Artists are bringing the art world to Antwerp Pride with a new collective project
For the upcoming edition of Antwerp Pride, visual artists Carla Arocha and Clara Lissens are collaborating with other artists on an ambitious artistic initiative that aims to bridge the gap between Pride and Antwerp’s contemporary art scene. The central focus is on creating a float for the parade, but the project deliberately extends beyond that single moment.
The idea came to Carla Arocha after her experience at Pride last year. Although she is an avid Pride attendee, she noticed that the arts sector has little visibility at Pride festivities. She wanted to change that. Together with a group of artists and organizers—including Luc Tuymans, Stéphane Schraenen, Vanessa Van Obberghen, Jesse Siegel, Tom Sanders, Lieven Segers, and Philip Huyghe—an initial concept was developed.
A car as a starting point
The plan centers on a single key artwork: a float designed by Clara Lissens that will take part in the Antwerp Pride Parade. Clara is one of the most fascinating interdisciplinary artists in Antwerp today. For the parade float, she is creating an inflatable, sound-producing sculpture that she describes as an “abstract self-portrait.” Bigger, louder, and more alienating. The work aligns with her broader practice, in which she combines music, sculpture, and performance to explore questions of identity and abstraction. “By removing elements and abstracting them, you get closer to what remains,” Lissens explains. Her inflatables function as performative objects in which participation and collectivity also play a role.
More Than Just a Parade
However, the organizers want to go beyond simply participating in the parade. The project is conceived as a broader artistic intervention during Pride Week, in which various art venues in and around Antwerp will be brought to life. Individual artists, both local and international, are also invited to exhibit their work or set up temporary projects. The goal is to create a network of venues that are accessible during Pride, at a time when the art world is traditionally quiet. According to the organizers, this timing is precisely an opportunity: “There are few exhibitions in August, so why not fill that void with new voices and initiatives?”
Statement
Both Arocha and Lissens emphasize that the fight for LGBTQIA+ rights is far from over. “Nothing has changed yet,” says Arocha. “We have marriage, we’ve made progress, but I’m still surprised that we still have to fight the same battles. It’s often two steps forward and one step back. Last year, I was in the neighborhood where Voorpost was protesting, and it was a terrible scene.” Lissens adds that even today, fear and polarization are palpable within the community, partly due to geopolitical tensions and social media. At the same time, they see hope in the community’s resilience and in initiatives like this one. “It’s important to make space, to show support, and to create platforms,” says Arocha. “At the end of the day, we’re all human beings.”
Work in progress
The project is currently still in its growth phase. New partners and locations are being actively sought, and the practical details of the float are in full swing. The organization emphasizes that the initiative deliberately originates from the artists themselves, rather than from large institutions. Whether this will mark the beginning of a new tradition within Antwerp Pride remains to be seen. But the ambition is clear: to give the art world a visible and meaningful place within Pride, thereby creating new connections between artistic practices and queer engagement.
Participants: AAIMACHINE, Annie Gentils Gallery, BURO_ASAP, C A S ST L, Club Zee, Keteleer Gallery, Kunsthal Extra City, Pizza Gallery, Melis&Piron, Studio Palermo, TICK TACK, and more to come. Individual artists: Clara Lissens, Tom Sanders, and Philip Huyghe.