“Art is what we make of life, about life, with life, and for life.” – Françoise Schein

“Welcome home”: An Artistic and Community Initiative in Liège

“Welcome home” is an artistic and community project initiated by Manifestations Liégeoises ASBL, in partnership with Inscrire, artist Françoise Schein, and Interra. Born from the desire to create a unique event blending art, culture, and community, its goal is to strengthen the bonds between residents by transforming urban spaces into places of creation and sharing through a participatory artwork and a one-of-a-kind public event.

Workshops: Creativity and Togetherness

As part of the project, Liège residents were invited to participate in creative workshops held in late September at RAVI (Résidences Ateliers Vivegnis International). Guided by Françoise Schein and the Inscrire association, participants collaborated to create four large tablecloths, true works of art symbolizing the city’s diversity and multifaceted identity.

These 8-meter-long tablecloths revolve around two central themes:

• Imaginary Cartography: Featuring a blue flow symbolizing the Meuse River basin that connects France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Texts, landscapes, and drawings intertwine to depict real and imagined visions of the territory.
• Cuisine as a Universal Connection: Recipes from culinary workshops led by Interra were transcribed as flowing text that follows the river’s curves, symbolizing a dialogue between local traditions and external influences, creating a unique visual poetry.

These creations reflect the harmony and richness of local culture while inviting shared reflections on the territory and its people.

The October 5th Event: An Open-Air Ephemeral Home

The artwork was unveiled on October 5th with an artistic installation and performance on Place Xavier Neujean, transformed into a symbolic home for the occasion. This imaginary house, outlined on the ground, featured a dining room, a painted garden, and a large table adorned with the tablecloths created by the participants.

The day was filled with highlights:

• A festive event combining live music, vibrant costumes, and energetic dances.
• A collective and poetic performance conceived by Catherine Wilkin with four participants, where texts recited in multiple languages (Farsi, French, and Lingala) explored themes of identity, liberation, and sharing through metaphors of wall-less homes, resistance, and hope.
• A shared meal celebrating this collective journey in a warm and convivial atmosphere.

This ephemeral home, reflecting the stories and dreams of the residents, provided a welcoming space for connection, symbolizing the shared aspiration of many migrants and locals to find a real or imagined home.

An Event Open to All

The workshops and performance offered a unique opportunity to experience art in public spaces in an accessible and inclusive way, erasing boundaries between public and private realms. The project brought together the people of Liège in a celebratory moment, strengthening community ties and allowing everyone to feel at home in a friendly, open environment.

From an Ephemeral Event to Museum Collections: The Legacy of Collective Art

October 5th marked not only the conclusion of a temporary event but also the beginning of a new chapter for the collective artwork envisioned by Françoise Schein with the residents. This creation transcends its initial event and has now become part of the collections of the Museums of the City of Liège.

It will be exhibited during Aipotu, a major retrospective of Françoise Schein’s work, scheduled for May 2025 at the Grand Curtius. The exhibition will highlight her monumental creations in public spaces, her explorations of human rights and geography, and collaborative projects like this one. The tablecloth made in Liège will take its place among Françoise’s major works, allowing participants to see their contributions integrated into a significant artistic endeavor, continuing the story of this unique collaboration.

ARTIST
Françoise Schein, visual artist and architect, professor at the École Supérieure d’Arts et Médias in Caen/Cherbourg, and founder of the Association Inscrire.

AUTHOR / POET
Catherine Wilkin, author and playwright, contributed to the project with poetic and thought-provoking texts that accompanied the participants’ creations and elevated the final event.

REALIZATION AND PRODUCTION

ASSOCIATION INSCRIRE
Direction
Lohana Schein

Illustrators – Artist’s Assistants
Guillaume Cuisset
Marie Burgraff

Seamstress
Catherine Piqueray

Communication
Constance Léglise

INTERRA
Direction
Collaborators

CITY OF LIÈGE
Direction
Collaborators
Marie Remacle
Angela Cutillo
Erdem Yagan

WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF
Benoît, Olena, Iryna, Mariana, Roberto, Soha, Debora, Jawad, Ahmed, Sanaz, Isabelle, Fady, Justine, Ramin, Yana, Marion, Neda, Viktoria, Sabrina, Bertha, Salwa, Valya, Karla, Fayqa, Sarah, Seyhmus, Grégoire, Kim

“Welcome Home” is a project by the nonprofit organization Les Manifestations Liégeoises and the City of Liège, carried out as part of Connexions Urbaines in partnership with Françoise Schein, the Inscrire Association, the nonprofit Interra, and Gsara. With logistical support from Cripel, the Comptoir des Ressources Créatives, and the Festival de Liège.

With the support of