Being Well Surrounded
How can sensory experiences of art and nature open up new forms of attention, connection and care?
Being well surrounded makes us stronger. Alongside our connections with other people, art and nature can also evoke a deep sense of connection. Our senses provide the gateway: by listening, touching, moving and observing attentively, we have experiences that move us, connect us and create meaning. Research shows that such experiences can contribute to mental resilience, help reduce stress and enhance our wellbeing.
Be inspired
During this second study day, Middelheim Museum, in collaboration with the University of Antwerp and UKJA (ZAS), brings together artists, researchers, healthcare professionals and museum professionals. Through inspiring research projects and practical examples, we explore how art, nature and sensory experiences can contribute to health, inclusion and new forms of care. We start by exploring attentive listening, broaden our perspective towards multisensory perception, investigate how the body and the senses shape our experience of art and nature, and conclude by asking how these experiences can grow into connection, care and resilience.
This study day is aimed at professionals, students and anyone active or interested in the intersection of culture, heritage, nature, wellbeing and care. Are you looking for inspiration, new insights or practical tools for your own practice? Then this is an excellent opportunity to exchange knowledge and strengthen your network.
Programme overview
You can find the detailed programme at the bottom of this page.
- 9:00 am — Welcome & registration
- 9:30 am — Welkom (Sara Weyns)
- 9:40 am — The Art of Sensory Connection (Jolien Posthumus)
- 10:00 am — 'Ik luister': The Storytelling Power of Sound (Adriaan Severins & Philippe Minguet)
- 10:45 am — Beyond the Visual – Sculpture and Embodied Perception (Ken Wilder & Aaron McPeake)
- 11:30 am — Sensory Care – The Body Experiences (Tibo Vergote & Noura Mariën)
- 12:15 pm — Lunch
- 1:30 pm — Relatability – From Experience to Connection (Thijs Biersteker)
- 2:30 pm — Inspiring Projects (4 short presentations)
- 3:30 pm — Experience It Yourself (choose from 5 workshops)
- 4:30 pm — Gathering
Practical information
- Location: the study day will once again take place at Conference Centre TPC (Groenenborgerlaan 149, 2020 Antwerp), close to Middelheimmuseum, with workshops taking place at Middelheimmuseum.
- Languages: mostly in Dutch, partly in English. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided so that all speakers can be followed easily.
- Tip: don’t forget your notebook and pen, for taking notes, making sketches, etc.
- Accessibility: the venue is wheelchair accessible, you are welcome to be accompanied by an interpreter, and meals are vegetarian.
- Specific questions about accessibility? please indicate any accessibility requirements on the register form.
- Dress properly: as the workshops take place outdoors, please dress appropriately for the weather and keep an eye on the forecast.
- Contribution: € 60 per person, to be transferred to the following bank account:: BE42 4097 5857 0154 – KREDBEBB (AG culturele Instellingen Antwerpen – Erfgoed, Grote Markt 1, 2000 Antwerpen), with payment reference: Studiedag 2/10 - Middelheimmuseum.
- Free of charge for speakers, students and participants from partner organisations of the Learning Network.
Programme
9:00 am — Welcome & registration
Location: Conference Centre Theologisch en Pastoraal Centrum
Groenenborgerlaan 149, 2020 Antwerpen
9:30 am — Welcome
By Sara Weyns(Middelheim Museum)
9:40 am — The Art of Sensory Connection
By Jolien Posthumus - KwartierMaker Kunst en Mentale Gezondheid (moderator)
Jolien Posthumus is a KwartierMaker working at the intersection of art, culture, wellbeing and mental health. In this connecting role, she introduces the central theme of the day and, as moderator, brings together the different talks, perspectives and conversations.
