Sisters of Mercy March 2017
Free access to the best concerts and events. Join us for â‚Ź8 a month. subbacultcha.be
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at the Mykki Blanco show, shot by Lotte Koster for Subbacultcha
New Music for New People
s u b b a c u l t c h a e v e n t s in March 1.4 LISTEN! ft. Pender Street Steppers + Syracuse + Nosedrip + more
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Adamn Killa & Killavesi
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Crevette Records presents: Orpheu The Wizard B2B Tako
In De Ruimte (Gaze), Ghent
Square-Brussels Meeting Centre, Brussels
6.4 Forma + Jung An Tagen
Het Bos, Antwerp
film
Fuse, Brussels
3 Deep In House: Daniel Bell + Deg & Walrus + Just Nathan + more Kerk, Ghent
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Kort Applaus KASK Cinema, Ghent
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The Ninth Heart Cinematek, Brussels
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Outer Limits Club: Rebel Up! + 17 Paterson Cinema Zuid, Antwerp Gato Preto + Ibaaku + Octa Push Vooruit, Ghent theatre/dance
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Piloot + Deutsche Ashram
Le Vecteur, Charleroi
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18+ + Pictureplane + Oklou + Morse + Y1640 Het Bos, Antwerp
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The Blank Tapes + King Dick
Madame Moustache, Brussels
20 Beraadgeslagen 23 The Garden
The Automated Sniper 15 Campo Nieuwpoort, Ghent 17 Beursschouwburg, Brussels 23 Are we not drawn onward to new erA KVS, Brussels
expo
STUK, Leuven
Botanique, Brussels
25 Les Femmes S’en Mêlent: A/T/O/S + Blondy Brownie + Kerenn An Eden, Charleroi 31 Vooruit & Courtisane: Moor Mother + Nkisi Vooruit (Minard), Ghent 31 LISTEN! ft. Le 77 + Le Motel + Kurtis + more
Square-Brussels Meeting Centre, Brussels
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until 19.3
STEP UP!: Belgian Dance and Performance on Camera 1970-2000
until 30.4
Alexis Destoop – Four Directions of Heaven
until 23.7
Marthe Wéry
Argos, Brussels
Argos, Brussels
BPS22, Charleroi
All events are free for members. Join at subbacultcha.be
This publication was printed by
GEWA DRUPO Drukkerij GEWADRUPO Hoge Mauw 130 — gewa.be 4
intro
Sisters of Mercy
Some people might think it superfluous and unnecessary, seeing as we’re so advanced as a culture and all, but we need to talk about what it means to be a girl of any age in any place. In an ideal world, these talks would take on a more conversational rather than explanatory tone, but that’s not the world we live in. You get euphemism-grabbing plug-headed hombres leading the free world and you’re expected to stand for it. No, here’s something better to stand for: sisterhood, of and with every mother, daughter, goddess, Amazonian, dame and queen out there. Stand for them and learn from them, lessons in empathy and understanding, in loving and in relating to one and to all. Form a sisterhood of man. 5
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content
sisters of mercy
subbacultcha events 9—19 Moor Mother 20—25 Forma 26—31 we visit Argos 32—35 artist 36—41 style 42—45 book 47 recent finds 49—59 we visit you 60—61
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subbacultcha events in March
music film theatre/dance expo
The Garden 23 Mar – Botanique, Brussels
All events are free for members. Join at subbacultcha.be 9
Get ready for the Dutch DJ duo Orpheu The Wizard and Tako, who will select their finest tunes for sure. Fuse’s motion room is going to pull you right back to the Seventies.
music
Adamn Killa & Killavesi
Deep In House: Daniel Bell + Deg & Walrus + Just Nathan + more
2 Mar – In De Ruimte (Gaze), Ghent 20.00 – €7 – free for members Female rapper Killavesi has been impressively productive for her young age, including aco-prod with her lineup counterpart Adamn Killa on Ballin Like Messi. The two Chicagoans have joined Bala Club, the international collective (founded by Kamixlo, Uli K and Endgame) digging up some of the most advantageous underground electronic artists of the moment. For fans of the He4rtbroken parties, this night is for you.
Crevette Records presents: Orpheu The Wizard B2B Tako 3 Mar – Fuse, Brussels 23.00 – €10 free for members until 00.30 Belgian label Crevette Records and Amsterdam’s well-known Red Light Radio are joining forces for a night full of kitschy disco, funk and soul vibes.
3 Mar – Kerk, Ghent 23.00 – €12 free for members until 00.30 As part of their mission to bring underground electro artists from all over the world to Belgium, the lads from Deep In House have decided to use the mythical and temporary once-a-plastic-factory multi-purpose event space Kerk to host their next party. While local artists including Deg & Walrus, Session 4000, Just Nathan and Chris Ferreira will be sharing the line-up, American DJ Daniel Bell is definitely the highlight. This eclectic ensemble is a magic bullet for this not-so-holy crazy night.
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Outer Limits Club: Rebel Up! + Gato Preto 18+ + + Ibaaku Pictureplane + + Octa Push Oklou + Morse + Y1640
more abstract listening experience, hypnotic krautrock trio Piloot from Brussels will probably do the job.
9 Mar – Vooruit, Ghent 20.30 – €13 – free for members
Outer Limits Club at Vooruit is a recurring concept presenting the most adventurous artists of the moment: from highlife to hip hop and reggaeton — everything is possible. This time, DJ collective Rebel Up! is the main guest. With roots from all corners of Africa and Portugal, you can expect an overdose of explosive beats and poppy electronics. Celebrating their ten-year anniversary, they’ll throw an extra high-energy afro-futuristic party.
9 Mar – Het Bos, Antwerp 20.00 – €20 – free for members (booking required)
Piloot + Deutsche Ashram
Long-time Subba favourite alternative R&B-slash-pop duo 18+ is back in the flat land, this time bringing along some of the most interesting electronic underground acts of the moment, grouped as The Product Tour 2017. Think: 18+, Pictureplane, Oklou and Y1640 (Sega Bodega & Coucou Chloé). Expect a night of fearless club music full of surprises and intrigues. Subba members should send an email to membership@subbacultcha.be if they plan to come.
