Things to do in Belgium this week: an art festival and a fashion party in Ghent, a brand new gallery in Antwerp, and more. See you there!

Art festival: Tumultingent #3

From 25 to 26 March Ghent

This week allround art festival Tumultingent, an initiative by Ghent radio Tumult.fm, kicks off for the third time, taking over the city for two full days with a multitude of cultural offerings from exhibitions to parties and concerts. The main meeting points are the campus of Lucas School of Arts and KASK. A few highlights are photographer Max Pinckers’ works at recently launched alternative bookshop Riot, a performance by artistic duo Sarah & Charles at Het Paviljoen, a group show in the premises of music mag Subbacultcha and of course the after party at Charlatan with a surprise gig (last year no other than Belgian pop rock stars Balthazar showed up).

Fashion meets party: OMSK night out at Rewind

Wednesday, 25 March, 19-22h00 Ghent

Super hip Belgian fashion label OMSK launches its new collection going by the name of “Harvest” this Wednesday at one of Ghent’s nicest clothing shops, Rewind. On the occasion you can discover not only fashion talent made in Belgium but also homegrown indie pop band Intergalactic Lovers.

Gallery launch: Antwerp’s Ibasho Gallery

Thursday, 26 March, 18h00 Antwerp

Antwerp’s vibrant art scene gets another addition this Thursday, when Ibasho Gallery opens its doors for the very first time. The inaugural exhibition “Shashin yo Konnichiwa” (“Hello to Photography”) showcases a fascinating, diverse mix of the genre, with a special focus on Japanese photography. Additionally there’ll be a parallel pop up show at Antwerp’s concept store Graanmarkt 13, presenting the works of young Japanese talent Yoshinori Mizutani which opens on the Saturday.

Printed matter I: Artist books at Tique

Thursday, 26 March, 19h00 Antwerp

Tique art space opened its doors this January in Antwerp. This Thursday you’re invited to the vernissage of the exhibition “Books, books, books” which centers around – you guessed it – books. The focus lies on outstanding artist publications as well as artists who concentrate on the printed medium as an art form, such as Halo publications and Malenki. And on the occasion of this fascinating expo highlighting the beauty of printed matter Tique also launches its very own bookstore in the gallery premises.

Night out: Suck it and See at Bonnefooi

Thursday, 26 March, 21h00 Brussels

Indie rock parties are hard to come by these days in the Belgian capital, which is why we’re very happy to announce another edition of “Suck it and See” at Bonnefooi, one of Brussels’ major music bars. This time there’ll be the guys from homegrown indie rockers Recorders behind the decks as well as LSD Soundsystem and Brett Summers. Plus, there’s also a liveset by Alpha Whale and entrance is free!

Opening: A Polaroid Story at Hunting and Collecting

Friday, 27 March, 19h00 Brussels

“No Balls, No Glory: A Polaroid Story” has established itself as one of the big players in the Belgian blogosphere. With telling the stories around her “ultimate hunt for that one polaroid while facing hardcore fans, managements, bodyguards, heavy security and protective entourage”, as she describes it, founder Elisabeth Ouni has definitely hit a nerve. Now she exhibits some of her best shots at Brussels concept store Hunting and Collecting starting this Friday.

Season opening: Ghent’s 019

Friday, 27 March, 17h00 Ghent

Artist-run exhibition, concert and workspace 019, located in a former welding factory, celebrates the kick-off of the project’s second year with a huge season opening night featuring a group exhibition, a performance,  a book launch, and the screening of the documentary “Salad Days — a decade of punk in Washington, DC”. Looks like 2015 is going to be a good one!

Birthday bash: Foreseen turns 1 at Épicerie Moderne

Friday, 27 March, 20h00 Brussels

If you’ve been following these pages, you’ve probably already heard of young exhibition project Foreseen, an initiative that wants to promote ways of showing art outside of academic setting. After a number of fresh, successful expo editions at Brussels’ Zsenne Gallery, Foreseen celebrates its first birthday this week – and you’re invited! Entrance is free and the line-up massive: Musique Chienne, Baptiste Peron, LIY, Province, M O R S E, Osseynou and Sydney Grzclaczk will be behind the decks. And when the hangovers are cured, the season kicks off with an expo by Belgian photography talent Pauline Miko, who’s also currently on show at Rossi Contemporary.

Label launch: Roxane Baines at Espace Alloué

Saturday, 28 March Brussels

More newbies: We not only welcome Antwerp’s Ibasho Gallery this week, but also Roxane Baines, who launches her very first ready-to-wear collection this Saturday at Espace Alloué in Brussels. After having worked at major fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton and Givenchy, the La Cambre graduate decided to go solo. Her clothing line for women skillfully combines sobriety and elegance, offering minimal but exciting pieces which can’t hide their Japanese influences. We love it!

Art meets music: Lodgers at M HKA

Sunday, 29 March, 14h00 Antwerp

With its so-called Lodgers program Antwerp’s Museum of Modern Art gives room to a number of imaginative artistic initiatives, letting them take over the museum’s exhibition spaces on the sixth floor and thus encouraging platforms experimenting with artistic practice. This Sunday it’s the turn of audioMER., the record label of independent Belgian publisher MER. Paper Kunsthalle which mainly focuses on experimental music. There’ll not only be a presentation of a publication about a happening involving a film by Aki Onda and music by Loren Mazzacane Connors and Alan Licht, but also live performances and concerts by some unlikely artists such as Annemie Van Kerckhoven, principally known for her works on paper. Interesting!

Opening: On Kawara at Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens

Sunday, 29 March, 11-17h00 Deurle

Since February On Kawara has been making quite some noise with his fascinating exhibition at one of the world’s major art institutions: New York’s Guggenheim Museum. But starting this Sunday you don’t need to book a ticket to NYC anymore to experience the captivating works of the Japanese-born conceptual artist, who sadly passed away last year. Now Belgium’s Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens puts on a must-see show celebrating one of the art world’s most radical voices of the second half of the twentieth century, focusing on 1966, the year On Kawara began working on his famous Date Paintings.

Printed matter II: Print Art Fair at Frans Masereel Centrum

Sunday, 29 March, 13h00 Kasterlee

Never been to the small Belgian town of Kasterlee? This Sunday you have a reason to make your way over there, when the fourth edition of Print Art Fair takes over the Frans Masereel Centrum, a graphic laboratory and a place offering residencies and working spaces to graphic designers, artists and critics since the 70s. You won’t only find countless artist books with a focus on independent and self-publishing to rummage through, but also an exhibition by Manor Grunewald and Dirk Elst, a concert by Karmacoma, and much more.

Opening: The Originals S1 E1 at Tatjana Pieters

Sunday, 29 March, 15h00 Ghent

“The Originals S1 E1”, a group exhibition kicking off this Sunday at Ghent’s Tatjana Pieters Gallery, brings an exciting mix of younger, international artists together, all of which use contemporary communication as an element in their artistic language. Tamara Van San, Amalia Ulman, Jaakko Pallasvuo and many others who grew up experiencing the rise of internet and social media explore the question of originality and ownership in a world full of references. Intriguing!

Cover photo Victor Duchêne