The School is not a school because it’s not selective in who may use its space. The spaces we activated since 2017 were open for interns, studio users, researchers, meetings, concerts, and other things we didn’t even know existed. During that time, we consistently tried, in a variable manner, to create a greenhouse in which artists were stimulated so that their artistic practice could grow. In the station neighborhood, we welcomed numerous interns who could launch their own projects, exhibitions, or interventions for the first time, catching unsuspecting passersby. In Maison Florida, we were often asked to organize artistic workshops for organizations and schools. One of these was the three-day workshop we put together for the PIKOH (Provincial Art High School Hasselt). 300 students descended to our experimental playground where they could experience all the disciplines our house had to offer. For these workshops, we always try to involve artists with little or no experience in passing on their own artistic knowledge. This methodology comes from our belief that everyone should be able to be both a teacher and a student. In this way, we try to question the hierarchy of master-apprentice that is still the standard in traditional education today. The consequences are immense because the confidence someone gains after such a first positive workshop experience resonates and leaves them hungry for more.
The School is not a school because it does not compartmentalize its knowledge. The many artistic practices that we granted time and space were often rubbed against each other as much as possible to deepen each artist's experience and gain new insights. One of the methodologies we used for this was Duet Duel. Two musicians who did not know each other and whose music genres were not closely related were invited. This resulted in either a balanced duet or more of an eclectic duel, in which the individual pushed boundaries and expanded the musical landscape. Another connecting project that took place was the exhibition 'INTERACTion REACTion,' curated by Fee Veraghtert. She invited about ten artists to react to each other's previous works, resulting in a spider web of connections where the visitor could explore between the present and past, and the artist could see their own work in a new light. The 35-day long Lente Festival is another beautiful example that illustrates how cross-pollination is part of The School's DNA. For this, we sent out dozens of invitations to artists within our network, asking them to collaborate with someone they didn't know yet. When setting up these duos, we always searched for an interesting mix of disciplines and characters. We saw shy people emerge from their shells and formal introductions grow into lasting collaborations.
The School is not a school because it does not define itself. We have been influenced by the space we occupy since 2017, but we never allow ourselves to become dependent on that same space. Too many cultural organizations limit themselves by the boundaries of their own infrastructure. During the pandemic, everyone closed their doors, but within Maison Florida, we were able to completely overhaul our entire operation, allowing us to meet the needs of artists through various measures. Many vision statements claim that as a cultural organization, they want to be an open house where everyone is welcome, but in reality, this often turns out to be the opposite. They strictly adhere to predetermined goals and guard the firmly established gate. Those who are not dependent on space tend to be more generous in sharing the space they temporarily have available. So, we repeatedly shared the enormous space in Maison Florida with many organizations in Hasselt, including Farmm, PIKOH (Provincial Art High School Hasselt), Sardien, Muziekodroom, BEClassic, De Serre, Villa Basta, PXL Music,... Now that Maison Florida has come to an end and we have less space ourselves, we reach out to other organizations, companies, and schools, asking them to activate their unused space and share infrastructure. Recently, we moved our operation to Het Nieuwe Instituut in Rotterdam, where we could reflect on the Maison Florida story for two weeks and look ahead to future projects in the city of Hasselt. The Nomad City project is currently active on the unused lands of PXL University College and UCLL University College. There are also discussions to transform vacant halls on the RECOR site into studios and exhibition spaces. By daring to let go of space, we force ourselves to search for new space again. With the end of Maison Florida in sight, we felt a hunger for new environments and challenges. In a city that gradually has vacancy as its flagship, it should not be so difficult to find new space for artistic work.
The School is not a school because its curriculum is not fixed. In all projects we have initiated since 2017, we always kept some empty space for the unexpected. It is crucial for our operation to maintain a certain flexibility so that we can respond to the opportunities that come our way and immediately tap into the newly generated energy. Now that the Maison Florida chapter has ended, we are at the beginning of a new chapter, with the first outlines currently being drawn. Since April, we have been in a brand new space in the city center. Within this space, called ‘FAX’ we want to focus on Makers in the City...