As an artist affiliated with NW, we invited Fernando Marques Penteado (b. 1955, São Paulo, Brazil) to explore Aalst and discover the city’s textile history at his own pace. Together, we explored the city through conversations, walks, and shared meals. At the same time, we deepened our understanding of his work through studio and exhibition visits with the whole team.

Next year, at NW—a former textile factory—Fernando will weave together found elements from various realms in Aalst into a cohesive aesthetic and immersive experience:“after collecting randomly, in a sensitive, sensorial, adrift manner facts, stories and panoramas at Aalst, it came to my mind as a more meaningful direction to take, to use NW’s exhibition space to celebrate the surrounding’s aesthetics boldly. In other words, to invite multiple disregarded, forgotten objects back to play live again.“