Be-Part Kortrijk presents a solo exhibition by Belgian artist Joëlle Dubois, an intimate reflection on loss and grief
Rekindling by Joëlle Dubois, from 6 September to 7 December 2025 at Be-Part Kortrijk
Be-Part Kortrijk presents Rekindling by Belgian artist Joëlle Dubois, a selection of key works from private collections, combined with new paintings, drawings, sculptures, and a video installation – her first exploration of the video medium. Dubois delves into a new layer of her practice, where familiar themes are made visible and tangible in new ways.
The title Rekindling refers to the reawakening of emotions, the reigniting of what was on the verge of fading. In this exhibition, Dubois returns to the essence of connection and care – to what remains when memories begin to disappear.
The exhibition connects to a broader narrative Dubois has been developing over several years: an intimate reflection on the loss of her mother to Alzheimer’s disease and the mourning process that followed.
This mother-daughter relationship forms the emotional core of three consecutive solo exhibitions: two at Keteleer Gallery in Antwerp, which represents her, and a third – perhaps the final chapter – at Be-Part in Kortrijk. The first solo, Forget Me Not, emerged in autumn 2022, at a time when Dubois mother's decline was tangible but not yet final. Following her mother’s passing, came From Here On Out – a title that encapsulates the pain of farewell and the search for a new direction. And now there is Rekindling: a reflection, a reliving, a tribute. Three exhibitions, three moments marking milestones in a personal grieving process.
Remarkable is The Memory Machine, a multi-layered video installation created in collaboration with artist/filmmaker Florinda Ciucio. The work is being shown here for the first time and marks a premiere within Joëlle Dubois' oeuvre. This intimate, contemplative installation is deeply rooted in Dubois' personal experience with the fading of her mother's memory due to Alzheimer's.
On the first screen, Dubois performs a series of actions that take on a ritualistic and symbolic meaning. She rings a bell — often associated with rites of passage and remembrance — which here acts as a bridge between presence and absence. She immerses herself in water, a symbol of letting go, transformation, and entering a threshold between the known and the unknown. She reads aloud from her mother’s memory booklet: an intimate gesture that anchors the abstract symbolism in lived experience. The voice, the words, and the act of reading aloud draw attention to memory as something fragile, yet powerful — something that can be passed on, relived, and reinterpreted.
In the final scene, she braids and cuts her hair — a ritual associated in many cultures with mourning, loss, and transformation.
The second screen presents a contrast, showing a continuous stream of images, sometimes sharp, sometimes blurred, like the way memories emerge: fleeting, associative, and fragmentary. Found footage merges with personal recordings from her childhood. Voices, images, and sounds surface like brief moments of recognition.
The viewer is not only invited to observe, but also to feel and to lose themselves in an immersive, non-linear experience.
With Rekindling, Dubois strikes a new tone. The playful colors give way to stillness, while her expression becomes more intense and focused.
Some canvases are built around a single dominant colour, carefully chosen to enhance the emotional undertone. A subdued palette emerges, placing vulnerability at the centre — not as a weakness, but as a source of strength, beauty, and connection.
A new publication on Joëlle Dubois' work will be released alongside the exhibition, published by Hannibal Books.
Joëlle Dubois
Rekindling
Opening: 06 September 2025 at 15 pm
06.09.2025 > 07.12.2025
Be-Part Kortrijk
Korte Kapucijnenstraat
8500 Kortrijk
https://www.be-part.be/en
Curator: Patrick Ronse
About Joëlle Dubois
Joëlle Dubois (b. 1990, Ghent) was originally trained as an illustrator but developed into a versatile artist. Her work is marked by a striking balance between illustration and painting, combining her personal lived experience with influences from classical painting, manga, anime, and popular visual culture.
She gained widespread recognition, also through social media, with her colorful and seemingly accessible paintings. Yet beneath these vibrant surfaces lies a sharp perspective on contemporary humanity, caught in an increasingly individualistic society. Recurring themes in her oeuvre include gender, femininity, sexuality, diversity, and nomophobia – the fear of being disconnected or unreachable.
Recent solo exhibitions include From Here on Out at Keteleer Gallery, Antwerp (2024), Private Parts at Ten Bogaerde Art Space, Koksijde (2023), and Future Nostalgia at NAK Neuer Aachener Kunstverein, Aachen (2023).
Her work has also been shown in group exhibitions such as Healing Fiction at Keteleer Gallery, Antwerp (2025), Painting After Painting at S.M.A.K., Ghent (2025), Love is Louder at Bozar, Brussels (2024), Les Liaisons Désireuses at Castle d’Ursel, Hingene (2024), Wear Sunscreen at Villa Les Zéphyrs, Middelkerke (2024), Close to You at Kunsthalle/Städtische Galerie, Fürth (2024), 5 + 1: Paul Delvaux in Dialogue at Ten Bogaerde Art Space, Koksijde (2024), and Art Düsseldorf with Thomas Rehbein Galerie, Düsseldorf (2024).
About Be-Part
Be-Part is a leading platform for contemporary visual art in South-West Flanders and serves as a laboratory for the creation and presentation of new art in Kortrijk and Waregem.
Be-Part focuses on current national and international visual art, with special attention to interaction with other disciplines. With a varied and innovative program, it reflects recent developments, voices, and socially relevant themes within the art world.
Its operations are built on four core pillars: exhibitions, residencies, educational workshops, and publications. These are strengthened by three horizontal principles: strategic collaborations with artists, collectors, and partners; the expertise gained through over 89 exhibitions and three triennials in Kortrijk; and a strong commitment to fair practice and transparency.
Selection of Images
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