The DANSE MACABRE story
Lotte, a passionate PhD scientist by day and a dedicated artist by night, has always lived at the intersection of logic and creativity. Her evenings are filled with the vibrant strokes of paint on canvas and the delicate lines of her drawings, contrasting beautifully with the structured nature of her scientific work.
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From the very beginning, Lotte was a vendor as part of a big known dark art market, an event that attracted curious onlookers and vendors alike. However, her experience as a vendor was often frustrating. Despite pouring her heart into her paintings and drawings, most visitors seemed to walk by without giving her art a second glance. Positioned next to vendors selling small, non-artistic items, Lotte's booth seemed almost invisible in comparison. She tried three times, and each time, as the market grew in popularity, more people passed by without truly seeing her work, while paying high booth fees.
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In 2024, tired of blending into the background, Lotte decided it was time to change the narrative. She envisioned a space where art was not just a backdrop but the centerpiece; a place where creative expression could thrive and receive the appreciation it deserved. She wanted to put the focus on the art itself, rather than the art of selling. For Lotte, bigger was not necessarily better; she believed that creating a meaningful, intimate experience would resonate more deeply with visitors. Drawing inspiration from her frustrations, she reached out to fellow artists, sharing her vision of something different: Danse Macabre, an art expo set in the hauntingly beautiful, decaying church of Attenhoven.
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Lotte, hesitant to place the burden of responsibility on anyone else, funded the entire event herself. She wanted the artists to feel free to showcase their work without financial stress, and most importantly, she feared the idea of organizing something grand only for no one to show up. But when the doors opened, people streamed in. They stopped counting when the 200th person entered the church, and Lotte knew her vision had struck a chord. The weekend was a resounding success, filled with art, passion, and community spirit.
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Buoyed by the triumph of the first edition, Lotte knew she wanted to do it again in 2025. However, the financial strain of self-funding an event of that scale was not sustainable. To make it work, she introduced a small fee for participating artists while keeping the event itself free for visitors. In this way, Danse Macabre would continue to be a celebration of art and creativity—a place where artists and enthusiasts could come together, not just to witness art but to truly experience it.