Tons of things to do in Bornem, Namur, Brussels, Antwerp… Discover the Belgian video art pioneers from the 70s, enjoy free concerts by homegrown bands, and much more. See you there!
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New kid: Fame festival
From 19 to 24 September Brussels
Theatre, dance, live arts, exhibitions, workshops, lectures, … newly founded FAME, which stands for festival where art meets empowerment, kicks off its debut edition with a varied program taking place in nine different venues throughout Brussels. The idea behind it all: to create an inclusive festival “by women and gender minorities, for all”. Fittingly, this year’s theme is Openness, referencing opening up our minds to the plurality of bodies, ages, subjectivities, narratives and imaginations. By the way, there’s even free childcare during the evenings!
Opening: Justine Bougerol at MAAC
Opens Thursday, 22 September, 18-21h00 Brussels
French-born, Brussels-based artist Justine Bougerol tells stories through captivating site-specific installations, often revolving around the leitmotif of the childhood home, where fiction mixes with reality. In the exhibition “Quelques lueurs” (“Some glimmers”) at Brussels’ MAAC, where she just finished a three-year residency, Bougerol delves into the different organic substances which inhabit our dreams and memories while questioning the dreamlike and contemplative potential that emerges from a material image.
Free concerts: Fête de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles
From 22 to 28 September
La Jungle, photo by David Temprano
Good news for music fans: On the occasion of the Fête de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, almost 50 concerts are taking place spread out through 18 venues from Arlon to Liège, and they’re all accessible for free. The varied program puts forward bands and musician that stem from Wallonia and Brussels, such as La Jungle, Sharko, Alek & Les Japonaises, and many others. Full program here. A great way to kick off the new concert season!
Birthday bash: Zeno X Gallery turns 40
Opens Saturday, 24 September, 13-18h00 Antwerp
Over the years, Zeno X Gallery has become an institution not only in Antwerp’s but in the Belgian gallery scene. After more than 200 exhibitions, more than 100 art fairs, and a move to the Eastern part of the city, Borgerhout, into a spacious former milk factory, Zeno X now celebrates its 40th birthday with the group exhibition “the two-thousands”, presenting the artists who joined the gallery between 2001 and 2021. The show features both works created specially for the occasion and works never exhibited at the gallery before. With Mircea Suciu, Naoto Kawahara, Grace Schwindt, Jenny Scobel, and others.
Opening: A Tongue Becomes Yours at CC Ter Dilft
Saturday, 24 September, 17-21h00 Bornem
Felix Kindermann
As an integral part of culture, language is full of codes, accents and expressions reflect geographical and social origins, and its use is moulded by the family nucleus and political power structures. At the same time, language is something that lives and changes, and can forge new identities. The artists united in this exhibition at CC Ter Dilft, explore the potentials and restrictions of language, each in their own way. Don’t miss the performance “Narrative Machines” at 19h00 on opening day.
Opening: The 1970s___ at Argos
Opens Saturday, 24 September, 18-21h00 Brussels
This must-see exhibition at Argos is the result of a three-year long art historical research project diving into the story of Belgian video art – an important endeavour considering that the tapes in question started to be affected by the passage of time. The show goes back to the experimental beginnings in the 70s, shining a light on Liège’s prolific artist collective Groupe CAP (Cercle d’Art Prospectif) as well as ICC and Flor Box in Antwerp, which all played a prominent role in the emerging video scene in Belgium.
Art meets science: Biotopia at Le Pavillon
Runs until 27 November Namur
Le Pavillon, an art space dedicated to digital artistic creation prominently located next to Namur’s historic citadel, currently presents “Biotopia”, an exhibition bringing together perspectives by artists, scientists and engineers on the relationship between humans and the (living) environment that surrounds us. This weekend, there’s also workshops on mushrooms and beehives on offer. Full program here.
