NW is an open house for contemporary art and film on the quays of Aalst. We commission, develop, and present new work through exhibitions, screenings, and public programmes. Working in close dialogue with artists and local communities, the programme is grounded in its immediate context while remaining attentive to wider artistic and social conversations.

Film Focus

04.03-20.05.2026

Varda

Agnès Varda (1928–2019) crafted a singular cinematic language, blending fiction and documentary, the personal and the political, with wit and a rare generosity of vision. Photographer, essayist, and filmmaker, she observed the world with curiosity and empathy, revealing the extraordinary in the everyday. This programme explores key works that make her inventive, deeply humane perspective […]

Lokaal Solidair

On Holding Together

Through Lokaal Solidair, a programme within Lokaal Dendy, NW, together with Diversplus and other partners, solidarity is treated as a shared responsibility, enacted through everyday practices rather than grand gestures. The programme brings together lectures, benefit events, film screenings, and workshops as occasions for connection and small acts of support, alongside ongoing initiatives like a […]

residency

Guy Woueté and WAKA Studio

Building other ways of learning and making

Dendy Sundays

Children's film and brunch

Every last Sunday of the month, NW hosts a children’s film followed by a brunch edition of Kitchen Stories. Prepared collectively in and around the kitchen of NW, the brunch brings together artists, volunteers, and local organisations. What is offered is simple but deliberate: a shared meal that supports the continuation of the programme while […]

Arthouse

NW presents the latest and most remarkable arthouse cinema. Serving as the sole arthouse cinema in the Dender region, our cinema consistently offers thoughtfully co-curated lineup of films.

Exhibitions

Info~Angel

Microhistories about NW, Aalst, and the Dender region

In 1974, the Centre for Societal Renewal is founded in Aalst, later giving rise to NW. The centre brings together organisations and voices that explore alternative ways of shaping society. The Info~Angel working group plays a central role in this. Their name reflects their goal: to provoke and raise awareness, like a bee’s sting. With […]

residency

A Room of Bebe’s Own

A functional replica of the BebeBooks studio as a refuge within NW

residency

NW Bookshop

Thematic book selections compiled by rile*

Film Focus

From Here

Zij die hier zijn, zijn van hier (Walter Swennen). A curated collection of contemporary and classic Belgian film.  

Food programme

Kitchen Stories

Cooking and eating as connection, ritual, and dialogue

During the renovation of NW, the emphasis was on creating a central space for cooking. The open kitchen is a shared space, linked to everything happening in the building and the community in and around NW. The open kitchen brings people together, each with their own story.  In our open kitchen, cooking is a thoughtful […]