PHENOMENA exhibition

'PHENOMENA', the third exhibition initiated by ELDERS, opens in Kortrijk on 3 March. The collective once again invited a selection of international artists, including four firsts for Belgium. This time, the abandoned Stella Maris school building in Boerderijstraat forms the backdrop for the exhibition.

PHENOMENA opens to visitors diverse perspectives along other universes, ranging from post-apocalyptic realism to elusive physical principles and unlikely dream worlds. The exhibition features work by Isabelle Andriessen, Annabelle Binnerts, Aline Bouvy, Jim Campers, Max Hooper Schneider, Barbara Leclercq, Xavier Mary, Stijn ter Braak and Jenkin van Zyl. And also from our Designers in Residence.

Using different approaches, the artists each in their own way create remarkable atmospheres, and this in the context of premises that bear the marks of the passage of time. The enigmatic experiences show that what people consider to be reality are actually creations of their own minds, so that ultimate reality remains elusive.

In 2023, we joined forces with Elders for a joint presentation during WONDER and Kortrijk Art Weekend entitled 'Phenomena 01' (19.10 - 05.11 Patria Grote Markt Kortrijk). There, our Designers in Residence Simon Hampikian, Yara Veloso and Nicolas Zanoni showed the results of their two-month stay in Kortrijk autumn 2023 under the guidance of Designregio Kortrijk and Elders. These pieces were also integrated into the current expo.

PHENOMENA runs from 3 March to 7 April 2024 at Boerderijstraat 69A, 8500 Kortrijk. You can visit the exhibition from Friday to Sunday, between 2pm and 6pm each time. It is immediately the last chance to discover the old school building, after the expo it will be transformed into residential real estate by ION.

ELDERS was founded in 2021. Its current members are Petrus Paklons, Hélène Depondt, Koen Titeca, Joachim Coucke, Dieter Van Caneghem, Joke Anckaert and Gilles Dedecker. They organise exhibitions in downtown Kortrijk. Due to the nomadic aspect, the projects move to adapted locations each time. ELDERS not only gives established artists but also young talents a platform. www.elderscollectief.be

The next edition of our networking and inspiration event Design Drinks & Talks, on Thursday 28 March, will take place at PHENOMENA. We once again foresee a diverse line-up of speakers with the theme PHENOMENA or how we experience reality.

On stage 🎤:

👉 Mark Venter - Creative Lead & Brand Experience Strategist at Once (talk in English)

👉 Joachim Froment - art director at futurewave (talk in English)

👉 Xavier Mary - artist PHENOMENA (talk in English)

Guided visit through the exhibition by Elders after the talks.