Big Questions

lecture series of the city festival ‘Baroque Influencers’

March-November 2023

2023 will be the year of Baroque Influencers, a city festival of tradition and innovation that will make Antwerp buzz with art and culture. The central question is: Why are and will we remain children of the Baroque? Initiators UCSIA and Antwerp University want to show the influence of the Baroque on the present and highlight the central role the Jesuits played in Antwerp.

The 17th century was decisive for the development of Antwerp and the Low Countries. But it was also a very turbulent period. Religious wars, trade, and the exploration of the newly discovered New World shook the prevailing worldview. Similar to today, citizens faced a lot of uncertainties. Yet they looked to the future full of hope and confidence. Can we find inspiration in the baroque wisdom and solutions of that time? Can their attitude to life give us a foothold in this rapidly changing world? We seek the answer in the lecture series ‘Big Questions’.

The series mirrors our society to that of the Baroque on the basis of four themes: solidarity, religion, education, and (de)colonisation. For each theme, we developed a four-part programme: a historical approach, a contemporary perspective, and two debates. A total of sixteen activities in which we give the floor to experts such as Lea Ypi, Wim Decock, Liz Bucar, Judith Pollmann, Ad Meskens, Ann Dooms, and Manuel Sintubin.

Besides the lectures, there is much more baroque to discover. The festival programme includes exhibitions, concerts and theatre. A city trail will guide you along the most important baroque sites in Antwerp. Be sure to mark the weekend of 22 April in your diary! That’s when we open the central expo with a big party on Conscienceplein. The festival will run from March until November 2023. Discover the programme!

Solidarity

Religion

Education

(De)Colonization