9 Mar – Le Vecteur, Charleroi 20.00 – €4 – free for members Together with Mnóad (a platform programming experimental events) Le Vecteur is setting up a night that will be focused on free jazz, dream pop and shoegaze. Cocteau Twins and Slowdive fans will enjoy discovering the Amsterdam shoegaze duo Deutsche Ashram, while for those looking for a
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BLONDE REDHEAD us JAGWAR MA au CLOUD NOTHINGS us CAR SEAT HEADREST us • TRAAMS gb THE GARDEN us ROMÉO ELVIS & LE MOTEL be JUNIORE fr DRUGDEALER us TEMPLES gb PARADIS fr CHERRY GLAZERR us THEE OH SEES us • LA JUNGLE be
CONCERTEN AGENDA
06.03 08.03 12.03 15.03 23.03 25.03 29.03 09.04 18.04 22.04 17.05 21.05
BOTA’CARTE
We’ve altered the way the Bota’Carte works, find out the advantages below:
• We’ve lowered the price of the Bota’Carte to €13 (instead of €25) • The card is valid one year from the date of purchase • You get a €3 discount on all presale tickets, and a €6 discount on tickets bought at the ticket desk on the day of the concert • You receive a monthly newsletter which includes exclusive contests and offers • You get a chance of buying tickets before the general sale starts • You receive one free ticket for an exhibition of choice and a €2 discount on all exhibition tickets
MORE @ WWW.BOTANIQUE.BE | 02 218 37 32 12
The Blank Tapes + King Dick
limits of jazz, avant-garde, electronics and even everyday pop songs in their search for a characteristic sound.
The Garden 23 Mar – Botanique, Brussels 20.00 – €15 – free for members
11 Mar – Madame Moustache, Brussels 20.00 – €8 – free for members Do you dream of drowning in a folkrock-surf-psych-soul-pop cocktail? You’re in luck bud, The Blank Tapes are hitting town. Hailing from Los Angeles, they’re making European tracks before their upcoming album, Ojos Rojos, is released in April. They will be joined by Antwerp’s King Dick. With tongue-incheek tracks like ‘Taco Song’ (a long overdue serenade of Mexican food), King Dick somehow turns the everyday into something pretty ethereal.
The Garden is a band formed in 2011 by twin brothers Wyatt and Fletcher Shears. When it comes to genre, they pointedly dodge categorisation and challenge audiences to make up their own minds. You’ll get your chance at Botanique: the guys are temporarily ditching California in favour of Brussels’ grey skies. Hints: punk, new wave, ’90s hip hop and big-beat electronica are a few things that might come to mind.
Les Femmes S’en Mêlent: A/T/O/S + Beraadgeslagen Blondy Brownie + Kerenn An 20 Mar – STUK, Leuven 20.00 – €15 – free for members
Ghent-based duo Beraadgeslagen consists of keyboardist Fulco Ottervanger and drummer Lander Gyselinck. Both well-known for their neverending quest for new musical experiments, they certainly belong to the contemporary avant-garde of the Belgian music scene. With Beraadgeslagen they explore the
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25 Mar – Eden, Charleroi 20.00 – €22 – free for members
LISTEN! ft. Le 77 + Le Motel + Kurtis + more
LSM is a mini-festival night with a female-only line-up. First up is French Keren Ann, who writes emotional electronic poetic songs. Then it’s Blondy Brownie, the Brussels electro-pop duo but sometimes trio when the third seat is occupied by a guest. Flemish duo A Taste of Struggle, aka A/T/O/S, will complete the night will their down-tempo abstract electronic beats.
31 Mar – Square-Brussels Meeting Centre, Brussels 23.00 – €18 free for members until 01.00
Vooruit & Courtisane: Moor Mother + Nkisi 31 Mar – Vooruit (Minard), Ghent 20.00 – €12 – free for members ‘Low-fi/dark rap/blk girl blues/witch rap/coffee shop riot gurl songs/black ghost songs’ is how Moor Mother describes her music, which fits somewhere between protest songs and electronic collages. Field recordings, raw and chaotic noise outbursts and spoken word pave the way for an incomparable, uneasy listening experience. With her dystopian concept album Fetish Bones, which prosecutes slavery and institutionalised racism, she made one of the most proclaimed albums of 2016. More words on Moor Mother on page 20.
For its second edition, the ‘Brussels future music festival’ has already managed to raise the bar by offering a platter of artists, covering a wide range of genres in the whole electronic spectrum. Set in the Square-Brussels Meeting Centre overlooking the city from the heights of Mont des Arts (one of the numerous locations the festival takes place in), Friday will be the event’s urban/electronic/hip hop night, spearheaded by Lefto, Tangram Records and Strictly Niceness. The tone of the evening is set by its name only: listen.
#subbafam Introduce your friends & get your membership for free
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LISTEN! ft. Pender Street Steppers + Syracuse + Nosedrip + more
film
Kort Applaus 2 Mar – KASK Cinema, Ghent 20.30 – €5 – free for members
1 Apr – Square-Brussels Meeting Centre, Brussels 22.00 – €18 free for members until 01.00 Electronic music festival LISTEN! focuses on electronic music in its broadest variations. For this second edition, the festival has lined up some of Belgium’s well-respected acts of the moment such as Handless DJ, Rick Shiver and Nosedrip. On the international level you can expect chill tropical vibes with Subba’s favourite French duo Syracuse, back after last summer’s Different Class, and Canadian Pender Street Steppers.
Forma + Jung An Tagen 6 Apr – Het Bos, Antwerp 20.00 – €12 – free for members The Brooklyn-based trio hit NYC’s minimal synth scene in 2010, and have since embraced kosmische musik, minimalism and synth explorations. More words on Forma on page 26.
An evening with no shortage of surprises (pun kind of intended), with a series of short films carefully selected by the good folks over at KASK. On the menu: Maaike Neuville’s test in love with Perfect Darkness, Silvia Defrance’s study of three female icons with Her Love, Britt Raes’ latest animated feature Catherine, and many more. Discover some of the most interesting homegrown filmmakers showing their stuff on the big screen, if only for a short while.
