(English below) Luisteren naar gebouwen is een podcastreeks binnen Think Public Space, gemaakt door onderzoeker Angelique Campens en sound designer Raf Enckels. In deze reeks verkennen we gebouwen, architecten en de verhalen die zich in en rond die plekken afspelen, gedragen door de stemmen van mensen die er gebruik van maken of maakten.

Vandaag staat het werk van Axel Ghyssaert (geboren in 1933) centraal. Meer bepaald het schoolgebouw dat hij ontwierp in 1974: Basisschool De Linde in Sint-Kruis, Brugge. Vanuit deze plek leren we zijn manier van denken kennen: een architectuur die werkt op het onderbewuste, via licht, oriëntatie en de relatie tussen binnen en buiten.

Samen met architectuurhistoricus Jos Vandenbreeden, de kinderen en de leerkrachten verkennen we de ruimte via klank en stem. De kinderen stellen vragen, kijken en luisteren en worden zo misschien wel de scherpste critici van het gebouw. De muziek die we horen doorheen het gebouw is het nummer Occam River 1. Een compositie van Eliane Radigue, Julia Eckhardt en Carol Robinson.

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(English) Listening to Buildings is a podcast series by researcher Angelique Campens and sound designer Raf Enckels, exploring architecture through the voices of those who inhabit it. Today, the work of Axel Ghyssaert (born in 1933) takes centre stage. More specifically, the school building he designed in 1974: Basisschool De Linde in Sint-Kruis, Bruges. From this place, we come to understand his way of thinking: an architecture that works on the subconscious, through light, orientation and the relationship between inside and outside. Together with architectural historian Jos Vandenbreeden, the children and the teachers we explore the space through sound and voice. The children ask questions, observe and listen, and in doing so, perhaps become the sharpest critics of the building. The music we hear throughout the building is the piece Occam River 1, a composition by Eliane Radigue, Julia Eckhardt and Carol Robinson.

(English summary below)

In deze aflevering staat de voormalige bibliotheek van Eke centraal, ontworpen in 1970 door Juliaan Lampens (1926–2019). Het modernistische gebouw is georganiseerd rond een centrale tafel of balie, een plek waar mensen samenkomen om te lezen, te ontmoeten en te verblijven. Met de tafel als vertrekpunt verkennen we Lampens’ visie op architectuur: zijn gebruik van ruw beton, zijn ruimtelijke principes en zijn overtuiging dat architectuur het samenleven kan vormgeven.

Doorheen de aflevering weerklinken citaten en archiefopnames van Lampens zelf, aangevuld met stemmen van mensen die het gebouw hebben gebouwd, gebruikt en beleefd. We horen onder meer zijn aannemer, voormalige bibliotheekmedewerkers, oud-studenten en collega’s van Lampens. Ook de renovatie door Callebaut Architecten komt aan bod.

De muziek voor deze aflevering werd opgenomen in de bibliotheek, vandaag een lege ruimte waarin de sporen van gebruik nog zichtbaar zijn. De compositie, geproduceerd door HUIS en uitgevoerd door Nina Vanhoenacker en Anton Manente Albertijn, vertrekt vanuit het proces van leren lezen. De partituur gebruikt de eerste zeven letters van het alfabet, die overeenkomen met de zeven noten van het westerse muzieksysteem. Concentratie, herhaling en aanpassing klinken hierin door. Anton, een van de performers, is acht jaar oud: een kind dat nog leert lezen en muziek spelen, opgenomen in een ruimte die ooit precies daarvoor diende.

Deze aflevering over Juliaan Lampens werd ontwikkeld als onderdeel van de tentoonstelling Tafel voor Tien: dialogen rond Juliaan Lampens.

Luisteren naar gebouwen is een podcastreeks binnen Think Public Space, gemaakt door onderzoeker Angelique Campens en sound designer Raf Enckels. In deze reeks verkennen we gebouwen, architecten en de verhalen die zich in en rond deze plekken afspelen, gedragen door de stemmen van mensen die er gebruik van maken of maakten.

