Koi Persyn has been appointed artistic director
It is with great pleasure that MORPHO introduces its new artistic director, Koi Persyn!
Koi started at MORPHO on the 1st of July, 2026. Working closely with general director Claïs Lemmens Boon, he will lead a team of five, shape the artistic programme for the coming years, further consolidate the organisation’s position within the Flemish cultural landscape, and identify new ways to support artists in the city and beyond.
Koi Persyn obtained his Master’s degree in Fine Arts and a postgraduate in Curatorial Studies at KASK in Ghent. He was previously artistic director at Jester in Genk, project coordinator at Cas-co in Leuven, and co-director at Komplot in Brussels. He is a founding member and co-curator of Publiek Park and a member of the curatorial collective celador in Brussels. In addition, Koi has taught at various art colleges, contributed to publications and served as a member of committees and juries.
Koi says: ‘I am incredibly excited to take on this new role at MORPHO, side by side with my new colleagues. Artists are at the heart of the organisation, and we are committed every day to strengthening their position in the city and its wider society. I look forward to carrying this mission forward and, together with the team, bringing the studio community and residency programme into a new chapter.
A studio or residency creates an essential and open context for artists to slow down, wander, and explore. I see this space for development as a fertile ground for artistic practices. This, for me, is where the strength of MORPHO lies - it supports artists in these processes while also cultivating a thriving ecosystem of ideas and perspectives, reaching across borders while remaining deeply rooted in Antwerp. When artists and residents from all corners of the world meet and challenge one another, new cross-pollinations emerge, allowing artistic work to flourish further.
I am immensely grateful to the team, the members of the board and my predecessors for the trust and hard work with which they have helped shape MORPHO. I cannot wait to discover together with them how the organisation, just like the MORPHO butterfly, can continue to transform, emerge and take flight.’
Petra Van Brabandt, president of MORPHO’s board of directors, adds: ‘The board is delighted that Koi Persyn is joining the MORPHO team. With his experience, enthusiasm and caring approach, we have every confidence in the journey we will take together. There will be no gentle landing: with the support of general director Claïs Lemmens Boon, Koi will be getting straight to work on the application that needs to be submitted to the Flemish Government in December. With great curiosity we are looking forward to seeing the focus he will bring and the new plans that will take shape. We wish Koi every success and, above all, lots of enjoyment in this new role.’
We would like to express our sincere thanks to former artistic director Caroline Dumalin for her strong vision, which has shaped MORPHO and from which many artists have benefited. Thanks to her enthusiasm and drive, MORPHO’s residency programme was put on the map both in Belgium and abroad, and we were able to adopt a more focused approach to our studio policy. We wish her every success in what promises to be an extraordinarily future.