From Charlotte Adigiri and Polis Popole to the Menin Gate Trumpets: These are the winners of the Ultima Cultural Awards

Since 2003, the Flemish government has been handing out cultural prizes to deserving people and organizations every year. Professional juries choose the winners. Winners will receive €10,000 and a monetary prize for visual artist Daan Gielis. This time the award ceremony took place at the Tour en Taxis in Brussels.

The lead bird was actually shot last week. Then the winner Ultima General Cultural Merit, a career award so to speak. It is worth 20,000 euros and goes to the choreographer and dancer Mr. Arab Cherkaoui. The jury praises his “groundbreaking work, open mind, polyphonic approach, and unique, coherent language.”

Here are the other Ultimas winners in alphabetical order:

Willbrook Brass Band It is an orchestra of 35 brass and percussion players, a mix of (semi) professional musicians, conservatory students and a number of amateur musicians. The conductor is Frans Viollet, who founded the band in 1979.

The Willebroek Brass Band is a fixture at the highest level in international competitions, “the ambassador of our culture”, according to the jury. In addition, the band adheres to young musicians. All these projects “make a valuable contribution to the cultural sector and in selflessness are an example for other initiatives”.

WATCH – The Willebroek Brass Band at the 2022 Brass Band Championship:

structural engineer Marie Jose Fan He (° 1950) “Building in the most consistent manner on a range of homes, public spaces, and cultural buildings” for nearly half a century, according to the jury. “She has become a role model for so many young designers, not only because of the timeless qualities of her work, but also because it shows she takes joy in finding the right light, the perfect color combination, or the right kind of wood.”

From the jury report: “In every plan of Marie José Van Hee there is a courtyard or place for a tree.”

An exhibition about the work of Marie José van Hee is on display at DeSingel in Antwerp until May 21. Watch an interview with her here:

Ann Veronica Janssens (1956) An experimental artist doing highly varied spatial work, often with light. “Amazement is always the result,” says the jury. Her work has already been shown in major museums at home and abroad, or at the Venice Biennale.

From the jury report: “The works of Ann Veronica Janssens are as impressive as they are subtle. They make invisible realities visible by ephemeral (ephemeral, ed.) means such as light and fog or unexpected manipulations of primary materials such as glass and steel. They give us images that have never been We’ve seen it before and it sparks experiences we haven’t experienced yet. The sublime is never far away.”

Watch: Anne Veronica Janssens on her work “Medium Pink Turquoise” in the Belgian Senate:

ADM-VZW It is a circus society founded by Jesse Hugh, although he himself suffers from cystic fibrosis. According to the Ultima jury, he is a true master of circus technique with the Chinese mast. “Plus, Huygh is an example for anyone who is struggling with something. He counteracts gravity as a metaphor for combating an illness or any condition that can complicate your life.”

Watch – Jess Hugh with an oxygen bottle in the performance of “A deux mètres”:

Alex Verhast (° 1985) Flanders is perhaps better known abroad for its total digital and interactive installations. According to the jury, “Verhaest creates innovative forms of storytelling and employs a unique visual aesthetic.” She references classic visual culture which she “wonderfully transforms into a contemporary experience of themes such as trauma, family or a sense of belonging”.

Watch: Alex Verhast explains her work at the KIKK Festival in Namur (October 2022):

Angelo Tessens He wrote (1986) several short films and co-starred in the successful films “Girl” and “Close” by Lukas Dhont.

“Angelo Tijssens is an inspiring storyteller, who knows how to make the intimate public and the ‘other’ recognizable. In his work and in the social debate, Tijssens is at once an ambassador of vulnerability and a very vocal advocate for equality, diversity and culture,” the jury report praises.

WATCH – Angelo Tijssens on his new novel “The Edges” at the VRT Boekathon (April 23, 2023):

Writer, painter, poet and artist Van Leeuwen joke (1952) has already won several prestigious awards for its original books. Recent releases include “Initiations” about the childhood years of famous people or the collection of poems “On the Tables”.

The jury thought this worthy of Ultima: “Joke Van Leeuwen challenges readers like no other to look at reality differently. She does so in a way that is funny, poignant, and critical, always finding different ways to renew herself with words and images.”

Joke van Leeuwen, recently chair of the Boon Prize jury, is also a tireless ambassador for broad literature. An important work, according to the jury: “He who begins reading young, reads for the rest of his or her life. Therein lies the power of literature: it expands your world, it challenges you to be creative, it asks for your critical capacity and empathy.” Joke van Leeuwen’s books do this comically, visually, and telling. , and whisper, and snort, and sing. You keep reading it.”

Charlotte Adigiri And Police Popul (Boris Zeebrock) impressed dozens of European festivals with their debut album “Topical Dancer”. According to the Ultima jury, “It can dance intensely and socially critique. It’s stylish electropop full of silliness, fun, and references to pop culture. At the same time, lyrical topics like racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and the role of social media are discussed. This album is particularly layered and has It was created for a high-quality artistic success story that broke international ground.”

From 2004 to 2022, Studio Orka has staged high-level theatrical and animated productions on site, such as “Chasse patate” or “Pied de poule”. A few years ago, Studio Orka received the Culture Award for Children’s and Youth Theatre. And now Ultima Performing Arts goodbye because the band is on hiatus.

The Ultima Jury calls Studio Orka “a bath of warmth in difficult times, a necessary contact between people of different social classes. Studio Orka has colored the memory of Flemish theater like no other and provided it with unforgettable moments.”

Since 1928 they have been stationed faithfully every evening at eight o’clock under the Menin Gate in Ypres: trumpets who give goosebumps to every listener last postAnd To commemorate the dead of World War I (and by extension all war victims). Now they’ve got Ultima for that.

“Each day, the Forerunners selflessly dedicate themselves to preserving the Last Post, which is a very meaningful ritual, with a universal message of peace. It is a legacy that has been enshrined in a memorial to the dead, but passed down and passed down by a vast heritage community, and practically carried on by generations of living people.” Every day. Their commitment, which has lasted for nearly a hundred years, is therefore deserving of all recognition.”

Seneca It is an organization for people with African roots with the aim of the wider community. In 2022, Seneca conducted a major listening survey. More than 400 people with immigrant backgrounds were questioned about their experiences of racism and exclusion. The jury at Ultimas was moved: “by the report”Racism disintegrated“Sanka has made the experience of racism tangible for people from the African diaspora in a way that numbers and data cannot.”

Since there are people and organizations that cannot easily be placed in the Ultimas category, the Audience Award was created.

After two rounds of voting, where the public could vote, the Studio 100 musical “Forget Barbara” won. The musical is a tribute to the work of singer Will Tura.