It’s not exactly clear how fireworks were discovered, but it’s likely that they originated in China or in the part of the world where Bangladesh is today. The Chinese used gunpowder – the basis of fireworks – as a weapon, but also to enhance the splendour of religious feasts and rituals. Gwendoline Robin is a Brussels-based artist who has already presented sculptural performances at the Kunstenfestivaldesarts in which her body was connected to the four elements. She is currently devising a new creation offering pyrotechnic interventions in a public space with a group of young people from Schaerbeek. They have joined forces to build fun machines out of paper, plastic and metal, surprising residents with poetic gestures in different places in Schaerbeek. Together they are affirming that after lockdown, these spaces don’t just have a logic of economics and efficiency, but also have an aesthetic and political place in our lives. A place of encounter and wonder where different voices can express themselves and where unexpected gestures are welcomed with curiosity.