In 1977, young artists Jan Janssen and Rudolf Verbesselt squatted in an empty building on Coppenolstraat in Antwerp to use it as a studio and living space. At the initiative of Tordoir, they founded Today’s Place, and the building quickly evolved into an experimental space for exhibitions, a nightclub, and various artistic events. In addition, Today’s Place served as a base for actions both in Antwerp and beyond.
Today’s Place forges connections with still-legendary collectives such as Reindeer Werk (Thom Puckey and Dirk Larsen), Coum Transmissions (Cosey Fanni Tutti and Genesis P-Orridge) from London, and CEAC from Toronto. It also organises performances by Ken McMullen and Bruna Hautman, among others, as well as concerts by The Kids and Stalag 6.
Both Today’s Place‘s audience and approach are radically multidisciplinary: punk, art, fashion, performance, and music converge in a shared escape from institutional frameworks. The combination of youthful energy and resistance results in powerful and engaging projects, involving designers such as Walter Van Beirendonck. However, the explosive energy also creates tensions with the neighbourhood, and in 1978, Today’s Place is closed down following a police raid.
The archive presentation at M HKA offers, for the first time, an overview of Today’s Place‘s most significant projects—videos of performances and photos of exhibitions—complemented by historical printed matter, magazines, and posters.
This project was created in close collaboration with the artist Narcisse Tordoir.
