Maïly Beyrens XU aka
YLÏAM (they/them) is a Brussels-based transdisciplinary artist.

YLÏAM is an artist known for poetic, humorous explorations of everyday life through live performance, sound, and collective creation. Their work blends improvisation, music, and visual media—often shared via self-published platforms or co-organized DIY shows with children. With a focus on collaboration, they explore how art meets the public, using sound and space to evoke shared stories. YLÏAM also produces music, designs sound, and works with collectives like VZWEETJE and Amadeo Kollectif to create inclusive, participatory art experiences.

PROJECT / SHOWS / ETC (SELECTED)

2024

• Sonic Playground: A Soundwalk Through the Banyan Plaza, National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), Kaohsiung (TW) – Live sound performance
• Voicemail Blues, COMPLEX BUSINESS Book Launch by Printer Fault Press, WIELS, Brussels (BE) – Live sound performance

2023

•'Reparative Research', Carré, campus Sint-Lucas Gent, LUCA School of Arts, Gent (BE) – Live sound performance

2022

• A Very Theatrical Group Expo, Vroom Space, Brussels (BE) – Visual work
• Ambiguous Skate Nation, Festival SKTWK at Lachmann Gallery, Frankfurt (DE) – Site-specific installation
• MAN MAN CHI, Festival Made In China, Handelsbeurs, Ghent (BE) – Experimental short film

2021

• Room for Improvisation, L’Esprit, Absolventen Group Show, Portikus, Frankfurt Am Main (DE) – Installation and participatory performance
• Entropiano, 404 Page Not Found Groupshow, Harelbeke (BE) – Soundscape installation

2020

• Room For Improvement, Rundgang Städelschule, Frankfurt Am Main (DE) – Soundscape installation

2019

• Menage at GONG, Groupshow at House, Frankfurt Am Main (DE) – Performance, site-specific installation
• McKinzy Groupshow, McKenzie, Frankfurt Am Main (DE) – Performance, site-specific installation
• Translocating To The Immaterial, Pleasure Island, Oostende (BE) – Performance, site-specific installation
• SOMMER, Groupshow at Kunst Im Tunnel, Düsseldorf (DE) – Performance, site-specific installation
• Lockers V3, Curated by Dieo Diez, Bozar, Brussels (BE) – Visual work

2018

• Café Solo, Rundgang Städelschule, Frankfurt Am Main (DE) – Performance, site-specific installation
• Black Garden, Groupshow at L21, Mallorca (ES) – Visual work
• #predictivetextsongs, Collaboration with Stine Sampers for Lowtext, Berlin (DE) – Performance

2017

• Souvenirshop, with Portier, Ghent (BE) – Performance, site-specific installation
• Public Place & Pubic Space, Site-Specific Screening, Ghent (BE) – Video installation
• A Serious Artist Residence, 002, Ghent (BE) – Performance, site-specific installation
• Getting Out of The Paté, KMNM, Kassel (DE) – Video installation

COLLABS/COMMISSIONS
(SELECTED)

2024
• Sound Design for Egolane by Juliet Carpenter (DE) – Created full sound design for the installation, selected for the Auckland Walter Prize.

• Sound Design for Dizzy by Juliet Carpenter (DE) – Complete audio design for the video work.

• Short film premiere – Artistic short film on Albert Yaying Xu premiered during Acoustics Unbound at the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts – Weiwuying. A longer version is in development (2026–2027).

2019 – 2023

• Co-founder of Town, a radio show on Radio X, Frankfurt (DE)

• Artist-educator and director of collaborative art projects with children and youth – Led and developed artistic trajectories combining sound, image, and poetry.

– Artistic director of the pedagogical museum project Animalia at Trainworld (2023)

– Film workshops and recordings with youth for Filemon Youth Film Festival (2022–2023)

– Project leader for Summer Schools in Ghent at De Centrale (2022), Sint-Pietersabdij & Liberas (2023)

– Long- and short-term art education in schools, cultural centers, and museums across Flanders and Brussels, including CC Brugge, Toekoer Festival Hasselt, Permeke Antwerpen, Flagey, WIELS

– Invited artist during Kunstenfestivaldesarts to lead multidisciplinary workshops with children

2017 – 2018
• Illustrator for Al Mudhaybi Survey Project, Goethe University Frankfurt (DE)

2016
• Video Direction for Awkward Moments: A Blooming Attraction – Published on ‘4:3’ by Boiler Room (UK)

• Concept, Animation & Performance for Björn Borg – Space-Inspired Couture Campaign

2015
• Vocalist and performer in the fictional band White Virgins for Belgica, a film by Felix Van Groeningen

LOUCHE (with Charlotte Symoens)

2019
• Detox Smoothie, Invited by Buren, Vooruit, Ghent (BE) – Sound performance
• Kwil Nen Bad en Nen Chauffage, Invited by GROTESK, Plek, Ghent (BE) – Sound performance

2018
• Hotel Insomnia, Groupshow, DeFabriek, Eindhoven (NL) – Sound performance

2017
• 12x20', Kunstroute Waregem, Waregem (BE) – Sound performance
• Regels, Tumult Art Festival, Design Museum, Ghent (BE) – Sound performance
• Cheese Is Life, Choir invited by Gerard Herman for BANG! Festival, Brussels (BE) – Sound performance
• De Heilige Drievuldigheid, Invited by Sarah Zeebroek for BANG! Festival, Brussels (BE) – Sound performance

JURY WORK

2024

• External jury member, LUCA School of Arts, Ghent and Brussels for Educational Media & Art (EMA) and Labo-presentations.

2023

• External jury member, Mixed Media Master Jury, LUCA School of Arts, Ghent and Brussels.

2022

• External jury member, Mixed Media Bachelor Jury, LUCA School of Arts, Ghent and Brussels.

References available upon request.

TALKS / LECTURES/ PRESENTATIONS

2024

• Guest speaker, Breakfast Club, Theaterfestival in De Singel, Antwerp – Discussed children's play as an artistic strategy.
• Lecture on acoustics and spatial engagement, presented during Sonic Playground: A Soundwalk Through the Banyan Plaza, Lecture Hall of National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), Kaohsiung (TW)

2022
• Artist talk, Double Minutes, In de Wildernis, Brussels (BE) – Performative presentation on artistic practice.

PUBLICATIONS / ARTICLES (SELECTED)

2024

• COMPLEX BUSINESS Book Launch, ASS Fair, Palais De Tokyo, Paris (FR)

• "Opgezet Spel", Rekto Verso – Contributed as a panel member, discussing the role of children's play as an artistic strategy during the Breakfast Club session at Theaterfestival in De Singel, Antwerp.

•  “KIT Sommer 2019”, Kunst im Tunnel (Düsseldorf) – Interview featured in the exhibition catalogue of KIT Sommer 2019, exploring artistic approaches and personal practice as part of the group show.

Awards & Honors

2020

• Filigran Preis, Rundgang (Frankfurt)

EDUCATION

2017 • 2020
Fine Arts, Städelschule, Frankfurt Am Main (DE)
Teacher: Willem Derooij

2015 • 2017
Bachelor in Mixed Media, LUCA, Ghent (BE)
Teachers: Esther Venrooy & Roel Kerckhofs