The group exhibition MOThS, curated by Koi Persyn and developed in collaboration with the municipality of Ixelles, as well as the art spaces Komplot and Celador, will take place at the Boondael Chapel in Brussels as a part of the off-programme of Art Brussels 2026.

The project explores the theme of transformation (metamorphosis) through the metaphor of the moth — from caterpillar, through cocoon, to an adult form — as a reflection of creative, existential and social processes. It brings together works by international artists, including Polish artist Agata Ingarden, whose practice intertwines literary, scientific and visual references, creating an immersive environment in which the chapel becomes a symbolic “cocoon” of transformation.

Agata Ingarden’s installation, The Dream House, is centered on a fictional community of “Butterfly People” evolving within a system of control and surveillance. Her sculptures examine the relationships between the body, technology and systems of power, fully aligning with the exhibition’s central narrative.

A sculptor and creator of installations and videos, Agata Ingarden studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and also at the Cooper Union School of Art in New York. She creates objects and installations that combine industrial materials (metals, silicones) with natural elements and materials such as wood, sugar, oyster shells, beeswax and moths preserved in salt. Her complex installations, often made up of multiple elements, are enriched by narrative components in the form of sound and video. Her work can be read as a commentary on the ambiguous relationship between nature and technology in the age of the Anthropocene — or even as a post-apocalyptic vision of a world without humans.

© Archiwum Muzeum Sztuki w Łodzi, photo: HaWa

MOThS with Kim Farkas, Agata Ingarden, Minne Kersten, Vibeke Mascini, Mónica Mays and Chantal van Rijt.

OPENING:
Friday, 17 April, 6–10 pm

EXHIBITION:
18 April – 10 May 2026
Boondael Chapel Art Centre
Square du Vieux Tilleul 10, 1050 Ixelles
more info

PUBLIC PROGRAMME:

Weekly guided tours by Koi Persyn
Every Saturday, 8 pm
Chapel of Boondael – Square du Vieux Tilleul 10, 1050 Ixelles

Artist talks on ‘dreaming’ in collaboration with Komplot
Conversation between Minne Kersten, Agata Ingarden, Natalija Gucheva and Julia Tröscher
Sunday 19 april, 2 pm
celador – Avenue Jef Lambeaux 23, 1060 Saint-Gilles

‘A good night for mothing’ – moth spotting in Bois de la Cambre
Saturday 25 april, 9 pm
Start at Chapel of Boondael 
Square du Vieux Tilleul 10, 1050 Ixelles

Caterpillar and moth collections
Guided visit with ‘Lepidoptera’ collection manager Stefan Kerkhof and Chantal van Rijt
Thursday 30 april, 2 pm
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences
Rue Vautier 29, 1000 Brussels

‘Cine-moth’ – a film-evening
Wednesday 6 april, 8 pm
Komplot – Place du Conseil 4, 1070 Anderlecht