Transforming Global Tensions into Artistic Expression
At the Kunstenfestival des Arts (KFDA) in Brussels, artists from around the world came together over the weekend to transform global tensions and social fractures into deeply intimate performances. The festival has become a platform where the silenced find their voice, personal trauma is transformed into collective experience, and dystopian themes are confronted with striking artistic force. It is an event that should not be missed.
Silence as Confinement
One of the standout performances was Muette, a piece by French dancer and choreographer Boris Charmatz. In this solo performance, Charmatz appeared naked and without music, using lighting design to shape his body — at times reducing it to ash, at others softening it — which amplified a sense of vulnerability and pain. The silence on stage became a form of confinement, reflecting the emotional and psychological weight of the experience.
Charmatz revealed that one of his inspirations was the Bétharram scandal in France, where complaints of multiple sexual abuses over recent decades in the Catholic school institution Notre-Dame de Bétharram were filed in 2025. On stage, his face became performative, like that of a sad clown. His solitary movements, slow and deliberate, evoked the fragility of childhood and the lasting impact of trauma into adulthood.
Dystopia in a Parking Building
Religion also played a significant role in the works presented at KFDA. Italian director Romeo Castellucci staged his performance on the top floor of a Brussels parking building, beneath a roof that resembled a cathedral. His show, titled To Carthage Then I Came, references a phrase from the Confessions of Saint Augustine, before his conversion.
On a raised platform, six actors whipped their wet hair over long tubes, the sound echoing through the vast space for 35 minutes. The atmosphere was dystopian, with the performers appearing to surrender to a superior force — possibly a Christ-like presence, as bells rang in the final moments of the performance. This powerful imagery created a haunting and thought-provoking experience for the audience.
Pushing Theatre’s Boundaries
Among the artists who closed the three-week festival, Spanish director Angélica Liddell stood out for her bold approach. She premiered a work inspired by Japanese writer Yukio Mishima and his ritualised representation of suicide through seppuku. In El funeral de Mishima o el placer de morir, Liddell pushed the boundaries of theatre to provoke, delivering a hymn to the untamed side of life.
Her performance challenged the audience to confront difficult themes, using dramatic and often unsettling imagery to explore the complexities of human existence.
Exploring Family and Cultural Norms
The final week of the festival also featured Family Triangle, a work by Taiwanese directors Chien-Han Hung, Wei-Yao Hung, and Ray Tseng. This performance explored the desire to have a child through sperm donation, examining how the act of building a family is shaped and constrained by cultural traditions, gender norms, and legal frameworks.
The programme described the festival’s last show as: “The strongest bonds are not those of blood, but those—overlooked by the law—of commitment and care.” This message resonated deeply, highlighting the emotional and ethical dimensions of family formation.
Conclusion
As the Kunstenfestival des Arts comes to a close in Brussels on Saturday, 30 May, it leaves behind a legacy of powerful artistic expression. Through dance, theatre, and performance art, the festival has provided a space for reflection, dialogue, and transformation. Each performance offered a unique perspective on the challenges and complexities of contemporary life, making the festival a must-see event for anyone interested in the intersection of art and society.
