Walter Van Beirendonck designs PLAYGROUND for C-mine

The unique playground Welcome Little Stranger opens on 7 February 2026

On Saturday 7 February 2026, C-mine in Genk will inaugurate PLAYGROUND, a new innovative play space where art and play come together. For this first edition, C-mine collaborates with Walter Van Beirendonck, internationally renowned fashion designer and member of the legendary Antwerp Six. With Welcome Little Stranger, he steps outside the world of fashion to create a playful and artistic environment that invites children to explore, move — and above all — play.

From fashion to play space: Welcome Little Stranger by Walter Van Beirendonck

With PLAYGROUND, C-mine aims to create an innovative physical space that invites people to rethink contemporary forms of play. Artists are invited to design unique play environments that not only stimulate creativity, but also spark the imagination of visitors. Walter Van Beirendonck signs this first edition of PLAYGROUND, entitled Welcome Little Stranger.

Walter Van Beirendonck is known for his strong visual language, colorful shapes, and socially engaged creations. His work often addresses themes of identity, diversity, and fantasy — themes that also run through Welcome Little Stranger.

Van Beirendonck’s project is inspired by the idea of extraterrestrial life and invites children to search for fascination, adventure, fun, and action. Equally, it invites them to search for knowledge, a sense of belonging, beauty, and freedom.

« I wanted to design an environment that encourages children to use their own imagination, without screens or digital distractions. Welcome Little Stranger is about wonder, the joy of discovery, and playing together — without limits. »
— Walter Van Beirendonck

The project is unique. It is the first time Van Beirendonck translates his vision into an interactive play space. In doing so, he pushes not only the boundaries of his own discipline, but also those of what a play space can be: a place that goes beyond a simple playground, where art and play question and stimulate each other.

Emma Ribbens: guide of the PLAYGROUND trajectory, winner of the Henry Van de Velde Award – Young Talent

At the origin of PLAYGROUND is a participatory trajectory during which children (from Genk) were asked about extraterrestrial life and the role of play.

« Children’s imagination is unique and deserves all the space possible. We wanted to involve them in the creative process and create something for and by children. »
— Laurens Mariën, curator PLAY

Playful workshops were organised in which children actively reflected on play and freely shared their ideas. For this, C-mine and Walter Van Beirendonck collaborated with artist and former LUCA School of Arts student Emma Ribbens.

Emma Ribbens is a product designer and social designer, driven by the belief that play is essential to society. Her work explores how play can stimulate imagination, learning, and social connection, while having a positive impact on children and communities. On 27 January 2026, Emma Ribbens received the Young Talent title at the Henry Van de Velde Awards at Bozar.

Excerpt from the jury report: «Emma stands out for her collective approach and the way she mobilises play in her own practice as a lever for social engagement.»

PLAY at C-mine: play as a state of mind

Since 2023, C-mine has been developing projects under its PLAY label that invite young and old to reconnect with play — in a creative, high-quality, and artistic way. The playful summer exhibition Any Way the Wind Blows (2024), which attracted 20,000 visitors, was a major first step. With PLAYGROUND, C-mine continues this vision and further explores play as an artistic practice.

Starting from the idea that play is an essential element of our culture and society — and a fundamental way to understand the world — C-mine does not only want to facilitate play, but also to cultivate it as a true mindset.

From Homo Ludens  to The Playground Project

Throughout history, philosophers, scientists, artists, and designers have drawn inspiration from play and playful life. Playing offers the possibility to transform, to experiment, to follow rules — or even to invent new ones. Play brings people together across generations and borders. This is precisely the energy C-mine wants to activate.

Dutch historian Johan Huizinga played a fundamental role in this thinking. In the 1930s, he introduced the concept of Homo Ludens — the playing human. According to Huizinga, play is not only for children, but is a key pillar of a flourishing society.

The project also draws on key insights from the book The Playground Project by Gabriela Burkhalter (2016), which offers a remarkable overview of artistic playgrounds around the world — from adventure playgrounds in New York to a play structure designed by Isamu Noguchi for the Venice Biennale in 1986. This research shows how play, within the field of art, acts as a radical way to activate space, body, and imagination.

Between the 1950s and 1980s, outdoor playgrounds served as true social laboratories worldwide. This period saw innovative, playful, and educational designs that explored the boundaries between art, design, and play. Artists, landscape designers, architects, and activists sought to offer children the best possible play conditions while reinventing cities and communities.

Over time, increased pressure on urban budgets and safety standards profoundly transformed playground landscapes. From the 1980s onwards, prefabricated structures became the norm and risks were minimised. However, research shows that systematically eliminating risk is not necessarily beneficial for children: it limits their ability to assess danger themselves and reduces essential stimuli for their development.

Today, C-mine aims to revive this mid-20th-century heritage and redefine the play space as a place of artistic experience, participation, and experimentation.

« With PLAYGROUND, Genk once again positions itself as a creative and innovative city. We deliberately invest in places where art and play meet. PLAYGROUND offers Genk a new space that attracts families and schools from across the region, while placing the city on the international stage.»
— Wim Dries, Mayor of Genk

About Walter Van Beirendonck

Walter Van Beirendonck (born in Brecht in 1957) is an iconic figure in Belgian fashion. He is known for his culturally engaged creations, addressing themes such as identity, technology, and environmental awareness. His work strikes a subtle balance between play and provocation, resulting in pieces that are both thoughtful and visually striking. His bold design language embodies the avant-garde spirit of Belgian fashion while asserting a singular voice.

A graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp in 1980, Van Beirendonck is part of the legendary Antwerp Six, alongside Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Dirk Bikkembergs, Marina Yee, and Dirk Van Saene. This group profoundly transformed the fashion world in the 1980s and 1990s. Since 1983, Van Beirendonck has presented his own collections, characterised by a rich blend of art, literature, nature, and ethnic influences. His bright colors, strong graphics, and playful approach make each collection a true statement.

In 2006, he also became head of the prestigious Antwerp Fashion Academy, a position he held until 2022. Since then, he has continued his personal collections and collaborations, including with the brand JBC, for which he designed an accessible children’s collection.

Through his bold, playful, and innovative practice, Walter Van Beirendonck is the ideal partner for this first edition of PLAYGROUND.

Practical Information

Opening: Saturday 7 February 2026
Hours: every day from 10 am to 5 pm (closed on Mondays)
Location: Multipurpose Hall, C-mine, Genk
Tickets: €3 (+12 years) / €6 (-12 years) / €4 (Genk rate – children)
Address: C-mine, C-Mine 10, 3600 Genk

Additional programme

7 February 2026

OPENING

Throughout the day, PLAYGROUND will be festively inaugurated: children can discover the play space and take part in a creative workshop led by Emma Ribbens.

In the evening, the public is invited to a night opening with reception in the Barenzaal. A Q&A with Walter Van Beirendonck and Dominique Nzeyimana is planned. Hantrax will provide the musical atmosphere in PLAYGROUND.

Hours: 10 am – 4 pm and from 7 pm for the evening opening
Location: PLAYGROUND
Access: free, registration required for both day and evening programme

19 February 2026

Clay modelling workshop at Jester

As part of the parallel programme of PLAYGROUND, C-mine encourages quality play moments between children and (grand-)parents. In collaboration with Jester, C-mine organizes an alien clay modelling workshop in Jester’s ceramic studio, for children (4–12 years) and their (grand-)parents.

Hours: 2 pm – 4 pm
Location: Jester (Schachtboklaan 11, 3600 Genk)
Child (4–12): €8
(Grand-)parent / accompanying adult: €8

This ticket also gives access to PLAYGROUND on 19 February, at a time of your choice.

22 February 2026
Low-stimulation morning – last Sunday of the month

Every last Sunday of the month, PLAYGROUND offers a low-stimulation morning. This allows children who are sensitive to stimuli to fully enjoy playing. The aim is to make play calmer, more predictable, and more comfortable: reduced sound volume, dimmed lighting, limited visitor numbers, soothing atmosphere.

Hours: 10 am – 1 pm (3 time slots)
Location: PLAYGROUND

23 February 2026

PLAY TALKS: The importance of play with Emma Ribbens (Studio Ludiek) & Eva Maréchal (Hop Up Playgrounds)

An inspiring conversation between artist and former LUCA School of Arts student Emma Ribbens and anthropologist Eva Maréchal, about their expertise and vision on play. The talk is followed by a short visit to PLAYGROUND.

Emma Ribbens is a product designer and social designer, working within the thinking of Homo Ludens — the playing human. She combines Product Design (LUCA School of Arts) with Child Culture Design (Sweden) and founded Studio Ludiek, a platform dedicated to meaningful play spaces, objects, and research-based projects. She explores how play stimulates imagination, learning, and social connection, with a positive impact on children and communities. In 2017, she won the Wanatoe Award and, more recently, the Henry Van de Velde Award – Young Talent 2026.

Eva Maréchal studied anthropology and philosophy. She is the driving force behind Hop Up Playgrounds and its play philosophy: an innovative concept that sees children as researchers and architects of their own play environments. She worked for 12 years as innovation project manager at Blenders vzw, collaborated with institutions including MAS and Kunst in Zicht, and recently founded PlayLab, a center of expertise dedicated to play, creative practices, and knowledge sharing.

Start: 7:30 pm
Location: CLUB C-mine
Intro: Laurens Mariën (curator PLAY)
Price: €10
Student: €5

1 March 2026
Reading moment in collaboration with the Genk library – first Sunday of the month

In collaboration with the Genk Library, C-mine organises a monthly reading moment for children and (grand-)parents on the reading island in PLAYGROUND. Reading aloud has many positive effects: it stimulates language development and comprehension, strengthens listening skills, and nurtures both concentration and children’s imagination.

Hours: 10 am – 11 am
Location: PLAYGROUND
Price: according to PLAYGROUND entrance fee

21 March 2026
World Down Syndrome Day

C-mine invites children to come and play wearing two different socks!

Children with Down syndrome receive free entry.

24 March 2026
PLAY TALKS : Creative entrepreneurship in play, design, and fashion

In collaboration with C-mine Crib and Flanders DC, C-mine organises a series of inspiring case studies focused on entrepreneurship in the fields of play, design, and fashion.