Still the Rhythm

The AfricaMuseum presents in the AFROPEA space Still the Rhythm, a solo exhibition by sculptor and word artist Dieex Bitegets, running from 2 June 2026 to 30 May 2027. The exhibition brings together two bodies of work: A Cycle Game (2024–2025) and Expressies door het ondergrondse heen (2021-2023). Together, they trace a trajectory of introspection, encounter, and connection. Under the title Still the Rhythm, the works form a single continuous narrative in which rhythm stands for repetition, memory, transformation, and continuity.

A Cycle Game comprises three brightly coloured plaster sculptures created following a research visit to the AfricaMuseum in 2024. The encounter with the collections and archives left a profound mark: sorrow and mistrust mingle with discovery and hope.The works reflect on how the colonial past continues to resonate today, and question how this legacy can be rethought and transformed.

The second part, Expressies door het ondergrondse heen (Expressions through Meditations), consists of ten bronze sculptures emerging from intuition and inner movement. The titles of the works as well as the accompanying poetry collection appear in Dutch, English, Lingala, and Swahili. This multilingualism reflects the layered world in which the artist moves, and the continual shaping of his multiple identities.


AFROPEA is a space for dialogue and encounter within the AfricaMuseum’s permanent display, developed in close cooperation with members of the African diaspora in Belgium. It combines a permanent presentation on Afro descendant communities in Belgium with an annually changing installation by a maker, thinker, or artist. The permanent display tells the story of people of African origin from the sub-Saharan region and Afro descendant communities in Belgium since the sixteenth century - their presence, contributions, and role in society. The name of the gallery pays tribute to the album Adventures in Afropea 1 by the Belgian-Congolese group Zap Mama.

Afropea space, AfricaMuseum

Tarif

Free with admission ticket

Activities

Sunday 7 June 2026 at 2 pm 

Bilingual walkabout (Dutch/French) in the exhibition with the artist Dieex Bitegets. Starting point: the museum reception desk. Free upon presentation of a museum admission ticket.

Sunday 25 October 2026 

Guided tour of the exhibition, followed by a workshop with the artist. You will learn the technique and receive tools to create a personal work using clay and acrylic resin. More information soon.

Info

Dieex Bitegets is the third artist to take up the rotating platform, following Rachel Hansoul in 2023 and Sankara Mutoni in 2025.