communities of people in which the art and tradition of textile are very much alive. That has undoubtedly influenced my choice for textile design rather than fashion.

What’s the importance of colour in your work? Colour plays a significant role in my work. I’m always researching how different shades and colours communicate with one another, which adds an extra layer to my work and brings it to life. My carpets usually have two different sides, a more graphic one and a more organic one, which gives the buyer the choice of how they want to display it. This adds to the durability and allows me to create pieces that last a long time and continue to tell their story.

What has been the greatest challenge for your work in this past year? Despite everything I, like everyone else, have had to deal with. It’s very nice to see that people long for quality textiles again. Textile is a very tactile material and I think many people find a sense of proximity in it that they’ve been missing. I feel like intimacy is something which has been fading into the background for quite some time now, and I want to create interesting textures that seduces you to touch and feel them.

What role does technology play in your work? A large part of my design process has always been digital. I find it very interesting to merge the digital with handwork: in the

‘My generation has a lot to deal with, but that makes us very conscious of what we do and put out 22 into the world’

‘Ecolog y is not only about the resources you use but also about the mindset with which you produce and 24 consume’

trajectory from initial design to finished product, both digital and manual steps are involved. With this hybrid way of working, I try to embrace the possibilities software gives us, without losing the unique quality of a handmade object.

What do you think defines your generation? My generation dares to go against the grain. People are less scared to express how they feel, even when things aren’t going well for them, and that is a very positive change. More specifically in design and the arts, there’s a clear return to slower, more artisanal ways of working, without shying away from 25

the digital. My generation has a lot to deal with, but that makes us very conscious of what we do and put out into the world.

How do you relate to ecology? My process is very slow – all the finishes are done by hand – and all the materials I use are organic. I embrace the fact that textiles change over time and I see that people are willing to invest in unique pieces that stay with them for a long time. I don’t define whether a piece is a blanket, a carpet or a tapestry, which gives my customers the option to use and display my work differently over time. Ecology is not only about the resources you use but also about the mindset with which you produce and consume.

@emmaterweduwe

Subbacultcha and KASK & Conservatorium are teaming up for a series of artist portraits, featuring some of the interesting alumni and student profiles. The school is organizing an open day on 25 April. schoolofartsgent.be

Art

Human hybrids and other horror

Adel Setta

Interview by Louise Souvagie, photos shot in Antwerp by Thor Salden

After working in retail for a couple of years, Adel Setta quit his job as a store manager to pursue his ambitions as a photographer. He confronted his mixed heritage with a series made in Egypt and surprised everyone with his latest work, OBSCURA, portraying masked beings. What made him trade the Middle East for an uncannily stylized world? Your recent works are very different from the documentary series you made back in Egypt. How did that change come about? The series made in Egypt was deeply personal to me. I’m half Egyptian and decided to travel to my father’s village in the wake of a minor accident. It resulted in my first show as a photographer, which definitely opened doors. The art world was relatively new to me. At that point, I had already befriended some people from Loods des doods, a mixed media art collective based in Antwerp. We started collaborating, which resulted in my documentation of some of the gory masks they made. The fun thing is; we always inhabit empty warehouses, usually on the brink of destruction, as of now, we’re working from Loods #4. Your way of working also seems very versatile. I honestly don’t want to be pinned down as a one-type-of-work kind of artist. Experimenting is 28

vital to my practice. Many things trigger me, and doing something out of my comfort zone is what I actually need. Right now, I’m building movie-like set designs to give my pictures a more cinematic feel. It’s not a static project – but something which is open to evolve in many different directions. Why did you choose to work with human hybrid-like characters? OBSCURA came forth out of my collaboration with Absa Sissoko, a painter and visual artist. Together, we decided to not shy away from abstraction but still give meaning to every single element. The human figure was essential, but we didn’t want it to have a face to relate to or identify with. Working with images of human hybrids makes it possible to distance yourself from day-to-day life.

s the Middle Photographer Adel Setta trade rld East for an uncanny stylized wo

per week – I barely had time to arrange my meals. It felt dehumanizing. I started picking up photography again and had some contacts at a magazine, where they were looking for someone to travel through the African continent and document the trip. My contract had ended that month and I thought: ‘Yes, let’s do this.’ Unfortunately, I broke my shoulder and was unable to carry any weight for a while. But then, I decided to take some time to reflect and went to Egypt… which resulted in a documentary series. So I made the right choice. But I’ve been lucky, too. These characters are often pretty grim. Where does that come from? My mother is actually fond of horror movies. She was merciless: we had no choice but to watch gore movies with her whether we wanted to or not [Laughs]. There are lots of clichés about horror which I’d like to debunk; boring devils, silly skeletons, easy jumpscares… there’s much more to the genre. At this point, I’m working on a fully pastel-coloured set design, which should be pretty from afar, but gruesome in its details. You left your job in retail to pursue your artistic ambitions. How did that happen? I’ve told all of my friends: leaving retail is the best decision I ever made. I used to work 60 hours 32

