A Night Called Quest – an ode to queer expression

Delta van Melle

Visual artist Delta van Melle creates experimental work that is both playful and layered. They work physically and intuitively: with fingers, scribbles, and spontaneous gestures. Delta uses materials like glass, wall paint, old drawings, and scoby—the kombucha residue that symbolises growth, containment, and social constructs.

Their practice embraces imperfections and coincidences, exploring themes of queerness and childlike purity. Delta's work challenges traditional boundaries, inviting viewers to engage with the tension between control and chaos.

Nata Mandaria

Writer, performer and socio-cultural worker Nata Mandaria explores themes of femininity, migration and motherhood, drawing on her Georgian roots and upbringing in Limburg. Her work blends personal history with sharp social critique. Nata will unleash a grotesque, dirty and gloriously queer 'vulva party', a language-rich celebration of bodies, rituals and rebellion. Who is in?

<img class="editorial-image-50-left" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61eebcc683107b99137f4423/68766f9ea5c370a061034887_DELTA.avif"/>

<img class="editorial-image-50-right" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61eebcc683107b99137f4423/68766f9e82dc0567e267239f_NATA.avif"/>

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Ju.j.u

Ju.j.u is a dancer and stand-up comedian who boldly blends two worlds that rarely meet. Driven by a passion for queer visibility in comedy, he brings this fierce spirit back into his dance practice. He pushes boundaries by fusing stand-up, dance, and theatre into a singular queer experience; raw, funny, and unapologetically alive.

Sam Hawkes

Sam Hawkes is a contemporary dancer who transforms subtle moments and feelings into improvised movement. She finds a queer space where her emotions are accepted without question and her ideas can unfold freely. Her work invites the audience into a delicate world of vulnerability and fluid expression.

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<img class="editorial-image-50-right" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61eebcc683107b99137f4423/68766f9e4b9eef21db7ca1e8_SAM.avif"/>

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Alexandra Bierlaire

Alexandra Bierlaire is an interdisciplinary dancer and maker working across Europe and the UK. Their solo work investigates the materiality of skin by zooming in on its smallest details, exploring the interplay between the organic and synthetic. Through this, they reveal both contrasts and connections between these worlds. Alexandra looks forward to connecting with other queer artists during A Night Called Quest and sharing in a creative exchange.

Iris Van der Borght & Juliette Volders

Iris and Juliette combine their distinct artistic approaches to explore queer bodies, intimacy, and activism through a vibrant, multidisciplinary lens. Iris brings large-scale, colourful paintings and sculptures, while Juliette contributes intimate textile works and tattoo art. Together, they develop a new visual language that places queer identity at the heart of their creative dialogue, inviting viewers to engage with themes of connection, resistance, and self-expression.

<img class="editorial-image-50-left" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61eebcc683107b99137f4423/68766f9e330bd8799621f323_AlEXANDRA.avif"/>

<img class="editorial-image-50-right" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61eebcc683107b99137f4423/68766f9e93fcd6f7fe33fc99_IRIS.avif"/>

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Ludo Dury

Ludo Dury is a scenographer, lighting designer, maker, and now, performer. Driven by a strong sense of community and collective emancipation, he moves away from individualism. For A Night Called Quest, Ludo will create and present his very first performance, combining dance, spoken word and audiovisual art.

Fanny Wellens & Bobby Benzo Brown

Fanny Wellens and Bobby Benzo Brown are longtime friends who create haunting and surreal visuals together. Their work probes feelings of isolation and the clash between different belief systems and perspectives. Rooted in their queer identities, they draw creative fuel from the art of Robert Gober and the activism of the San Diego Blood Sisters. Their practice invites viewers into immersive worlds that challenge dominant narratives and encourage reflection on social and cultural divides.

<img class="editorial-image-50-left" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61eebcc683107b99137f4423/68766f9e500619050026ed49_LUDO.avif"/>

<img class="editorial-image-50-right" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/61eebcc683107b99137f4423/68766f9ed21c22b35797dcef_FANNY.avif"/>

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Lennon Kors

Lennon Kors is a Dutch songwriter, theatre maker, and performer based in Antwerp. A recent graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp, Lennon moves between music and theatre with a deep focus on vulnerability, queerness, and desire. He transforms into his alter ego King Diana, a hot monarch in a sad kingdom. Inspired by miscommunication, ex-boyfriends and sexcapades, King Diana crafts a dreamy, atmospheric world where longing is a superpower and softness wears a crown. King Diana opens and closes the evening as guide, ghost, and glittering queen of the night.

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<div class="editorial-banner"> <div class=“editorial-credits”> For several years now, Antwerp Queer Arts Festival and De Studio have been organising summer residencies for young queer artists. These residencies respond to the need for a safe space to exchange ideas and experiences, to explore, experiment, and be challenged. Eight projects have been selected for a four-week residency in various cities across Flanders, featuring collective feedback sessions and tailored coaching. Their artistic research culminates in an evening presentation titled A Night Called Quest.<br>@de_studio<br>@antwerpqueerartsfestival<br/>

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