Showcase Emerging Sound 2026
Musica, STUK, Q-O2 & C-TAKT
Musica, STUK, Q-O2 and C-TAKT present an annual showcase of new sound art in Belgium. Following an open call, four promising sound artists were selected: Aminata Soumaré, Hannah Lyssens, Élie Bolard and George Dhauw. Each artist received a residency and artistic support and will present their work during Showcase Emerging Sound 2026 at STUK.
This edition features two installations and two performances.
Les Siffleuses (French for ‘the whistlers’) is a sound sculpture by French artist Élie Bolard, who is based in Belgium. As is often the case in his work, Bolard combines a clumsy DIY approach with ingenious technology. Beer bottles take centre stage in this sound sculpture. When the wind blows into them, they produce their characteristic, hollow whistling sound. Using a hydraulic system, Bolard can fill the bottles with water or drain them, allowing him to vary their pitch: full bottles sound higher, empty ones lower. Each bottle has its own voice, reminiscent of a bird call. Together, they create a dynamic musical interplay between seemingly living organisms.
In the adjacent space, George Dhauw presents his new installation Cracking, a fascinating combination of textile design and sound. Dhauw creates tactile sculptures using colourful fabrics and other richly textured materials. Sensors allow the sculptures to respond to the audience’s touch. By touching and exploring the work, visitors enter into an intimate relationship with it and discover a range of micro-sounds. The installation seems to breathe and resonate.
Alongside the installations, there are two live performances.
Aminata Soumaré presents Majesa, an audio collage for a spatial speaker setup. The work explores the representation of Black women in media and culture. Drawing on material from African American archives and Flemish media, Soumaré examines how persistent stereotypes continue to shape our collective imagination. Voices from interviews, speeches and media fragments overlap and collide in a spatial soundscape, where distance and proximity make tension and presence tangible. Majesa invites us to listen as a form of attention, care and resistance.
Hannah Lyssens moves between sound art, podcasting, research and participation. She approaches listening as an active practice centred on dialogue and reflection. In her performance Oefening voor het fonoceen Nr. 1, foley sound and live electronics come together in an imaginary sound environment. Using everyday objects and field recordings of human and non-human sounds, Lyssens explores how we can listen to a changing world.
programme
19:00-22:00 (ongoing): Installations (Ateliers)
Élie Bolard — Les Siffleuses
George Dhauw — Cracking
20:00: Performances (Labozaal)
Aminata Soumaré — Majesa
Hannah Lyssens — Oefening voor het fonoceen Nr. 1
21:00: Guided tour of the installations with Élie Bolard & George Dhauw (Ateliers)
21:30: Free reception at STUKcafé
practical
Thursday 26.11 – 19:00
STUK Labozaal & Ateliers
Tickets: €5
Flexible setting: standing, pillows or stools
previous editions
- Edition 2025: Cis De Gendt, Jacob Eckhardt, Melissa Ryke, Linus Bonduelle
- Edition 2024: Anouk Kellner, Kaat Vanhaverbeke, Pavel Tchikov, Lawrence McGuire & Amarante Net
- Edition 2023: Stijn Wybouw, Tom Malmendier & Emilie Skrijelj, Florence Cats, Diana Duta
- Edition 2022: Raphael Malfliet, Vica Pacheco, Marija Rasa Kudabaitė, Léa Roger
- Edition 2021: Anne van de Star, Charlie Usher, Dominik ‘t Jolle, Arzu Saglam, Beyt Al Tapes, Andres Garcia Navarro
- Edition 2019: Lore Stessel & Rubén Martinez Orio, Jonathan Frigeri, Oona Libens, Lukas De Clerck
