WE:SLEEP

Sleep is an uncompromising interruption of the theft of time from us by capitalism.
– Jonathan Crary

Is sleep the best form of meditation, as the Dalai Lama says? At the end of the year, around the time of the longest night on 21/12, we are bringing together artists and thinkers who reflect on the theme of sleep. David Weber-Krebs and Patrícia Portela research the powerful potential of sleeping – in an age in which we might as well be awake 24 hours a day. Nathalie Pattyn gives a lecture on the effects of light on sleep. The Monastery is coming to the Kaaistudios for a second day, with rituals that have been adapted to the winter. And Valentine Kempynck questions how meaningful hibernation may be for us today.

Valentine Kempynck

WINTER:SLEEP

brainstorm

Kaaistudio's

Thu 21.12 - Wed 21.03.18

On the first evening of winter a group of people made a pact: they would have 92 nights to sleep on a plan for what a contemporary hibernation could be. On the first day of spring they reassemble, to compare proposals and leave something behind.

WE:SLEEP

Patrícia Portela

Parasomnia

exhibition installation

Kaaistudio's

Tue 19.12 - Thu 21.12.17

What does it mean to abandon yourself to sleep in a society which considers it to be an inevitable illness? Patrícia Portela invites you to an installation of four rooms, which you walk through one by one. You pass a series of paintings, images that pass you by almost unnoticed. While listening to 1001 stories, you are enticed to fall asleep – or perhaps to wake up.

WE:SLEEP

Patrícia Portela

Parasomnia - Late Night

exhibition talk

Kaaistudio's

Thu 21.12 - Thu 21.12.17

What does it mean to abandon yourself to sleep in a society which considers it to be an inevitable illness? Patrícia Portela invites you to an installation of four rooms, which you walk through one by one. Chef Annick Gernaey prepares a 'sleeping supper' and Antarctica researcher Nathalie Pattyn (VUB) discusses the influence of light and dark on the quality of sleep.

WE:SLEEP

The Monastery

A-LIFE 21/12

ritual

Kaaistudio's

Thu 21.12.17

For the second time this season, The Monastery is coming to the Kaaistudios with A-LIFE, a ritual day that is patterned to the rhythm of the seasons. This time, the urban monks guide you through the transition from autumn to winter.

Isabella Gresser

Fatigue Society: Byung-Chul Han in Seoul/Berlin

film talk

Kaaistudio's

Mon 18.12.17

This essay film about philosopher Byung-Chul Han encircles the phenomenon of fatigue in our capitalistic societies – and its associated symptoms, such as depression and burnout. Following the screening of the film, Bieke Purnelle will moderate a debate with Ignaas Devisch, Valentine Kempynck, David Weber-Krebs and Patrícia Portela.

WE:SLEEP

David Weber-Krebs

The Guardians of Sleep

performance

Kaaistudio's

Fri 15.12 - Sat 16.12.17

What happens exactly when we fall asleep? What is it like to be a viewer watching other people fall asleep in a theatre, to witness this most intimate act? The Guardians of Sleep is a collective attempt to withdraw in a world that is always ‘switched on’ – and where an ‘off’ button simply doesn’t seem to exist.