CONNECTING THREADS - An evening on textile curated by Jan-Jan Van Essche

Based on his 2025 Spring-Summer collection, Khayal, JAN-JAN VAN ESSCHE - KHAYAL offers insight into the world of Antwerp fashion designer, Jan-Jan Van Essche. The exhibition is an invitation to experience both the past and the future, all in the now.

Jan-Jan Van Essche has invited members of his own community to share aspects of their lives by way of an associated and varied programme of music, dance and film.

On 7 February, Atelier Solarshop curates a textiles evening with guest speakers Rituraj Dewan (7Weaves) and indigo expert Aboubakar Fofana. On this occasion, visitors can experience the culinary artistry of Charlotte Koopman (Otark) and visit the exhibition. Emre Gultekin & Malabika Brahma provide music for the evening.

Rituraj Dewan is a co-founder of 7Weaves, a social project bringing together artisans from the Assam region located in the north-east of India. The project’s founding idea carries the values of preservation of traditional techniques involved in the processes of creating textiles, alongside looking after the native environment.

Aboubakar Fofana, born in Mali, moved to Paris at ten. Fascinated by nature and indigo plants, he worked as a calligrapher and graphic designer in Paris. Returning to West Africa, he apprenticed in indigo dyeing. Winning the Villa Medicis Hors les Murs, he pursued textile arts, focusing on indigo and mud dyeing. His work reflects the natural world's cycles and ephemeral beauty.

Charlotte Koopman co-founded Otark in 2009. In addition to having cooked a weekly Sunday Breakfast for 13 years, the kitchen collective cooks in various contexts, responding to film, sound, words, and the weather. Preferring handwork and offbeat elements, Otark works within a framework of seasonality and impermanence. Charlotte Koopman writes, makes drawings, takes photographs, but always with the kitchen at heart.

Malabika Brahma's crystal-clear voice and expressive delivery captivate listeners, conveying immense joy, deep sadness, and poetic power. Emre Gultekin, a master of the saz, blends his instrumental tradition with global music, creating a perfect symbiosis with Malabika. Their journey fuses baul and saz repertoires, crafting a new poetic territory between southern Europe and Bengal.