Ludo, Bram, Vera, Zulma en Neeltje: 'family members' as helping hands for loneliness

By working in a visual way, artist Mieke Winters explores the theme of loneliness together with the participants from Muna's art workshop. In the project she focuses on what family means or can be. At the moment they work together online every Thursday, because of Corona. She started a Tour Des Artistes during the first lockdown, Mieke visited the participants at home to talk to them about how their work is developing, about their needs and concerns. Mieke: 'Last weekend we walked in LABIOMISTA (Genk) to get together and get inspired. And we will watch films together.'

Mieke joins the other laureates via the Arts in Society Award (AISA) laureate meetings. Mieke: 'Nice to see that AISA - artists think about what family also means to them. Groups also become family for each other. Artists copy, but above all they own their artistic work and explore new ideas, inspired by each other.'

What is the next step? In February 2021 they will meet for a week @FLACC (Genk) to work on the 'family members-works', where they will also move into the digital studios. Afterwards, they plan the exhibition, physically, online, or via a catalogue, ... This trajectory ensures a constant interaction between Mieke and the artists of Muna/ Het Steiger vzw. She incorporates everything that happens into her own work. The equal collaboration is beautiful to see, and the basic condition of this project.

For this project Mieke works together with Muna/ Het Steiger vzw and Luca School of Arts. Her work is part of the participation project: Proef en kom af ? of the Vlaamse overheid.

‘We are not allowed to colour outside the lines due to Corona, but that gives us the opportunity to use much more colour inside the lines.' Ilse Maes, Muna/ Het Steiger vzw.