Museumsnacht 2025: Space, Society, and Speculation: A Night of Artistic Futures

Notions of space, society, institutions and relational frameworks are all broad and complicated, yet important terms for interpreting and visualizing what our future can and should look like. Furthermore, a grounded understanding and visualization of such grand ideas can help inform what we can presently do to accomplish an idealized future. This is what both Bureau Europa and the Jan van Eyck Academie aim to tackle through artistic outlets and research on Museumnacht 2025. 

Bureau Europa (BE) is a platform for architecture and design, in the Northern half of Maastricht, next to Lumiere, that was founded in 2006. The venue carries out exhibitions, workshops, lectures, city walks and so much more. What is unique about the venue is the philosophical lens with which they approach and present their projects. In such projects they aim to address the notion of space in conjunction with society; meaning the broader context of what it means to live in a city or community and how architecture influences and reflects this and the general space in which we reside. For BE specifically they take into account their positionality in Maastricht–the armpit of the Netherlands; being engulfed by Germany and Belgium and how this alters the cultural and regional experiences when contrasted to a city bordered by one or no countries. This Museumnacht, such broader notions of space and localized perceptions will be presented in two juxtaposing activities; the Maastricht Architect Bake Off and a photography exhibition of Chris Keulen’s Silent Song collection. Not too much will be given away here about their specifics, so stick around to find out what exactly these two activities entail.

The Jan van Eyck Academie is a multiform Institute for artistic research in various fields, such as fine arts, design and art theory. It was founded in 1948 and is located in the city centre. The Academie focuses on and encourages individual artistic exploration and collaboration among its researchers, who study there for 11 months. Researchers at the Academie display their expressions and projects in various events, symposia and more. This year for Museumsnacht, the institute is presenting within the broad theme of situated institutions, relational practices and liminal studios – an ambitious and vague theme. Essentially, this theme aims to address the question: How do the arts function in the time frame of social, political and ecological crisis? The exhibitions, lectures and performances will address how the arts play a role in this theme. 

Jan van Eyck is presenting a very ambitious yet exciting schedule this year, as it encompasses two whole days rather than one evening. These three days are a jumble of creative learning and a little peek into what the Jan van Eyck Academie is all about – posing questions, alternatives and hands-on experiences for how we can resituate, reapproach and change what society perceives as normal. If you are ready to approach the evening with an open mind and consideration for how one can re-imagine our society as we know it through an artistic and sustainable lens, stay tuned for the unique yet alluring aspects. 

BUREAU EUROPA

Bake-Off:

Diving straight into the fun Bureau Europa has planned for the evening, in their main hall, for the first time ever they will be hosting “The Great Maastricht Bake-off”. However, this is not your typical bake-off that you see on Netflix or your local cooking channels, this takes on a specific perspective of imaginative architecture. The organizers were inspired by large and intensive architectural bake-offs that take place annually in London and New York. The idea is rooted in the reality of the architect profession. Architects, inspired by their surroundings and creative imagination, often come up with many design plans and schemas they dream of contributing to their communities. Sadly, however, the competitive nature of this field topples when their dream buildings don’t get the chance to be realized. Therefore, Bureau Europa invites all the Maastricht community members; architects, students, adults and young people alike to tap into their innovative side and come build the Maastricht building of their dreams. What does this mean exactly? It means you have the opportunity to craft how you would alter an existing building to be more aesthetically pleasing or practical, or opt to construct an entirely new building or house that you would love to see added in Maastricht. No need to stress about coming prepared with your own baking supplies, Bureau Europa will provide you with all the cookies and materials you need to bring your vision to life. While this is an all-inclusive activity and Bureau Europa encourages all to participate, don’t be fooled – this is a competition. After Museumsnacht has concluded, and you have crafted your idyllic cookie building/home, all the submissions will be collected and the culmination of a competition takes the form of a large showcase just a few days later. An Easter celebration! On April 17th in the same room where the competition is to take place on Museumsnacht, Bureau Europa will display submissions as a “Maastricht as crafted by the people.” You can see your dream/vision come true in a mini, cookie version of Maastricht. All contributions from the evening and your individual dreams are valued, however, one winner will be announced in this presentation, who will receive a mysterious and still-to-be-announced award for the most creative building. 

