Come Closer Festival Merges Sculpture and Performance in Antwerp

The Come Closer festival, running until September 29, 2024, bridges sculpture and performance across two contrasting Antwerp venues: the romantic Middelheim sculpture park and the brutalist De Singel cultural center. Curated by a team of 25 artists, the event challenges traditional boundaries between artwork, action, and perception. Key works include Roger Hiorns' performance with a military helicopter engine and a nude performer, Joan Jonas' Mirror Room III Outdoor (1968, reimagined in 2024), and Paul Kindersley's film "The Dreamers of the Forest." Isabelle Andriessen transforms metro vents into a horror-fantasy installation, while Temitayo Ogunbiyi creates interactive playgrounds and edible gardens at both sites. The festival also features performances by Florentina Holzinger ("Ophelia's got talent," June 21-23), talks by SUPERFLEX and Andrés Jaque's Office for Political Innovation, and workshops exploring themes of climate, gender, and war. Middelheim, founded in the early 20th century, houses over 400 permanent works by Rodin, Renoir, Bourdelle, Camille Henrot, Dan Graham, Antony Gormley, Tony Cragg, and Erwin Wurm.