The Ninth Heart 11 Mar – Cinematek, Brussels 21.00 – €6 – free for members As part of Offscreen Festival’s focus on Czech weirdness comes a bizarro fairytale where a vagrant student falls for a goldilocked princess stricken with a mysterious, debilitating disease. Little does he know that the evil wizard Andlobrandini is brewing up a magical elixir for which he’ll need a ninth victim. Expect baroque symbolism and poetic madness in this obscure gem of Czech fantasy, screened in the presence of director Juraj Herz himself.
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05>09 APRIL
INDOOR FESTIVAL AB BRUSSELS
RUN THE JEWELS THUNDERCAT FOREST SWORDS HAUSCHKA SHOBALEADER ONE ECHO COLLECTIVE
(SQUAREPUSHER)
PLAYS ‘AMNESIAC’ (RADIOHEAD)
WOLF EYES / MOOR MOTHER / VANISHING TWIN NIDIA MINAJ / LES FILLES DE ILLIGHADAD CARLA DAL FORNO / MIAUX CAKES DA KILLA / KAELAN MIKLA & MANY MORE INFO & TICKETS: WWW.BRDCST.BE
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Paterson
17 Mar – Cinema Zuid, Antwerp 18.00 – €5 – free for members Jim Jarmusch’s latest offering is all literal and metaphorical poetry. The story of your everyman bus driver and aspiring poet Paterson has all the prosaic musings and uncanny moments that one would expect from the director, with the added bonus of amazing performances from Adam (bus) Driver and Goldshifteh Farani (and the undisputed breakout star Marvin the bulldog). A film about contemplation, beauty and observation in a world so eager to overlook the views and conversations in favour of cheap thrills.
theatre/dance
The Automated Sniper 15 Mar – Campo Nieuwpoort, Ghent 20.30 – €13 – free for members 17 Mar – Beursschouwburg, Brussels 20.30 – €14 – free for members (booking required)
Julian Hetzel questions the gamification of violence with his latest performance The Automated Sniper. The setting is quite remarkable: a weapon — hanging above the heads of the audience — is shooting at two performers on stage. The gun is fired by an operator sitting in a safe place in the Middle East. With a live internet connection this person is present during the performance. With this confronting piece of modern dance infused with a political undertone, Hetzel opens a debate about the ethics of war and how they can still be applied now that the enemy has been reduced to a few pixels on a screen and can be killed with a mouse click. Oh and yeah, Subba members should send an email to membership@ subbacultcha.be if they plan to come.
Are we not drawn onward to new erA 23 Mar – KVS, Brussel 20.00 – €20 – free for members We live our life forwards but our actions can only be fully understood in hindsight. It is the tragedy of our times and of time itself. Kierkegaard wrote about it, and theatre company Ontroerend Goed brings it to the stage. Are we not drawn onward to new erA, a palindrome in title and execution, mixes politics and poetry in the discovery of the future. Do we march on our current path towards destruction or are our past deeds reversible?
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CONCERTS WED 01.03
VOORUIT & GOUVERNEMENT PRESENT: ALEX ZHANG, DAVID MARANHA & GABRIEL FERRANDINI / REMÖRK Ex Dirty Beaches goes no wave free jazz in collaboration with Gouvernement
THU 09.03
@Gouvernement
OUTER LIMITS CLUB: REBEL UP! GATO PRETO / IBAAKU / OCTA PUSH AFTERPARTY Hyperkinetic afrofuturistic party in collaboration with Rebel Up!
FRI 31.03
VOORUIT & COURTISANE PRESENT: MOOR MOTHER / NKISI Two female art provocateurs from the much lauded NON label #Courtisane
SAT 01.04
THIS IS NOT THIS HEAT SUPPORT: CANTENAC DAGAR The legendary postpunk band returns
SUN 09.04
FULL MOON HEALING: MIDORI TAKADA / SUZANNE CIANI
Opening the mind’s eye with two new age pioneers in collaboration with Nosedrip & Stroom.tv
INFO & TICKETS:
WWW.VOORUIT.BE - T. 09 267 28 28
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Alexis Destoop is fascinated with landscapes — the Australian outback, Hong Kong, regions of Norway, Russia and other parts of Europe. Each setting is in a state of transition and Destoop captures this in Four Directions of Heaven, a careful selection of new and recent works. In a series of images, private testimonies, experiences and findings, focus is drawn to the (neo)colonial, ecological, economic and geopolitical issues that landscapes propose. Check out our visit to Argos on page 32.
expo
STEP UP!: Belgian Dance and Performance on Camera 1970-2000
Marthe Wéry
until 19 Mar – Argos, Brussels 11.00-18.00 – €6 – free for members The period 1970-2000 saw Belgian dance and performance flirt outrageously with film and video. Dipping into their extensive archives, Argos centre for art and media bare all in their three-part exhibition series STEP UP!: Belgian Dance and Performance on Camera 1970-2000. Curated by Andrea Cinel and Ive Stevenheydens, the exhibition presents the work of industry titans such as Thierry De Mey, Lili Dujouri, Sven Augustijnen, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Jan Fabre and Steve Paxton.
until 23 Jul – BPS22, Charleroi 11.00-18.00 – €6 – free for members
Alexis Destoop – Four Directions of Heaven until 30 Apr – Argos, Brussels 11.00-20.00 – €6 – free for members
Belgian painter Marthe Wéry (19302005) was famous for her geometrical monochrome works that test the strength of light and of colour. Today the ‘carolo’ museum BPS22 — which, by the way, basically stands for the location of the building — holds the largest collection of works, documents and research by the artist. So come to bâtiment provincial (boulevard) Solvay (numéro) 22 to discover some of her most famous paintings as well as some previously unseen ones.
