Habiter la maison (Living in the house)

And 2026, the Maison des Arts is 200 years old! Three exhibitions evoking “the house”, its public and private spaces, as well as its garden accompany this anniversary. From the end of the 19th century, the house was a precious place for receiving guests. It keeps the trace of the spaces and their functions dedicated to one and the other, according to social class, gender, or age. On the ground floor, social and family relations are played out. A large entrance courtyard allows for asserting the beautiful main facade. A vast hall designed for welcoming guests follows. Then come the small and then the large salon, the dining room for the “grown-ups” and the one for the children. Crystal chandeliers, gilding, and porcelain accompanied the chairs that were a bit stiff for conversation. In the library, books, some vases, and family portraits. Luxury, certainly, but nothing flashy. For the Habiter la maison exhibition, the artists are inspired by the little monsters of the dining room, shake up bourgeois codes, or slip under the living room rug. There wasn't much left of the family furniture in the attics of the Maison des Arts. For this anniversary, the scenography associated some pieces of furniture with the artists' interventions. Two, three armchairs and small tables found at flea markets make the house even more alive for the visitor for the duration of the exhibition. What attachments do we build with the places we inhabit? In the house, all full of smells of cooking and laundry too, the heat, the light, and the air make the curtains tremble. Everyone inhabits it in their own way and feels differently at home, by creating their intimate space. Avec Sébastien Alouf, Benoit Bastin, Priscilla Beccari, Frédéric Biesmans, Jan de Vliegher, Myriam Hornard, Louise Limontas & Antoine Moulinard Partenaires: Patrimoine à Roulettes, Board Game Campus & Art dans l’Espace Public (ArBA-EsA), l’Estaminet1030, Collectif Nomade ON Y VA (SSM Le Méridien), FALC PRACTICAL INFO On the ground floor of the house From 07.03 to 24.05, continue your visit on the 1st floor of the house with the exhibition Sheltered from view which unveils private spaces, opens the doors of bedrooms and service stairs… From 19.09 to 15.11, continue your visit on the 1st floor of the house with the exhibition In the garden which invites dialogues between the interior and the exterior, plants, trees, and living things. EXPO PERIODS 07.03 > 24.05.2026 19.09 > 15.11.2026 Closed on public holidays: 01.05, 14.05, 01.11 & 11.11 VERNISSAGE & GUINGUETTE IN THE GARDEN: 18.09.2026 – 18:00 > 22:00 More info soon Exhibition texts available in FALC Copyright: Benoit Bastin, Welcome to all, 2021. View of the exhibition Le Bureau – Quentin Desmedt, former Italian Consulate, Charleroi