Credits

Concept, productie en montage: Angelique Campens en Raf Enckels
Stem: Katharina Smets
Muziek: productie HUIS; Uitvoering Nina Vanhoenacker en Anton Manente Albertijn

Ontwikkeld in het kader van de tentoonstelling Tafel voor Tien: dialogen rond Juliaan Lampens, met dank aan Laure Messiaen, een initiatief van lokaal bestuur Nazareth–De Pinte. Met de steun van: Vlaamse overheid, Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen.

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(English summary) In this episode, we explore the former library of Eke, designed in 1970 by Belgian modernist architect Juliaan Lampens (1926–2019). The building centres around a central table, a place for meeting, reading, and staying, and it's from here that we unpack Lampens' architectural thinking: his use of raw concrete, his spatial principles, and his belief that architecture can shape how people live together.

The episode weaves together quotes and archival audio of Lampens himself with the voices of people connected to the building: contractors, former library staff, students, and residents who have lived in his architecture.

The music was recorded inside the library, now an empty space full of traces of use. The composition, produced by HUIS and performed by Nina Vanhoenacker and Anton Manente Albertijn, takes its cue from the act of learning to read: the first seven letters of the alphabet correspond to the seven notes of the Western musical system.

"Listening to Buildings" is a podcast series by researcher Angelique Campens and sound designer Raf Enckels, exploring architecture through the voices of those who inhabit it.

Welcome to our podcast series, Think Tank Sessions: On Experiencing Art in Public Space.This podcast emerges from engaging workshops conducted across various Belgian locations.

How do you turn public space into a place where people truly meet each other?
In this special edition of the podcast Think Tank: Experiencing Art in Public Space, we explore how art, dialogue, and participation are transforming our cities into meaningful meeting places. Katrien Laenen outlines, based on her years of experience—17 years with the Flemish Building Master Team and 8 years with Art on Commission (Department of Culture)—how public art projects have evolved towards a more participatory approach. Artist duo Ivo Provoost & Simona Denicolai share surprising strategies to engage communities in a playful and authentic way. Mark Pozlep and Danielle van Zuijlen discuss how art festivals can be engines for lasting connection, collaboration, and social engagement. How does the idea of kinship—relationship and dialogue—play a central role in this?

This episode was specially recorded for the city festival Openbare werken (Public Works) under the City Hall in Ghent. Building on previous Think Tank sessions, this conversation brings together artists, architects, students, and theorists to explore how art can socially and spatially enrich our urban environments, thereby stimulating an engaged dialogue with public space.

Openbare Werken (Public Works) takes place from Friday 9 to Sunday 18 May 2025, and is organized by the Tot in de stad! network: a collaboration between Ghent-based organizations VIERNULVIER, Kunsthal Gent, De Koer, Manoeuvre, Jong Gewei, Campusatelier, and the art schools LUCA and KASK.

Concept and realisation: Angelique Campens
Sound and montage: Raf Enckels

Welcome to our podcast series, Think Tank Sessions: On Experiencing Art in Public Space. This podcast emerges from engaging workshops conducted across various Belgian locations.
Have you ever considered parking lots as spaces for artworks? Today, I am taking you to the parking garages in Brussels, exploring them as platforms for artistic possibilities. Inspired by the innovative thinking of urban visionaries Charlie Depauw and Claude De Clercq in 1966, who collaborated with artist/architect Jacques Moeschal to transcend traditional art spaces, we explore how art can transform parking lots into unconventional art galleries. Accompanying us on this journey is architect Wim Goes and a team of thoughtful students as we engage in a lively brainstorming session. Together, we reflect on the important role of art in public spaces. Along our path, we discover contemporary examples that awaken inspiration and examine how spaces like parking lots can evolve into dynamic platforms for integrating artworks.

