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Made of Walking – Prosperpolder 2026
10–18 September 2026 | Beveren, Belgium
International Residency & Co-Creation Lab on Walking Arts, Landscape and Local CommunitiesPart of the Creative Europe Cooperation Project Walking Arts and Local Communities (WALC)
Participating Residency Artists
Ienke Kastelein (the Netherlands), Alba Sauleda (Spain), Katerina Drakopoulou (Greece), Fred Adam (France|Spain), Marc Dhaenens (Belgium).
Contributing Artists, Researchers & Partners
Natacha Antão (PT), Annemarie Lopez (UK), Clara Gari (ES), Mary Marinopoulou (GR), Nick Verouden (NL), Maaike van Cruchten (NL), Simona Vermeire (RO), Christos Ioannidis (GR), Pieter-Jan Meire, Peter Deckers (B), Rien Van Meensel (B), Isolde Vandemoortele (B), Gigacircus (FR), together with the European WALC partners.
Locations
Erfgoedhuis Hof ter Welle • Prosperpolder • Doel • De Doolen • De Maalderij • Fort Liefkenshoek • Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe • Melsele/Zwijndrecht • De Bron & De Stroom
Over nine days, international artists, researchers, local organisations and residents come together to explore landscape, heritage, ecology, storytelling and participation through artistic research and collective creation. The programme combines artist residencies, co-creation laboratories, performances, guided walks, lectures, workshops, installations and public encounters throughout the border landscapes of Prosperpolder, Doel, the Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe and the Scheldt estuary.
Thursday 10 September
Arrival Day
- Arrival of artists and WALC partners
- Welcome at Erfgoedhuis Hof ter Welle
- Introduction to the residency
- Informal gathering
Friday 11 September
Residency
12:30 > Artists' Lunch (De Griel)
Public Programme
19:00 > Is Walking Art?
Opening Evening & Film Screening Erfgoedhuis Hof ter Welle
Opening of the Made of Walking Residency & Lab.
Screening of Christos Ioannidis' documentary Is Walking Art?, followed by a conversation with the residency artists and local community.
Saturday 12 September
Residency
10:00 > Internal coordination meeting| Open Lab and programme planning
Public Programme
16:00> NYMPH / LYMPH: The Lymphatic Intelligence of the Polder : Hybrid Lecture & Multimedia Performance : Simona Vermeire & Fred Adam. Exploring wetlands as living ecosystems through artistic research, ecology and walking.
Sunday 13 September
Public Programme
09:30 > Gathering Café Saeftinghe
10:30 > Guided Walk Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe - Local guide
12:30 > Optional Lunch Café Saeftinghe
14:00 > Stories from the Marsh - Storytelling performance: Rien Van Meensel
20:00 > Microcosmos Walk - Walkshop : Fred Adam - Prosperpolder
Monday 14 September
Residency
Open Lab
Public Programme
16:30 > Border Landscapes in Transition, Lecture : Pieter-Jan Meire
17:30 > Guided Heritage Tour : Peter Deckers - De Maalderij
18:30 > Community Soup Dinner
19:00 > The Mobile Wetland, Immersive audiovisual experience : Fred Adam
19:30 > The Landscape as Performance, Performative Walk : Ienke Kastelein
Tuesday 15 September
Residency
Artists' Open Lab
Public Programme
10:00 > Common Ground: Embroidering the Map of Beveren - Participatory Walkshop : Natacha Antão
11:00 > Storylarking - Creative Walking Workshop : Annemarie Lopez
13:30 > Walking with Le moindre geste: Presentation & Conversation : Clara Gari & Eva Marichalar Freixa
17:00 > Visit to De Doolen Community Garden & Food Forest
18:00 > Lecture on Nature, Environment & Sustainability : Isolde Vandemoortele
19:00 > Community Pancake Gathering
19:30 > 22 Stops - Participatory Walking Performance : Katerina Drakopoulou - Doel
Wednesday 16 September
Residency
Artists' Open Lab
Public Programme
10:00 > Data Walking, Workshop : Nick Verouden & Maaike van Cruchten
13:30 > A Quiet Game Around an Art and Health Project, Interactive Session : Clara Gari
18:00 > To Walk Your Life, Guided Art Walk : Marc Dhaenens - Fort Liefkenshoek
19:30 > Optional Dinner -Fort Liefkenshoek
22:00 > Night Walk, Participatory Walk : Simone Etter, Melsele / Zwijndrecht
Thursday 17 September
Residency
Artists' Open Lab
Public Programme
10:00 > Absorb Ensemble, Walkshop : Mary Marinopoulou
14:00 > Walking with Io, Participatory Walk : Alba Sauleda with participants from Day Centres De Bron & De Stroom
17:00 > A Participatory Walk in Disappearance, Performative Walk : Mary Marinopoulou
18:00 > Residency Presentations : Presentation of the artistic works and research developed during the residency.
18:00 > WALC Network Exchange, Presentations by the European WALC partners on future collaborations towards 2027.
