5 cultural things to do in Liège, Brussels, Antwerp, Genk, and Deurle. From art festivals and exhibitions exploring human skin to all-night raves and open studio days. See you there!
Art festival: Vruchtbare Grond #9 at Het Bos
From 22 to 31 May Antwerp
Fleur Perneel. Photo by Lies Ooms
The ninth edition of Vruchtbare Grond unfolds at Het Bos, weaving together music, visual arts, performance, video, food, and community into a rich, interdisciplinary program putting forward young artists and Bosacademie residents. Central to this year’s edition is the group exhibition “A Sense of Belonging”, which delves into identity, connection, and the search for home – both physical and emotional. Featuring artists such as Achraf Saadi, and Cianti Wang, the show runs throughout the festival. Highlights include performances by Anna Sarkisova and Fleur Perneel on opening night on Thursday, and a Lebanese brunch and a family-friendly day on Saturday. All details here.
Open Studios: Jester Days
From 17 to 25 May Genk
Image by vandenbussche-vandenbossche
Jester Days is the annual moment when the artists who, over the past year, have been living and working at Genk’s contemporary art platform Jester, open their doors to the public. It’s a chance to discover their artistic universes and works developed during their residencies, meet the artists themselves, and get a glimpse behind the scenes. With Apparatus 22, Arpita Akhanda, Agnese Cornelio & Massimo Carozzi, Slow Reading Club, Toon Fibbe, Dominik Gajarsky, Silke Gerinckx and Jorn Plucieniczak. More details here.
Exhibition: Skin Paintings at Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens
Runs until 17 August Deurle
Los Angeles-based artist Calvin Marcus works in series. Not particularly attached to any medium, each subject exploration results in a distinct body of work. Marcus’ captivating “Skin Paintings” series is now on view at Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens: In oil on linen, the artist depicts his own skin in all its detail alongside bronze and ceramic sculptures, drawing inspiration from the oil painting techniques of the Flemish Old Masters and artefacts from early human civilisations.
Exhibition: Mythopoeïa – Fragments of Eternity at La peau de l’ours
Runs until 5 July Brussels
Victor Cadene
The duo exhibition “Mythopoeïa” at La peau de l’ours weaves together two different artists with their own personal mythologies. While Victor Cadene’s drawings and collages draw on everything from antiquity and rococo to fauvism, Basile Boon‘s sculptures depict creatures and characters referencing flora and fauna, archaeology and fiction, symbolism and pop culture. A dialogue of ancient fables and contemporary tales.
Day and night Festival: Dark’n’Dash
24th and 25th May Liège
The Other Side
After a bit of a break, Liège-based festival Dark’n’Dash is back. The comeback edition spans two parts: a free daytime gathering at Jacadi with a local creators market, art performances, kids’ games, street food, and laid-back DJ sets – followed by a full-on night rave at The Other Side with a stacked line-up of hard techno, DnB, and everything in between. Expect fire shows, live painting, and plenty of sweat. See you under the sun and/or deep into the night.