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music
Moor Mother
Moor Mother’s music exists in the moment, spread through word of mouth, a passing on of Afrofuturist history lessons of ancestors past and future descendants, rolling waves of broken beats, punk stutters and noise. It’s the project of Maryland-born, Philadelphia-based musician, poet, activist, teacher, organiser and curator, Camae Ayewa. Spawned from the urgency to amplify the erased pain of those whose cries remain unheard, Moor Mother is the musical expression of the community work that Ayewa has been pushing for years in North Philly’s neighbourhoods. It’s this community work that enables her to reach new audiences with her protest songs. Community work, she believes, should lie at the core of every musician’s practice. Interview by Zofia Ciechowska
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Photos by CJ Harvey shot in Philadelphia, USA
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Where’s your head at as you’re on the cusp of your autumn tour? My main concern is being in places I’ve never been before and sharing the subject matter that I use. I’m going to Nebraska, for example. How careful do I need to be there? And I don’t just think about that now, I think about that all the time, because I’m a black woman speaking out. You know, most of the black women making music that I know who have been speaking up have had more wealth than I have. You need to understand my heightened awareness. Most of the black women making music who are touring nationally or internationally come from more privileged backgrounds than me. I’m actually speaking from my personal, true perspective. I actually grew up poor and I have family members who have been incarcerated. I’m speaking from this first-hand perspective that a lot of black women don’t get to share. Men can tell their stories in that particular way, but black women cannot.
What needs to happen for more women like you to do what you’re doing? Discussions of class need to happen. No one talks about class. Take, for instance, Solange. How long has Solange been rich? Her sister was in Destiny’s Child at 15. She grew up exposed to wealth and fame, reaped those rewards. What’s that perspective? How does class play into who she is as a person, the album she made, the black issues she discusses? People talk about Bernie Sanders marching in Washington. People say they marched in Ferguson. What does that mean? That you had the means to go there and march? That you’re dedicated to the struggle? I am not speaking ill of people with money, it’s just wild that class is not discussed in the context of art and music making. It’s so expensive to be a musician. Even this tour I’m going on, I need money to be able to go on tour. Some people can just go and perform; they have a safety net.
‘Artists need to do more to raise awareness about this and engage – stop hiding behind buzzwords and online identities’
‘I’m speaking from this first-hand perspective that a lot of black women don’t get to share’ How has this year particularly shaped your art practice, music and activist work? I’m surprised to find out that a lot of musicians have zero community work, they have people just booking their shows that they then go to perform. I’m meeting people who are not booking their own shows to play with other artists in their own communities. They won’t book a spot at a community space, won’t go into a high school. It baffles me how little community work they do. They are more comfortable inside their studio, rather than being out in the world. Do you believe your music comes to life when it directly engages with the community? Where should we be organising and performing music? I think we’re doing the best we can. There’s a drumming circle near my house. There’s house shows near me. I love all types of places. Most stuff happens in West Philly. North Philly is a little more dangerous, way more poor, not many shows happen in this area.
So, what do we do? Do we go to the safe hippie spaces? Or do we go where people are struggling? It’s a tough one. We have to look at people’s struggle. We need to be aware that some people’s expiration date is coming really soon. Artists need to do more to raise awareness about this and engage — stop hiding behind buzzwords and online identities.
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31 Mar – Vooruit (Minard), Ghent 20.00 – €9 – free for members 9 Apr – BRDCST (Bonnefooi), Brussels
music
Forma The Brooklyn-based electronic band Forma has released two acclaimed albums on Spectrum Spools and a 12 inch on Bunker Records. Their latest outing on Kranky has seen them add acoustic instrumentation to their musical paradigm. We caught Forma in the middle of a rehearsal to have a chat about improvisation, playing live in clubs, their rekindled love for non-electronic instruments and the nature of American electronic music.
Interview by Rafael Severi/Sensu Photos by Richard Perez shot in Brooklyn, New York
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John Cage, for example, hated improvisation, stating it makes you re-create what already exists.
What is the nature of improvisation in your music? John: Forma improvises within a setup that has certain parametres. There are three of us, which in my experience is the perfect amount of players for exciting improvisation. William Burroughs and Brion Gysin used the concept of the third mind, a way of explaining the result of their experimental and improvisational collaboration. Forma is perhaps similar in that our music is the amalgamation of three minds, three instrumentalists. Our studio approach is improvisation.
J: I think the opposite of Cage’s sentiment is true in our case. For us, improvisation is a way of getting out of what we already know. We constantly surprise ourselves in terms of what we produce, especially in the studio. Our albums intend to capture the best of these spontaneous moments. Mark: And yet, John Cage is famous for his Chance Procedures. Improvisation is a broad catchall for
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a lot of things. We often approach a piece of music or an improvisational recording or rehearsal session with a certain set of limits, often discussing the limits while composing. Improvisation is never doing just whatever comes to mind.
What made you start using acoustic instrumentation?
How do you take Forma’s music to the stage?
M: Having the piano there was a happy coincidence. We had thought about adding acoustic instruments before, but the environment definitely had an influence.
George: The process of taking our music to the stage is the opposite of an improvisational procedure. J: The live version of our music takes its root structure and adds to it in the specific space of a live setting. That is what makes being on stage exciting.
J: We wanted to push into a realm we hadn’t been into before. Also, we found ourselves in a studio with a grand piano in it.
G: Forma is not fundamentally an electronic band. We’re an improvisational band and we are all multi-instrumentalists. We’re just growing our palette and it feels like a very natural progression to us.
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How did you enjoy playing live in a club setting?
Given the current political context in the US and worldwide, it’s tempting to ask about the role of alternative music in all this.
M: It was a challenge. There were some aspects to it that made it very appealing to us, one of them being able to play on amazing sound systems. Also playing a 45-minute techno set and creating a certain kind of ‘club tension’ was something that excited us. It is a very different experience to creating a sweeping, listening album.
J: There is a lot of political consciousness in the DIY scene and the current political situation seems to be activating communities more than ever.
G: Some of our most enjoyable moments have been playing in clubs. We haven’t consciously abandoned it, we’ve just moved into something different. Our most recent gigs focus on our new album and have benefited greatly from the often amazing concert hall settings we were able to play in. How would you describe American electronic music and the influence it has on you? J: The classic view of America is that it’s a melting pot. We’re trying to approach our music from an American perspective on electronic music. The New York minimalism school of the ’70s and early ’80s has an obvious influence on us. We also look at the so-called Berlin School of electronic music with a great deal of reverence.
