Van wie is de berg? A Century of Digging and Dreaming at ENCI

In 2026, it will be 100 years since ENCI began quarrying the Sint-Pietersberg. The aim of this exhibition is to celebrate and commemorate this milestone through art and heritage. For a century the site was closed to the public, yet it also proved to be a magnet for artists. They gave the factory and its workers a visual identity, a face to protests against mining, and were drawn to the quarry’s extraordinary landscape and the underground secrets of its centuries-old tunnel systems.

In Van wie is the berg?  at Bureau Europa, visitors are taken on a journey through the fascinating history of the area, passing through the collections of local experts and those involved with the site before arriving at visions for the future and unrealised dreams. Through precise observations, the selected artists offer insights into the continuous process of change the area is undergoing, centered around the question: 'Who does the mountain belong to?'

Since the gates gradually began to open in 2016, artists involved in projects such as OVERGANGSZONE, Pioneers and the minor Artistic Research in Situ (ARiS) have mapped and interpreted the area. These artistic and research projects conducted in, around, on and with ENCI, have shown that each stakeholder creates their own vision. From industry to cultural heritage, from untouched nature to recreation: our involvement gives ENCI meaning. The artworks that emerged from these projects will now be exhibited and shared with a wider audience for the first time. An extensive public and educational programme accompanying the exhibition will offer a wider audience the opportunity to discover artistic research, but above all, to explore the wealth of stories held within this remarkable area.

A cluster of twelve of Mounir Eddib's ink drawings are presented in a separate room together with marlowe sculptures by Arjun Das and photography by Krien Clevis. The cluster juxtaposes re-imagined archival materials from the mining histories of Genk and ENCI. The second series of new drawings framed in lead is titled De berg is van zichzelf (2026), a direct response to the central question of this expo: 'The mountain belongs to itself.'

Eddib will also guide a BERG walk together with science historian Ernst Homburg, starting at Bureau Europa, October 18, 2 pm.

Curated by Krien Clevis and Joep Vossebeld

Photographs by Moniek Wegdam