May 27–30, 2025
The 2025 AFIELD Forum: Transitional Justice by Artists is a project by AFIELD co-produced with KANAL-Centre Pompidou and Kunstenfestivaldesarts with support from the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Held from May 27–30, 2025, in Brussels, the second edition of the AFIELD Forum centers on innovative solutions by artists that help to advance the mechanisms of transitional justice.
“Transitional justice” refers to the legal and institutional processes employed to address widespread human rights violations committed during conflicts or under repressive regimes. Centered on the needs and aspirations of victims, it encompasses judicial and non-judicial measures, including prosecutions, truth commissions, reparations programs, and institutional reforms.
Artists have played a pivotal role in advancing reparations and policy change, developing essential tools for seeking justice and addressing the lasting impact of atrocities on individuals and societies. Their work strengthens processes of reconciliation and accountability by producing alternative forms of evidence, constructing archives that challenge dominant narratives and creating spaces for collective healing and remembrance. Through artistic interventions, they foster dialogue, amplify marginalized voices and shape public discourse, ultimately influencing institutional frameworks and policies that contribute to long-term justice and societal transformation.
With Pio Abad, Archivo de la Memoria Trans, Alejandra Ballón Gutiérrez, Rosemarie Buikema, Federico Campagna, CATPC, Manuel Correa, Clémentine Deliss, Laura Dubois, Sevinaz Evdike, First Waves, Joana Hadjithomas, Jack Halberstam, Jail Time Records, Ella Joyner, Joseph Kaifala, William Kentridge, Jesse Krimes, François Makanga, Hannah Meszaros Martin, Basel Nasr, Justine Jaz Okolodkoff, Elizabeth Povinelli, Lia Rodrigues, Selvagem, Ukraine War Archive and YouYou Group.
The program will encompass “schools”, participant-led workshops, walks, performances, panels and keynotes open to the public. Please note that registration will be required for some sessions due to limited capacity.
Discover the full program / Register here for events with KANAL-Centre Pompidou / Register for events with Kunstenfestivaldesarts.
The forum is free of charge and will take place between the two venues: K1 (KANAL-Centre Pompidou), and Beursschouwburg (Kunstenfestivaldesarts). Please note that registration is required for individual sessions. Please visit the KANAL Centre-Pompidou and Kunstenfestivaldesarts websites to register for sessions hosted at their venues. Audience is limited to the capacity of the venue.
The AFIELD Forum: Transitional Justice by Artists builds upon a seminar and a grant awarded to four Transitional Justice grantees in 2024, Manuel Correa, CATPC, Jail Time Records and PEROU. Components of the 2025 AFIELD Forum program are co-curated within the framework of the Kunstenfestivaldesarts’ Free School titled The School of Fireflies.
The shared program advocates for the reimagination of the role of art as a catalyst for justice, care, and collective resistance and underscores the potential of interdisciplinary collaboration to illuminate the intersections of creativity, memory, and healing, beyond the art world.
Locations: K1 (KANAL-Centre Pompidou), Beursschouwburg, Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles, KVS BOL.
