NW is an open house for contemporary art and film along the quays in Aalst. Working closely with artists, we offer an engaging, collaborative programme that pushes the boundaries of what art can be or do. Our focus is on artistic development with an eye on the city, the region, and the rest of the world—at the intersection of the local and the global.

exhibition

07.02-20.04.2025

Joy Boy, a Tribute to Julius Eastman

Collectif Faire-Part, Victoire Karera Kampire, Fallon Mayanja, Mawena Yehouessi, Benjamin Mengistu Navet

exhibition

Kar-Wai

Master of melancholy and visual poetry

Wong Kar-Wai is one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation. His striking visual style, emotionally charged stories and the way he manages to depict themes such as love, loneliness and impermanence make him the ‘loudest voice’ of Asian contemporary cinema outside Asia. Ever since his first films, Wong Kar-Wai has collaborated with Christopher […]

group

Lokaal Solidair

Lokaal Solidair, part of Lokaal Dendy, is a space for gathering, learning, and reimagining solidarity as an everyday practice. Rooted in collaboration with partners like Diversplus, it invites us to act with shared responsibility through lectures, benefits, film screenings, workshops, and ongoing initiatives like a solidarity shop and storytelling-inspired offerings. Through 2028, NW focuses on […]

Lokaal Dendy

13.02.2025

Tussen de soep en de feiten

Denderstreek tussen watersnood en waternood

group

Info~Angel

Microhistories about NW, Aalst, and the Dender region

n 1974, the Centre for Societal Renewal is founded in Aalst, later giving rise to NW. The centre brings together organisations and voices that explore alternative ways of shaping society. The Info~Angel working group plays a central role in this. Their name reflects their goal: to provoke and raise awareness, like a bee’s sting. With […]

Dendy Sundays

Children's film and brunch

Every last Sunday of the month, we combine a children’s film with a brunch edition of Kitchen Stories. A healthy and delicious brunch, prepared for you in and around the kitchen of NW in collaboration with artists, volunteers, and organizations. As a visitor, you can enjoy it while supporting the next edition of Kitchen Stories. […]

workshop

15.02.2025

Creative Writing course

Writing the Kitchen Stories Cookbook

residency

NW Bookshop

A small thematic book selection compiled by rile*

Film Focus

From Here

Zij die hier zijn, zijn van hier (Walter Swennen). A curated collection of contemporary and classic Belgian film.  

Film Focus

06.09-30.11.2024

Arthouse

NW presents the latest and most remarkable arthouse cinema. Serving as the sole arthouse cinema in the Dender region, our cinema consistently offers thoughtfully co-curated lineup of films.

Performance

11.01.2025

Havana Sin Drone

A listening session and DJ set by Bassem Saad

residency

A Room of Bebe’s Own

A functional replica of the BebeBooks studio as a refuge within NW

Food programme

Kitchen Stories

Cooking and eating as connection, ritual, and dialogue

During the renovation of NW, the emphasis was on creating a central space for cooking. The open kitchen is a shared space, linked to everything happening in the building and the community in and around NW. The open kitchen brings people together, each with their own story.  In our open kitchen, cooking is a thoughtful […]

Antonia Brown

'Anxious Ornament', performance with ssaliva (François Boulanger) and Cantate Domino Aalst

WAKA Cinema

07.09.2024

WAKA, Studio for Art, Education, Research and Society

Guy Woueté & Aude Christel Mgba in conversation

workshop

08.09.2024

To bridge a gap

Walk & Workshop by Rick Jimenez & Bebe Books

residency

Fernando Marques Penteado in Aalst

Celebrating the surrounding's aesthetics boldly and invite multiple disregarded, forgotten objects back to play live again

Art on Prescription

Lisa Vlaemminck explores how art and mental health interact

Dendy Sundays

Children's film and brunch

Every last Sunday of the month, we combine a children’s film with a brunch edition of Kitchen Stories. A healthy and delicious brunch, prepared for you in and around the kitchen of NW in collaboration with artists, volunteers, and organizations. As a visitor, you can enjoy it while supporting the next edition of Kitchen Stories. […]

residency

WAKA, STUDIO FOR ART, EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND SOCIETY

Guy Woueté connects ideas in Aalst and Njombé-Penja (Cameroon) on the question 'What is work?'

residency

Breedbeeld Blueprints

Ontwikkelingstraject voor fotografen

residency

CAR-PET

What does hospitality mean? This question is central during Katinka de Jonge's residency, which builds upon the traditions of working with textiles.