Der Unternehmer, das Dorf und die Künstler

International congress ‘Day of the Insects’ – from crisis to action – on April 23, 2026 in the University Hall of KU Leuven

Evening program on April 22 at STUK – Naamsestraat

EVERYONE WELCOME, no reservation required
Free for participants of the Day of the Insects congress (April 23) and for ‘non-registered’ attendees (they can make a voluntary contribution on site).

PROGRAMME - STUK

18.00u – 18.10u - WELCOME by Bert Cornillie, alderman for culture

18.10u – 19.30u - FILM SCREENING

19.30u – 20.15u - TALK with:

- Tine Hens (Belgian historian, journalist, and author best known for her sharp and accessible work on the climate and biodiversity crisis.

- Prof. Harald Welzer (one of the most influential German social critics and social psychologists, with a strong reputation as a systems thinker, futurist, and public intellectual),

- the Riklin brothers (The Riklin brothers – Frank and Patrik Riklin – are Swiss conceptual artists from St. Gallen who aim to spark societal imagination and transition through provocative, participatory art projects. They use art as a lever to pull people, institutions, and politics out of their routines and make new forms of coexistence conceivable) from Switzerland.

The moderator is Dr. Reckhaus (Dr. Hans-Dietrich Reckhaus is a German entrepreneur and biocide producer who became known as the founder of INSECT RESPECT, an initiative that advocates for a new, respectful approach to insects.)

Following CLOSING RECEPTION at STUKcafé

ABOUT THE FILM:

The Entrepreneur, the Village, and the Artists
A film by Marcelo Busse and Julia Suermondt

An entrepreneur and two conceptual artists plan an action of a slightly different kind in Deppendorf. A tasteless publicity stunt? Instrumentalization?

Or the compelling power of art? Whatever the case, the controversial idea provides

a sense of purpose and community spirit. But at some point, all the fun ends...

In 2012, Swiss artists Frank and Patrik Riklin, together with insecticide manufacturer Hans-Dietrich Reckhaus from Bielefeld, meticulously planned and documented their joint art action “Saving Flies in Deppendorf,” actually to make a film themselves. Nothing came of it, and now the material has been lying unused for ten years. Filmmakers Marcelo Busse and Julia Suermondt were surprised and fascinated by the footage. Their idea was to portray the story in all its ambivalence, absurdity, but also humanity, rather than their own interpretation, without judging or taking sides. And so, alongside a crazy story, the film also tells the story of how the found footage was handled.

The action subsequently inspired Hans-Dietrich Reckhaus to implement a corporate change that continues to this day, and to the counter-movement “Save instead of kill”.

With their ‘Atelier für Sonderaufgaben’ (studio for special assignments), Frank and Patrik Riklin continue to initiate transformation processes for society and the environment in the most unusual and surprising way possible – in their own words: “breaking open existing systems to let others escape”.