Bozar

Ai Weiwei is often referred to as a ‘Chinese dissident artist’, but how does he see himself, his work, and a life shaped by politics, exile, and art? In his art, Ai Weiwei transforms thousands of discarded refugee life jackets, millions of porcelain seeds, and even buttons and Lego bricks into monuments for the forgotten. Having been shadowed and detained by the Chinese state, he knows better than anyone the true price of artistic freedom. In this episode of Writers & Thinkers Stage, you will hear Ai in conversation with Belgian art historian and curator Chris Dercon, Director General of the Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain in Paris. Together, they talk about fake Lego, subversion, scale and Ai’s personal and artistic motivations. Discover all our podcasts at bozar.be Credits Guest: Ai Weiwei. Interview: Chris Dercon. Co-production original talk: Patrick Derom Gallery. Presentation & editing: Joline Vermeulen. Production & post-production: Seden Anlar. Graphic design: Jonas Mergan. Music: “Broken Circuits” — Telecasted, YouTube Audio Library.

Can a stage or a studio become the place where history is actively rewritten? William Kentridge began his artistic career at the height of the anti-apartheid struggle in his native South Africa. His solo exhibition at Bozar, titled ‘I am not me, the horse is not mine’, offers a comprehensive overview of his work from the early 1980s to the present day, and ranges from drawings, animated films, and sculptures to prints, installations, and videos. Many of these works grew out of his theatre and opera productions – a realm to which he dedicates much of his energy. In this episode from the Writers & Thinker Stage, recorded during a conversation with Chantal Pattyn in September 2026, Kentridge explores the performative and collaborative nature of his practice, in which he allows art to evolve into a space for political inquiry, historical reckoning and poetic transformation. Discover all our podcasts at bozar.be Credits Guest: William Kentridge. Interview: Chantal Pattyn. Presentation & Editing: Joline Vermeulen. Production & post-production: Seden Anlar. Graphic design: Jonas Mergan. Music: “Broken Circuits” — Telecasted, YouTube Audio Library.

How can you understand the whole story, and not just your own part in it? Indian author and activist Arundhati Roy came to Bozar in October 2025 to present Mother Mary Comes to Me, her long-awaited memoir revisiting a life of courageous dissent – a life deeply shaped by her relationship with her mother, the Indian educator and women’s rights activist Mary Roy.    In this episode from the Writers & Thinkers Stage series, joined by Belgian journalist and writer Catherine Vuylsteke, Arundhati Roy recalls her last visit to her mother’s home and reflects on how facing cruelty as a child shaped her voice as a writer – the deeply empathetic novelist she became.  Discover all our podcasts at bozar.be Credits Guest: Arundhati Roy. Interview: Catherine Vuylsteke. Presentation & Editing: Joline Vermeulen. Production & post-production: Seden Anlar. Graphic design: Jonas Mergan. Music: “Broken Circuits” — Telecasted, YouTube Audio Library.

What if the parts of yourself you have been taught to hide actually hold the most power?  In March 2026, Vietnamese American writer Ocean Vuong came to Bozar for a conversation on beauty and ugliness – themes that lay at the heart of our programme that season and run throughout his work. In this episode from the Writers & Thinkers Stage series, sitting down with Belgian writer Saskia de Coster, Vuong explores how queerness can reshape our understanding of beauty – and why embracing what society has taught us to hide can become a source of strength. Discover all our podcasts at bozar.be Credits Guest: Ocean Vuong. Interview: Saskia de Coster. Presentation & Editing: Joline Vermeulen. Production & post-production: Seden Anlar. Graphic design: Jonas Mergan. Music: “Broken Circuits” — Telecasted, YouTube Audio Library.

In this episode of A Portrait of the Artist, multidisciplinary artist Ho Tzu Nyen sits down with Emma Dumartheray, curator at Bozar. They discuss the exhibition P for Power, on which they collaborated, explore Ho Tzu Nyen’s long-term investigation into the plurality of cultural identities and colonial legacies in Southeast Asia, and delve into his many Eastern and Western cultural references – from Hong Kong cinema and TV to the French philosopher Gilles Deleuze.A Portrait of the Artist is an original podcast by Bozar that invites you into intimate encounters with leading figures in visual arts, music, cinema, and performance.Discover all our podcasts on bozar.beCredits:Guest: Ho Tzu Nyen. Interview & presentation: Emma Dumartheray. Editing: Joline Vermeulen. Production & post-production: Seden Anlar. Graphic design: Jonas Mergan. Music: “Broken Circuits” — Telecasted, YouTube Audio Library.