G: We never approach anything thinking about what our music should mean. Our music is emergent. We see meaning in retrospect, but it is a spontaneous emergence of meaning. M: In regards to that, Forma means ‘form or basic, fundamental structure’. J: We have a project coming out called Descent, based on the track on Physicalist. It’s an application that takes over your computer and infests it with a plague of rats, not unlike a Hieronymus Bosch painting. In the end the rats are eliminated by a watchful and awakened eye, so there’s room for optimism.
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6 Apr – Het Bos, Antwerp 20.00 – €12 – free for members
expo
Name: Rolf Quaghebeur Age: 40 Workplace: Argos Website: argosarts.org
We Visit Argos Since its creation almost 30 years ago, Argos, our exhibition buddy in downtown Brussels, has been the nation’s most complete art centre devoted to art movies and videos. Over the past three decades it has offered visitors a unique insight into this recent artform through its extensive film collection, exhibitions and educational projects. Rolf Quaghebeur, current director at Argos, told us about the story behind Argos, its evolution, current objectives and gave us some recommendations on exhibitions to check out.
Photos by Margaux Nieto shot in Brussels
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What’s the story behind Argos? Argos started in 1989 as an artist-driven space. At the beginning, the goal was to produce and promote art film and video, which were booming at that time but had neither an institutional nor a commercial backbone. Since 2002 we’ve been developing a conservation programme to safeguard audiovisual productions for future generations, currently totaling roughly 5,000 works. We also promote and facilitate scholarship with our extensive media library and host exhibitions and public programmes. In all of our exhibitions, we’re looking for artists that fall outside the mainstream but still make relevant and accessible work.
We want the visitor to see things that cannot be seen elsewhere or see them in a way that’s unique. Most anticipated exhibition/ screening/show? Argos-wise, I’m very curious to see how STEP UP!, our show about dance and performance, evolves through its different chapters. I’m also looking forward to the exhibition of Dietvorst & Villevoye, which assesses perception and reality, colonial stories, war and how today we look upon the past. Internationally, 2017 is a special year as three must-see events are taking place at the same time. This happens only every ten years and always determines how you will spend your summer. In Venice, there’s the Biennial, where Dirk Braeckman is representing our colours at the Belgian Pavilion. Also the central exhibition, which will be curated by Christine Macel, is exciting. In the past, she has shown great exhibitions with young international artists and always takes a critical position toward what is commonly accepted in our societies. Documenta, in Kassel, Germany, is a major event that happens every five years. Then Skulpturprojekte Münster, which takes place every ten years in Münster, is all about art in public spaces. Over the course of the past four editions, you really get to see
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the evolution of how art handles itself outside the protective walls of the museum and how society deals with art.
character of the spaces makes it always a challenge to mount a project and the fun we have at our openings and events.
Best exhibition of the past three months? Personally, the best thing that I saw was a painting of Rafael in the Palazzo Barberini in Rome during the Christmas holidays. Closer to home, I really liked the new semi-permanent rooms with Ensor and Spilliaert in the Ostend Museum and the Robert Filiou show in Muhka.
How would you describe the neighbourhood? It’s a very diverse neighbourhood in full but slow and visible transformation like only Brussels can be. We’re located in between KVS and Kaaitheater, at a stone’s throw from The Centrale for Contemporary Art and Beursschouwburg. It’s also right besides the touristic centre of Brussels yet just around the corner, you can greet prostitutes.
What do you like best about your venue? My colleagues, the quality of the exhibitions (both technically and artistically), our endless audiovisual trip, how the post-industrial
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Argos hosts STEP UP!: Belgian Dance and Performance on Camera 1970-2000 until 19 March and Alexis Destoop’s Four Directions of Heaven until 30 April. Both exhibitions are free for members.
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artist
selected by Hole of the Fox
Tom Volkaert
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Interview by Laura Ramos Photos by Tiny Geeroms shot in the artist’s studio in Antwerp
In a quiet residential area of Antwerp you’ll find Kunsthal Extra City, an exhibition space that houses, among others, the workplace of artist Tom Volkaert. His art is solid, straightforward and seemingly in opposition to the fleetingness of contemporary society. Though he has a graphic background, the two-dimensional world never fully satisfied Volkaert. So he started to translate his ideas into 3D while still considering his sculptures as drawings and shapes. With a cup of warm coffee in our hands we chatted about his views on the art industry. What I noticed about your work is that it’s very sturdy. You tend to use a lot of heavy, primary materials like concrete and metal. Is that a deliberate choice? When I started making things I was looking for cheap materials to experiment with, so I started working with concrete. I immediately had an affinity with it because it’s so easy to manipulate, almost like clay. I prefer to be able to control the whole creative process, which is why I wouldn’t make bronze sculptures, for example, as I’d have to get them moulded by someone else. Raw materials also allow the art to be imperfect. When I work with ceramics or concrete, and it cracks or breaks, it gives the art a new layer, which I like. By now I’ve mastered the material a lot better, so my pieces don’t break anymore.
Sometimes I miss those imperfections, they tell a story that my new, unbroken work just doesn’t. It’s almost like the firm nature of your art tries to defy the fleeting nature and rush of our current society. Is that something you think about? In a way, yes. Even though I’ve been doing this for years, things only really started to move forward when I had my solo exhibition at Hole of the Fox. The art industry is very ephemeral, it’s all about making the right moves at the right time. So I’m aware it could easily be over again soon. I guess as our society is always changing, so does art. Yes, but I deliberately try to avoid making my art a reflection of
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our society. I always put amusement above argument and try not to communicate political stances in my art. The only stance I do want to make is to ridicule the sacralisation of art. Once an artwork leaves the hand of the artist, it becomes something sacred. You’re no longer allowed to touch it and that annoys me. Often, art is just a simple object yet it tends to be exalted to something much bigger. If you break something in my studio, it won’t cost you anything. If you break something in a museum, however, that would be a whole different story.