Now you may be wondering how this light-hearted activity relates to such heavy topics of space, positionality and society. One of the event organizers, Floor van Spaendonk, shared the deeper meaning they hope to convey and inspire through the bake-off. With all of the negative, violent and discouraging crises happening around the world, it is quite easy to ruminate on such feelings and harbour no optimistic prospects for the future of our global society. However, the bake-off hopes to plant the seed for how we can individually contribute to making a better place. In providing the time and resources to think about changes you would make to the physical infrastructure in our community, it seeks to inspire changes beyond this physical aspect. They ask us to consider our lives in a privileged, rich country - The Netherlands - what changes can we implement or help with in our Maastricht community or perhaps the communities you will become a part of after Maastricht and beyond. Instead of solely focusing on the violence and tragedy we see unfolding on our phones and on the news, it is also important to think beyond the present moment and positively brainstorm on how we can collectively build our future to be a better place. This could entail small actions such as; hosting alternative knowledge initiatives like free public lectures, reading groups, or community workshops that promote accessible learning and discussion on current events and future solutions. One could participate in or start local groups that push for policy changes on housing, environmental justice, or refugee support. Additionally, participating in or enacting social protests in the community regarding ongoing global issues is a classic example of mobilizing and uniting our community through shared beliefs fostering positive-forward thinking action. These are just some examples but the gist of the broader theme the bake-off seeks to exude is that by engaging in small yet meaningful acts of creativity and collaboration, we take the first step toward shaping a future that prioritizes inclusivity, sustainability, and collective well-being.

Chris Keulen Photographer:

The bake-off and its positive and forward-thinking nature staunchly contrasts with the contribution BE’s second exhibition/activity brings to the broader theme. 

Chris Keulen is a Dutch photographer who grew up only 75 kilometers away in Heerlen. While he has produced a wide range of projects, his most recent is entitled Silent Song which was released on April 5th and will be on display in Bureau Europa this Museumsnacht. For this project, Keulen was given a grant to travel around Europe and capture everyday people and spaces through his lens. They are simple, yet brilliant photographs, in that it could be just a room in a house in Former Yugoslavia, a multi-colored wall on the street or people standing on the street. However, each photograph conveys a myriad of emotions. By simply staring at the photo, to which minimal context is provided, a whole story of emotion is felt by the observer, primarily one of sadness. Keulen captured places which have a history of deep struggle through war, climate issues and political polarization. It is felt, or at least I felt, the spaces and people which he captures carry that history within them; even if one is not aware of the exact history in which the photo was captured, its subjects seemingly translate the, often grim existence texture of their experiences through the lens. A lovely example is a photograph of a woman standing on a bus, which is also my favourite from the teaser photographs Keulen has featured on his website:

Click Here To See the Photo! → Chris Keulen-Silent Song: Woman on a Bus

While nothing is necessarily revealed here regarding the location or history which these people and places have seen, the woman’s downward glance exudes a kind of sadness and almost avoidant demeanor. Being on public transport, framed by two people who also are exempting themselves from eye contact and public acknowledgement of one another, the woman seems to be isolated although she is surrounded by people. These photos capture the beauty of humanity in the transition from struggle to the future. 

On Museumsnacht, in a separate room from the bake-off, Keulen will display the photographs in glass encasements on the walls, allowing visitors to crisply analyze the photographs. He has decisively omitted any text to go along with the photos; offering a unique opportunity for observers of the evening to draw their own interpretations and story from the image alone. This allows the individual observers’ emotional experience of the images to take over and dictate their perception and thus, understanding of beauty in simple, yet historically rich spaces. The decision aids the overarching theme, since our societal spaces are dictated by ourselves and the people around us, it is salient that the photos would omit description to allow an individual’s mind to roam on the matter. Additionally, in BE’s film room, a loop of the photos will have been prepared by Keulen as well, where people can observe them on a screen. This is the onslaught of the second part of Keulen and BE’s collaboration which takes the form of an Educational Teaser. The details were not fully divulged to me, however BE and Keulen seem to be producing a proper film delving into more detail and explanation of the photographs. 