Participating partners:
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Belgium : The Milena Principle / Locative Media Supercluster / walk · listen · create
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Spain : Nau Côclea
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Portugal : Lab2.Walk.PT & The Walking Body
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Greece : Action Synergy
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Greece : Visual March to Prespa / UOWM
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France : Gigacircus
19:00 > Migrating Voices, Closing participatory multimedia performance : Gigacircus (France)
20:00 > Closing Reception - Meulenberg
Friday 18 September
Departure of artists and participants.
Full programme available on
https://walklistencreate.org/conference/made-of-walking/
PDF with full programme
An initiative of the Milena principle (Annemie Mestdagh, Stefaan van Biesen, and Geert Vermeire). Advanced discussions are currently underway to organize a new international edition of Made of Walking in 2026 in Prosperpolder, Beveren, in collaboration with the Municipality of Beveren–Kruibeke–Zwijndrecht and the WALC network.
With thanks to Hilde Reyniers (Cultural Policy Coordinator) and colleagues Ines De Smet (Tourism) and others. This will be linked to further exhibitions and projects. The unique landscape of Beveren—with its extensive marshlands, agricultural zones, the Groot Saeftinghe Cross-Border Park, the abandoned village of Doel, and the proximity of port and industrial infrastructure—forms a powerful context in which to explore tensions between nature, urbanization, and community.
the abandoned village of Doel Beveren
Made of Walking is a long-term initiative of the Milena Principle, an organization operating under the umbrella of the Van Biesen–Mestdagh Private Foundation (since 2005) and based in Melsele, Beveren. Since 2016, it has brought together artists, thinkers, and communities around walking as an artistic and interdisciplinary practice.
The initiative has collaborated with art academies and universities, including the Académie des Beaux-Arts de Bruxelles, RITCS, KASK, the Academy of Fine Arts Sarajevo, and the Universities of Edinburgh, Lisbon, Minho, Girona, Athens, São Paulo, and Maine, as well as Parsons School of Design (New York), the Brooklyn Museum, the Boston Society of Architects, and the National Museum of Brasília. It is also a partner in the European Creative Europe project WALC – Walking Arts and Local Communities, together with 10 partner organizations.
Made of Walking brings together international artists in vulnerable landscapes to foster dialogue with local communities through walking and to develop environmentally sensitive artistic interventions and performances. Since its inception, more than 1,000 artists have participated in the initiative across various countries.
Originating in Melsele, the initiative evolved from local exhibitions and activities (including Hof ter Saksen, Cortewalle, Meulenberg, and Hof ter Welle) into a strong national and international network, with presentations at institutions such as S.M.A.K. and major walking-art gatherings and festivals in Greece, Cyprus, France, Portugal, and Spain.
In 2026–2027, the initiative will come to Beveren–Prosperpolder with a week of artist residencies developed in dialogue with local residents and organizations in Beveren; a working visit by the 10 European partners (in September 2026); a symposium and exhibition exploring walking as a methodology; contributions by higher education students; and a four-day public event in Prosperpolder featuring international artists and researchers (in May 2027). The programme will be accompanied by a publication and a video documentary.
Prosperpolder village community Beveren.
Prosperpolder is an international polder and a hamlet of approximately 200 inhabitants divided between the borough of Kieldrecht in the Belgian East Flemish municipality of Beveren-Kruibeke-Zwijndrecht and the hamlet of Prosperdorp in the Dutch Zeelandic Flemish municipality of Hulst. The polder dates back to 1846. The hamlet is also known as Prosperdorp or Prosper. It is located in the north of the borough of Kieldrecht, close to the Dutch border. Since 2013, there have been plans to convert a large part of the Belgian section of the polder at Prosperhaven into a nature reserve.
Beveren’s unique landscape—marked by a large wetland and agricultural areas , and its proximity to industrial zones (port infrastructure and nuclear plants)—offers a powerful context for exploring the tension between nature, urbanization, and community. This duality aligns closely with the thematic focus of the Milena principle on plant life, place memory, and ecological art.
Prosperpolder is located in the northern part of Beveren, near the Dutch border and the city of Antwerp. This historically reclaimed polder landscape is known for its flat, open vistas and agricultural use. It forms part of the Grenspark Groot Saeftinghe, a cross-border nature reserve and wetland area shaped by the River Scheldt.With the support of the Municipality of Beveren, the Belgian activities in the framework of WALC will primarily take place in this natural reserve. The initiative will engage the local community and several cultural institutions that contribute to the cultural life of Beveren.
Food Forest Doel Beveren 2026.
Read article Walk Listen Create > >
WALC Exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art Thessaloniki (2027)
In 2027, the Museum of Contemporary Art Thessaloniki will present a major overview exhibition offering insight into all European WALC projects.
Together with all European partners, work is underway on a special publication documenting the growth process and the projects realized. This catalogue is being designed by Miguel Bandeira Duarte and Natacha Antão Moutinho (University of Minho – School of Arts), Anna Maria Mestdagh, and Stefaan van Biesen of the Van Biesen–Mestdagh Foundation.
