17 mouvements

In November 2021, Decoratelier was commissioned to design new sports facilities to be built on the Rempart des Moines social housing site. But facilities for whom? And where? Does Brussels really need another weight lifting cage? What about the equipment already installed near block 12? Is that being used? 17 movements seek answers to these questions, first by listening and then by building.

Camille Thiry, from Decoratelier, went there every week with an empty notebook and a handful of questions. Which muscle do you want to work on? What sort of movement do you want to create?

Slowly but surely, equipment started appearing. Monkey bars for Jack’s deltoids. An indoor rowing machine. A skipping rope hidden in a safe to which only Koulako and her friends know the code. Some residents preferred a colourful exercise bike at the entrance to the building, others an invisible tennis ball. A sports coach was able to find a dumbbell suitable for a 9-year-old boy to lift. An occupational therapist and a physiotherapist came up with exercises for knee, shoulder and Achilles’ heel pain.

On the evening of the event Art+People by nuitblanche, Decoratelier thought of sound walks accessible to visitors. Several headphones allowed us to follow the voice of each participant, inviting us to try the different infrastructures.

To consult/listen to the sound walks : click  here 

72dpi_decoratelier-©EnzoSmits
©Enzo Smits

Room by room, a sports hall emerged. No centre, no target group, no average height or muscle mass. 17 Movements spaces have been created by and for specific bodies with specific postures, aspirations and pains.

Concept : Camille Thiry
In collaboration with Jozef Wouters
Builders : Ouassim Boulima, Gato, Kathy Daauud Cali, S., Koulako Barry, Jack, Gina K, Nantènen Barry, Aïssatou Camara, Nadia, El azmani, Reetu Bala, Imran, Hawa Ali Hassan, Sana Douiri, Willem Rys, Vic Van den Bossche, Jan Rymenants, Menno Vandevelde
Photos, design and layout : Enzo Smits
With the close support of Habitat et Rénovation, Logement Bruxellois, JES, Bravvo, and Promo-Jeunes
Financed by the City of Brussels in the framework of nuitblanche.lab with the support of Bruss-it (Vlaamse gemeenschapscommissie)
Thanks to: Mohamed Amaruch, Apolline Vranken, Fatima-Zohra Ait El Mâati, Mathilde Thiry, Cissé Oumou Kourtim, Marie Umuhoza, Julien Bot, Bilal Oulkadi, Alpha Diallo, Ema Tytgat, Carlos Fernandes, Maria, Yassine Azool, Ismaïl Ahadouch, Bouchra Lamsyeh, Barkat Abdoulwahab, Mélanie Musisi

In November 2021, Decoratelier was commissioned to design new sports facilities to be built on the Rempart des Moines social housing site. But facilities for whom? And where? Does Brussels really need another weight lifting cage? What about the equipment already installed near block 12? Is that being used? 17 movements seek answers to these questions, first by listening and then by building.

Camille Thiry, from Decoratelier, went there every week with an empty notebook and a handful of questions. Which muscle do you want to work on? What sort of movement do you want to create?

Slowly but surely, equipment started appearing. Monkey bars for Jack’s deltoids. An indoor rowing machine. A skipping rope hidden in a safe to which only Koulako and her friends know the code. Some residents preferred a colourful exercise bike at the entrance to the building, others an invisible tennis ball. A sports coach was able to find a dumbbell suitable for a 9-year-old boy to lift. An occupational therapist and a physiotherapist came up with exercises for knee, shoulder and Achilles’ heel pain.

72dpi_decoratelier-©EnzoSmits
©Enzo Smits

Room by room, a sports hall emerged. No centre, no target group, no average height or muscle mass. 17 Movements spaces have been created by and for specific bodies with specific postures, aspirations and pains.

 

On the evening of the Art+People by nuitblanche event, Decoratelier designed a series of soundwalks accessible to visitors. Thanks to multiple headsets, we were able to follow the voice of each participant, inviting us to try out the different infrastructures.

To view/listen to the soundwalks: click here 

Press & Media

Concept : Camille Thiry
In collaboration with Jozef Wouters
Builders : Ouassim Boulima, Gato, Kathy Daauud Cali, S., Koulako Barry, Jack, Gina K, Nantènen Barry, Aïssatou Camara, Nadia, El azmani, Reetu Bala, Imran, Hawa Ali Hassan, Sana Douiri, Willem Rys, Vic Van den Bossche, Jan Rymenants, Menno Vandevelde
Photos, design and layout : Enzo Smits
With the close support of Habitat et Rénovation, Logement Bruxellois, JES, Bravvo, and Promo-Jeunes
Financed by the City of Brussels in the framework of nuitblanche.lab with the support of Bruss-it (Vlaamse gemeenschapscommissie)
Thanks to: Mohamed Amaruch, Apolline Vranken, Fatima-Zohra Ait El Mâati, Mathilde Thiry, Cissé Oumou Kourtim, Marie Umuhoza, Julien Bot, Bilal Oulkadi, Alpha Diallo, Ema Tytgat, Carlos Fernandes, Maria, Yassine Azool, Ismaïl Ahadouch, Bouchra Lamsyeh, Barkat Abdoulwahab, Mélanie Musisi