From Brussels and Liège to Antwerp, these are the art events to catch across Belgium from 2 to 8 June 2025. See you there!
Opening: Cecilia Vicuña at Xavier Hufkens
Opens Thursday, 5 June Brussels
Photo by Jason Schmidt
“Arch Future” marks the first exhibition of Chilean poet and artist Cecilia Vicuña, who was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Biennale, at Brussels gallery Xavier Hufkens. Spanning over sixty years, the show brings together every element of her expansive interdisciplinary practice, including three site-specific installations, drawings, paintings, poetry, archival materials, sound, and film. Heavily influenced by having been forced into exile during the military coup in the 1970s, themes of language, memory, dissolution, extinction and exile pulse through her work. She addresses the power of collective activism versus the effects of unbridled capitalism and environmental destruction, and has spent decades reclaiming the indigenous knowledge of her homeland and positioning it in dialogue with our contemporary world. Vicuña masterfully dissolves the lines between art, ritual, and resistance – if there’s one show you see this week, make it this one.
Design: Liège Design Fair
7 and 8 June Liège
This week sees the very first edition of the Liege Design Fair, taking over the Palais des Congrès in Liège with a curated selection of dealers. Expect an interesting mix of classic mid-century furniture, rare finds, and unique objects from the 20th century. Focused and accessible, the fair offers collectors, professionals, and design lovers a chance to discover and acquire pieces that define the era’s style and craftsmanship.
Art meets activism: Festival Boutures at La Balsamine
6 and 7 June Brussels
For its second edition, Festival Boutures hands over the reins to Xeno-, a Brussels-based artistic platform and research lab founded by Ichraf Nasri and Mélanie Peduzzi. Over two days, Theatre La Balsamine becomes a space for performances, workshops, talks and screenings exploring the intersection of mental health and systemic inequality. Xeno- works at the edges of dominant narratives, spotlighting artists often sidelined in mainstream programming – women, queer, non-binary and racialised voices. Their approach is rooted in intersectional feminist, antiracist and anticapitalist perspectives. The program includes a talk with historian Françoise Vergès on state control over racialised women’s bodies, a performance by poet Selim-a Atallah Chettaoui, a “literary massage” by Julie Lombe and Raïssa Yowali, a screening of “Ex Utero”, a documentary on obstetric violence, and much more.
Arty night out: Birthday bash at De Nor
Saturday, 7 June, 20-2h00 Antwerp
De Nor turns seven, and on the occasion, the pavilion-slash-artwork by Dennis Tyfus at Antwerp’s Middelheim Museum comes alive for a wild birthday party. When activated, this social sculpture, part of the museum collection, shifts from art piece to cultural venue, hosting everything from concerts and record launches to readings and parties. Expect Particals (BE) with their experimental field recordings and synth explorations, 777 Magnetics (US, BE) mixing Detroit electro with hip hop vibes, Elvis Pummel (DE) unleashing some rock ’n’ roll chaos, plus DJ Lina Ejda spinning deep into the night. Here, sound and space collide in a one-of-a-kind setting.
Exhibition: Forest Encounters at Out of Sight
Until 29 June Antwerp
Polonca Lovšin
What can we learn from the forest, and how can we coexist more harmoniously with it? This is the core question explored by “Forest Encounters”, which brings together art, forestry, and the humanities in unexpected, thought-provoking ways. Here, the forest is seen not only as an ecological site, but also as a space shaped by diverse and often conflicting policies, as well as by social, cultural, and economic practices. With works by Nayari Castillo, Marjolijn Dijkman, Dušica Dražić, Reni Hofmüller, and Polonca Lovšin.