The relation here to BE’s broader theme for the night fills a gap in the bake-off’s contribution. Keulen’s photography captures the grim reality of devastation that people across various European countries have experienced throughout the years. This is the sadness he draws on. The experience of devastation affects a community and its people in ways that never fully fade. War, climate crisis, poverty and a myriad of other struggles have been or presently are a reality that we must acknowledge to have happened. Crucial in this acknowledgement and denunciation of ongoing wars is the utilization of the power people have to work together in constructing a better future for everyone. It is vital to face the reality of devastation that has happened and which is ongoing in our world; which Keulen’s photos beautifully display. But BE’s Museumsnacht organizers’ positive outlook highlights that one must not ruminate in the sense of defeat and sorrow that comes with facing and absorbing this reality. Rather, one must use this history as inspiration for the kind of change that ensures no such wars, oppression and devastation can occur again. It is for this reason that the bake-off and Keulen photography exhibition, in conjunction, mesh beautifully with one another in conveying positive ideas about societal spaces. Chris Keulen’s Silent Song exhibition portrays the reality of devastation and tragedy of spaces in Europe; bringing with it sad connotations. The bake-off counteracts the reality with hopeful prospects for the future of our communities. By fostering innovative creativity and imagination in a way that looks toward that future, instilling a more positive and cohesive understanding and outlook for what our world holds for us. 

Together, Bureau Europa’s Bake-Off and Chris Keulen’s Silent Song exhibition form a dynamic dialogue between past and future, devastation and hope. While Keulen’s photography urges us to confront the weight of historical and ongoing struggles, the Bake-Off invites us to imagine and build a better tomorrow. By pairing reflection with action, Bureau Europa’s Museumsnacht underscores the power of creativity and community in shaping more inclusive, sustainable, and just societal spaces.

JAN VAN EYCK ACADEMIE

While Bureau Europa retains a narrower focus in the scope of their theme, the Jan van Eyck Academie has taken on a broader focus which their exhibitions and presentations are to fit under. The three-day event’s theme seeks to explore the role that artistic endeavors play in the context of ongoing institutional practices, increasing social division and socio-environmental crises, as well as diminished funding and valid recognition of the arts as a whole. The artistic research that is to be put on display, therefore, seeks to uncover how the artistic realm can be utilized to re-think and re-design current collapsing societal norms and systems. The exhibitions serve as a critical and appreciative reflection on our individual present moment and in which ways we can step outside of the realm of what is perceived to be possible to productively shift our world. 

PRE-MUSEUMSNACHT

The Outpost

Jan van Eyck will be stretching this out into a two-day event. Starting off strong with the Outpost for Unreal Institutions, stationed in Vrijthof on April 9th and 10th. The Outpost was cultivated by artistic researchers and designers Pete Ho Ching Fung and Samein Shamsher; who both retain a focus on politics and its intermingling and impact on societal interpersonal relationships. The Outpost is a mobile pavilion that invites people roaming around to stop for a moment to critically and creatively reflect on our existing societal institutions. You have the freedom to choose whatever institution you would like; whether that is a current one and the measures you would add or alter to improve it–or an entirely made-up institution you feel would improve society. The goal is to make a statement by interrogating institutions, such as government bodies, research institutions, law enforcement, religious institutions etc which are positioned as normal and necessary in our society. In doing so, you arrive at alternative institutions crafted by the people, aimed at fostering a better environment for all. Prior to coming to Maastricht, the Outpost was stationed in Eindhoven for a couple of days. There, a lot of innovative responses were garnered by the researchers; a few examples being: 

• Multiplicity of Other

• An Archive of Impossible Objects

• The School of the Underground

• People's United Nations

• Ministry of No Power

• Observatory for Observation

• The Public Academy of Failure

• Pavilion of Lost Socks

Such an exhibition is highly relevant for Maastricht students and community members to participate in. With ongoing threats of budget cuts to programs by the Dutch government and Maastricht University’s continuous failure to cut ties with Israeli institutions and their inviting of a Zionist lecturer, the student community is filled with grievances that demand change. All students are highly encouraged and urged to share their thoughts and creative solutions with the Outpost. The Outpost will be featured at the academy on Museumnacht as well, but will only be stationed at Vrijthof on April 9th and 10th, so take advantage of its accessibility while you can. 