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Prospection Made Of Walking Prosperpolder Beveren Belgium.
Prospecting Made Of Walking (2025, 2026, 2027... an international study project on social and artistic themes) in Prosperpolder Beveren with Ines De Smet (Tourism Department Beveren), Hilde Reyniers (Culture Department Beveren), Anna Luyten (philosopher), Annemie Mestdagh and Stefaan van Biesen (Private Foundation Van Biesen-Mestdagh & the Milena principle).
Prosperpolder is an international polder and a hamlet of approximately 200 inhabitants divided between the borough of Kieldrecht in the Belgian East Flemish municipality of Beveren-Kruibeke-Zwijndrecht and the hamlet of Prosperdorp in the Dutch Zeelandic Flemish municipality of Hulst. The polder dates back to 1846. The hamlet is also known as Prosperdorp or Prosper. It is located in the north of the borough of Kieldrecht, close to the Dutch border. Since 2013, there have been plans to convert a large part of the Belgian section of the polder at Prosperhaven into a nature reserve.
Anna Luyten. Master of Arts in Philosophy, Advanced Master in Applied Science of Literature, in Drama and Theater, and in Cultural Anthropology. Multifaceted creative professional, writer, performer, dramaturg, and radio/television maker. Teaches at the Maastricht Institute of Performative Arts in Holland,, the School of Arts at University Ghent in Belgium, and the University of the Arts London. Co-founded the research group 'Wandering as a discipline' at the School of Arts Ghent. Her role in WALC goes throughout all work packages as one of the project managers, curatorial support researcher, writer and trainer.
Lecture Made Of Walking 01.02.2025.
About the history and future plans of Made of Walking.
This project is also a pilot project in preparation for a forthcoming Made Of Walking project in Prosperpolder Beveren in 2026. Lecture/talk on the origins and future of Made of Walking.
Artists Stefaan van Biesen, Geert Vermeire and Fred Adam connect people with each other and with nature, and do not shy away from new technology to do so. Their work is not just to look at; it is meant to be part of, with attention to physical movement and solidarity. By activating senses, they create deeper connections with the living environment. Stefaan creates walking art and art combining nature and science, Fred works with digital art and technology, and Geert is a poet and sound/performance artist. Together they use art to find answers to both social and ecological problems.
The Art Of Connecton | Hof Ter Welle Beveren Belgium 25.01 > 02.02.2025.
A project with Fred Adam with Geert Vermeire & Stefaan van Biesen. Location: chapel and congregation room. International artist project about connection in a more humane world - with educational section for school children from 10 years old.
January 2025: their collaborative project No One Forgotten - The Art of Connection to Beveren. This project is about how artists from different countries can collaborate with local communities to heal landscapes using walking art, artist residencies and digital art. No One Forgotten builds on Stefaan and Geert's previous projects, Made of Walking and the Milena Principle, which connected artists from across Europe.
The core of their work is hospitality and collectivity. Their art emphasizes connections in a more-than-human world. The exhibition and group activities offer young people and adults the chance to experience new forms of art that merge technology, performance and nature.
Fred Adam working on his installation at the chapel of Hof ter Welle Beveren 2025.
The Walking Body (TWB) is an international meeting of walking artists. The 2025 meeting is dedicated to ‘communities of change’, communities that are plural, on the move, and sensitive to issues of the social and natural ecology of the environment in which we live.
Photo by Rosario Forjaz
Tell me your name is a performative walk and act, in which you will give a name to plants that grow in the wild (on the street between tiles, along walls or along the road), according to your own poetic approach. You do not take into account their scientific name that has already been assigned to them before. The idea is to approach them intuitively and give them a name that identifies or defines their character or beauty. Or what this plant means to you in relation to yourself or to other participants.
'Weed' is something that only lives in our heads, only plants that we do not cultivate in our garden or parks, we call 'weed'. This is an exercise to define yourself as human being in our society by using these plants as a metaphor by associating you with them and determining their place in the natural world in relation to our society.
TWB explores local communities as dynamic entities in constant transformation, connecting people, territories and ecologies through movement, the art of walking and the relationship between the city and the landscape of Guimarães TWB will take place from 26th of March to 12th of April in Guimarães, in Bairro C, with the meeting point at the Garagem Avenida Gallery/School of Architecture, Art and Design.
TWB includes a week of walkshops, a round table with the invited artists and an exhibition (26 March to 17 April). This event is free of charge. Anyone interested in art and the act of walking can take part in these actions.
The walkshops take place throughout the week from 7th to 12th of April, on walks around the area with a focus on Bairro C, and the meeting point will be the Avenida EAAD Garage Gallery (Av. Dom Afonso Henriques 250). TWB has 7 artists taking part in the workshops: Geert Vermeire (BE), Jordi Lafon (ES), Miguel B Duarte (PT), Montsita Rierola (ES), Natacha Antão (PT), Stefaan Van Biesen (BE) and Rosa Soares (PT).
