Initiatief ’86 was a large-scale art project by local art associations that denounced the limited presence of Belgian artists on the international art scene.
The flyer Pas de Belges à Paris was a very important initiative by the people behind the organization of Initiative '86. The flyer was distributed at the Paris Biennale, where not a single Belgian artist participated. This was due to the candidates being submitted too late.
Initiatief d’Amis, which took place at the Vooruit arts center (now VIERNULVIER), was entirely run by seven artists. They invited around 45 Belgian artists for an experimental mix of exhibitions, gigs, and performances.
The photo shows the setup of Wilfried Huet's work. These kinds of images beautifully illustrate the atmosphere and collaboration among the artists for this exhibition.
The most alternative—and perhaps most critical—initiative was Antichambre, organized in an abandoned factory on the outskirts of Ghent. The project was conceived as a "multimedia growth process" that centered on community building, freedom, and artistic autonomy. Artists were allowed to present their work without any form of selection. This approach ensured that the number of participating artists continued to grow even during the project. In the press, Antichambre was quickly described as a backlash against (the selection process of) Chambres d'Amis. Although this does not entirely correspond to the intentions of the organizers and participating artists, the exhibition serves as a fine example of institutional critique in Belgium.
This newspaper article, headlined "A guided tour among Professor Hoet's flunkies," approached the initiatives around Chambres d'Amis in a rather derogatory manner—or rather ironically, depending on how you look at it.
