Place
L'Escaut is a building in Molenbeek, that hosts among other things an architecture firm, rehearsal spaces, exhibitions and cultural events.
Photos and info
The drawings of the space can be found here: PDF. For enquiries about the availability of spaces, please contact .
Exhibitions
In its first years, L'Escaut organised several exhibitions in association with the Koma gallery of Mons. The highlights included Francis Alÿs show, which featured a thousand snails on the ceiling of the first floor. Some international collaborations with France, Germany and England allowed artists such as Denis Pondruel, Marie-Odile Candas Salmon or Klaus Von Bruch to occupy the space with their work.
Since then, some exhibitions have been organised occasionally. They usually evolve around a proximity with the artist's work, and their desire to inhabit the space and develop their work in it. In 2003, Doris Kuwert ocupied the building with her installations for three weeks, and Valérie Mannaerts used the ground floor for a month in 2004 as a workshop. Some schools, including l'ENSAV la Cambre and l'ERG have used the building to present their students' works.
Performing arts
Numerous workshops and show rehearsals have taken place in the building, as well as small theatre pieces, readings, film projections...
In 2002, the CIFAS (International Centre for Education in Performing Arts) installed their offices in the building. They organised workshops for professional artists, as well as lectures and round tables in the building. They invited Theatre directors such as Galin Stoev, Edward Bond ou Marc Liebens, and dancers, amongst them Simone Forti, and many others.
In 2009, l’Escaut has welcomed the VRAC collective into the building and our practice. It’s a hopeful bet: that by confronting architecture and performing arts right were they are created, they will contaminate and inform each other. Since February, the two groups share the space and welcome other people and projects through collaborations and the rental of the rehearsing spaces.
The third floor has a dance friendly wooden floor. Françoise Berlanger et Charlie Degotte have rehearsed lately in l'Escaut.