Now in its fifth year, NATIONA(A)L has drawn inspiration from the world of retail to launch the NATIONA(A)L ARTIST SUPERMARKET: a multidisciplinary supermarket giving local artists, creatives and cultural initiatives access to the tools of globalisation.
The NATIONA(A)L ARTIST SUPERMARKET will be held from 28 November to 15 December 2019 at the Vandenborght building and will feature:
- A creators’ market, like a kind of concept store, where visitors can buy gifts of all shapes and sizes in the run-up to Christmas.
- An exclusive sample of local artists, designers, artisans, creatives and cultural initiatives selected by a panel of ambassadors who are all experts in their respective fields.
- The very best of home-grown Belgian creativity in the fields of visual arts, design, fashion, publishing, music, cinema, performance, food and digital arts.
- Ethical works and products that local, sustainable and/or fair-trade distribution networks to question mindsets and help change consumer habits
- An exhibition space for contemporary Belgian creations, which will be open for 3 weeks and have free entry.
- A multi-purpose venue that will stage intimate concerts, signing sessions, performances and even culinary events.
- A space where the public can interact with the Belgian cultural and creative sector.
- An unprecedented cultural experience offering a behind-the-scenes look at Belgian creative initiatives of all sizes.
Buoyed by its previous success, this year’s NATIONA(A)L is an innovative event designed to satisfy the appetite of curious customers and inspire the Belgian cultural microcosm. So make sure you get down to this visionary, quirky event to discover and support the initiatives and artists that make the Belgian creative scene what it is today. Who knows, you might just spot the stars of tomorrow.
THE NATIONA(A)L ARTIST SUPERMARKET: EVERYTHING UNDER ONE ROOF
The NATIONA(A)L ARTIST SUPERMARKET is a multifaceted event that rewrites the rules. From activities to try, to creations to buy, tasty treats to sample and cultural products to choose online, our supermarket has it all. NATIONA(A)L has embraced every kind of modern consumer trend, from “right-here-right-now” to “maybe tomorrow”, from eating in to taking out, and from buying online to shopping in person, all with the aim of supporting the Belgian creative sector.
The event blurs the boundaries between a traditional exhibition, a concept store and an art fair. The result is a multidisciplinary artistic supermarket that reinvents how we consume culture. Exhibition walls rub shoulders with store furniture so that visitors can not only admire our designers’ creations, but also purchase them as if they were in a normal shop. There will be sales assistants and store managers on hand – some real and some played by actors and poets – to shake things up and guide visitors in the cultural purchases and the experiences they choose. Will you go window shopping, discover the world of a particular local artist, or be captivated by a living artwork? It might well be all three at once!
A panel of first-rate ambassadors
To guarantee the highest standard of works and artists, NATIONA(A)L has used an intelligent selection system and a group of internationally renowned Belgian experts. Between them, they represent all of the different creative disciplines showcased at the event and together form the selection committee for this year’s NATIONA(A)L ARTIST SUPERMARKET. This year, the NATIONA(A)L ARTIST SUPERMARKET is proud to count Lionel Jadot (architect & designer / Z.A.V.E.N.T.E.M Ateliers), Elisabeth Clauss (fashion journalist), Stéphanie Pécourt (digital arts curator and director of the Centre Wallonie-Bruxelles in Paris), Laurent Hoebrechts (music journalist for Focus / Vif), Caroline Lamarche (author), Frédéric Cornet (Director of Galeries Cinema), Liv Vaisberg (founder of Collectible and Poppositions) & Boris Devis (founder of Everyday Gallery & Goldwoodbyboris.com) among its ambassadors.
More info on the website of the NATIONA(A)L ARTIST SUPERMARKET.
