Atoma Art Center: New contemporary art hub to open in former Forest factory on 7 October

The 5,000m² Atoma Art Center is set to open its doors in a former printing house in Forest on October 7.

It will initially host the visual arts programme of Le Botanique while the music and art institution undergoes renovation work.

Spearheaded by architect Gilles Dehareng and artist Nina Anduiza, the new complex is designed to be a hybrid and collaborative structure that offers a coworking space and workshops.

Following its inauguration, the venue will host exhibitions from Le Botanique’s visual arts department for over a year.

The centre will simultaneously host the 22nd edition of ArtContest, a competition dedicated to young artists who are Belgian or reside in Belgium. Works by the 10 selected artists go on display from 7 October to 22 November. A jury will pick four winners from among them.

Originally built in the 1920s, the factory site is closely connected to the history of the Atoma notebook, an enduring emblem of Belgian design. The stationery item became famous after the Mottart Paper Mills acquired the patent for ring-bound notebooks in 1948. But the industrial heritage site was left vacant when the company relocated to modern premises in Dilbeek.

Photos: ©ATOMA Art Center