Concept, realisation and editing: Angelique Campens
Coaching & sound: Raf Enckels (Herculeslab)
Soundwork & mixing: Melissa Ryke
Opening and closing theme Glenn Miller "String of pearls"
Visuals: design by Veronika Akopyan and photography by Michiel Devijver
Production: Angelique Campens
Project participants: Veronika Akopyan, Zoë Brennan, Simon Breynaert, Malte Möller, Luna Van Bellingen, Menno Eggink, Davide Musco, Aagje Vandriessche, Baue Vercammen, Delphine Vo and Hilke Walraven
Coproduction: Nomadic School of Arts
With the support of: KASK School of Arts, Europe NextGenerationEU, Nomadic School of Arts
Locations: Parking Entre-Deux-Portes, Parking Poelaert and Parking Brucity courtesy of Interparking

We start to become familiar with this place as we go again to the outskirts of Antwerp and we explore the integration of art in social housing and public spaces, drawing inspiration from the works of architect Renaat Braem's units at Kiel. These high-rise blocks were built between 1949-1958 in Kiel. It was Braem’s first project where he integrated painting, murals, and sculpture, and shows the importance of the synthesis of the arts.

Once again, we are at the community centre ‘Nova’, encountering the kindness of its volunteers and residents. After a chat with some of them, we meet our final guest: professor Pascal Gielen, a well-known figure in this field, who works extensively on networks, community arts, commoning, and arts in public space. As we touch upon many different topics, talking with Pascal feels like a trip in itself: we don’t focus specifically on arts in public space, but rather on the broader sense of arts for the community. Pascal shows us that culture has a measurable impact on people’s health, social cohesion, cognition, and the economy, among other things. It supports people in meaning-making and building a shared, symbolic common ground.

But it can also disrupt the ground under someone’s feet, unexpectedly changing one’s personal life and perception. Perhaps we are already unconsciously aware of that, but this information makes us look at the artist’ profession in another light - one of choice, responsibility, and politics, ultimately. If we need a sensory common ground for a political community, then let the artists shape our spaces!

Concept, realisation and editing: Angelique Campens
Coaching & sound: Raf Enckels (Herculeslab)
Soundwork & mixing: Melissa Ryke
Opening and closing theme Glenn Miller "String of pearls"
Visuals: design by Veronika Akopyan and photography by Michiel Devijver
Production: Angelique Campens
Text assistance: Zoë Brennan, Davide Musco
Project participants: Veronika Akopyan, Zoë Brennan, Luna Van Bellingen, Menno Eggink, Milan George, Davide Musco, Jose Zapata Usma, Aagje Vandriessche, Baue Vercammen, Delphine Vo and Hilke Walraven
Coproduction: Nomadic School of Arts
With the support of: KASK School of Arts, Europe NextGenerationEU, Nomadic School of Arts

Today we are going to the outskirts of Antwerp where we explore the integration of art in social housing and public spaces, drawing inspiration from the works of architect Renaat Braem's units at Kiel. These high-rise blocks were built between 1949-1958 in Kiel. It was Braem’s first project where he integrated painting, murals, and sculpture, and shows the importance of the synthesis of the arts.

Philosopher and art historian Vlad Ionescu is here with us today and positions historical examples of art productions in public space to contemporary practice. He helps us define the matter of ‘public space’ as one of confrontation and compromise. He highlights challenges and risks of arts in this context, with indifference, in particular, to be considered as the ‘death of publicness’. When speaking about this topic we mostly focused on architecture or sculptures, but could engagement itself be a meaningful artistic alternative?

We also talk about the role of community engagement in art and the ethical questions it raises. We discuss the tension between creating art for the sake of the community versus creating art for its own sake and the problems that arise when artists are expected to also function as social workers. They also touch upon the role of ideology in the art world and the impact it has on community-based projects.

