Common Ground: Belgium's Most Anticipated Exhibition of Emerging Artists in 2026
In an era where visibility is often mistaken for value, Common Ground (Kortrijk), asserts that the most vital artistic truths often reside in the quiet.
Curated by Nicolaes Devriendt, the exhibition is built not on metrics or digital reach, rather on conviction: the belief that urgency and depth cannot be measured by a follower count on social media. Presented on two locations in Kortrijk, Belgium, over a six week period, the exhibition brings together over twenty artists from across Europe and beyond who prioritize the tangible over the trend.
Several of the participating artists are entirely absent from social media; others operate on its extreme margins. This is a deliberate curatorial choice. Common Ground shifts the focus away from visibility as validation and back toward practice, materiality, and artistic intent. The artists were selected for what their work suggests about where it can go—not where it already circulates.
Silvio Zangarini, Groote Museum, Amsterdam. Jan van Maurik's staircase, 2024 Inkjet print on dibond with plexi
Despite their diverse geographic origins and artistic languages, the artists are connected by a shared grounding: in material, in gesture, in observation, or in lived experience. “Ground” here is understood both literally and metaphorically—as soil, surface, support, and as common reference. It is what artists return to, work against, or build upon.
The exhibition does not propose a single narrative or aesthetic unity. Instead, it creates a space where differences remain intact while still touching. Common Ground is less about consensus than about proximity: about what happens when distinct practices are allowed to meet without being flattened into a theme.
Presented at Larry Gallery, Common Ground reflects the gallery’s ongoing commitment to emerging talent. It reinforces an understanding of contemporary art that values depth, risk, and independence over instant legibility.
Participating Artists :
Wendy Grace, Australia
Daphne Verheijke, The Netherlands
Dr. Gindi, Switzerland`
Maria Husarska, Poland
Sylvia Batycka, Poland/Germany
Dorothea Dejonckheere, The Netherlands
Mieke Jonker, The Netherlands
Dominique Selen, Belgium
Samir Farah, United Kingdom
Kirsty Wain, United Kingdom
Rafael Smet, Czech
Thomas Pucci, Italy
Zofia Iwaszkiewicz, Belgium
Eva Bazhenova, United Kingdom
Marit Otto, The Netherlands
Akshita Lad, India/Dubai
Oscar Rey, Spain
Sara Bervoets, Belgium
Silvio Zangarini, Italy
Katherine Miller, Germany
Bassam Andari, United Kingdom
Sven-Ulrik Beck Burchard, Denmark
Daniel Cuadrado, Spain
Daria Startseva, Switzerland
Riemer Den Ouden, Netherlands
Yosvany Malagon Hernandez, Cuba/Belgium
Exhibition Dates : January 29 - March 15
Locations: Groeningestraat 26, Kortrijk
Koning Leopold I Straat 26, Kortrijk
Main Image: Courtesy Rafael Smet, Bez Nazvu (Archbrutt II) - Mixed Media on Canvas