Katrien Reist

Katrien Reist – van Gelder is a Brussels-based, curator, researcher, art activist, producer, art-worker, policy advisor and transition coach to both individual artists and art organisations. She is currently co-coordinating the platform State of the Arts (SOTA).

Educated as an artist in the field of ‘public art’ (art in public space), her practice is driven by a deep interest in the systemic relations between art production and the financial – and organisational structures that enable it. Since the mid 90’s, Katrien has researched artist driven and self-managed models, of both art organisations and individual art practices and (local) cultural policy towards the needs of emerging art practice. Katrien is founding member of Jubilee, a platform for artistic research and arp: Brussels and worked as a project coordinator and business manager for a.o. Extra City Kunsthal Antwerp, Institute for Human Activities (Renzo Martens), Netwerk Aalst, iMAL Brussels.

With the 2024 elections on the way, Katrien Reist is currently investigating the notion of the ‘representation’ of the Flemish art field in the political realm. Questioning the legitimacy of the classical organisation of the so-called ‘social partners’, their hierarchical and hegemonic organisation structures, she is interested in reorganising the dynamics of classical representational bodies (i.a. working unions, network and lobby organisations, advisory boards etc.) and restructure them towards more inclusive and participatory forms, that include newly emerged voices and currently informal consultative structures, that need recognition. Aim would be to ameliorate and strengthen the relationship between politics, the governmental/ administrative bodies and the public parties/civil society and repair their relation to daily practices and realities ‘on the workflow’.

Within this focus, Katrien is working on these projects.