And the Ultimas go to… pioneering and commitment

How strange that landscape architect Bas Smets received the oeuvre prize at the age of 49, while visual artist Marianne Berenhaut is 90 and has spent a lifetime working on themes such as desire, trauma, memory and absence. Berenhaut, a late discovery, received the Ultima for visual arts. “She shows that art is a basic necessity of life,” said the jury.

Berenhaut was one of the exceptions in this edition of the Ultimas. In many categories the jury opted for a course that was not that long, but was innovative. With his first feature film Augure forced Baloji so much respect that he was immediately awarded the Ultima for film and visual media. Of course, the jury did not notice that he also has a lot of talent as an artist, musician, style icon and actor.

The string orchestra Bryggen (Utima for music) is a relative newcomer. With its repertoire that seeks to connect with Northern European countries, it strikes a highly personal tone. It is praised because it gives new meaning to the traditional concept of the string orchestra.

Also GUM & Botanical Garden is a young player. Nevertheless, it inspires and excels in the museum landscape. It weaves ‘doubt’ through its operation and thus makes the museum a valuable place for social debate. This was awarded the prize for movable and intangible heritage.

Maybe out of place Alexander Vantournhout, with its prize for the performing arts, is also not in this row. At ten years old, he has not been working forever, and yet he has already made progress with his previously unseen movement language. It is a hybrid language that takes place on the border between acrobatics and dance.

Still a young collective Weeds, which received the prize for cultural entrepreneurship. It put itself on the map with the Horst Festival and in 2019 was forced to move to the former military site Asiat in Vilvoorde. They converted it into a new urban hub for creative companies. Weed has been awarded for its pioneering work and its multidisciplinary approach.

Commitment

In addition, a striking number of formations received an award for their commitment. That, among many other merits, was also a motivation for the writing duo Elvis Peeters to give the Ultima for literature. The duo has created a versatile oeuvre, with theater, song lyrics, novels, poetry and youth and children’s literature. “Always modest,” said the jury, “and with consistently high quality.” And always about current and important themes.

Engagement is also the power of vzw Rotor, which delivered inspiring pioneering work for more circular use of building materials (and received the Ultima for architecture for this). His sustained sustainability message testifies to the jury of a great social commitment.

That is also its merit Aya Sabi, who received the emerging talent award at the age of 29. Sabi is a columnist at Mo* and The morning and also literary active. Another young player, The Scheldt Offensive, was awarded the Ultima in the Amateur Arts for his inclusive theater. By his choice for the League for Human Rights the jury for socio-cultural adult work made an almost political choice. In times of climate crisis, increasing inequality, growing extremism, wars, conflicts, disinformation and polarization, human rights are increasingly under pressure. Hence the choice for the League, which also declared its solidarity with the Palestinian people.