7 things to do in Belgium this week, from mini art fairs in Antwerp and the revival of an iconic venue in Leuven to feminist festivals in Brussels and boundary-breaking painting in Ghent. See you there!
Contemporary dance: A Very Eye at Brigittines
From 4 to 8 October, 20h00 Brussels
“A Very Eye”, on view at Les Brigittines located in a transformed church, was thought up by Angela Rabaglio and Micaël Florentz. Their pieces explore the relationship between agitated matter, moving bodies, and the spaces they occupy. Here, six performers share the stage, playing with unpredictability, unconscious reflexes, rhythms, glances, clashes – interactions that intertwine and unravel.
Drawing fair: Art on Paper at Vanderborght Building
From 6 to 9 October Brussels
Art on Paper has a new home: This 7th edition will take place in the center of Brussels, in the spacious Vanderborght building. Bringing together 45 homegrown and international galleries such as Ghent’s Tatjana Pieters, Milan’s The Pool NYC or Kitai gallery from Tokyo, it shines a light on the sometimes overlooked genre of contemporary drawing by exhibiting all facets of the practice as well as an interesting talks program.
Studio Stuk at Manhattan
From 26 September to 12 November Leuven
While Leuven’s STUK is undergoing renovations, it’s finding a new temporary home in the former iconic club and television studio Manhattan – a hotspot back in the 80s that welcomed Marvin Gaye, the Village People, and the likes. This fall, you can roam the historic walls on the occasions of concerts, exhibitions, DJ sets and more. This week’s highlights: A hip hop festival, and a critical examination of Filipino beauty contests.
Exhibition: Lisa Vlaemminck at Kiosk
Runs until 27 November Ghent
“Morph Allure” at Kiosk in Ghent presents a series of new paintings as well as a 60-meter-long textile sculpture invading various rooms of the exhibition space by Brussels artist Lisa Vlaemminck. The KASK graduate bends the boundaries of painting, expanding it far beyond the canvas. Her vibrating, sensual universe includes scientific imagery as well as references to food, plants, animals, and artifacts.
Tashweesh Festival at Beursschouwburg
Until Saturday, 8 October Brussels
Tashweesh (Arabic for murmur) festival is the result of a partnership between Beursschouwburg and Goethe-Institut in Brussels, L’Art Rue in Tunis, and Tanzquartier in Vienna. It brings together a multitude of feminist voices from Southwest Asia, North Africa and Europe, to come together, speak up, and perform in all three countries. This week in Brussels: a performance by Parvin Saljoughi dealing with the impact displacement has on one’s body and memory, and more.
Fair: The Galleries Show 2 at Winkelcentrum Oudaan
From 6 to 9 October Antwerp
Eight galleries from Belgium, Germany, Poland, Italy, and Romania team up for a mini art fair in a former gym in Antwerp, an unlikely venue that’s part of 1970’s storefront shopping mall shaped after a beehive. The project is a result of post-Covid considerations: How do galleries and art spaces find new balances between local events and reaching larger audiences? What are current needs and how can these be addressed by existing presentation and support structures?
Cinema: Korean Film Festival
From 29 September to 7 October Brussels
Korean film has been on everyone’s lips in recent years, especially since the brilliant Parasite won an Oscar for best picture as the first foreign language title to do so. This week, movie buffs can dive further into the country’s archive during the 10th edition of the Korean film festival. On the program at Cinema Galeries: Decision to Leave, A Hard Day, Aloners, and many others.
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