Les Îles Mardi
Artists' studios & cooperative in Brussels
Rue Jacques de Lalaing, 1040 Bruxelles
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Run by and for artists, Les Îles Mardi is a creative hub operating on a cooperative model: a platform dedicated to collaboration and horizontal structures. Founded in 2021, Les Îles Mardi has grown to now host 40 creators and multidisciplinary artistic initiatives within a repurposed building in the European Quarter.
Inventory
How it works
Les Îles Mardi is a non-profit organisation (ASBL). It operates internally as a cooperative, following a horizontal governance model with various interconnected groups and roles.
Independent cooperative
Les Îles Mardi has implemented an internal cooperative system within which the association acts as the legal and administrative entity, allowing everyone to work at their own pace with less mental strain. A percentage of all income goes to the association, and profits are spent according to the members’ wishes.
Decision-making
Les Îles Mardi aims to establish tools that promote community life, inclusivity and the welcoming of people from marginalised social groups. The objective of these tools is to enable each member to personally recognise their own cognitive biases, thereby fostering kind exchanges and improving interpersonal behaviour in an equitable manner.
The building
Previously based in Récif (Galerie Récif), Les Îles Mardi moved at the start of 2023 into a vacant building owned by the City of Brussels. Starting from scratch, the members spent many months building their personal and shared spaces using recycled materials. Within the building it occupies, the association is organised in the traditional way, with personal spaces dedicated to each member, ranging from 2 to 8 people. Some spaces are dedicated to the community, such as the kitchen, the terrace, the workshop room, the wood and metal workshop, the tattoo area, the ceramics area and the photography area. Other spaces are a cross between communal and private spaces, such as the print area and the tufting area.