@mellunman

Artist selected by @pleaseaddcolor

Subba faces

Lucille Van Vooren

Age 20 Zodiac sign Gemini Instagram @lucille.xix Subbacultcha member since 2020

Tell us, what do you do in life? I always keep myself busy, sometimes a bit too much. I am currently in my third bachelor year of communication science at Ghent University. Last year I decided I wanted to combine my study with part-time art education in drawing at Sint-Lukas. Sadly it isn’t working out as well as I hoped due to the pandemic. I’m also a working student for BAC Art Lab, a workplace for contemporary art at KU Leuven. Everybody should check it out! What do you like best about your place? It’s my first time living by myself, so the fact of having my own space where I can just do me unbothered feels great. Also living in Ghent near most of my friends, there is always something to do. The only things missing are my cats back home with my parents in Sint-Niklaas. What kind of music are you listening to at the moment? I kind of listen to everything. Mostly hip hop or early pop music and R&B. Some of my fave artists are Madonna, Gwen Stefani and Snoop Dogg. I also enjoy electronic music, I’ve been into Fjaak or Alix Perez lately. What’s the first record you bought? I don’t remember. But I had almost all records of Rihanna and Justin Bieber when I was younger. I love fangirling ^^ Any guilty pleasures? Impulse buying, but feels more like a problem than a guilty pleasure sometimes haha. If you could be famous, what kind of celebrity would you be? Probably doing something in fashion. Being Anna Wintour seems pretty cool. Which future Subbacultcha event are you looking forward to? Different Class 2021 for sure, enjoyed every part of it last year. Who do you wanna give credits here? Herlinde, Kasper-Jan and Mats for allowing me in their workspace, offering me new opportunities and making me feel appreciated. <3

Photo shot in Ghent by Laura-Andréa Callewaert

Sub_missions

Shervin Sheikh Rezaei @shervinsheikhin Ghent

‘ENSEMBLE, An Architecture of the Inbetween’ Book available at shervinsheikhrezaei.com & artpapereditions.org, photo by @paulejosephe

Ines Claus @ines_claus Antwerp

‘Chanela’

Dieter Stroobants @pythonography Brussel 38

‘Eve’ Make-up by @evesmiski_mua, photo by @horodyska.ph

Jana Van Brussel @vbrusjan Brussel 39

‘Elle’

Michiel Debusseré @stickysalt Zwevezele 40

‘somewhere near, further than we think’

Lucie Jacquet @lucie_jacquet Brussels

‘Explosion’

Hanne Van Assche @hanne.vanassche Ghent

‘Удачный/Lucky’

Anna Olivier @annasophieaolivier Poperinge

Phaedra Van Genabed @phaedravangenabet Zele

‘blonde girlfriend has a wild card’

Zeste Le Reste @zeste.ee Brussels

‘Lost Dresses’

Alana Knight @k_nightshift_gd Antwerp

‘There is always light’

Sara De Graeve @bladlijmschaar Ghent 47

‘The Assistant’

Candacee White @whitecandacee Brussels 48

‘Meanwhile in Mexico’

Felix De Clercq @felix.declercq Antwerp

‘Thinking about you (2020)’ Courtesy Gallery Sofie Van De Velde

Iwein De Keyzer @iweindekeyzer Aalst 51

‘Untitled’

THE CONSTANT GLITCH

Kato Six Katja Mater Hana Miletić Aankopen van opkomende Olivia Hernaïz kunstenaars voor de Oriol Vilanova collectie van M en Cera Leyla Aydoslu 02.04.21 Alexis Gautier 05.09.21 Dieter Durinck Vedran Kopljar Ken Verhoeven Anna Zacharoff Hamza Halloubi Béatrice Balcou Younes Baba-Ali Meggy Rustamova Gintautė Skvernytė more info Christiane Blattmann Aleksandra Chaushova Mostafa Saifi Rahmouni 52

Met de steun van M-LIFE, het fonds van M beheerd door de Koning Boudewijnstichting.

