How can we safeguard the liveability of a city? How can we make underutilised or unnoticed sites viable again? How do we approach sustainability and change in a UNESCO-protected setting wherein preservation is central? How can contemporary art and architecture create a new framework for engaging with these issues? These questions guide the Bruges Triennial 2024, now in its fourth edition, posing critical inquiries about resilience and future adaptability in public architecture. Bruges, with its rich history and status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, offers a context where creativity and design merge, creating a fertile ground for this exploration. The Triennial not only highlights this intersection but also situates itself as a significant event for Belgium and the international arts landscape, examining how the city can evolve while respecting its heritage.

After focusing on the fictional idea of the city as a megalopolis in 2015, the metaphor of the Liquid City in 2018, and Bruges between dream and TraumA in 2021, this year’s theme, Spaces of Possibility examines the future of the place, inviting 12 artists and architects from around the world to create sculptural installations that connect street and square, people and animals, residents and passers-by. Each piece serves as a conduit for discussion, examining how public spaces can be repurposed and reimagined to foster a more inclusive and sustainable urban environment.

According to Shendy Gardin and Sevie Tsampalla, curators of the Triennial, people must adopt smarter methods and use resources wisely to prioritise well-being for themselves and the planet. They share, “Spaces of Possibility questions the assumption that things are as they are and suggests that they could be otherwise. It forms a constant bridge between the local context and broader, collective thinking about the city and its potential future, where transformation is not the end goal, but a means that enables mental or spatial change through the transformative power of art and urban architecture.” Their vision is an invitation to explore Bruges' morphology, identifying gaps and providing new interpretations.

The large-scale installations throughout the city offer a glimpse into how we might transform forgotten or underused spaces into vibrant, functional parts of the city. Iván Argote's installation, Who? presents a pair of bronze boots standing on the Speelmansrei canal, appearing as if they belong to a larger statue. This incomplete monument prompts viewers to speculate about its identity, challenging us to consider who has the right to be represented in public spaces. The work invites narratives, questioning visibility and authority in the city's storytelling. By inviting the public to complete the image, Argote’s piece suggests that the city’s identity is shaped by those who inhabit it.

The Tower of Balance by Boonserm Premthada of Bangkok Project Studio, inspired by Bruges' 13th century Belfry, is an 18-metre-high contemporary bell tower made of pine and supported by rough tree trunks. The bronze bell at its centre, which can be rung, captures the "sound of Bruges" and symbolises the city's historical and modern transformations. This installation serves as a new landmark, blending the past and present in a striking, audible manner. It raises questions about how new structures can pay homage to historical ones while serving contemporary functions.

Mariana Castillo Deball's Firesong for the bees, a tree of clay in Sebrechts Park combines stacked ceramic columns and wooden hives, reflecting on the archaeology of beekeeping. This piece reintroduces forgotten iconographies and technologies, emphasising sustainability. Local beekeepers care for the bees and parts of the installation will be donated to them after the Triennial, making it a living, evolving work that supports local ecology. The installation underscores the importance of integrating natural elements into urban planning, promoting biodiversity within city landscapes.

In the garden of the Onzelievevrouw Psychiatric Hospital, Mona Hatoum's Full Swing evokes feelings of instability and displacement. The narrow underground passage and solitary swing create a space of tension, oscillating between restriction and freedom, reflecting Hatoum's interest in systems of discipline and control. This invites introspection, challenging viewers to confront their perceptions of confinement and liberty. It highlights how urban spaces can evoke emotional responses and encourage deeper engagement with the environment.

On Zeebrugge beach, Ivan Morison's Star of the Sea is a voluminous concrete structure that invites exploration. With its cylindrical tubes and modular parts, it echoes the coastal architecture of bunkers and pavilions. This evolving work symbolises time and impermanence, offering a barometer for change. The structure's interaction with natural forces underscores the transient nature of human constructs. It demonstrates how installations can adapt to and reflect the changing environment, emphasising resilience and adaptability.

Norell/Rodhe's Raamland transforms a square in Sint-Obrechtstraat into a community garden constructed from second-hand materials. This living organism changes shape with its environment, reimagining how we use material flows and focusing on revaluation and sustainable architecture. The garden fosters community interaction and sustainable practices, demonstrating how urban spaces can be repurposed and revitalised.

Inspired by Bruges' dense street plan, empty drop by Shingo Masuda + Katsuhisa Otsubo Architects is a geometric, brick-built sculpture in St John’s Hospital Park that subtracts from the ground to create a new space for encounters. Using local materials, it contrasts with the functional city, celebrating emptiness and encouraging gatherings. This installation offers a quiet, contemplative space within the bustling city, inviting new forms of social interaction.

SO–IL's textile installation Common Thread in the garden of the former Capuchin Monastery is inspired by Bruges’ history of lace-making. Made from recycled PET bottles, this high-tech membrane connects spaces and creates a play of light and shadow, revealing new corners of the garden. The installation highlights the interconnectedness of urban spaces and the importance of sustainable materials in modern architecture.

Located in Hof Bladelin's courtyard, Studio Ossidiana's Earthsea Pavilion connects land and sea, history and nature. This cylindrical structure features stacked materials with embedded plants and flowers, transforming over time. It captures Bruges' historical significance and contemporary relevance, blending natural and human-made elements in a harmonious pavilion.

Under the Carpet by Adrien Tirtiaux reveals a hidden link road between St John’s Hospital and Minnewater Clinic. Unearthed fragments invite viewers to reconstruct the infrastructure, adding wildness and mystery to the urban landscape. This installation uncovers forgotten pathways, encouraging exploration and a deeper understanding of the city's layered history. It illustrates how rediscovering and reinterpreting historical elements can enrich contemporary experiences.

In the Stadshallen courtyard, Traumnovelle's The Joyful Apocalypse is a three-storey industrial structure that activates the space, creating a stage for performances and interactions. Made from industrial materials, it redefines the square, encouraging better future use. This installation transforms the courtyard design into a dynamic social hub, bridging past and present through innovative design. It highlights the potential of urban spaces to become vibrant centres of community life.

Sumayya Vally's Grains of Paradise at Minnewater Bridge features blackened pirogues filled with plants and herbs, inspired by the city’s commercial history. This communal platform for exchange references its trading past and invites critical thinking about global connections. The installation serves as a reminder of the city's rich trading heritage while fostering contemporary dialogues about sustainability and cultural exchange. It exemplifies how historical narratives can inform present and future urban development.

In addition to the installations, the triennial also features an extensive public programme, including guided tours, educational packages for schools and families, accessible visitor tools and a calendar of events. Collaborating with cultural partners Cultuurcentrum Brugge, De Republiek | Dertien12, Het Entrepot and Musea Brugge, the showcase delves deeper into its themes through various exhibitions and events.

Recent global crises have brought environmental, housing, work and social issues to the forefront, prompting a new awareness of our interconnectedness and the need for socio-ecological change. This five-month journey positions Bruges as a place for shared imagination, encouraging us to reconsider our relationship with urban spaces.

Bruges Triennial 2024 runs from April 13 - September 1, 2024, in various locations across the city.