In 1977, the young artists Jan Janssen and Rudolf Verbesselt turned an empty building in Coppenolstraat in Antwerp into a squat, intending to use it as a studio and living space. It was Narcisse Tordoir’s idea to set up Today’s Place there. The building soon became an experimental space for exhibitions, a disco and all kinds of artistic events. Today’s Place was also a starting point for actions in Antwerp and beyond.

Today’s Place forged bonds with collectives that still appeal to the imagination today, such as Reindeer Werk (Thom Puckey and Dirk Larsen), COUM Transmissions (Cosey Fanni Tutti and Genesis P-Orridge) from London and CEAC from Toronto. Among other things, it organised a screening of a film by Ken McMullen, an exhibition by Sigefride Bruna Hautman and performances by The Kids and Stalag 6.

The approach that Today’s Place took was radically multidisciplinary, as was its audience: punk, art, fashion, performance and music all met here in their exodus away from institutional settings. The combination of youthful energy and resistance gave rise to powerful, exciting projects that also involved designers such as Walter Van Beirendonck. But this explosive energy also led to tensions with the neighbours, and in 1978, Today’s Place was shut down after a police raid.

The archive presentation in the M HKA is the first retrospective of the most important projects at Today’s Place – videos of performances and photos from the exhibitions – plus a range of historic printed material, magazines and posters.

This project came into being in close collaboration with the artist Narcisse Tordoir.

Click here to browse the digital scan of the exhibition.