Meet our new colleagues

The Jester team welcomes two new colleagues to Genk: Stefanie De Bakker joins us as production coordinator and Karel Op ‘t Eynde started as assistant curator.

Stefanie De Bakker

"As production coordinator, I actively participate in the development of a qualitative support structure for artists and am committed to the production supervision of the artistic program. With dedication and a listening ear, I will support the artists-in-residence during their process of creation and stay at Jester. I look forward to contributing to the development of this lively arts organization and connecting with our neighbors, the site and the wonderful city of Genk."

Stefanie De Bakker obtained a bachelor's degree in Photography (2021) from the Luca School of Arts in Genk and then a master's degree in Image Thinking (2023) from the PXL-MAD in Hasselt. With a keen interest in collective and participatory creation, in the past she co-initiated several projects with the collective Let's Change, Don't Change and (co-)organized artistic interventions for Cas-co (in the framework of an off-the-grid residency in 2021) and De Serre Hasselt (2022), among others. Previously, she held a role as residency coordinator at Kunstplaats Vonk (2023-2024).

Karel Op 't Eynde

“As assistant curator at Jester, I am committed to the positioning of this organisation as both responsive and connective. I believe in this artistic platform that is porous to its environment—where ideas and stories from inside and outside are allowed to intertwine. I want to contribute to the development of a space where artists, curators, audiences and partners can gather and give meaning to the artistic trajectories developed at Jester.
With their layered histories, Limburg and Genk form a fruitful artistic context and a place where diverse encounters can flourish. By remaining receptive to what unfolds around us, we build an organisation that remains in motion and continuously allows itself to be nourished by the soil on which it is situated.”

Karel Op 't Eynde is a curator and writer based in Brussels (BE). His work mainly focuses on practices of gathering, situated knowledges and learning through doing. Often working collaboratively, his projects intersect curating, writing and publishing. He obtained a master's degree in Design (2023) from LUCA School of Arts in Genk, followed by a postgraduate degree in Curatorial Studies (2024) at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent. In the past, he (co-)curated for Kunsthal Gent (BE), Vleeshal (NL), Het Paviljoen (BE) and Design Museum Brussels (BE). In addition to his role as curator and writer, he is a co-founder of Brussels based art platform CASTOR.