For the first time, the Treasury of the Cathedral opens its doors to contemporary art with the exhibition We whirl through the night and are consumed by fire. A landmark event for the city of Liège, the project reimagines this exceptional heritage site—internationally renowned for its reliquaries and religious masterpieces—as a living platform for artistic experimentation. By bringing contemporary practices into a place historically dedicated to devotion and preservation, the exhibition establishes a powerful tension between past and present, tradition and transformation.

Spanning 1,500 square meters across eleven exhibition rooms, the show brings together 78 Belgian and international artists, including painters, photographers, videographers, and visual artists. More than 130 works are presented in close dialogue with the Treasury’s historic collections, creating unexpected resonances and visual correspondences. Rather than isolating contemporary art from its surroundings, the exhibition allows it to interact directly with sacred objects, architecture, and symbolism, encouraging new readings of both.

Conceived and organized by Espace 251 Nord, the project invites visitors to reconsider the notion of the sacred in today’s world. Through a multisensory and reflective experience, the exhibition explores how spirituality, memory, and ritual can be reinterpreted through contemporary artistic languages. Situated at the intersection of heritage and creation, We whirl through the night and are consumed by fire offers a compelling meditation on belief, transcendence, and the enduring power of art to shape collective meaning.