MIET WARLOP’S “ROCK ‘N’ ROLL” SPIRIT WILL REPRESENT BELGIUM AT THE 61ST VENICE BIENNALE
The artist will present a performative work that addresses the chaotic state of the world and the need for human connection in the face of today’s turbulent context.
The Flemish Community of Belgium announced IT NEVER SSST by artist Miet Warlop, curated by Caroline Dumalin, as the project selected to represent Belgium at the 61st Venice Biennale. By selecting her, the entity seeks to showcase the artist’s 20-year career, while also recognizing Belgium’s strong tradition of performance and interdisciplinarity. This presentation marks the first time that performance art will take centre stage in the Belgian pavilion.
Warlop’s work explores the urgency of human connection in an increasingly disorienting world, transforming the Belgian Pavilion into a space of energy, tension, and shared emotional experience. The performers will regularly activate the installation through physical and sculptural rituals. The title refers to the turbulent time in which they keep moving forward, doing anything to avoid a standstill.
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Miet Warlop. ONE SONG, Histoire(s) du Théâtre IV, 2022. © Michiel Devijver
Following an open call issued by the Flemish Minister of Culture Caroline Gennez, the selection was made by an independent jury of arts experts convened by the Flemish Community. The jury consisted of Heidi Ballet, Bert De Leenheer, Zoë Gray, Laura Hanssens, Ivo Provoost, Stéphane Symons, Pieternel Vermoortel, and Bert Schreurs (chairman).
The jury report read: “Miet Warlop is one of the most interesting artists working today. Her exciting work has earned her a meaningful place in the landscape of contemporary art. Her proposal brings together several storylines (the competitive drive in our frenzied society, language, rituals, the bending of rules, ...) in an exciting dramaturgy. The rock ‘n’ roll spirit of this high-octane performance captures the chaotic state of the world in a real and visceral way.”
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Miet Warlop, © Bea Borgers (belga news agency)
Following Venice, the exhibition-performance will travel to the newly opened Kanal-Centre Pompidou.
Kasia Redzisz, Artistic Director of Kanal-Centre Pompidou said: “I am immensely proud that Kanal is supporting Miet Warlop and the Belgian Pavilion for the 2026 Venice Biennale. Her proposal embodies the experimental spirit and bold thinking that is essential to today’s contemporary art. We cannot wait to see the impact of the work at the Biennale and look forward to hosting the project in Brussels in 2027.”
Miet Warlop is a performance artist whose work involves an unruly blend of disciplines, from the visual arts to the world of theatre. Through animated sculptures, tableaux vivants, and performative actions, she creates plastic experimentations with a distinctly scenographic approach. Recent acclaimed productions include ONE SONG (Avignon Festival, 2022), which confronted themes of mourning and resilience through the rhythm and discipline of sport and Chant for Hope, a collective choreography channelling the power of language which premiered at the Dhaka Art Summit in 2023. In 2025, her new performance INHALE DELIRIUM EXHALE premiered at the Kunstenfestivaldesarts.
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