„ARBO-REAL DREAMS: The Breathing City”

As a proposed Satellite Event for the 2026 NEB Festival, „Arboreal Dreams: The Breathing City” is an exhibition and educational project organized by the Gallery of Katarzyna Napiorkowska in Brussels, running from June 9 to June 13, 2026.

The Visionary Inspiration
The project is a tribute to the late, world-renowned Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz. In 1991, she proposed a radical urban concept for the La Défense district in Paris called „Arboreal Architecture.” Instead of traditional glass and steel skyscrapers, Abakanowicz envisioned gigantic, organic, tree-like buildings covered in vegetation. Her goal was to humanize the concrete desert of modern cities. While her idea was viewed as a surreal utopia in the 1990s, the current climate crisis has turned her vision into an urgent necessity.

How the Project Embodies NEB Values
The exhibition perfectly aligns with the core triangle of the New European Bauhaus:

Beautiful: It celebrates the raw, tactile, and sculptural aesthetics of natural fibers and living plants over sterile industrial surfaces.

Sustainable: The concept promotes biomimicry, vertical gardens, and cooling urban heat islands. Furthermore, the exhibition itself rejects energy-intensive, high-tech displays in favor of passive, low-tech craftsmanship to minimize its carbon footprint.

Together (Inclusive): The project rethinks the city as a shared ecosystem rather than a „machine for living.” The exhibition will be free, fully wheelchair accessible, and designed as a quiet, low-stimulation environment to welcome neurodivergent individuals. It also bridges cultural gaps by showcasing a Polish artist in the heart of Brussels.

The New European Bauhaus (NEB) Festival 2026

The New European Bauhaus is a creative and interdisciplinary initiative by the European Commission that connects the European Green Deal to our living spaces and experiences. It calls on all Europeans to imagine and build together a sustainable and inclusive future that is beautiful for our eyes, minds, and souls.

The upcoming third edition of the NEB Festival, scheduled for June 9–13, 2026, will focus heavily on the transformative power of democratic engagement. It aims to highlight how citizens and local authorities can shape more inclusive and sustainable communities, with a particular focus on affordable housing. The core vision of the 2026 Festival is to reimagine our built environment by adopting a human-centric approach: „first life, then spaces, and only then buildings.”

The festival operates on three main pillars:

Forum: Debating and exchanging views.

Fair: Showcasing projects and prototypes that reflect NEB values.

Fest: A cultural celebration bringing together art, conviviality, and innovative ideas.

ARBO-REAL DREAMS: The Breathing City

MAGDALENA ABAKANOWICZ REVISITED

Gallery of Katarzyna Napiorkowska
Mont des Arts 8, Brussels
June 9 to June 13, 2026.