tomvolkaert.be holeofthefox.be
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style by Femke Fredrix
Photography: Femke Fredrix Styling: Hannah Vanspauwen Model: Geraldine Vanspauwen
UH-HUH-HER
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THE BRUSSELS BIENNIAL OF PERFORMANCE ART 24/03>1/04
WWW.PERFORMATIK.BE
© MIET WARLOP (PHOTO REINHOUT HIEL)
KAAITHEATER IN ASSOCIATION WITH ARGOS, BEURSSCHOUWBURG, BOGHOSSIAN FOUNDATION, BOZAR, CC STROMBEEK, CENTRALE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, ENOUGH ROOM FOR SPACE, MUNTPUNT, PASSA PORTA, Q-O2, WIELS, WORKSPACEBRUSSELS, ZSENNE ARTLAB
book Pink Noises: Women on Electronic Music and Sounds Tara Rodgers text and artwork by Gabriela González During a recent conversation with a couple of my favourite dudes, we struggled to agree on why, in the underground, it wasn’t until relatively recently that women became active voices in the scene. One could argue that girls are innately oblivious to nerdy stuff, or that we’re socialised against even contemplating alternatives to a glossy, complacent fate under the awning of male approval. But in the introduction of Tara Rodgers’ Pink Noises, the author states what we eventually agreed on: that electronic music cultures, like all other male-dominated cultures, make the omission of women from its annals not only systematic but normalised. For every Daphne Oram and Laurie Anderson there are countless males receiving the consideration and respect that certainly perpetuate a ‘we did it first, bruh’ rhetoric of subtle misogyny by way of exclusionary paternalism. Pink Noises explores the relationships between sound, gender and technology through interviews with eminent female musicians like Pauline Oliveiros, Maria Chavez, Le Tigre and many more. The composers, engineers, DJs and producers profiled within don’t have a lot in common besides a deep passion for what they do, incredible insight into different ways of making music and interpreting sound, and the complex experience that comes from being a girl in a man’s world. While mainly focused on each artist’s trajectory and creative process, the interviews are framed in the larger context of gender and power dynamics in a completely non-gratuitous way. The resulting conversations are the ones we should be all having, whether it be with our peers, with our favourite dudes or with anyone who thinks this isn’t a ‘thing’ any more. Above all, they’re conversations we should be having as sisters. In the words of sound artist Kaffee Matthews, ‘It’s not a feminist thing … Jesus, it would just be more fun if there’s more girls around. We’d have something other than shaved heads and grey everywhere, you know?’
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EDITH DEKYNDT DENICOLAI & PROVOOST OTOBONG NKANGA MAARTEN VANDEN EYNDE 17.03 — 28.05.17 / BOZAR
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recent finds Museum Night Fever museumnightfever.be
That blinding beam of light that you can see shooting into space from Brussels can only mean one thing: Museum Night Fever is upon us. On the night of 11 March, the town will be ablaze with 23 museums staying up past their bedtime. Hop on the free shuttle blus and jostle with the crowds as some of the top art institutions in town showcase exciting new performances and installations all through the night. We are particularly looking forward to Benoit-Bo’s interactive mask game at Centrale For Contemporary Art, Cinematek’s DJ vs VJ soirée (with Stel-R, Shazzula, Epicerie Moderne, and more), and STEP UP! Belgian Dance and Performance on Camera over at Argos (free for members!) Let the night bus be your museum guide and enjoy the ride.
Lazy Mom
lazymomnyc.com
Fighting the Man has never been so deliciously literal, but that seems to be part of what Josie Keefe and Phyllis Ma are going for with their bizarrely mouth-watering project Lazy Mom. With hundreds of surreal, funny, eye-poppingly colourful and seriously addictive photos, Lazy Mom is meant for those of us looking to take our food porn needs to another demented level. In the mood for shrimp cocktail on a triple-layer chocolate cake? Or how’s about pickle fondue? Maybe a bed of crushed eggs in the morning? Or a mac and cheese margarita? Let’s Eat the Patriarchy indeed.
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WWW.KVS.BE
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V.U. Merlijn Erbuer - Arduinkaai 7 - 1000 Brussel - © Midas De Saedeleir - Simon Verougstraete
recent finds Screen Tests nowness.com
Within a person lurk many personalities. Within a woman, these personalities are so predictable that they can be boiled down to a few essential formulations. Right? Well, photographer-director Marissa Kaiser decided to expose these stereotypes in the short movie Screen Tests (via nowness. com). Model Ashley Smith adopts the multiple personas that women are all too often associated with — the insecure housewife, the cool seductress, the no-nonsense materialist — to deliver a monologue under the scrutinous eye of a casting agent and, by extension, the rest of the world. Smith’s ability to deliver simultaneous strength and vulnerability through each character’s individual idiosyncrasies is as dazzling as it is poetic — a testament to the innate power lurking beneath each woman, whatever her exterior appears to betray.
Ray Fuego
soundcloud.com/rayxfuego
Described by one of our colleagues as a ‘punk and posh version of 2Pac’, Ray Fuego hails from the outer rims of south east Holland to bring us his smooth-as-silk brand of trap. Formerly of the Bummy Boys, Ray Fuego’s solo project sees him weaving between Dutch and English and laying out his worldview over heavy, gloomy beats that are as stylish as they are catchy. As part of the SMIB collective, he is already a fixture in the burgeoning experimental hip hop scene over in the Netherlands, so it’s only a matter of seconds before we see him turn up in the rest of the Low Countries.
