L’imprimerie, a new temporary occupation dedicated to artistic creation

Pali pali, accelerator of cultural, social and solidarity projects will organize the temporary occupation of the L’imprimerie – former printing press of the National Bank of Belgium until its redevelopment by its new owners, the Ghent and Brussels real estate developers, 3D-Real Estate and Burco Europe.

Pali pali creates, manages and energizes meeting and experimentation places, made from an innovative and sustainable society: incubators, third places, temporary occupations. After See U and the Grand Hospice, this is the third large-scale project entrusted to the team, which will carry out an original concept there. On the program will be an “artistic third place” offering a variety of workshops and events around the theme of creation.

A study (Workshop Plan / Level Five / Permanent) shows that half of professional artists cannot make a living from their profession, while the majority of them devote more than 30 hours a week to it. Accumulating odd jobs is part of the life of an artist, often out of financial necessity. Artists with a studio spend at least half of their income on housing and workspace. The 20,000 square meters of this former printing house will offer a new temporary cultural space in Brussels.

L’imprimerie will open its doors in May 2022, and will be the place of residence for the next Brussels Gallery Weekend, which will celebrate its 15th anniversary there from September 8 to 11, 2022.

The event kicks off the season with a dynamic program of exhibitions, discussions and visits to the main contemporary art galleries and institutional art venues in the city. It affirms a strong commitment to the Belgian artistic scene by highlighting the dynamism of a sector, its know-how and its talents which shine well beyond our borders.

Edouard Meier, manager of pali pali said that after See U and the Grand Hospice, they are very happy with the trust placed in them by Burco and 3D Real Estate by allowing them to promote a remarkable heritage of the city of Brussels.

Peter Verlinden, CEO of 3D-Real Estate and Thibaut Dumortier, Managing Director of Burco Europe emphasised that the provision of this building for the benefit of artists and young entrepreneurial projects in Brussels is part of their vision of sustainable development of projects, which must fit into their environment from the very start of the process. The use of these spaces as part of a resolutely societal project contributes to this vision and will help to anchor their project in its rapidly changing neighbourhood.