After an initial period of residency at Transcultures in 2024 for his new project “À propos de Marie”, the artist Rafael (working between Liège and Seoul) returns to the Couvent d’Hautrage for a second residency at Transcultures, where he will finalize his installation project.
This new proposition emerged from a previous residency by Rafael at the Couvent d’Hautrage in 2024, during which he worked on his installation “Contrepoint”. During that fruitful in situ work period, the artist was moved by the personality of Sister Marie-Guylaine Delaissé, the last nun of the Franciscan Sisters’ Convent in Hautrage, who passed away on July 4, 2023, at the age of 99. She had devoted 79 years to religious life, including 74 spent within that convent.
For this new installation, Rafael proposes a polyphonic and multicultural dialogue (from Saint-Ghislain to Seoul) in an attempt to reimagine this singularly present/absent personality.
“Mirror, poetic, historiographic, portrait, voice, dissonance, cultural, temporal, random, digitization, memory…”
Rafael (Kr/Be)
Rafael is a Belgian multimedia artist whose work lies at the intersection of live cinema, conceptual art, and experimental music.
He has presented his works at festivals, museums, and cultural institutions across Europe, America, and Asia, including Tate Britain in London, the Oberhausen International Short Film Festival in Germany, Instants Vidéo in France, the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) in the Netherlands, Transmediale in Berlin, Vidéoformes in France, the Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA) in London, Singapore Art Week, and the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) in Seoul.
His artistic approach, often described as “Live Cinema,” combines video, conceptual art, and experimental music, creating unique performances that are interpreted live in front of an audience. Rafael divides his time between Liège and Seoul, where he continues to develop his art and collaborate with other international artists.
His work has been praised by critics for its originality and commitment.
Check the article “Dans la polyphonie de Séoul. Conversation avec Rafael – par Philippe Franck” | Turbulences Video #124 (Fr)
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Le Couvent d’Hautrage
The Couvent des Sœurs Franciscaines d’Hautrage is an emblematic site whose history dates back to the 15th century. Founded in 1453, it housed for several centuries a religious community dedicated to prayer, education, and caring for the less fortunate.
The Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, who resided there, followed the principles of simplicity and service to others, which are characteristic of the Franciscan order. The convent remained a center of spirituality and education for a long time before its community gradually diminished over the years.
Informations
- 05 > 21.06.2025
- Couvent d’Hautrage
- 6, Plade d’Hautrage 7334 Saint-Ghislain
Production
- Transcultures, Planned Accident
