Every Antwerp Art Weekend, we present an OFF program that spotlights temporary exhibitions and initiatives by artists, galleries, and institutions that are not regular Antwerp Art members, highlighting Antwerp's vibrant art scene that is forever in flux! The following 10 initiatives form this year's OFF program and were selected through an open call.

/THE PLATFORM is a gallery originally located on the top floor of VCRB Gallery. During the Antwerp Art Weekend, VCRB Gallery is making way in their shared building for a young generation of artists. Occupying the two floors, /THE PLATFORM undertakes a try-out for the two galleries’ future physical independence.

In line with the spatial shift in exhibition spaces, /THE PLATFORM shows the work of two artists whose artistic practice is indirectly driven by the concept of space viewed from different angles. In Two Floors and A Door, this duo exhibition by Arthur Van de Velde and Alexandra Puşcaş, the gallery expands its physical and conceptual limits, in order to question and rethink them, same as the idea of artworks as autonomous and independent objects: their existence and meaning are inextricably linked to the physical space for which they were created. Showing paintings and sculptures, the exhibition addresses how contemporary artists continue to embrace the concept of space in their artistic practice.

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Archipel is a unique and artistic collective workspace run by artists in an urban development area, on the former slaughterhouse site in the North of Antwerp. during the Antwerp Art Weekend, Archipel presents two exhibitions on two different locations: Archipel and Archipel 2.0.

On their original location, Archipel presents Vanishing Past(s), a group exhibition that takes visitors on a journey through the fading history of Antwerp North and looks ahead to what's next. The exhibition is a farewell to the current Archipel-site, as the city has new plans for the area. Artists from various disciplines and backgrounds have come together to create a large-scale, site-specific art show that is inspired by the material and immaterial heritage of the site, such as objects, photographs, rituals, and stories from the Big Bang to now. Moving from one site to the other, a former electricity factory on the waterfront will serve as a blank canvas for a new future. In this unknown territory, Archipel's international artists and collectives are merging with Atelier FAAR to invite the spectator to a unique perspective of the new space. Click here for more information.

On their second location, Archipel’s Studio is showcasing a group exhibition called NEXT. Moving from their current location to the the new studio, a former electricity factory on the waterfront will serve as a blank canvas for a new future. In this unknown territory they meet for the first time. Archipel's artists and collectives are merging with Atelier FAAR to invite the spectator to a unique perspective of the new space.

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Ballroom Project is a unique creative and commercial platform that provides a space for non-Antwerp based galleries to showcase their artists' works. The project employs a talented curator who curates an exhibition concept based on submissions from participating galleries. This approach aims to avoid the traditional 'art fair feel' by creating a unique and engaging experience for visitors.

Thanks to the Ballroom Project's curator, the exhibition is tailored to the specific dynamics of the exhibition space, creating an immersive and engaging experience for visitors. The project's curated approach ensures that every piece of artwork is presented in the best possible light and offers an opportunity to showcase the work in a dynamic and creative environment. Overall, the Ballroom Project is an exciting and innovative creative and commercial platform that has become a must-see event for art lovers in Antwerp and beyond.

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Six artists occupy three vacant townhouses in the Van Schoonbekestraat in Antwerp. Vacant buildings are desires unmet: a vacuum that wants to be re-integrated into the urban tissue. Nel Bonte, Laure Forêt, Catharina Dhaen, Henk Delabie, Michel Vaerewijck and Koen Fillet show works inspired by the empty rooms and traces of occupants that are long gone. Remnants of the past that point to the emptiness of the present, an interaction between what has been, and what could be(come).

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DE SINGEL is an arts center in Antwerp with a versatile range within the disciplines of music, dance, theater and architecture. During the Antwerp Art Weekend, DE SINGEL presents guided tours of the permanent sculpture parcours of DE SINGEL by curator Heidi Ballet. The parcours contains works by Sammy Baloji, Luc Deleu, Matt Mullican, Christophe Terlinden, Pierre Bismuth, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, Walter Swennen, Rémy Zaugg, Cerith Wyn Evans and Edith Dekyndt.