The Tenth of April

Day two, April 10th marks the official start of the Situated Institutions, Relational Practices, Liminal Studios hybrid event theme from the Van Eyck researchers. The day consists of a performance in Wyckerports and various presentations and artist performances in the cafe-restaurant and auditorium of the institute. The crux of these different elements revolves around social and symbolic practices that are influenced by and reinforce the specific social context of such spaces and places. Additionally, they will include artistic interpretations of navigating and comparing spaces that reside in (or positioned as) the ‘center’ versus ‘the periphery’. Therefore, one will be able to learn how specific cultural practices and contexts influence sustainability in communities that reside in ‘the periphery,’ who are thus under higher levels of government control. A commentary on the agency of public citizens in their public communities, it will intertwine representations from Palestine, Germany, Italy, etc to Maastricht. By fostering a civic perspective, the art makes personal one's understanding of its messages in localizing the artistic commentary. What you just read is a very general summary of the pre-Museumnacht activities, to look at a more in-depth timeline and description of the day's schedule, click here. 

The Eleventh of April

April 11th is the official Museumnacht date. Before the official start of the evening, Jan van Eyck is kicking it off with more hands-on experiences. Van Eyck alumnus Yoeri Guépin, an artist, gardener and chef, will take participants on a walk to Maastricht’s own St-Pieters where Guépin has been farming at the local farming patch community. Following the logical timeline of Guépin’s research, the group will then travel to the closed Museum on the Lichtenberg, which Guépin discovered through his time farming. The Museum holds the ever-waning archeological history of Sint-Pieters, presented through photographs, fossils, etc. This serves as a commentary on the space of Sint-Pieters; not only as a reflection on its disappearing history ever since it was incorporated into the municipality of Maastricht but also its spatial transformation from an archaeological hotspot, to the host of Europe’s largest cement factory and its transformation to a nature reserve. Upon everyone’s return from the walk, Guépin uses food, and its cultural and historical roots, as an artistic material to beautifully share and connect with participants by cooking them a divine meal. Following this, there will be a series of presentations, film and lecture alike, which further question the notion of what spaces can constitute an institution and how language can serve specific hierarchies in this realm (click to find the detailed description). The final wrap-up of the daytime portion of events will consist of splitting up into groups to explore five different workshops that surround future, alternative innovation of societal aspects. 

• Queer Future Tradings explores Bebe Books' financial project, where queer collectivity and artistic precarity meet cultural industry dynamics.

• The Time We Share: A Collective Tarot Exploration, led by Angela Serino, uses a collaboratively created tarot deck to reflect on the present, emphasizing how changing the now shapes the future

• Institutional Ecosystems, facilitated by Giulia Bellinetti, reimagines art institutions as ecological systems rooted in repair, regeneration, and multispecies thinking.

• Basecamp for Tactical Imaginaries examines present-day societal spaces through questions of how we can rebuild cultural infrastructures and commit to collective learning and expanded political space.

• DEWORK, a decolonial worship by Ronaldo Vazquez, blends academic and artistic research to address ecological and epistemic loss.

OFFICIAL MUSEUMSNACHT 2025

Floor One

After a day of riveting artistic activities, the official Museumnacht is kicked off at 19:00. Let me take you floor-by-floor and lay out what Jan van Eyck has in store for all participants. Floor 1 features only two of the projects–The Future Materials Lab and The Activation of Solve et Coagula. The Future Materials Lab, which is open from 19:00-22:00 on Museumsnacht, is one of the pride and joys of the Academie. The lab is essentially an archive of sustainable materials that can be used for various artistic research projects, to pursue more sustainable approaches to art creation. The focus on sustainability and material innovation can be traced back to the academy's namesake, Jan van Eyck, who invented oil paints. Additionally, the lab will be guided by the teachings of three knowledgeable artistic researchers whose aim is to deepen people’s understanding of sustainable materials in the artistic realm. Participants are encouraged to tap into their imaginative side and craft pigments and dyes which speak to them. In the process, they will gain new knowledge and understanding about different kinds of pigments, their histories and how you can further use them in artistic research or endeavors. The hopeful outcome of this materials lab is inspiration. In learning more about what these materials are and how to use them, Jan van Eyck provides insights on how sustainability can be practiced in art, opening up opportunities to transform practices themselves. Around the corner in the Cafe-Restaurant, an installation by Luca Conte can be found entitled Solve et Coagula. This sensory installation revolves around humans' relational nature with time through unique lenses, exploring gastronomic and organic transformations that challenge the distinctions between humans and more-than-humans. The intention is to provide commentary on the potential of human relations and differences with non-human entities. 

