Lots of things to do in Antwerp, Ghent and Brussels this week from book launches and concerts to exhibitions and summery drinks. See you there!

Exhibition & after party: Perruche #2 with Julien Creuzet

Friday, 13 April Brussels

After the first edition in January Perruche is now back with its second exhibition, a solo show by Julien Creuzet. His multimedia installations use found objects, video, engraving and poetry to question the role of language with respect to both the individual and collective memory. The expo series thought up by Brussels’ Goethe Institute, a non-profit German cultural association with branches worldwide, wants to provide a platform for artists connected to Germany while leaving they room to experiment with different exhibition and performance formats. Its title, Perruche, is also the name of the infamous exotic parrots that have been invading Brussels over the years, referencing  cultural nomadism counting on swarm intelligence.

Books meet fashion: MoMu stock sale

14 and 15 April Antwerp

If you haven’t seen MoMu‘s last exhibition yet, a show exploring the universe of Belgian fashion designer Olivier Theyskens, then this weekend is the last time you can do so. On the occasion the museum is also organising a special book sale featuring new and second-hand fashion books from the MoMu library collection, fashion magazines, a selection of mannequins en bustes, posters and postcards from previous exhibitions, and DVDs and catalogues from the Antwerp Fashion Department. If all that rummaging made you hungry or thirsty, there’s the Diverscite Cantina Roulante food truck parked just in front. Cash only!

Opening: Sascha Braunig at Office Baroque

Sunday, 15 April, 14-17h00 Brussels

Brussels’ Office Baroque gallery invites you to the opening of “The Crease”, a solo show by Canadian artist Sascha Braunig this Sunday. For this exhibition he created a series of paintings and works on paper in which a feminized figure is presented in various guises and roles, meandering between empowerment, imprisonment and menace. A brainy exploration of what it means to be female based on philosopher Luce Irigaray’s “This Sex Which is Not One”.

Book launch & birthday bash: 20 years Kinky Star

Saturday, 14 April Ghent

Famed Ghent music center Kinky Star is turning 20 this week. Over the last two decades its been pivotal in shaping the city’s music scene, serving as a rite of passage for newbies while hosting 300 concerts a year with a focus on diverse alternative and underground genres. This Saturday there’s a birthday bash with a number of free gigs, and you can also get your hands on a freshly printed copy of a book looking back on Kinky Star’s eventful history: 288 pages illustrated with photos, flyers and artwork accompanied by  interviews and testimonies.

Opening: Philip Janssens at Ballon Rouge Collective

Thursday, 12 April Brussels

Named after a French film from the 1950s, “Ballon Rouge Collective” is a nomadic gallery with many homes from Istanbul and Sao Paulo to Paris and New York. Now it’s making a pit stop in Brussels with a solo show by French artist Philip Janssens titled “no needs an another mountain”. While his works are difficult to be captured through sight, he uses objects as a trigger for the image constructed in the mind of the viewer. His work needs the perception of the spectator in order to be activated, to establish itself into existence by way of its mental imprint.

Night out: Spring breakers at Café Josee

Friday, 13 April, 18h00-00h00 Antwerp

Café Josee is a lovely coffee, brunch and lunch spot at Antwerp’s Te Boelaerpark with an emphasis on fair, healthy and local products and many vegetarian options. On the occasion of the last Easter holiday weekend, Café Josee opens up its terrace till the late evening hours with a special offer of cocktails at affordable prices.

Night out: KIOSK Soundsystem at Bar Wilson

Saturday, 14 April, 20h00 Ghent

From a wooden shack in the heart of Brussels’ historic Parc Royal, Kiosk Radio streams music every afternoon, every day of the week, featuring DJs, labels and collectives from Brussels and beyond. This Saturday the Kiosk makers take over Ghent’s super cool Bar Wilson. Free entrance! 

Cover photo Miles Fischler