Ouest : A Latin American tour for "Urban Legend"

From October 2026, Urban Legend, the exhibition dedicated to the Brussels-based practice Ouest, embarks on an international tour. Its first stop will be the 20th Buenos Aires International Architecture Biennial, followed by a programme of lectures, professional exchanges and academic collaborations in Uruguay and Chile.

Conceived by A+ Architecture in Belgium in partnership with Bozar, with the support of the Architecture Unit of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles and Wallonie-Bruxelles Architectures (WBA), Urban Legend is the fifth exhibition in the monographic series devoted to contemporary Belgian architectural practices.

Argentina | Opening at the Buenos Aires Biennial

From 2 October to 8 November 2026, Urban Legend will be presented at MARQ – Museo de Arquitectura as part of the 20th Buenos Aires International Architecture Biennial.

Through five built and ongoing projects, the exhibition highlights Ouest's approach to the city as a living organism where architecture, culture and society intersect. It offers a reflection on contemporary urban transformation and on the architect's role as both an agent of change and a storyteller.

As part of the Biennial's International Week, Stéphane Damsin will give a lecture on 9 October. Belgian architect of Argentine origin Jorge Slautsky will also contribute to the programme with a lecture on 8 October.

Alongside the exhibition, WBA and the Wallonia-Brussels Representation in Chile will organise a series of professional events with local architectural stakeholders, including a reception at the Residence of Belgium and a programme of professional visits.

The simultaneous presentation of the EUmies Awards 2026 travelling exhibition will further enhance the international visibility of projects from the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles recognised at the European level.

Uruguay | A lecture in Montevideo

The tour will continue in Montevideo, where Stéphane Damsin will give a lecture centred on the publication Urban Legend and the practice of Ouest. Building on the discussions initiated in Buenos Aires, the event will bring together practitioners, academics and students around current questions in architectural practice.

Chile | Building lasting collaborations

The mission will then continue in Chile, in collaboration with Wallonie-Bruxelles International and the Wallonia-Brussels Representation in Chile, with the aim of strengthening academic and professional partnerships in preparation for the 2027 Chilean Architecture Biennial.

A series of lectures and presentations of the Urban Legend publication will be organised at universities in Santiago and Valparaíso.

A workshop led by Stéphane Kervyn (University of Liège) and Stéphane Damsin will also bring together around 160 students from the Universidad Diego Portales to explore contemporary issues of renovation and sustainability.

This programme builds on relationships established with the Chilean architectural scene by photographer Maxime Delvaux, who was invited to the Santiago Biennial in 2025.

By bringing together an exhibition, lectures, professional meetings and academic partnerships, this multi-country Latin American tour reflects the shared strategy developed by Wallonie-Bruxelles Architectures, Wallonie-Bruxelles International and their partners to strengthen the international presence of architecture from the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles within Latin American networks and foster long-term international collaborations.