The Neverending Park

Museum Hof van Busleyden - 6 December 2019 to 13 September 2020

For two years, the theatre company ARSENAAL/LAZARUS and Museum Hof van Busleyden gathered ideas from the people of Mechelen for a better city. As part of the De Grond der Dingen project, every resident was given one square metre with which to come together and shape the future city. The proposals were negotiated, discussed and weighed with the people of Mechelen. The city of Mechelen promised to provide 20,000 m² of land to realise a selection of these ideas from 2021 onwards.

The Neverending Park was a participatory project designed as a unique Park, an artificial biotope beneath the grounds of Museum Hof van Busleyden, where conversation and discussion were central. The park was designed by Decoratelier Jozef Wouters in collaboration with Barry Ahmad Talib. Benjamin Verdonck created around eighty proposals in the form of models.

Many activities took place in The Neverending Park, from lunch lectures to discussion evenings, panel conversations and workshops. From 2 July to 30 August 2020, artist Benoît van Innis's lockdown drawings were on display under the name Instant Light.

During the closing weekend on 12 and 13 September 2020, insights from the learning process were formulated and clusters were formed. Recommendations and questions were handed over to the city government. The conclusion of The Neverending Park marked a new phase in the De Grond der Dingen project.

Ultima For Local Cultural Policy

In 2019, the De Grond Der Dingen project received an Ultima, the cultural award of the Flemish Community, in the category of Local Cultural Policy. The jury praised the creation of this city project in close collaboration with city services, social and cultural partners, organisations and associations.