Marius Lefever & Senne Vanderschelden @vdssenne @mariuslefever Brussels

‘One-o-one’ A performance about love, between one body and the other. In the exchange of glances and in offering space

re-FORMAT A group exhibition of new and promising designers & architects Heleen Sintobin, Irene Stracuzzi, Jore Dierckx, Josh Plough, Oksana Savchuk, Pauline Agustoni & Satomi Minoshima, Rachel Hansoul, Studiocalh (Colette Aliman & Lauriane Heim)

20.02.21 — 04.04.21

House for Contemporary Art, Design & Architecture

Pieter Dirix @nnrmnlg Linter

‘gedachtengang’

volhoubaarheid

— Afrikaans voor duurzaam: zonder het milieu te belasten

Raïssa Vanroy @raissa_vanroy Beringen 57

‘A chaotic body... Is also a body’

I. Expo

C II. III. IV. A

SUPERSTUDIO MIGRAZIONI 15.01.21 — 16.05.21 www.civa.brussels

C I.II.III.IV. A Culture—Architecture

Rue de l’Ermitage 55 Kluisstraat, Ixelles 1050 Elsene Mar. – Di. / Di. – Zon. 10:30 – 18:00

Project supported by the Italian Council (7th Edition 2019) program to promote Italian contemporary art in the world by the Directorate-General for Contemporary Creativity of the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism.

Yingda Dong @yingda_dong Ghent 59

‘Christmas Market’

Laura-Andréa Callewaert @illicit.____ Brussels

‘ILLICIT JEWELLERY’ Photo by @lauracallewa Model @nass.ras Make-up & hair @summerliio

or just ote your stuff, ur way to prom yo is ns! We s fa e ion ss ibl ss mi Sub_ and po fellow members a member! ch ult ac stuff you like, to bb Su y us ions from ever bsite supplying accept sub_miss e form on the we r th ou in t l fil ou u k yo ec re Ch Make su mber yet? details. Not a me the new all r ve co dis all the relevant d an ultcha.be/join s to offer! plans at subbac r community ha ou t ar d an sic mu

COVER photo by @nass.ras, taken from the first collection of @illicit.___ Jewellery by @lauracallewa

OFFICE EDITOR IN CHIEF / SALES MANAGER Kasper-Jan Raeman (kasper-jan@subbacultcha.be)

PRINT EDITOR IN CHIEF / CONTENT MANAGER Herlinde Raeman EDITORS Milena Maenhaut, Laura-Andréa Callewaert & Julien Van de Casteele COPY EDITORS Megan Roberts & Iz Elwood

ONLINE COPY EDITOR Gabriela González INTERNS Rufus Gheysen, Hannah Brugge & Victor Seys EDITORIAL magazine@subbacultcha.be

DESIGN Chloé D’hauwe

MEMBERSHIPS memberships@subbacultcha.be

PARTNERS Fotoshop Gent, Artists United, Paypro Services, Easypost, Zwartopwit, Het Bos, Bozar, KANAL, Be-Part, Botanique, DIVA, Centrale for contemporary art, Cultuurcentrum Scharpoord, CIVA, M Museum, Pilar, Z33, iMAL & Belgian Art & Design Fair, M HKA, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium DISTRIBUTION You’ll find our issues every two months in several local stores also offering member discounts, other pickup points supplied by our distributors, and in the mailboxes of our members. Find an overview at subbacultcha.be. Thanks to Paard Van Troje, Music Mania, Shelter, La Fille d'O, Consouling Sounds, Mood Recyclestore, Warrecords, Crevette Records, Tipi Bookshop, Balades Sonores, Art Paper Editions, Riot Vintage, Panoply, Hunting and Collecting, Bison 4, Veals & Geeks, KIOSK Radio & Bilbo

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ta nd cul tur 5 cities with a sin e at m es in gle ore than 50 venu m

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CENTRE FOR FINE ARTS BRUSSELS

18 MAR. — 21 JULY ’21

ROGER RAVEEL A Retrospective

PALAIS DES BEAUX-ARTS BRUXELLES PALEIS VOOR SCHONE KUNSTEN BRUSSEL

Roger Raveel, Woman with Make-up Mirror, 1953, Collection of the Flemish Community/Roger Raveel Museum © Raveel – MDM. Photo: Peter Claeys

EXPO

#expoRogerRaveel

04.02

ARMLEDER IT NEVER ENDS

SQUARE SAINCTELETTESQUARE 1000 BRUSSELS

MORE INFO WWW.KANAL.BRUSSELS

25.04.2021

&JOHN

KANAL