Ontwaking exhibition talk and panel discussion

Ontwaking Exhibition Talk and Panel Discussion

Ontwaking is an intergenerational exhibition in the elwes gallery at the University of Gloucestershire by father and son Stephen and Sam Belinfante. The exhibition probes the difficulties of perceiving history and memory through their respective mediums – Stephen in painting, collage and works on fabric, and Sam through film and sound works.

On Thursday 19 February, Sam Belinfante will present a talk on the research and exploration that the artists have undertaken and will be joined in a panel discussion by Dr Will Large and Prof Andrew Bick, chaired by elwes gallery curator, Sarah Bowden.

The Exhibition Talk and Panel Discussion will take place in Room TC 014 at Park Campus. Please book to secure your place.

The exhibition title Ontwaking (‘awakening’) is taken from an orchestral work by the forgotten Dutch composer Daniël Belinfante, a cousin of Stephen who died in Auschwitz in 1945, just before it was liberated. The score for this work was uncovered by the artists during a research trip to Amsterdam and The Hague, where numerous Belinfantes once lived and worked. Across the family tree are people who not only practiced art and music professionally but used their dexterity to evade capture and support others through acts of resistance.

elwes gallery
Ontwaking
Sam and Stephen Belinfante
Exhibition open: Wednesday 7 January to Thursday 19 February 2026
Launch event: Tuesday 6 January, 5pm-7pm

elwes gallery is situated in the atrium of the Main Reception at Park Campus and is fully accessible. Main Reception is signposted from the main car park and other entrances, https://what3words.com/chop.scare.grin

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