A festival for live performances at the intersection of sound art, music and visual art
May 16–17, 2025
M Leuven and STUK—House for Dance, Image & Sound proudly present the first edition of Hear Here Live. Expect a wide range of performances at the intersection of sound art, visual art and adventurous music. From museum hall to chapel to black box, Hear Here Live takes you on a multisensory parcours for both ear and eye.
The festival kicks off at M Leuven, where you can discover the work of various artists throughout the museum rooms. Cevdet Erek’s çepeçevre (which translates as “all around” or “encompassing”) is an installation of adapted musical instruments that explores the relationship between sound, space and movement. Limpe Fuchs and Mark Fell, two monuments of the contemporary musical avant-garde meet at the intersection of free acoustic percussion and digital sound. In the installation EVERY SORROW EVERY END and performance OF THE ECHO OFF, Nazanin Noori responds to the death of Jina Amini and the subsequent uprisings in Iran by depicting a post-revolutionary, post-fascist world in which those in power mourn not their victims, but themselves. Brahim Tall presents a sound installation in which voices merge into a space-filling, vibrating presence – balancing between harmony, dissonance, and chaos. With situation 0012 — یدق activation of moving moment 0056, Gwendolyn Lootens and Saif Al Qaissy create an audiovisual live performance that offers a commentary on the ongoing displacement in many places around the world today. And composers Stijn Dickel and Karen Willems transform the garden and corridors of M Leuven into a musical playground with a wireless speaker orchestra.
The festival continues with sound artist Anouk Kellner who activates her organ installation in the KADOC chapel and invites two guests to join her for an acoustic improvisation. At STUK, the line-up proceeds with Brussels-based Mexican artist Vica Pacheco. Movement, sound, and light come together in her new performance, with whistling ceramic instruments taking center stage. With Pendulum Instrument Mihalis Shammas creates hypnotic harmonic explorations with an impressive, suspended string instrument. International supergroup ØKSE led by saxophonist Mette Rasmussen and drummer Savannah Harris, fuses turntablism, free jazz, and groovy funk. Also Leila Bordreuil, the underground queen of the cello brings her raw noise and whistling feedback to STUK.
Events
Video work: Gwendolyn Lootens : May 16–17, moving moment 0056
M Leuven, Leuven, L. Vanderkelenstraat 28
Installation—Brahim Tall: May 16–17, The Choir of Dissonance
M Leuven, Leuven, L. Vanderkelenstraat 28
Installation—Nazanin Noori: May 16–17, EVERY SORROW EVERY END
M Leuven, Leuven, L. Vanderkelenstraat 28
Talks and network lunch—Neighbouring Frequencies: May 16, 11am–2pm
With Linnea Semmerling, Edwin van der heide, Giulia Vismara, Carsten Seiffarth, Kees Tazelaar
BAC ART LAB, Leuven, Vital Decosterstraat 102
Collective listening—Brahim Tall: May 16, 2–2:45pm, The Choir of Dissonance
M Leuven, Leuven, L. Vanderkelenstraat 28
Performance—Gwendolyn Lootens and Saif Al Qaissy: May 16, 3–3:30pm, situation 0012 - یدق activation of moving moment 0056
M Leuven, Leuven, L. Vanderkelenstraat 28
Performance—Cevdet Erek: May 16, 4–4:40pm, çepeçerçeve
M Leuven, Leuven, L. Vanderkelenstraat 28
Performance—mark fell and limpe fuchs: May 16, 5–5:40pm
M Leuven, Leuven, L. Vanderkelenstraat 28
Performance—Anouk Kellner and guests: May 16, 6–6:40pm, with Yannick Guédon and d’Incise
KADOC, Leuven, Vlamingenstraat 39
Performance—Mihalis Shammas: May 16, 8–8:30pm, Pendulum Instrument
STUK — House for Dance, Image & Sound, Leuven, Naamsestraat 96
Performance—Vica Pacheco: May 16, 9–9:45pm, Éclipsis
STUK — House for Dance, Image & Sound, Leuven, Naamsestraat 96
Collective listening—Brahim Tall: May 17, 1–1:45pm, The Choir of Dissonance
M Leuven, Leuven, L. Vanderkelenstraat 28
Performance—Gwendolyn Lootens and Saif Al Qaissy: May 17, 2–2:20pm, situation 0012 - یدق activation of moving moment 0056
M Leuven, Leuven, L. Vanderkelenstraat 28
Performance—Cevdet Erek: May 17, 3–3:40pm, çepeçerçeve
M Leuven, Leuven, L. Vanderkelenstraat 28
Performance—Nazanin Noori: May 17, 4–4:40pm, OF THE ECHO OFF
M Leuven, Leuven, L. Vanderkelenstraat 28
Performance—De Zwerm: May 17, 5–5:40pm, compositions by Stijn Dickel and Karen Willems
M Leuven, Leuven, L. Vanderkelenstraat 28
Performance—Anouk Kellner and guests: May 17, 6–6:40pm, with Nils Vermeulen and Clara Cozzolino
KADOC, Leuven, Vlamingenstraat 39
Performance—Leila Bordreuil: May 17, 8–8:30pm
STUK — House for Dance, Image & Sound, Leuven, Naamsestraat 96
Performance—ØKSE: May 17, 9–10pm
STUK — House for Dance, Image & Sound, Leuven, Naamsestraat 96
Hear Here Live is co-curated by Gilles Helsen and Valerie Verhack, respectively curators at STUK and M Leuven.