Floor Two:

Taking it upstairs to floor 2, the Outpost for Unreal Institutions makes its final appearance from 19:00-00:00, offering participants a final chance to contribute their thoughts to the installation. So if you miss the first two days that it is featured at Vrijthof, you still have one last chance! Making yet another comeback is the Queer Future Trading workshop in the Printing and Publishing lab. This workshop by Bebe Books challenges financial and economic institutions' current heterosexual dominating norms. In doing so, they instruct how to enable an opportunity to transform these institutions in the present moment into the financial realm through a queer lens–meaning from a specific representation of the queer community in finance. Participants will learn how to draw up contracts whose focal points surround the value of queer insights and representations, opening new possibilities in finance. Also on the second floor, there will be ongoing collaborations the Academie has outside of Museumnacht; The Best Dutch Book Designs 2023 and a Limestone Books collaboration. The latter is one particularly close to home so to say. Jen Chen, owner of Limestone Books here in Maastricht is a former resident of the Academie who will display various art books. This collection retains a focus on artistic perspectives from non-Western and underrepresented peoples, offering valuable insights into the theme as they inherently challenge the dominant Western narratives. Providing alternative viewpoints and celebrating diverse cultural expressions through the medium of art books. Side-by-side in the second-floor hallway will be a display of prized graphically designed books in the Netherlands from the 2023 collection. 

Auditorium

Now I’ll take you through to the Auditorium– where two keynote lectures and two performative presentations will be given, making up the final portions of the evening! These activities of the evening will also be available to view online. Now. Where do you see the relevance of the artistic realm to be 20 years from now? This kind of question becomes increasingly relevant within the context of increased capabilities of artificial intelligences’ to render “artistic styled images”. Fatoş Üstek, author of 'The Art Institution of Tomorrow: Reinventing the Model' (2024), tackles this area by proposing a radical new model for all art institutions. Üstek’s keynote offers a peek into her research of non-profit visual arts organizations and institutional leaders, which has produced her future strategies promoting a structural transformation that takes into account ongoing social, economic and environmental shifts. It thus uniquely fits into Jan van Eyck’s broader theme in questioning the future of artistic institutions. Drawing in a bit more audience participation, Bruno Alves de Almeida, Jan van Eyck’s curator will run an assembly to reflect on and discuss the Exchange groups that took place earlier in the day. In doing so, the assembly hopes to finally deepen everyone’s understanding of what it means to think outside of the normative artistic box and re-invent a future that can properly fit societal, ecological, and cultural shifts. 

The two performances explore the sensory limits of artistic exhibitions. Screaming, for example, is not an act that one would expect to be used in this realm. However, Samuel Brzeski exceeds these limits in The Dictionary and the Scream. Such performance is to showcase laughter, screaming and a whole lot of nonsense as a language in itself. The aim is to understand how such a language can reposition and deepen understanding of certain hierarchies of control in our societies. Furthermore, in line with “relational practices,” how this alternative language is used to foster human connection will be explored. The final act of the night is a performance by Saverio Cantoni and Rouzbeh Shadpey, who explore their physical disabilities to capture alternative sensory experiences in artistic performance. Saverio Cantoni is a deaf artist and will be utilizing his unique feeling of sound (rather than hearing) to experiment. He put on a participatory performance by employing a variety of sounds with different assistive technology, which makes visible and tangible the experience of living with a disability and the unique relation it creates to the senses and surroundings in this world. Rouzbeh Shadpey suffers from chronic fatigue; his background in medicine and artistic passion centers his contribution to the performance to put into question the colonial-rooted ideology in the medical world, along with a poetic perspective on persistent lethargy. The two artists put on display a beautiful blend of sounds, visuals and texts, in hopes of drawing the audience into an extraordinary experience–you don’t want to miss it!

A Final Note

Both Bureau Europa and the Jan van Eyck Academie offer unique and compelling insights into the role of art in addressing contemporary societal challenges. While Bureau Europa’s exhibition explores the tension between art and society, critiquing both present and future systems, Jan van Eyck’s event extends this conversation by engaging directly with the reimagining of institutions, questioning human relation to them and exploring alternative, inclusive futures. Together, these events highlight the transformative potential of art as a tool for social change, urging participants to reflect critically on the structures that shape our world and consider new, creative approaches to building a more just and sustainable future.