Gwendolyn Lootens (b. Belgium, 1981) studied visual arts and film in Ghent, Amsterdam and Brussels and has been a resident at WIELS, AIR Antwerp, Nida Art Colony. She exhibited a.o. at CC Strombeek, WIELS project space, Brussels Drawing Week. Her video work was awarded a jury prize at the Punto y Raya film festival in Lisbon. She recently participated in a group exhibition at Gauli Zitter (Brussels) and developed a project ‘you give it a blow and it’s gone’ at Kaap and Mu.ZEE (Ostend). Between 2015 and 2022, Lootens co-founded Cinemaximilian, a socially engaged film platform with and by newcomers in Brussels. During this period, she also made the documentary ‘me miss me’ together with Lubnan Al Wazny from Iraq. Her visual work consists of ‘moments’ (drawings on various sizes) and ‘moving moments’ (video works) as well as ‘situations’ with a performative and participatory dimension. She is developing a living archive with the help of Centre for Art Archives/Muhka and is researching on the notion shared authorship. She is currently artist in residence at CAB foundation in Brussels.

Saif Al-Qaissy (b. Iraq, 1990) studied percussion and singing in Baghdad. In 2015, he came to Belgium where he soon became involved in the work of Cinemaximilian. There, he was part of two big hall productions ‘Egged On by Music’ and ‘Behind me I cast all my scares’. Together with Hussein Rassim, he founded the band Nawaris, and the Babylon trio. He is currently a member of the band Use Knife in collaboration with musicians Stef Heeren and Kwinten Mordijck. He collaborates with choreographer Seppe Baeyens at the dance company Leon. Al-Qaissy focuses mainly on traditional Eastern music and contemporary experimental music, and in his practice he also explores the boundaries of his instrument percussion and singing. He has performed in numerous venues at home and abroad, including Viernulvier Ghent, DeSingel Antwerp, STUK Leuven, AB Brussels, De Grote Post Ostend, Malta Festival Poznan, etc.

Gawan Fagard (b. Belgium1985) studied art history and philosophy and worked at numerous organizations at home and abroad, including Hamburger Bahnhof Berlin, Manifesta9 Genk, Mac’s Grand Hornu and is co-founder of Cinemaximiliaan. He did research at UC Berkeley and obtained a PhD from LMU Munich and VUB. He is currently active as an author, researcher and lecturer at the ULB and RITCS school of arts. In addition, he is setting up a research project together with the universities of Antwerp and Zurich. Gawan Fagard is involved in Gwendolyn’s artistic practice as a sparring partner as well as contextual and technical support.