Marijn Geluykens: Could you briefly introduce yourself? What is your background and specialisation, and what kind of audience do you guide? How long have you been working as a guide at Bozar? 

Maïka Janssens: I studied art history and also obtained a teaching qualification at KU Leuven. Even during my studies, I started working as a guide. I quickly got the taste for it. I have now been working as a guide for eleven years, and for the past two years it has even become my full-time profession. 
I started at Bozar in 2017. It is not only a wonderful place to work, but also very enriching to study each new exhibition every time. In that way, my horizons are continually broadened. Here I guide different audiences through the exhibitions, ranging from children visiting with their school class, to adults learning Dutch, to adults with a strong cultural background. That is also a huge enrichment for me: an eight-year-old child can ask a question that makes me look at things in a completely different way, or an adult can make a connection I had not seenbefore. 

What makes guiding at Bozar so special for you? Is there a moment or reaction from visitors that has always stayed with you or truly surprised you? 

No matter how often it happens, it remains a magical moment when children—and especially teenagers—say: “Have we really been in the exhibition for an hour and a half? It went by soquickly!” Then I know they have enjoyed it and felt at home. I find it extremely important to make these young visitors feel welcome. They are our audience of tomorrow! 

Why, in your opinion, should visitors not miss the exhibition Picture Perfect? What makes it special, and is there a work that really stands out for you? 

What is the “perfect picture”? We are confronted with it at all ages and in all parts of the world. But who sets the rules? This exhibition has made me reflect on the structures of how wethink about and look at the perfect image. There is a great diversity of artists and powerful works in the exhibition, so I think everyone will find a point of connection. 

What really stands out for me are the works of Sandra Lazzarini. Her photographs are so gentle yet so powerful. Her models do not fit into the so-called perfect picture. Whether yourbody has wrinkles or is unshaven, you are allowed to be seen. In an understated way, Sandra gives value to every body. They give me an optimistic feeling about the future. 

Do you have a tip for visitors to get the most out of their visit to Picture Perfect? 

Go to the exhibition with someone so that you can talk and discuss the works and the texts together, because this exhibition encourages reflection and invites you to question structures and ideas that we often take for granted. After your visit, you can even continue the conversation in the Hortahal over a drink.