MINDBLOWERS 2020

This year Mindblowers will be inaugurated by Benjamin Dalle, Flemish Minister of Brussels, Youth and Media.

This, our fourth, edition, with beauty as its theme, will be even more surprising than previous editions. Not least because of the strange times we find ourselves in … What is beauty? What do we find beautiful, and how can beauty influence and improve our lives? Thierry Boutemy’s Garden of Eden and Jean Paul van Bendegem’s exploration of Pythagoras’ theorem on the piano are but two of the highlights in this not-to-be-missed event.

Not only will everything be taking place on the outdoor square behind KVS, but this year’s academics and artists will more than ever test the edges of their practice and challenge you, the audience. Tasting, smelling, hearing, seeing – all your senses will be stimulated.

Speakers / artists 

• Professor and Expert in drugs and pharmacology Ilse Smolders transports you to the world of the ethical brain, beauty, pleasure and art.
• Professor of social sciences Free De Backer and artist-researcher Peter de Cupere discuss the idea and meaning of beauty.
• Graphic and poster designer Amira Daoudi talks about what beauty means for her, and how it defines her life.
• Philosopher and professor Laurent de Sutter and artist Koen Vanmechelen discuss the political, the strange, and (post-)corona society.
• Dancer and choreographer Yassin Mrabtifi investigates the beauty of the dancing body versus the city.
• Professor Jean Paul Van Bendegem (no less!) unravels the secrets of Pythagoras’ theorem… on the piano. 
• Belgium’s national slam champion Lisette Ma Neza turns dense topics into poetry, raising awareness and proposing solutions.

To mark the occasion, the square will be decorated by Brussels- and world-renowned floral artist Thierry Boutemy. He will create a week-long installation of trees and flowers especially for the occasion. Brussels-based pâtissier Jean-Charles Zaquine (Maison Zack) provides specially-commissioned treats to give audiences moments of pure beauty through taste.