Scientists and artists are society’s visionaries. KVS and VUB first dreamed up Mindblowers to give those voices and hearts a platform. Expect performances that sit at the crossroads of art, culture and reflection – and, given all that lies ahead this election year, our theme for 2023 was well-chosen: Power!
This edition of Mindblowers, our scientists and artists got to grips with Power. Power is a complicated concept in society: silent forces, physical force, moral leadership, Black Lives Matter, the space race, individual strength… there’s more to the spectrum of ‘power’ than we imagine. It’s those waters we aimed to immerse you in this edition of Mindblowers.
- Where lies the power of art and imagination? Author and director Michael De Cock searches for the answer with you and Paris Hilton backstage of KVS.
- Investigative journalist Hind Fraihi examines the risky relationships between sources, distributors and targets of disinformation.
- Choreographer Lucas Katangila explores how dance works as heavy weapon, shared empowerment and political message.
- None other than scientist and artist Valery Vermeulen takes you on a unique journey into the musical world of black holes.
- Filmmaker and researcher Irene Guttiérez explores the nexus of borders, labour and gender by amplifying the voices of undocumented Moroccan domestic workers in Ceuta, who use participatory filmmaking to protest against border restrictions.
- New perspectives with professor Hebe Schaillée and Ibrahim Emsallak of the Flemish Boxing League, who explore the relationship between martial arts and empowerment.
- In the space between the music and the bodies, the singer and the dancer, the light and the sculpture, choreographer Igor Shyshko recreates the power of our ‘dream reality’.
- With a critical eye, political scientist and activist Rémy Bonny explains how the LGBTQIA+ community is stuck in the power struggle between democracy and autocracy.
- Who will control your thoughts in the future? Put it to the test with the NeuroRight Arcades of transdisciplinary artist Roel Heremans.
- Researcher Wouter Hessels explains how Belgian film art leaves an unparalleled mark on global film culture.
Masters of Ceremony: Aïcha Adekunle (VUB) & Lieselot Staes (EhB)
