8. Watou ‘Talk of the town’





       The talk of the town

Do you recognize that feeling? Of being homesick for a place or a time you never knew? An indescribable longing for something you cannot name? This phenomenon is called ‘anemoia’. Cecile Broekaert’s work is steeped in it. Her small-scale paintings, often postcard-sized, depict seemingly everyday events and figures. UNder many layers of oil paint, acrylic and water colours, there are monotype prints or engravings to be discovered. Broekaert scratches away the surface, carving into her work, revealing what is ‘behind the wallpaper’. The characters she depicts are anonymous and lonely. They do not sleep, but watch. The visitor in turn watches them, as a voyeur. Who is peeping at whom? What preceded this scene? And what type of world lies on the other side of your window sill?



Sounddesign by Ewoud Vermote
       




  • Watou arts festival 2024: Landscape of the imagination

           From July 6 to September 1 2024 , during Landscape of the Imagination, artists and poets showcase the                            power of imagination in unique locations in the village of Watou and Castle De Lovie. Through imaginary                            landscapes, artists and poets interact more than ever with their surroundings.

“Poetry creates inner landscapes in wich to wander, just like in a village. 
New poems enter into dialogue with the works of art. They invite a journey in head and heart. 
Watou is the destination, but for everyone the journey is different.” 
- Michaël Vandebril,  -