NICC moves to Brussels

(© Saskia Vanderstichele)

It is well known that over the past few years, Brussels has been booming as an art city. More and more international galleries – especially from Paris – are moving to our capital or opening a second branch here, as Daniel Templon and Michel Rein are also set to do soon. But initiatives from Antwerp are also transferring, like Galerie van der Mieden did recently. The latest newcomer is NICC, an artist-run initiative that opened a space near the Brussels-South railway station this month. The NICC, an association for artists, has a legendary reputation. After the closure of the ICC, the first official artistic institution in Flanders, a colourful group of artists occupied the former royal palace on the Meir in Antwerp. In 1998, they established the NICC (New International Cultural Centre) there. Over the years, the association has had members like Narcisse Tordoir, Luc Tuymans, and Guillaume Bijl. Incidentally, the latter is still active in the NICC, along with about ten other artists including Koen van den Broek, Filip Gilissen, and Lode Geens.

Geens explains its operations as follows: “We consult with policymakers. Artists’ wages, statuses, etcetera, people don’t always know it, but we set the pace for those things. Just like we did indirectly for the project subsidies. We have a signalling function.” It is remarkable that the NICC, which is often incorrectly presented as an Antwerp-only association, has chosen to move to Brussels. But it’s not entirely incomprehensible. “We think there is a tremendous dynamic here,” Geens says. “Things have gone quiet in Antwerp. The interest expressed here during our opening weekend was enormous. A huge crowd turned out. And we have received numerous proposals for collaboration.”

They are not daunted by the fact that more and more institutions are settling in Brussels, as a result of which some newcomers might get lost in the throng. “We aren’t just another gallery or institution,” Geens clarifies. “We operate completely differently. There was a clear need. For the simple fact that there aren’t many artist-run spaces, except Établissement d’en face projects. We supplement the present range. We invited Danh Vo and Tim Rollins to our opening for an artist talk. Vo currently has exhibitions at Xavier Hufkens and Établissement, so it was a perfect addition. As a small institution, we seek to collaborate. And because we have such a long history, there is plenty of goodwill.” The space in Brussels is conceived as a base of operations, from which exhibitions can be organised in Antwerp and Liège. And when important artists exhibit elsewhere in the country, NICC can invite them to give a talk. For example, they are planning artist talks from people like Pierre Bismuth, Tony Oursler, and Dan Graham.

The new space also has a display case in which artists are invited to exhibit. Until 31 October, Aline Bouvy remodelled it into It Tastes Like Shit, It Is Shit, Want a Toothbrush, an installation with a constantly dripping tap against a background of bathroom tiles. “To give our social activities an echo, we literally need a display case,” Filip Gilissen, another NICC member, says. “For the display case, we select artists that we think need to be shown. There’s a great need for young or mid-career artists, a period that can often be difficult. That’s why we’re starting with Aline Bouvy, who after sixteen years as part of a duo is now going solo for the first time.”

Another project is Art in the Parking Space. Artists are invited to create a temporary installation in a private or public car park. The French Brussels-based artist Pierre Bismuth started the project. His intervention consisted of a parked car at a Lidl, with Albert II’s farewell speech blasting from the speakers. It made a nice change from art on a roundabout.

ALINE BOUVY: IT TASTES LIKE SHIT, IT IS SHIT, WANT A TOOTHBRUSH > 31/10, NICC, rue Lambert Crickxstraat 1, Anderlecht, 0485-24.40.31, www.nicc.be