From 15 July until 31 August 2026, the visual arts and poetry festival Watou takes place in Watou. The artists’ collective Blobotone, Frouke Wiarda (BE/NL), and Judith van der Elst (NL), together with cheesemaker Leen van Zelderen (NL), create and present the ecological exhibition Sonic Cheese and the Taste of the Future: Capturing the Atmospheric Terroir. Visual artist Guy van Belle (BE) serves as an advisor to the project. The exhibition is open to visitors during Watou from 15 July through 31 August 2026. The photo above, Herding in Norway, is by Judith van der Elst. The Blobotone installation is located at The Basement, Studio Artillerie, De Lovie vzw, Krombeekseweg 82, Poperinge, Belgium. On Saturday afternoon, 18 July 2026, the Tasting Event takes place, where the matured cheese can be sampled. All artists, including poet Rozalie Hirs, are present at this event in The Basement of Studio Artillerie. There is also an opportunity for the audience to ask questions.
Especially for this project, Rozalie Hirs has written the poetic text ‘wezens van de kaas’, which she performs live on 19 July 2026 during Watou Live. The poem forms part of both the exhibition catalogue and the special supplement of Poëziekrant dedicated to Watou.
For the 2026 edition of the Arts Festival, the aim is to shape Watou through collectives. Central to this is the diversity and strength of collective creation. In 2024, an open call was launched under the theme “The Smell of Grass is Changing,” representing the adaptation, transformation, and renewal sought in the arts. It invited reflection on our changing world and its impact on creative processes and interactions. More than 250 collectives register, and ultimately over 100 collectives submitted project proposals. In spring 2025, the jury selected seven collectives to participate in the 2026 Arts Festival. The jury consisted of Koen Vanmechelen, Michaël Vandebril, Jelle Van Riet, Loes Vandromme, Bart Lodewijks, Tom Bogaert, Liesbet Billiet, Sara Weyns, Tamara Beheydt, and Danielle van Zuijlen.
Date: 15 July – 31 August 2026
Location: The Basement, Studio Artillerie, De Lovie vzw, Krombeekseweg 82, Poperinge, Belgium
Artists: Frouke Wiarda (BE/NL), Judith van der Elst (NL), Guy van Belle (BE), Leen van Zelderen (NL), Marlanner Kaashuis
Poet: Rozalie Hirs (NL)