What does the future of the arts field look like, and how can we strengthen collaboration between artists, organisations and institutions? How do we build bridges between the various stakeholders in both the visual and audiovisual arts? And how do we forge even stronger links between art and society, in Flanders and Brussels?

argos, LevelFive, RendezVous and Kunstenpunt invi­te you to a fish­bowl dis­cus­si­on to reflect on these questions and exchange ideas. How can we for­ge new con­nec­ti­ons between artists, col­lec­ti­ves, and orga­ni­za­ti­ons? How do we create space for a plu­ra­li­ty of voi­ces and sustainable growth in a quickly changing ecosystem?

The visu­al arts sec­tor con­sists of a broad mix of artists, orga­ni­za­ti­ons, col­lec­ti­ves, and insti­tu­ti­ons. Whi­le this diver­si­ty is a gre­at strength, it also leads to frag­men­ta­ti­on and some­ti­mes slow res­pon­ses to chal­len­ges. Recent years have made it clear that the­re is a need for stron­ger con­nec­ti­on and collaboration, also between different disciplines and regions.

→ What position does Brussels have in the arts landscape of Flanders?
→ What’s the impact of public funding structures on visual arts practices and organisations?
→ What flexible structures are needed within cultural institutions so they can offer better support to the diverse needs of artists and practices?
→ How can Brussels maintain and strengthen its unique position as a central hub for audiovisual arts?

During this fishbowl conversation participants are invited to speak from their position as artists, cultural workers or art professional. A small inner circle of 3–5 people starts the discussion, while a larger outer circle listens. Listeners can actively join the conversation by taking an empty seat in the inner circle, prompting one of the existing speakers to leave their seat and return to the outer circle.

These discussions are organized by the ‘Kunsthallen Committee’ (Kunsthal Ghent, Kunsthal Mechelen, Kunsthal Extra City Antwerp, Argos Brussels, Jester Genk and NW Aalst) and are part of a broader process by Kunstenpunt and FARO, culminating in a ‘General State of the Arts’ on the future of the visual arts in Flanders. More information on this trajectory here.