The Latecomers

Decoratelier – a workspace for scenographers and artists – is temporarily housed in an abandoned factory in Molenbeek, together with the solidarity restaurant Cassonade. They find themselves on heavily polluted ground. A layer of concrete prevents oil, chemicals, and heavy metals from seeping into the daily lives of local residents.  

The municipality of Molenbeek is planning to turn the site into a park: everything that is built in Decoratelier today will disappear beneath a thick layer of healthy soil. Will the history and the invisible stories of this place vanish as well? Together with the caretaker, the cooks of Cassonade, neighbours and visitors, the builders of Decoratelier set to work like true archaeologists. As ‘latecomers’, they create a space to reflect on historical pollution and collective responsibility. They unravel the past and speculate about future ecosystems, life forms, and ways of living. Through constructions and stories, they search for a form to share their concerns and desires with future generations.  

Can a society be built upon its own mistakes? The Latecomers is a site-specific performance in which a community explores the meaning of a place, inviting the audience to navigate this unsettling landscape of stories. 

• Jozef Wouters (BE, 1986) is a Brussels-based scenographer and theatre maker. Working from Decoratelier, a former factory in Molenbeek, he develops (site-specific) performances, architectural interventions and collaborative projects. His work relates to concrete locations, opening a dialogue between spaces, processes and imagination. Since 2017, he has been an autonomous artist in residence with Meg Stuart/Damaged Goods.