An art residency in Antwerp, concerts and exhibitions in Brussels, an art festival in Leuven, and more. See you there!
Opening: Simon Feydieu and Joris De Rycke at Air Antwerpen
Wednesday, 12 November, 20h00 Antwerp
AIR Antwerpen, an international residence project for artists that wants to provide a breeding ground for contemporary art and foster research and artistic practices. Sometimes Air Antwerpen opens its doors for the public,as for instance this Wednesday, when you are invited to discover the works of Simon Feydieu and Joris De Rycke in the former lockman’s building. Inspired by the location of their residency the two incorporate the nature around the premises into their art, experimenting with liquids extracted from plants and more.
Opening: Atlas at MOT International
Wednesday, 12 November, 18-21h00 Brussels
Named after a book by Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges, MOT International’s new group exhibition “Atlas” unites recent works by three young, up-and-coming Belgian artists: Nel Aerts, Kasper Bosmans and Julien Meert. Their creations all have one thing in common: a fascination for trivial culture as well as the idea of shaping a certain cartography, just as Borges does in his book from 1986, which merges fragments of poetry, literature and images to one integral personal geography.
Concert: Glass Animals at AB Club
Wednesday, 12 November, 20h00 Brussels
If you like Alt-J, chances are that Glass Animals are your thing too. After having opened for St. Vincent at AB earlier this year, the Oxford four-piece comes back to Brussels this Wednesday, this time to present their debut album “Zaba” released in June. The Guardian describes their sound as “intelligent, inventive, with a heartwarming tendency to incorporate R&B sonics.” By the way, they’re the first band to sign with renowned producer Paul Epworth’s brand new label Wolf Tone.
Opening: Margaret Salmon at Office Baroque
Thursday, 13 November, 18-20h30 Brussels
American artist Margaret Salmon, based between Kent and New York, is mainly known for her video art intertwining poetry and ethnography, zooming in on people in their daily surroundings and exploring universal human themes. Her work has been exhibited at the Venice and Berlin Biennales amongst others, and now you can discover the artist’s solo expo “Oyster” at Brussels’ Office Baroque. The show examines the life of the Native Oyster as well as inspecting our image of and relationship with the sea in a sort of cinematic poem.
Finissage: VAO at La Vallée
Thursday, 13 November Brussels
Smartbe, a Belgian professional association for creatives, recently launched its very own exhibition space, La Vallée. This week sees the closing event of their first expo, “Séquences”, which brings together works by the VAO collective. Founded in the 90s, the crew’s beginnings lie in street art and now encompasses everything from calligraphy to action painting. On Thursday you cannot only have a look at the fascinating group exhibition, but also experience performances by Cyrille de Haes and Flora Hubot.
Fashion: MAD Fashion Sales at Bozar
From 14 to 15 November Brussels
As every year Brussels’ Mode And Design Center MAD invites fashion enthusiasts to a special two-day sale where emerging and established Belgian designer talents sell their pieces of the previous season. Café Costume, Filles à Papa, OMSK, Niyona, … the selection provides something for every taste and it’s without a doubt the perfect occasion to get your hands on some great designer pieces without stressing your bank account too much.
Opening: The Divided Body at 30CC/Predikherenkerk
Friday, 14 November, 14h00 Leuven
In the context of M Museum’s “Vesalius. Imagining the body”, Leuven’s Luca School of Arts presents “The Divided Body”, a group exhibition juxtaposing the works of young Belgian talents with those of established artists. They all tell stories about the body, touching upon the crossroads between life and death. The show takes place in a fitting and unusual setting, at Predikherenkerk, a Dominican church. Including artworks by Ana Torfs, who is currently exhibiting at Wiels, as well as Berlinde De Bruyckere, whose current expo at SMAK is also an absolute must.
Art festival: Leuven’s Playground
From 13 to 16 November Leuven
For the eighth time Leuven art festival Playground invites you to four days of art spread out over different locations from STUK to M Museum. The festival’s goal is to bring together visual and performing arts, two disciplines that have grown closer in recent years and can be very inspirational for each other. The original, cutting-edge programme includes exhibitions and performances by Ellie Ga and Markus Schinwald, a translation of Joëlle Tuerlinckx’s visual universe into a performance experience blending text, image, and sound, and much more.
Art meets music: Tumultinkerk
Saturday, 15 November Ghent
We’ve already loved Tumultingent earlier this year, a great art festival co-organised by culture platform Tumult and art school KASK, which took over the city of Ghent back in spring. This Saturday the related media platform and radio show Tumult.fm throws a big art and music bash in a former church, combining exhibitions with a night of electro sounds with Vlek’s Lawrence Le Doux and others behind the decks.
