Power Pile

Periferia festival is a biannual art, design, urban and cultural festival that happens in the outskirts of Brussel: after months of research and activation to develop a program that could emphasize the existing forces while bringing new energies, the process reaches its climax in a week of activities, exhibitions, installation, talks and performances. The festival focuses on our peripheries while offering an entertaining and stimulating festival experience to the visitors.

For this year edition CD developed a project where energies were embraced, absorbed and experienced in different dimensions and declinations.

At the core of the project there is another biomeiler, as it was for the Miracle Mountain, here the big biomass compost heap made of wood chips (70%) and green waste (30%) took the name of “Power Pile”:  in it, matter is transformed and new forces are generated. 

With a post-industrial power plant chimney in the background, steam clouds and hot water become the materialization of a hidden energy that gives rise to discovery, relaxation and fantasy. 

The Power Pile was the “boiler” of the festival, providing fully naturally generated warm water to the kitchen and other festival infrastructures.

A meditation bed on top of the Power Pile, shiatsu massages, hot steam, fountains and hot running water… contributes to a unique experience.

Around the Power Pile several activities and functions took place. 

For the festival and the days before, during its construction, a kitchen and a shower were provided with hot water naturally generated by the Power Pile.

In the days of the festival a real SPA took place, the KOTI sauna + shower, shiatsu massage sessions, recreational and meditation spaces on top and around the biomeiler brought life and dynamics and offered a unique experience to the visitors. In the meanwhile kids and adults found, inspiration, refreshment and fun playing around the water geysers and steam clouds generated by the Power Pile. 

The natural energy trapped in the wood has been released through a constant slow process into heat; what remains is happy faces and fertile soil.

The biomeiler has been assembled in a 3 days intensive workshop for which we would like to thanks: Charlotte, Mathias, Bouba, Thomas, Géraldine, Jan, Ode, Irene, Paul, Simon

The Koti Sauna: The Koti Sauna project aims to offer people from Brussels an authentic sauna experience with the lowest impact possible on the environment. Not only will you be invited to relax but also to spend a pleasant moment with your family, friends and neighbors.

Shiatsu session were offered during the festival by Valentina Shiatsudo

Arie van Ziel of stichting Biomeiler and Stichting Buurtcompost has been our constant technical mentor and joined Periferia festival to explain to the locals the power of thermo-compost.

Visual art by: Charlotte Istat 

Special thanks goes to Jorg, Rob, Teresa, (Periferia team) Alex and Pascal + all the other artists and people involved in the festival