Things to do in Belgium: Explore the intersection of art and food, dance under the sun, and much more. See you in Antwerp, Brussels, and beyond.
Opening: Distorted Gaze at DMW gallery
Opens Saturday, 10 May, 16-22h00 Antwerp
Crying Chair, 2023, Barbora Žilinskaitė
Antwerp’s DMW gallery brings together the artistic universes of Lithuanian artist Barbora Žilinskaitė and Ghent-based Delphine Cuelenaere. While they share a deep interest in the relationship between people, materials, and memory, as well as a sensitivity to the poetic potential of materials and a desire to make the unspoken tangible, their forms and techniques differ greatly. Žilinskaitė ‘s brightly colored, organic shapes made from reclaimed sawdust enter into an evocative dialogue with Cuelenaere’s monumental wood works.
Season opening: Circle Park
Saturday, 10 May, 14h00 Brussels
© Circle Park
Industrial playground Circle Park, one of our favourite summer hotspots, returns to kick off the open-air season this weekend. The temporary open-air project focusing on circular economy covers about 15.000m² and features colourful murals, sports fields, a container village with production workshops, chill-out areas, and, most importantly, a giant dancefloor under the sun. For the season opener, expect hip-hop, Afrobeats and more with Sugar Free b2b Fonte, Ava Eva b2b Paulo Sea, Violently Happy, and Nikita by day, followed by Edouard Hauki, Poppy b2b SVS, and Godero at La Fabriek by night.
Exhibition: Genèse d’un Repas at Lichtekooi
Runs until 21 June Antwerp
© Lichtekooi
From the lavish tablescapes of 17th-century Dutch painting to food used as a material in sculptures, the seemingly unlikely universes of art and food have many points of convergence. This exhibition at Lichtekooi in Antwerp zooms in on exactly those, exploring food as sustenance, a chore, something soothing, silly, its presence and absence, and as a thread to family, community, care. With works by Jack Davey, Alexis Deconinck, Koba De Meutter, Chris Hoeben, Elke Lente, Albert Mayr, Hannah Mevis, Magali Reus, Mostafa Saifi Rahmouni, and Nina-Joy Thielemans. Bon appetit!
Exhibition: Poor Paintings at La Loge
Runs until 6 July Brussels
Photo by Billy Miquel
With this exhibition at La Loge, French, Brussels-based artist Béatrice Balcou dives into the world of art restorers by focusing on works that have been damaged and restored. The collaboration with the profession out of the limelight highlights the science, materiality and intimacy it embodies. Balcou underlines restorative gestures and embodied knowledge – the mastery of craft, as well as the political act that the slow and detailed process represents in a time of out-of-control consumerism.
Birthday bash: Session at LaVallée
Saturday, 10 May, 14h00 Brussels
© Session
Two years, ten editions, and a loyal community later, Session celebrates its anniversary with a special birthday bash: an open-air daytime gathering flowing straight into a club night. What began as a DIY initiative by a group of friends has grown into a vibrant platform for music, art, and connection. This Saturday at LaVallée, expect DJs (B.I.S, Farfetchd, Eddie Found Wax, and more), food, visual art, and a party “for everyday people by everyday people”.
