In Desire Lines, artist Maarten De Vrieze looks at the cultivated landscape. In conversation with residents and passers-by, he discovers what often remains invisible: walking lines that tell us something about how we experience shared spaces. During EUROPALIA TRAINS & TRACKS, De Vrieze examines Desire lines that depart from Terminus Ronse. Railway line 86, which once connected De Pinte and Basècles, now has its terminus there. Although the steel rails have disappeared, there are people who have reclaimed the tracks. Several of the paths originate from a search for an alternative route in daily life, others are part of a larger network of walking routes or fulfil various functions. Railway line 86 has long since been suspended, so, over time, these alternative paths have been cut off from each other by impenetrable brambles. Yet these paths have a shared past that runs through the landscape like a line. Desire Lines / Terminus Ronse culminates in a number of walking performances on the suspended railway line 86. In an exhibition at the station's former ticket office, De Vrieze shares his process in Ronse and his earlier experiences with Desire lines with the audience.

Walks: 08 04 22 - 10 04 22
Open studio: 01 03 22 - 10 04 22

Trained as an electro-mechanic and independent designer, Maarten De Vrieze worked in factories and travelled the world by bicycle before becoming an artist. He then studied autonomous design at KASK Ghent and worked with various artists and collectives such as Cão & Xilogravura, Karl Van Welden, Haider Al Timimi and LucindaRa. His work has been shown at Vooruit, Kaap and Kaaitheater and includes documentary films, interventions in public spaces, exhibitions and scenography.

Credits
Production: EUROPALIA TRAINS & TRACKS et CC De Ververij Ronse