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

an historical perspective
with Wim Decock

Wim Decock

Social Struggles & Solidarity

lecture (in Dutch)
Big Questions of Baroque Influencers
16 March 2023

a contemporary perspective
with Lea Ypi

Lea Ipy

Solidarity, Immigration
& Social Class

lecture
Big Questions of Baroque Influencers
29 March 2023

debate on
microfinancing

Bokaal met geld

Microfinance:
Between Solidarity and Gain

debate (in Dutch)
Big Questions of Baroque Influencers
18 April 2023

debate on solidarity
in the European Union

Frank Vandenbroucke

Solidarity in the European Union

lecture
Big Questions of Baroque Influencers
24 April 2023

Religion

an historical perspective
with Judith Pollmann

dummy-4k

How dangerous is the faith of the other?

lecture (in Dutch)
Big Questions of Baroque Influencers
9 May 2023

a contemporary perspective
with Liz Bucar

Liz Bucar

Why shopping for our spirituality in all corners of the world can be a problem

lecture
Big Questions of Baroque Influencers
3 May 2023

debate on religion
art & inclusion

Lieke Stelling

The Belief in the Joke:
Humour and the Religious Other

lecture (in Dutch)
Big Questions of Baroque Influencers
15 May 2023

debate on
religion & art

May 2023
(date to be confirmed)
More info will be posted soon!

Education

an historical perspective
with Ad Meskens

10 October 2023
More info will be posted soon!

a contemporary perspective
Ann Dooms & Manuel Sintubin

October 2023
(date to be confirmed)
More info will be posted soon!

debate
on education

October 2023
(date to be confirmed)
More info will be posted soon!

debate on
education

October 2023
(date to be confirmed)
More info will be posted soon!

(De)Colonization

an historical perspective
speaker t.b.a.

November 2023
(date to be confirmed)
More info will be posted soon!

a contemporary perspective
speaker t.b.a.

November 2023
(date to be confirmed)
More info will be posted soon!

debate on
(de)colonization

November 2023
(date to be confirmed)
More info will be posted soon!

debate on
(de)colonization

November 2023
(date to be confirmed)
More info will be posted soon!

UCSIA

Prinsstraat 14
B-2000 Antwerpen
info@ucsia.be
Tel. +32 (0)3 265 49 60
Fax +32 (0)3 707 09 31