11.03.2027, 10:00—13:00
Manifest Session with Caroline Dumalin
Workshop: Artistic Statements, improve your writing with Caroline Dumalin
Cas-co invites Caroline Dumalin, curator, writer and former artistic director of MORPHO in Antwerp, to lead a workshop on articulating artistic practice through writing. Caroline previously worked as a curator at WIELS in Brussels and curated IT NEVER SSST, Miet Warlop’s presentation at the Belgian Pavilion of the 2026 Venice Biennale. Drawing on her experience working closely with artists and supporting their development, she brings the Manifest Sessions to Cas-co as a space for reflection, exchange and constructive feedback.
How do you put your artistic practice into words? How can you write about your work in a way that feels personal, precise and true to your artistic intentions? Writing about your own practice is not always easy. Whether you’re preparing an application for a residency or grant, drafting an artist statement or introducing your work to a curator, finding the right words can be challenging.
In this three-hour workshop, Caroline Dumalin invites artists to reflect on how they communicate their practice through writing. Together, we will explore how to develop a distinctive voice, articulate artistic motivations and make visible the questions and ideas that drive your work. There is no single formula for a convincing artist statement or motivation letter. Instead of offering ready-made solutions, the Manifest Sessions create space for collective reading, discussion and constructive feedback.
How does it work?
Participants are invited to submit a recent artist statement or motivation letter in advance (PDF, max 1 A4). Caroline will select excerpts from these texts as a starting point for a collective discussion about what works, what could be strengthened and how writing can better reflect the specificity of each artistic practice.
The session offers an opportunity to look at your writing from a new perspective, exchange experiences with fellow artists and develop greater confidence in communicating your work. Following the workshop, participants are invited to join Cas-co’s artist community for a shared lunch. Places are limited, so advance registration is required.
Practical information
Date: Thursday 11 March 2027
Time: 10:00 – 13:00, followed by lunch
Location: Cas-co, Leuven
Language: English
Participants: Minimum 7, maximum 17 artists
Participation fee: €15 for external participants (free for Cas-co residents)
* Vegetarian lunch included
How to register
Registration deadline: 10 February 2027
Fill in the online form, and upload your current Artistic statement as a PDF (max. 1 A4 page)
The payment details will be emailed to you after registration.
Alexander D'Hiet
BIO
EN
Caroline Dumalin is an art historian, curator and writer. She is the curator of IT NEVER SSST, a performative exhibition by artist Miet Warlop representing Flanders at the Belgian Pavilion at the 2026 Venice Biennale.
Until recently, she was artistic director of MORPHO in Antwerp, a non-profit organisation that supports the development and mobility of artists through local studio projects and international residency exchanges, while advocating for the place of artists in the city.
Previously, she worked as a curator at WIELS in Brussels, where she organised solo exhibitions and publications by Mario García Torres, Hana Miletic, Sophie Podolski and Vincent Meessen, among others, and coordinated the residency programme.
As an independent curator, she organised Endless Express, a public art trail for the Europalia arts festival in 2021 – 2022, featuring new commissions by Che Go Eun, Inas Halabi, Flaka Haliti, Chloé Malcotti, Sophie Nys, Marina Pinsky and Laure Prouvost in and around Belgian railway stations.
She is co-founder and member of the reading group and art space celador in Brussels, and a board member of Jester: an organisation for artistic development and presentation in Genk.
Caroline studied art history at KU Leuven and Université Paris-Sorbonne and completed the Art Criticism & Writing programme at the School of Visual Arts in New York.
NL
Caroline Dumalin is kunsthistoricus, curator en schrijver. Ze is curator van de performatieve tentoonstelling IT NEVER SSST van kunstenaar Miet Warlop, de Vlaamse inzending voor het Belgisch Paviljoen op de Biënnale van Venetië in 2026.
Tot voor kort was ze artistiek directeur van MORPHO in Antwerpen, een non-profitorganisatie die via lokale atelierprojecten en internationale residentie-uitwisselingen de ontwikkeling en mobiliteit van kunstenaars ondersteunt en opkomt voor de plaats van kunstenaars in de stad.
Daarvoor werkte ze als curator bij WIELS in Brussel, waar ze onder andere de solotentoonstellingen en publicaties van Mario García Torres, Hana Miletic, Sophie Podolski en Vincent Meessen maakte en het residentieprogramma coördineerde.
Als onafhankelijk curator organiseerde ze in 2021 – 2022 voor het kunstenfestival Europalia het publieke kunstparcours Endless Express, met nieuwe creaties van Che Go Eun, Inas Halabi, Flaka Haliti, Chloé Malcotti, Sophie Nys, Marina Pinsky en Laure Prouvost in en rond Belgische stations.
Ze is medeoprichter en lid van de leesgroep en kunstruimte celador in Brussel en bestuurslid van de ontwikkel- en presentatieplek Jester in Genk.
Caroline studeerde kunstgeschiedenis aan de KU Leuven en de Université Paris-Sorbonne en volgde de opleiding Art Criticism & Writing aan de School of Visual Arts in New York.
On Thursday, 25 February Caroline Dumalin is also visiting Cas-co for a Talk & Studio visits. Read more here.
The Manifest Sessions are organised as part of Cas-co’s Support programme for artists. Cas-co is supported by the Flemish government and the city of Leuven.