Mother Vooruit and her children: a walk through Ghent’s cooperative past

A walk through Ghent by artists Katinka de Jonge and Vermeir & Heiremans, starting at Viernulvier, the former people’s palace of the Vooruit cooperative
16/05/2025, 11-15:30h

This walk explores the dynamics between a contemporary commons and historical perspectives on an economic model that operates on the basis of collective ownership: the cooperative.

In response to the social urgencies that were caused by the industrialization, one of the most successful cooperatives in Belgium was initiated in Ghent. Still today Moeder Vooruit can offer an inspiration for the current pressure on the welfare society.

Katinka de Jonge and artist duo Vermeir & Heiremans take us along various places where the 19th century cooperative Vooruit was active. We pass by the first coop supermarket modeled on the fashionable Grand Bazars of Paris, as well as the Vooruit printing house and the first workers bank. Lunch is served at the cooperative heart of Ghent: the Anseeleplein, the central gathering place of the Openbare Werken festival.

The walk starts in the bar of art center VIERNULVIER, which in a previous life was known as the festive hall of the cooperative Vooruit. In Vooruit we listen to an excerpt from Kunst Veredelt (Art Enobles), an audio walk by Katinka de Jonge, Adriënne van der Werf, Leonore Spee and Sascha Bornkamp. After visiting various points of interests, the walk finishes at Kunsthal Gent where Justin Bennett’s performances Blueprint and City of Progress take place.

Friday 16/05/2025, 11-15:30h
Starting Point: Viernulvier
Languages: NL & EN