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Each year, Kunst in Huis starts a working relationship with 20-30 emerging artists. Get to know five of them in their annual exhibition ‘De Nieuwe Garde van Kunst in Huis’: Emile Van Helleputte , Günbike Erdemir, Indrè Svirplytè, Tim Theo Deceuninck and Fee Veraghtert.

Through Kunst in Huis and it’s accessible and high-quality art collection (5000 pieces of a stunning diversity) you can connect with a new generation of artists. Rent out unique works at our art centers in Antwerp, Brussels, Kortrijk, Ghent and Leuven. From drawings to oil paintings and photographs to objects, one can choose between artworks of over 370 artists. Kunst in Huis provides a broad overview of contemporary art in Flanders and Brussels by regularly updating our collection with new artists and artworks.

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Red Herring Salon is a new addition to artists-run spaces in Antwerp. It functions as an exhibition space and artistic community, with a focus on professionally developing bottom-up artistic initiatives and supporting the network of local artists.

During the Antwerp Art Weekend, they present the group exhibition 'No, I Am Spartacus', referring to the dialogue about the public perception of who runs Red Herring Salon and the idea that different participating artists or volunteers can be seen as the responsible facilitator of an artists-run space. This concept is reminiscent of the scene from Stanley Kubrick's film 'Spartacus' where different people in the slave rebellion pose as Spartacus

The exhibition will showcase a range of visual works and performative happenings, utilizing both the indoor and outdoor spaces of Red Herring Salon. The themes of the exhibition are obstinance, humor, and identification. Participating artists are Karina Beumer, Michiel Ceulers, William Ludwig Lutgens, Juan Pablo Plazas and Anna Reutinger.

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Scala Trun is an art space based in the Swiss mountains. They are interested in the exchange of urban and countryside, periphery and center. As a cooperation between Swiss and Antwerp artists they are looking to renegotiate views and values in a typical meticulous Swiss as well as the frank Antwerp way.

During the Antwerp Art Weekend, they present a group exhibition titled Moving Mountains, referring to the act of doing something so difficult that it seems impossible, but despite all odds to keep making every possible effort to achieve spectacular results – or none. How do we transform something worthless into something precious and how the other way around? The exhibition includes works by Gianin Conrad, Quirina Lechmann, Damiano Curschellas, Katleen Vinck and Octave Vandeweghe.

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For ‘An ideal for living’, SECONDroom invited artists te develop an intervention on the scale of a train diorama. An ideal for living also marks SECONDroom’s 300th exhibition.

Reducing our reality’s complexity to a diorama could be seen as an utopian method of coming to terms with the overwhelming nature of reality itself. It is a priori an utopian construction through which we want to reflect on how we perceive and interpret the world around us. The diorama and the model railway form a closed universe in which we can do this in a safe way." An ideal for living" refers to the idea that architecture and design can create a better environment. They do this by offering a living environment that is more efficient, rational and beautiful. Modernism, Functionalism, and Minimalism all sought an ideal society through design. "An ideal for living" perfectly summarizes that goal.

With interventions by: Johan De Wilde, Pauline Rima, Antoine Duchenet, Marin Kasimir, Aga Gabara, Erik Haemers, Stefano Calligaro, John van Oers, Pieter Chanterie, Hilde Overbergh, Guus van der Velden, Daniëlle Van Ark,…

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The exhibition "Tussen Twee Wallen" takes place at two historical locations in Antwerp: Het Steen and Keizersbastion. Both locations have played an important role throughout the centuries as gateways to the city and carry a rich history. In the exhibition, contemporary works of art are presented in an intriguing way in a historical context.

Four artists, Winnie Claessens, Lydia Hannah, Fran Van Coppenolle and Hannelore Vandepoel, have been invited to present their work at these locations. The content of the exhibition is determined by the relationship each artist enters into with the historical and archaeological sites.This exhibition is a special collaboration between Visit Antwerp and the Department of Archeology of the City of Antwerp, initiated by Winnie Claessens.

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Initiatives that are not Antwerp Art members can participate in the OFF program by submitting their exhibition to our open call. The Antwerp Art board, together with an appointed committee, will then make a selection. E-mail info@antwerpart.be to receive the application forms and conditions.
The deadline is February 1, 2024.