Concept, realisation and editing: Angelique Campens
Coaching & sound: Raf Enckels (Herculeslab)
Soundwork & mixing: Melissa Ryke
Opening and closing theme Glenn Miller "String of pearls"
Visuals: design by Veronika Akopyan and photography by Michiel Devijver
Production: Angelique Campens
Text assistance: Zoë Brennan, Davide Musco
Project participants: Veronika Akopyan, Zoë Brennan, Luna Van Bellingen, Menno Eggink, Milan George, Davide Musco, Jose Zapata Usma, Aagje Vandriessche, Baue Vercammen, Delphine Vo and Hilke Walraven
Coproduction: Nomadic School of Arts
With the support of: KASK School of Arts, Europe NextGenerationEU, Nomadic School of Arts

Today we are going to the outskirts of Antwerp where we explore the integration of art in social housing and public spaces, drawing inspiration from the works of architect Renaat Braem's units at Kiel. These high-rise blocks were built between 1949-1958. It was Braem’s first project where he integrated painting, murals, and sculpture, and shows the importance of the synthesis of the arts.

Here we are meeting the Social worker Bart Eggermont who kindly hosts us in Nova, a community center in Kiel, featuring a social canteen, workshops, exhibitions and a stage for theatre or music. Different organisations work in this place, with the common aim of facilitating access to culture for the neighbourhood and, ultimately, creating a space for everybody. Bart Eggermont discussed how art can help to create a sense of identity and belonging within a community. Or how art can bring people together, and how it can serve as a platform for dialogue and engagement.

We are all excited by this example of engagement in the community, and some questions arise: how can an art institution support a community’s life and its needs? And what kind of engagement should it ask of people with limited access to culture?

Concept, realisation and editing: Angelique Campens
Coaching & sound: Raf Enckels (Herculeslab)
Soundwork & mixing: Melissa Ryke
Opening and closing theme Glenn Miller "String of pearls"
Visuals: design by Veronika Akopyan and photography by Michiel Devijver
Production: Angelique Campens
Text assistance: Zoë Brennan, Davide Musco
Project participants: Veronika Akopyan, Zoë Brennan, Luna Van Bellingen, Menno Eggink, Milan George, Davide Musco, Jose Zapata Usma, Aagje Vandriessche, Baue Vercammen, Delphine Vo and Hilke Walraven
Coproduction: Nomadic School of Arts
With the support of: KASK School of Arts, Europe NextGenerationEU, Nomadic School of Arts

Today, we have the pleasure of discussing the power of art and design with graphic designer and researcher Annelies Vaneycken at our third Think Tank session. Here we are focusing on art along the highway. We explore how graphic design can be used to create a more democratic environment in public spaces. We are in Aalbeke to discuss Jacques Moeschal’s monumental sculptures, known as "signals," which mark the motorways; and are a great example of democratic art.

Standing next to the Sjouwer ( translated as the porter) with Annelies, this monumental sculpture, is 35m made of reinforced concrete situated on a hill in the Belgian village of Aalbeke, along the French border. It serves as a tribute to the seasonal workers from West Flanders who crossed into France for work between 1930 and 1960, with the highest peak of the sculpture pointing symbolically towards French territory.

Concept, realisation and editing: Angelique Campens
Coaching & sound: Raf Enckels (Herculeslab)
Soundwork & mixing: Melissa Ryke
Opening and closing theme Glenn Miller "String of pearls"
Visuals: design by Veronika Akopyan and photography by Michiel Devijver
Project participants: Veronika Akopyan, Zoë Brennan, Luna Van Bellingen, Menno Eggink, Milan George, Davide Musco, Jose Zapata Usma, Aagje Vandriessche, Baue Vercammen, Delphine Vo and Hilke Walraven
Production: Angelique Campens
Coproduction: Nomadic School of Arts
With the support of: KASK School of Arts, Europe NextGenerationEU, Nomadic School of Arts