In The Absence of Bombs – Art, War and Silence – 9 February 2026 – Toneelhuis, Antwerp

De Groene Waterman, Toneelhuis, ARIA and Valiz present the book IN THE ABSENCE OF BOMBS – ART, WAR AND SILENCE 

(Eds. Pascal Gielen & Bahia Shehab – Valiz)

What happens when violence unfolds before our eyes, yet language fails us? When political, academic and cultural institutions fall silent? When even committed artists begin to hesitate at the mention of war?

During ‘Aan Tafel: In the Absence of Bombs’, we pause to listen to that silence.

At a time when horror is broadcast live and apathy becomes normalised, we reflect on how paralysis sets in, and how art may still open spaces for recognition, mourning and resistance.

An evening of performances, artistic interventions and conversation with, among others: Yousra Benfquih (poet and jurist), Inge Vranken (journalist, VRT), Thomas Verstraeten (artist and theatre maker, FC Bergman), Laurence Petrone (artist), moderated by Inge Henneman (curator, professor Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp)

Together, we explore how poetry, the visual arts, theatre and film can disrupt the spectacle of shock and the dehumanising logic of bureaucracy. How grief might become a collective and political force, rather than a solitary void.

Practical

• When: Monday, 9 February 2026, 5.30 pm 
• Where: Toneelhuis, Antwerp
• Info & tickets