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Exhibition:

Open today: 11:00–18:00

Next event:

15.08.2026 Volksdansen: celebration

Lange Steenstraat 14

9000 Gent

Weekends: 11:00–18:00

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Home
Agenda
Exhibitions
Residency
Archive
About
- Mission
- Vision
- Apartheid Free Zone
- History
- Contact
Visit
Use
Co-operate
Word Bondgenoot
Kunstenaarsfonds
- Introduction
- Louise Delanghe Fund

Exhibition:

Open today: 11:00–18:00

Next event:

15.08.2026 Volksdansen: celebration

Lange Steenstraat 14

9000 Gent

Weekends: 11:00–18:00

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Agenda: Soon ?

→ Schatten van Vlieg
→ Kinderen
→ 11:00

11.07 — 30.08.26

Schatten van Vlieg:

Cheeky Balls

→ Schatten van Vlieg
→ Kinderen
→ 11:00

15.07 — 30.08.26

Kunsthal Gent in Watou

→ 17:00

Saturday 15.08.26

Patersholfeesten:

Volksdansen: celebration

→ 09:00

Wednesday 26.08.26

For Allies & Volunteers: Bus trip to Kunstenfestival Watou

→ Democrazy
→ concert
→ 19:30

Thursday 29.10.26

Democrazy:

Concert: Elijah Fox

→ Democrazy
→ concert
→ 19:30

→ Democrazy
→ concert
→ 19:30

Thursday 12.11.26

Democrazy:

Concert: Tanya Donelly & Chris Brokaw

→ Democrazy
→ concert
→ 19:30

35513 tanya donelly chris brokaw c ben stas

→ Capacete Rio de Janeiro
→ performance
→ 19:00

Thursday 10.12.26

Artist Fund:

Performative Lecture Lieven De Boeck (fundraiser)

→ Capacete Rio de Janeiro
→ performance
→ 19:00

Photo 01 Studio LDB Queering Activation Ostend photo Antoine Doetsch

Full Archive

Agenda: Archive

→ Exhibition
→ 11:00

17 — 26.07.26

Gentse Feesten: Asad Raza & Endless Exhibition (open every day)

→ Exhibition
→ 11:00

→ Het Natuurkabinet
→ Walks
→ 14:30

Sunday 26.07.26

Het Natuurkabinet:

Walk: Prinsenhof & Cura’s Garden

→ Het Natuurkabinet
→ Walks
→ 14:30

MDC KHG Cura 01 007 LR 2023 06 05 124938 fhae v1691237981

Sluiten

15.07 — 30.08.26

Kunsthal Gent in Watou

This summer Kunsthal Gent heads to Watou. The occasion is Kunstenfestival Watou, curated this year by Danielle van Zuijlen, artistic coordinator at Kunsthal Gent, in collaboration with artist Bart Lodewijks and poet Michaël Vandebril for the poetry, under the title Gemene Wegen (Common Ways).

The title refers to the Gemenestraat, or Chemin Mitoyen: a border road on the south side of the village, half of which belongs to Belgium and half to France: a place of difference, conflict and connection at once.

Ghent - Watou

Through her curatorial role, Danielle van Zuijlen brought Kunsthal Gent into the festival. The team supported three development residencies, work from the Endless Exhibition travels to Watou, and collectives from the Refuge programme present events.

From the Development Programme

Through the development programme, Seasonal Neighbours and Volksdansen* had the opportunity to develop their work further: Seasonal Neighboursexplores how residents and seasonal workers share the countryside; Volksdansen* explores Flemish folk dance and its textile traditions and reclaims it as a participatory performance practice, which it activates during a “Harvest Festival”. Together with Ghent’s Sphinx Cinema (Sofie Mercier) we helped make Marie Vanderauwera’s The Blue Guys (Cinema Watou) possible, where a film is screened every Sunday evening in a low-stimulus installation.

Together with the festival and Be-Part, Kunsthal Gent makes the presentation of Nico Dockx’s Pirate Pavilion possible: a place that is both artwork and a place of use. Partners such as S.M.A.K. and Extra City bring their own events there, and the pavilion offers residents space for their own activities all summer. Kunsthal Gent invites Manoeuvre and Shif_t* there, two collectives that previously passed through the refuge.

From our development programme you will also encounter Diego Herman, Şengül Özdemir,Elke UitentuisandDe Ambulanten in Watou.

2 works from the Endless Exhibition

This summer you will find two works from the Endless Exhibition again in Watou. Fiona Hallinan’s long table (Fragment Mediation), built from fragments of a demolished church in Dublin, travels to Watou church together with its accompanying video essay.

Syllabus by Jesse Jones, a monumental curtain that creates a shared place for reading and gathering, is currently not on view at Kunsthal Gent, as Asad Raza’s tennis court has temporarily taken its place. The shared practice that Syllabus makes possible cannot simply be moved to Watou. Syllabus is present in Watou as a large flag with its accompanying contract, an invitation to explore the conditions that make the work possible, and to come and see the curtain in Ghent once it returns.

← →

Schermafbeelding 2026 06 25 om 09 44 56 — © manoeuvre / Marie Vanderauwera - Cinema Watou

25 05 12 KH OPENBARE WERKEN BREAKING BREAD WEB 36

20260113 kunsthal volksdans 1000 Faber Mahieu

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More: a glimpse of Watou

The festival has two main locations: the village of Watou and Kasteel De Lovie, where the art is a guest within a care community. 019 is responsible for the festival’s new visual identity. And at Kasteel De Lovie, 019 builds a ramp that zigzags through the landscape and makes the castle accessible to everyone in the same way.

In the castle there is a continuous live performance all summer from the movement archive Motus Mori Institutum, and Natural Experiences Inc., Lois Weinberger and Nicolas Floc’h question our relationship with nature. In Watou itself we delve into the commons with Johan Grimonprez, work by Marjolijn Dijkman and Wim Cuyvers, and works from the S.M.A.K. collection with ANT Collective. And you will find the cybernetic tarot cards of Suzanne Treister alongside an AI bot that makes Watou poetry.

The full list of participating artists can be found on the Kunstenfestival Watou website.

Kunstenfestival Watou is open through the summer, from 15 July to 30 August. More info and tickets here.

Events you can join

Saturday 1 August, 2 pm: Harvest Festival with Volksdansen* — a procession from the village square to Brenne Park.
Friday 8 August, 3 pm: Be-Part conversation on pavilions — with Nico Dockx, Yves Maes and Constructlab (Lyra Oei), on the pavilion as a shared, self-organised place.
Sunday 9 August, 2 pm: Shif_t at the Pirate Pavilion.
Wednesday 26 August, 9.00 – 19.30: Watou bus — we head to Watou together with volunteers and allies. Danielle van Zuijlen guides us through the programme. Kunsthal Gent provides lunch and, in the afternoon, brings Manoeuvre and Seasonal Neighbours together in the Pirate Pavilion.
More Watou Live events here!

On Wednesday, August 26th, we will go on an excursion to Watou together with the volunteers and allies of Kunsthal Gent. Danielle van Zuijlen, programmer at Kunsthal Gent, is also a co-curator of the festival this year. She will guide us through the programme. Together, we will also visit artists from our residency and refuge programme who have further developed their artistic practice in Watou.

Join the bus?

Are you an ally or volunteer and would you like to come along? Reserve your spot on the bus via the registration form.
Not an ally yet? Mail to bondgenoot@kunsthal.gent
Departure from Ghent at 9.00, back around 19.30.