VUB arts centre Pilar dedicates eleventh edition of ASAP to grief, rupture and emotional friction

International and Brussels-based artists translate heartbreak into sound, body and image

26/02/2026

From 5 March to 2 April 2026, Pilar, the arts centre of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), presents ASAP HEARTBREAK, the eleventh edition of the festival ASAP (As Slow, Sincere, Steady, Soft As Possible). For one month, national and international artists will present concerts, performances, film and visual art centred on loss, grief and emotional rupture.

With this edition, Pilar shifts the focus from romantic heartbreak to a broader reflection on farewell and vulnerability. How does loss translate into sound, body and image? And how can emotional intensity give rise to new forms of composition and performance? ASAP HEARTBREAK highlights practices in which friction and vulnerability become visible and audible.

In a context where relationships, identity formation and emotional resilience are increasingly part of public debate—particularly among younger generations—the festival explores how heartbreak is not only a personal experience, but also a cultural one. In its role as an arts centre on the VUB campus, Pilar consciously programmes with students and young audiences in mind, without reducing the theme to a single generation.

The festival brings together international and Brussels-based artists from the experimental music and performance scene. The line-up includes Leila Bordreuil, Farida Amadou, Martha Skye Murphy, Bianca Scout, Aho Ssan ft. Asia, and Roxane Métayer & Katya Shirshkova. Their work moves between noise, avant-pop, electroacoustic composition and performative installations.

ASAP HEARTBREAK opens on 5 March with the exhibition All that was left was the ache, in which five artists explore the physical and mental traces of loss. The opening evening will be followed by a communal dinner. The programme also includes contemporary short films and the performance Whispered Dreams (17–18 March) by theatre-maker Fariborz Karimi, presented by Pilar in collaboration with Kaaitheater. The free workshop rage ≠ a luxury emphasises the political dimension of emotion.

Practical info

5 March– 2 April 2026
Pilar – VUB Main Campus
Triomflaan (Campus entrance 6), 1050 Elsene

Full programma: https://pilar.brussels/nl/festival/heartbreak
Tickets per event (reimbursements -26 jaar)

The world needs you

This initiative is part of VUB's public programme, a programme for everyone who believes that scientific knowledge, critical thinking and dialogue are an important first step to create impact in the world.

As an Urban Engaged University, VUB aims to be a driver of change in the world. With our academic edcuational programmes and innovative research, we contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations and to making a difference locally and globally.