Sous les Pavés, la Plage!

Together with Lisa Matthys, I currently work on Sous les Pavés, la Plage!, a sound-based exploration of children’s free play in Brussels, unfolding how – across time – they created their own worlds within the city’s public spaces. Amid terrain vagues, urban transformations, and cultural shifts, free play often exists at the city’s margins, an ephemeral, subversive force that resists the logic of productivity and profit, giving children room to dream and imagine otherwise. By conducting interviews and searching archives, we trace stories from three moments in the past century: the Marolles in the 1950s, Rasquinet Park in the 1970s, and the Tour & Taxis area in the 2010s.

The research is ongoing, with interim presentations and activities organized throughout the process:

Currently active:

Art et Marges Museum, Brussels: 16.04.2026 – 01.11.2026
We are currently presenting our installation The Museum of Free Play as part of The Museum of Museums exhibition at the Art et Marges Museum in Brussels. The installation combines a documentary soundscape, archival material and an interactive environment in which the public is invited to build their own constructions.

MUS-e, April-June 2026
From April through June, we are organizing a participatory artistic trajectory that actively involves children from the Marolles neighborhood in Brussels. The project aims to raise awareness of play in public space over time and to give children a voice in reflecting on how things could be done differently today. With: MUS-e, Rosi, and Basisschool Nieuwland.

Past presentations and activities:

Beursschouwburg, Brussels: 27.03.2026
An evening dedicated to the city as a construction playground, featuring: a children’s workshop A Pamphlet to Claim the City, a screening of the movie Le chantier des gosses by Jean Harlez, a listening session Sous les Pavés, la Plage!, and a concluding debate on the city as a construction playground with speakers from Toestand, Dear Pigs, Dallas Collectif, Meow, Filtercafé, Lisa Matthys and Annelies Vaneycken.

Beursschouwburg, Brussels: 25.03.2026 – 28.03.2026
Our documentary soundscape was presented in the Kleine Cinema zaal as part of the Our House, in the Middle of Our Street programme, which focused on the city, streets without borders, and breaking up with a building.

BNA-BBOT, January–April 2026
From January through April, we held a residency at Brussel Behoort Ons Toe (BNA-BBOT). During this time, we recorded interviews, explored the BNA-BBOT archive, and developed a soundscape. It was an inspiring period with a wonderful team—many thanks to Flavien, Ruby, Nils, Erin, and Seve.

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Thanks to VGC Erfgoed for funding this project. The preparatory work leading up to this project was supported by KD2021 - Beurs Bewezen Talent from Flanders State of the Art (#121145). Thanks to BNA-BBOT!