DIVERSITAS IV
Ensemble
A community, whether country, city or enterprise, is often perceived and presented to the outside world as a univocal and coherent whole. United we stand, divided we fall! Yet, the value and quality of a community rests on its intrinsic diversity. As many men, women and children, as many physical traits and characters, as origins, aptitudes, specific interests, religious convictions, opinions ... It is this uniqueness that we seek in ourselves and in others.
The Senate's plenary assembly reflects the diversity of Belgian society. Representatives of the three communities and the three regions sit on the board: from Flanders, Wallonia, Brussels, and the German-speaking territories. The three national languages are spoken here. The Senate is also the only assembly where the representation of men AND women is guaranteed.
During a residency in Charleroi, initiated by the exhibition space Incise, Mira Sanders (°1973, living in Brussels) delivered a series of printed works, combining drawings, notes and photos, reflecting her experience of the particular urbanism of this city, as well as her interactions with the inhabitants. She thus delivers a portrait of the city, both visible and hidden, between stereotypes and discoveries.
Defining herself as a documentary photographer, professor and activist, Véronique Vercheval (°1958, living in La Louvière) visited the Royal Boch company in La Louvière after the announcement of its closure. Discretely she photographed the last 46 workers, of various origins, who would soon be made redundant, inviting them to share the memory of their first day at the company.
On a trip to Syria in 2001, Willi Filz (°1962, living in Eupen) took a series of portraits that testified to the individual, social, cultural and religious diversity of this country, which is still quite poorly known. Filz set out to go against the prevalent clichés by bringing together people and backgrounds, composing a nuanced and complex image.