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DELV!S 02.04 - VOORUITY
LEFTO & RED BULL ELEKTROPEDIA JONWAYNE + Zwangere Guy 05.03 - VOORUIT
EIGEN MAKELIJ HAKIM, PEPE, PORTO, SAFI, TIEWAI 06.04 - VOORUIT
BOEKEN TOE! 10.03 - BIBLIOTHEEK GENT ZUID AVEC LE SOLEIL SORTANT DE SA BOUCHE + Edgar (animo) 11.03 - TREFPUNT
BRUTUS + The Guru Guru 13.04 - VOORUIT TOUT VA BIEN + Tundra 14.04 - VOORUIT
THE BLACK HEART PROCESSION PLAYS “1” + Sam Coomes (Quasi) 16.03 - HANDELSBEURS
PVT 21.04 - CHARLATAN
WITH CONFIDENCE + Safe To Say, Milestones 17.03 - CHARLATAN BRIQUEVILLE 19.03 - CHARLATAN
LEFTO & RED BULL ELEKTROPEDIA DJ EZ, ONRA, CLAP! CLAP!, JUJU ROGERS, MAKAYA MCCRAVEN, JP MOREGUN, DARKER THAN WAX 22.04 - KOMPASS
NOVASTAR SOLO + Mickey Doyle 20.03 - MINNEMEERS
RECORD STORE DAY 22.04 - MUSIC MANIA & VOORUIT
EMMY THE GREAT 22.03 - TREFPUNT
PROTOJE & THE INDIGGNATION + Nattali Rize 25.04 - VOORUIT
ALL EYES ON HIP HOP DJ PREMIER, ROMÉO ELVIS & LE MOTEL +Caballero & JeanJass + Torii Wolf 23.03 - VOORUIT SOPHIA 24.03 - HANDELSBEURS BLAUDZUN + Hulder 26.03 - VOORUIT SWANS: FINAL CLUBSHOW! + Little Annie 30.03 - KOMPASS
WAAR IS KEN? 26.04 - CHARLATAN GLINTS + HOAR 29.04 - CHARLATAN DAAN PRESENTS ‘NADA’ 03.05 - VOORUIT KENJI MINOGUE 11.05 - VOORUIT HOMESHAKE, RH ALDOUS 11.05 - DOK
INFO & TICKETS: DEMOCRAZY.BE
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recent finds Courtisane Festival
by Sabzian
29 March – 2 April, Ghent courtisane.be
sabzian.be
Pachamama [Our Land], Peter Nestler, 1995
Young Pines, Ute Aurand, 2011
Von Griechenland [From Greece], Peter Nestler, 1965
In times of backwardness, one craves possibilities. Back for its 16th edition, from 29 March the Courtisane Festival draws cinephiles and filmmakers from all over Belgium and the world to Ghent, where for five days they celebrate cinema and share a glimpse of what’s possible on the silver screen. ‘What cinema has excelled in creating are these singular bodies, conveyors of new emotions. Cinephilia isn’t the love for old films; it’s the love for these singular inventions that wreak havoc in our forms of perception and in the tenor of our emotions.’ — Jacques Rancière Courteously yet audaciously, Courtisane is the one film festival that doesn’t cease to surprise us with what treasures, old and new, the vast world of cinema has in store. ‘More and more I come to believe that he has been the most important filmmaker in post-war Germany,’ Jean-Marie Straub once said about the documentarist Peter Nestler, one of the two artists in focus of this year’s edition. Nestler’s work is a revelation: his films emanate a genuine trust in the people they’re looking at and succeed in analysing and clarifying the complex socio-economic contexts in which they reside. The second artist in focus, Ute Aurand, has been one of the protagonists of Berlin’s experimental film world since the Eighties, making diary films, film portraits and travelogues bursting with playfulness and perseverance — ‘poems of light’, as she once described the work of those who inspired her. At the risk of spoiling us, the carefully curated programme of this year’s edition includes new film works by Wang Bing, Laida Lertxundi, Kamal Aljafari and Elias Grootaers among many others; a retrospective of the Japanese Ogawa Pro collective; musical performances by Moor Mother and Nkisi and a conversation with French philosopher and cinephile Jacques Rancière.
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CINÉ PRIVÉ 16-18 MAART
201 7
FILMFESTIVAL OP LOCATIE, CIRCUSKERK MALEM, 9000 GENT DO 16.03 VR 17 & ZA 18.03
The Jigsaw Puzzle – een ontdekkingsparcours vol kortfilms in de huiskamers van Malem Meer dan 20 fictie- en animatie films, met o.a.: Catherine – Britt Raes / On Attend – Dimitri Sterkens / Nymphet – Laure Hermanide / Yibril – José Daniel Granados / Downside Up – Peter Ghesquiere / Frankie15 – Livia Perneel En vele anderen… WWW.CINEPRIVE.BE 54
recent finds Dasychira
by Hannes Rooms
soundcloud.com/dasychira
Dasychira, named after a furry breed of tussock moths, debuts with Immolated on Blueberry Records, which blessed us with Elysia Crampton’s mighty American Drift last year. The EP was written and composed in between Johannesburg, Berlin and New York and therefore reflects the absence of any connection to space and time, incorporated in this body of work. Both artwork and concept deal with Dasychira’s fascination for insects like the praying mantis and their process of physical reincarnation that ‘runs parallel to my feeling of inner adaptation to re-stabilise myself when I find myself in a new environment’. Highlights are ‘Caduceus’ or the stonecold ballad ‘Vipera’, mainly because of the angel sweet vocals of Embaci. As bonus track, Eaves Hardcore’s remix of ‘Caduceus’ is a potential post-club anthem.
NON Worldwide presents The Great Disappointment non.com.co
In just two years, NON Worldwide has become a household name in the scene. The label, founded by Chino Amobi, Nkisi and Angel-Ho, exclusively features artists from Africa and the African diaspora. The NON Worldwide artists’ music is mainly a tool to expose social exclusion and the consequences of colonisation today and in the past. For CTM festival in Berlin the collective took their social critique to a new level and pioneered an innovative way to showcase their engaged music. NON transferred hyper eclectic music into a scripted performance by including club music, live singing, dance choreography, masquerade and visual stage design. For the first time, the label embraced a contemporary approach to support its emancipatory message. This step from internet-only music to theatre is audacious and extremely ambitious, characterising the collective’s determination to make their voice heard. Tour intentions for this multidisciplinary concept have not yet been announced, but similar initiatives can be expected in the future. For now, Nkisi will play solo at Vooruit. See page 14 for more.
