Needcompany is delighted to invite you to EXPLO #6: Laugh and Be Gentle to the Unknown. No nostalgia, not just a celebration of a 40th anniversary, but a conversation with the future. The past is the pedestal upon which that future is built.

The title Laugh and Be Gentle to the Unknown references the iconic 2004 production Isabella’s Room. This philosophy revolves around humanity, demands an openness to the unknown, requires a willingness to be lenient, and implies a form of tenderness. Today, Laugh and Be Gentle to the Unknown takes on a more urgent meaning. In an era in which the unknown is frequently met with fear, polarisation, and harshness, Needcompany proposes something radically different: an ethic of gentleness.

For 25 years, Maarten Seghers and Jan Lauwers have formed the artist duo OHNO COOPERATION. They capture their conversations as artists in the absurd video series O.H.N.O.P.O.P.I.C.O.N.O., which serves as the backbone of this EXPLO, together with a diversity of disciplines and generations.

On 7 November, EXPLO #6 will unfold across the different spaces of the Gosset site, featuring live performances, a rich collection of video works presented as a continuous exhibition, a clash of two installations in the stairwell, and a conversation-stage where artists are invited to engage with the video work of curator OHNO Cooperation.

No celebration, just dedication