Marnie Slater, Le Madame (Brussels, 1981–1983), 2019-22. Photo by Aurélien Mole

“Aids, archives, and arts assemblies in Belgium,” aAliy A. Muhammad, and nino_uncut

What Isn’t Governable
  • Sat 28.09
    11:30 - 14:30
    De Vooruit, Gent
    THEATERZAAL

The upcoming program by “Aids, archives, and arts assemblies in Belgium” celebrates what dissolves, what transitions, and transmissions at VIERNULVIER on September 28. As they plan to dissolve their project by the end of this year, they have reserved half of the seats for people having collaborated with them: as an artist, a helper, a caretaker, an administrator, a producer, a worker of an arts organization, audience… This should sparkle conversations on how did people experience the project and what they plan to do now that it is ending.

Did you come to any of their public or semi-public programs in the past two years? Do you work within one of the multiple organizations they collaborate with? Have you been reading their emails and Instagram posts but never decided to join their events? Have you been speaking about their project within your community? Have you been hearing from them in your community health groups? Are you part of the support network of people having joined the project?

If you think those reserved seats are for you, you can book one by using the code “CODE” in the link below.

Rad fag and aids activist collective La Radical Gai (Madrid) concluded their dissolution notice, published in Planeta Marica: Periódico mensual de sátira maripolítica (Faggot Planet: Monthly Newspaper of Fag-Political Satire) in 1997, with these two phrases: “Nuestra resistencia a gobernar (hoy más que nunca) nuestro propio espacio de diferencia establece (hoy más que nunca) los límites de las estrategias que pretenden domesticar(nos). Nuestra disolvencia es, en este sentido, la condición misma de expresión de esa evidente y clamorosa ingobernabilidad.” (Our refusal to govern (today more than ever) our own space of dissidence marks (today more than ever) the limits of the schemes to domesticate (us). Our dissolution is the clearest picture of such loud and obvious ungovernability.)

Aids, trans, fag, bi, and dyke projects are a work of joy yet strenuous to sustain in time. “Aids, archives, and arts assemblies in Belgium” reflects about unsustainability by interrogating dissolution and by calling itself a finite project: The project to host two intimate assemblies, self-organized between people concerned with HIV & aids and impacted by serophobia.

At VIERNULVIER, we will celebrate what dissolves, what transitions, and transmissions. The celebration will unfold with the recital of a poem dedicated to Melvin Dixon by Philadelphia poet aAliy A. Muhammad and a concert by Brussels musician nino_uncut. This will be the occasion to release a song dedicated to our project. “What songs are sung about the start of a connection that happens long after death?” writes aAliy in their poem. We will continue celebrating with lunch, a fab moment to ask each other: What do we do when our projects end?

Practical information and booking
Participation is free. Vegan lunch and soft drinks are provided. Capacity is limited to 60 people. Half of the seats are reserved for people having participated in “Aids, archives, and arts...”—as an artist, a helper, acaretaker, an administrator, a producer, a worker of an arts organization, audience…

If you have participated in “Aids, archives, and arts...” please book a seat by using the promotion code 'CODE' when you book a ticket. 

If you want your travel costs within Belgium to be reimbursed, send your transport receipts to margo.temmerman@viernulvier.gent (maximum budget overall is 250€)


© Marnie Slater, Le Madame (Brussels, 1981–1983), 2019-22. Photo by Aurélien Mole

“Aids, archives, and arts assemblies in Belgium” is the project to host two intimate assemblies in 2023 and ’24, self-organized between people concerned with HIV & aids and impacted by serophobia, as well as events with different audiences. It aims at devising processes to carry out projects on aids, archives, and arts made by and for people concerned with HIV & aids. Castillo, Emmanuel Cortés, and Talya, direct this project from our HIV+, transfagbidyke-queer, feminist, antiracist, materialist, harm reductionist, and intersectional community health political agendas. The project is coproduced with apap – FEMINIST FUTURES, La Bellone, BUDA Kunstencentrum, Le Delta, erg: école de recherche graphique, Flanders Arts Institute, Kaaitheater, Nadine vzw, Sint Lucas Antwerpen, and VIERNULVIER, all of them in Belgium.