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GELUID
SOUND
20 MAR
LEUVEN JAZZ BERAADGESLAGEN & DUO À L’ENCRE
23 MAR
AN EVENING WITH DAMIEN JURADO + BRIGID MAE POWER
27 MAR
THE SAD AND BEAUTIFUL WORLD OF SPARKLEHORSE + GLITTERPAARD
1 APR
FEEST VAN DE FILOSOFIE BRUNO SAN FILIPPO
27 APR
JAMBINAI
17 MAY
ISBELLS + EYEMÈR
WWW.STUK.BE / STUKLEUVEN
MAY 2017
ARTEFACT MUSIC FESTIVAL ACTRESS, JAN SWERTS, AMIINA, HELM, WWWATER, …
MAR
BERAADGESLAGEN © GRÉGOIRE VERBEKE
EEN HUIS VOOR DANS, BEELD EN GELUID A HOUSE FOR DANCE, IMAGE AND SOUND
2 - 5 MAR
recent finds Ex Vitro: Pet Photo
by Isaline Raes
until 27 March vitrin 21 (next to Bar Recyclart), Brussels free entrance recyclart.be
@patricktheminihorse, @realgrumpycat, @biddythehedgehog: animals on Instagram who have more followers than you. There was a time when people neatly put pictures of their pets in private albums or in a frame on the chimney-piece, instead of bombing the world wide web with it. Brussels art centre, Recyclart, pays tribute to the old-fashioned way of pet photography, without judgement. It asked Bosnian-Belgian photographer Esteban Miraflores, who photographed ‘Brusseleirs’ with their beloved animals, to dig up some photos out of his private collection. All you crazy cat ladies and other pet lovers stop scrolling through instapets’ accounts and get your daily portion of fluffiness at vitrin 21 (right next to Bar Recyclart).
Print On Demand: Manor Grunewald until 14 April RIOT, Ghent free entrance riot-ghent.org
Underneath the headquarters of Subbacultcha lies RIOT, the bookshop/ gallery of graphic designer Jurgen Maelfeyt. Today this art space is hosting the expo of Manor Grunewald, a Ghentian painter with German roots. Using the black-and-white copy machine as his main tool in an elaborated transformation process, Grunewald creates hybrid artworks. He always starts with an image found in daily life (newspapers, cartoons, hobby instructions …), which he subsequently distorts by copying it. Then he transfers this copy process — white edges, reflections, blow-ups, blurs — onto his canvases. Doing so he makes new images that unveil new pictorial information. You can discover his copy magic at RIOT until 14 April.
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announcement
by Subbacultcha
we are looking for distributors
& writers
contact us at magazine@subbacultcha.be
we visit you
Name: Lara Decrae Age: 20 Zodiac sign: Aries Website: instagram.com/laradecrae Subbacultcha member since: Dec 2015
Tell us, what do you do in life? I’m currently studying English and Dutch literature with a minor in theatre sciences and art at the VUB.
Any guilty pleasures? Trashy reality TV and buying lipstick online. Have you experienced any regrets recently? Practicing the piano too little and losing the skill to play an instrument.
What projects are you working on? Finishing my bachelor’s degree and volunteering for Subbacultcha. What inspires you? Books that make you think and exciting cities.
What makes you dance? Prince.
Which future Subbacultcha show are you What do you like best about your place? looking forward to? Its location without a doubt, it’s right Are we not drawn onward to new erA in the centre of Brussels and it has a nice in the KVS. view. I also like the marble fireplace a lot because I had the exact same one in my childhood bedroom in Schaarbeek. What kind of music are you listening to at the moment? I’m still in love with Whitney’s debut album, and I’ve also been loving Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn, Sampha, David August, Mount Kimbie and Paolo Conte. What’s the first record you bought? I think it was one by Delavega. Any female hero? Zoe Kazan, she writes love stories with an unrealistic twist and I must have seen her film Ruby Sparks about six times. What’s your favourite pastime? Reading of course, going to concerts, plays and thrifting.
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Photo by Catherine Lemblé shot in Brussels
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front cover: CJ Harvey
thank you: Isaac Barbé, Mattias Baertsoen, Koi Persyn, Nilou, Hannes Rooms, Vicky Derweduwen, Lindsey De Laet, Junior Bokele, Paulina De Vleesschouwer, Margaux Fabris, Kris Vanslambrouck, Kellan Smith, Lynn Cailliau, Naoki Karathanassis, Eva Menga, Virginie Van de Casteele, Nelson Henry, Lara Decrae, Eduardo Garcia, Gilles Vanesse, Eline De Vos, Axelle Vertommen, Gert Van Dijck, Saraya Richter, Sofia Van Laer, Amaury Wilkin and friends, Hanne Konings, Lies Hermans, Frederic Busscher, Sofie Steenhaut & Mika Lebbe
editors in chief: Herlinde Raeman & Kasper-Jan Raeman magazine editors: Julien Van de Casteele & Gabriela González copy editor: Megan Roberts design: Chloe D’hauwe
partners: Botanique, Beursschouwburg, Het Bos, GEWADRUPO, Vooruit, Democrazy, KVS, Cactus muziekcentrum, Museum Night Fever, Circa, STUK, Opera Vlaanderen, Ancienne Belgique, Kaaitheater, MSK, Bozar, KASK Cinema, Argos, Cinema Zuid, Le Vecteur, Rockerill, BPS22, Eden, Gaze, Crevette Records, Deep In House, LISTEN! 2017, Meakusma, Cinematek & Madame Moustache
website editors: Valerie Steenhaut & Thomas Vanoosthuyse social media editor: Lisa Wallyn advertising & partnerships: Kasper-Jan Raeman (kasper-jan@subbacultcha.be) distribution: Herlinde Raeman (herlinde@subbacultcha.be)
office: Subbacultcha Belgium, Dendermondsesteenweg 80A, 9000 Belgium
printer: Drukkerij GEWADRUPO, Arendonk, Belgium
contact: magazine@subbacultcha.be
contributing writers: Sabzian, Gabriela González, Julien Van de Casteele, Mathias Bourgonjon, Thomas Vanoosthuyse, Valerie Steenhaut, Laura Ramos, Hannes Rooms, Isaline Raes, Laura Bonne, Francesca Pinder & Alexander Ermakov contributing photographers: Richard Perez, CJ Harvey, Margaux Nieto, Cathérine Lemblé & Tiny Geeroms contributing artists: Gabriela González & Tom Volckaert
New Music for New People Free access to the best concerts and events. Join us for €8 a month. 62 subbacultcha.be
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