Beyond our walls: Guided tour at Wiels

Registration will open on Friday 31 at 6 pm.

Join us for an exclusive guided tour at Wiels led by the art centre’s director himself, Dirk Snauwaert. “Patuá/Patois”, curated by Fernanda Brenner, is the first major Belgian survey of Paulo Nazareth’s work. Represented by Brussels-based gallery Mendes Wood - our frequent collaborator - Nazareth’s work has been featured in past exhibitions at TheMerode.

The artist’s practice is rooted in radical displacement and movement, such as crossing borders on foot. His work explores the interplay of memory, language, and ritual in communities shaped by Afro-Brazilian, Indigenous, and anti-colonial struggles. Drawing connections between marginalised dialects (patois) and protective amulets (patuá), he investigates how language and objects can serve as tools for survival. The exhibition also engages with Brussels' shifting linguistic landscape and histories of migration.

As a powerful act of resistance, Nazareth has committed not to visit Europe until he has travelled to all African countries, honouring the continent that has deeply influenced his work and identity.