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Ive Stevenheydens
How did you find each other?

Antoinette Jattiot
‘We came together in response to the call by the Federation Wallonia-Brussels and Wallonie-Bruxelles International to represent the Belgian pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2024. However, we also worked together before at the Brussels contemporary art centre ISELP and for an exhibition at the museum for contemporary art S.M.A.K. in Ghent. Our aim is to collectively inhabit the Belgian pavilion, treating it as a part of an ongoing project within a broader series of actions and works.’

Simona Denicolai
‘For us, participating in the Biennale serves as a kind of pretext. What does an event like the Venice Biennial mean in today’s context? And how can we most effectively develop our shared practice from here, as a collective? Participation in a major event like this prompts reflection. For that reason, we don’t consider Venice as a final destination but as a transitional point, which also influences our perspective on it.’

Ive Stevenheydens
Why did you choose this name for your collective?

Pierre Huyghebaert
‘Our name emerged from initial discussions and contemplations about giants as a collective. The phrase embodies a reversal of sorts. Specifically, “petticoat” refers back to American history, when it was normal for men in power to wear skirts. So, in a way, it is both masculine and feminine. In France, for instance, we found the male giant Edgar l’motard who originates from the notably masculine community of Steenvoorde. This region was historically rife with smuggling activities, and according to legend, Edgar would smuggle tobacco across the border between France and Belgium in the fuel tank of his motorbike. Edgar is quite a masculine figure, but he also wears a skirt. As for the second part of our name, it should not be taken literally; we are not an actual government. We don’t seek to represent a specific country, even though we will occupy the Belgian pavilion.’

Ive Stevenheydens
What do you find so interesting about the figure of the giant?

Sophie Boiron
‘The figure of the giant allows us to explore diverse opinions and themes which are pertinent to Belgium. Giants are universally recognised figures, making them a powerful symbol for connecting different communities and transcending national borders. For this project, we plan to embark on a train journey across the Alps and host a big picnic with the giants in March. Upon arrival in Venice, weather permitting, our aim is to make a grand entrance with the giants arriving by boat, like a spectacular parade.’

Simona Denicolai
‘For us, the giants symbolise the resilience of local communities resisting the prevailing delusion of the day. Simultaneously, they carry a universal significance, narrating stories on a global scale that resonate with issues that concern us all. We explore how groups of people organise themselves around their giants. So our focus is not necessarily on the giants themselves, but on the communities and narratives they embody.’

Valentin Bollaert
‘We are collaborating with géantologue Tristan Sadones, an expert in giant lore. Some 16,000 giants exist around the world, with the majority originating from Europe. They often represent defiance or extraordinariness, not necessarily in a supernatural way, but rather diverging from social norms. As protest symbols, giants serve as a universal medium. In Venice, amidst the national pavilions, this truth resonates powerfully.’

Ive Stevenheydens
For this project, you are taking seven giants on a journey: Akerbeltz from Spain, Babette and Edgar l’motard from France and Dame Nuje Patat, Erasmus, Julia and Mettekoe from Belgium. How did you find and choose these giants?

Antoinette Jattiot
‘In Belgium alone, there are approximately 2,500 giants, brought to life as large puppets by different communities. Sadones helped us a lot with locating them. Some of these giants lead seemingly ordinary lives, participating in events such as marriages, divorces and baptisms, but that’s a tale for another time. Our primary focus was finding active giants who embody a political viewpoint or narrative. Our first criterion was that the giant must represent a community and embody its stories and struggles, which we aim to share with the audience at the Biennale. The second criterion is more technical: The giants must be in good condition. After all, they have to be able to travel. A third question was which giants resonate with us as a collective of artists and thinkers. For us it was crucial to feel a personal connection with them. The aesthetic aspect was not a criterion, by the way, we abandoned that pretty early on!’

Simona Denicolai
‘The intrinsic story of the giants is also important. For instance, we already mentioned Edgar l’motard, the giant who smuggles tobacco. Another example is Babette, inspired by a French textile worker and women’s rights advocate, who passed away during the Covid-19 pandemic. The giant Erasmus, on the other hand, is of course inspired by the important, humanist Renaissance figure, while Mettekoe, the orangutan giant, raises funds to save monkeys in Borneo. Interestingly, a country with many giants is Italy. However, here most of them have a religious significance, which we found less interesting for this particular project.’

Valentin Bollaert
‘Those religious giants often don’t fully embody the communal or folkloric notions that we are interested in. Our aim, instead, is to highlight popular culture as a distinct and autonomous means of governance.’

Ive Stevenheydens
What will the exhibition at the Belgian pavilion look like?

Pierre Huyghebaert
‘We discussed the project a lot with Stephen Wright, an art critic and programme director at the Collège international de philosophie in Paris and professor of philosophy at the École Supérieure des Beaux Arts de Toulon. Wright sees giants as large bodies that are simultaneously brimming with narratives yet physically hollow. They are repositories of stories but literally empty inside, as they require a human occupant to animate them. This thought inspired the design of the pavilion itself, which metaphorically can also be considered a large body. The giants will be exhibited on a platform that visitors can walk around and under. Additionally, in collaboration with the curatorial programmes of two art academies, KASK in Ghent and ARBA in Brussels, students will present various narratives around the giants, engaging with visitors to create a dynamic, interactive atmosphere. The exhibition will also include videos and materials documenting the journey with the giants. In a separate room, a large curtain pierced with thousands of holes will hang, mimicking the perspective of the people that animate the giants from within. This curtain previously served as a flag in Leuven in December 2023 and was also used as a picnic blanket during our meeting in the Alps in March. Finally, the pavilion features a large bench, an intermediate space where visitors can rest and discuss. It serves as a kind of counterpoint to the festive atmosphere typically associated with the Biennale, offering a moment of rest and contemplation.’

Simona Denicolai
‘We are also producing a sixteen-page newspaper, to be printed in Padua, one of the stops on our journey, using the same printing presses that produce the widely-read Italian sports newspaper, Gazzetta Dello Sport. Our journal de salle mimics the large format and pink colour of the Gazzetta. Inside, readers can find articles detailing the various chapters of our journey with the giants as well as a map illustrating our expedition’s route.’

Ive Stevenheydens
The exhibition will travel on to museums BPS22 in Charleroi and Frac Grand Large in Dunkirk in 2025. What else happens after Venice?

Simona Denicolai
‘We’re not certain about our plans beyond 2025. However, in Charleroi, we’re planning to organise a symposium and a ball, accompanied by a poster-campaign in the city. In Dunkirk, we may participate in a festival, but we might also host our own party. Whether we can take all seven giants along for the ride is, however, still uncertain; that’s a task for the future.’