10:00 am — 'Ik luister' – The Storytelling Power of Sound
By Adriaan Severins (sound artist) & Philippe Minguet (formerly ZAS/UKJA)
Adriaan and Philippe reflect on the participatory sound artwork Ik luister, co-created with children and young people from the child and adolescent psychiatry department of UKJA (ZAS). The work emerged from the new connection between the museum park and the hospital. Afterwards: Q&A.
10:45 am — Beyond the Visual – Sculpture and Embodied Perception
By Ken Wilder (University of the Arts London) & Aaron McPeake (Chelsea College of Arts)
Deze lezing wordt in het Engels gegeven. Simultaanvertaling is voorzien.
How do we experience sculpture when sight is no longer the primary point of departure? Drawing on the international research project Beyond the Visual (Henry Moore Institute, University of the Arts London and Shape Arts), Ken Wilder and Aaron McPeake demonstrate how touch, sound, movement and spatial awareness offer equally valuable ways of engaging with art.The project builds on the expertise of blind and partially blind artists, researchers and curators, demonstrating how a multisensory approach enriches artistic experiences for everyone while fostering deeper connections to the art. Afterwards: Q&A.
11:30 am — Sensory Care – The Body Experiences
By Tibo Vergote & Noura Mariën (artists, Collective Sensory Care)
How do you experience an art park when looking is no longer central, and when we engage with it more consciously through our whole body? Together with blind and partially sighted people from De Markgrave, Collective Sensory Care explored how touch, sound, smell, temperature, movement and bodily awareness can open up new ways of experiencing an art park. Their artistic-pedagogical research also inspires a different perspective on caring for both art and people. Afterwards: Q&A.
12:15 pm — Lunch
In the Braem Pavilion, enjoy a lunch inspired by the flavours of Middelheim Museum, while Adriaan Severins and pianist Guy Vandromme create a live soundscape that plays with your experience of time.
1:30 pm — Relatability – From Experience to Connection
By Thijs Biersteker (WOVEN)
How can art deepen our relationship with trees? Artist Thijs Biersteker, who collaborates with scientists and institutions around the world, translates scientific data into interactive artworks that make invisible ecological processes tangible. He presents the artistic research that grew out of the learning network of Middelheimmuseum, the University of Antwerp and ZAS. At its heart is the question of how sensory experiences of art can strengthen the connection between visitors and the living trees in the park, and what role this can play in our mental health.
Followed by a conversation
With Roeland Samson, Inge Glazemakers (University of Antwerp) and Veerle Meul (Middelheim Museum).
2:30 pm — Inspiring Projects
In a series of short presentations introduced by Grietje D’Hollander (Middelheim Museum), discover current practical examples.
- Bert Boeckx introduces Kunsthuis Yellow Art, Jolien Posthumus engages in a conversation with artists Luc Zwijsen and Bart Janssen.
- Yasmine Boulakhrif (Middelheim Museum) – Door welke lens kijk jij? An interactive walk around emotions, inspired by the BYPASS co-creation process.
- Karen Van Riel (Recht-Op) – Wat maakt ons mens? A behind-the-scenes look at the participatory project by Recht-Op and Middelheim Museum.
- Noa De Schepper (UAntwerpen) BUGS@School: Children Discover the Hidden World of Microbes in Urban Parks.
3:30 pm — Experience It Yourself
Experience for yourself how sensory approaches can make a difference. All workshops start at the Braempavilion. Choose from:
- Yasmine Boulakhrif: Door welke lens kijk jij? (family walk)
- Bart Hendrickx en Leen Thielemans: Mindful Walking (guided tour)
- Daniel Tsuff: Art & Nature Based Learning (workshop)
- Tibo Vergote & Noura Mariën: Zintuiglijk Zorgen (workshop)
- Hanne Van Gils & Grietje D’Hollander: Close-up in the Monster Chetwynd exhibition & walk to the Salamander Portal, with an introduction to the BYPASS co-creation process
4:30 pm — Gathering
We close the day with a drink at the Braem Pavilion. A moment to exchange experiences, make new connections and continue the conversations of the day.