Opening & book launch: Guðný Rósa Ingimarsdóttir at ISELP

Thursday, 23 January, 18h30-21h00 Brussels

Contemporary art institute ISELP lets you dive into the artistic universe of Icelandic artist Guðný Rósa Ingimarsdóttir with a solo exhibition and a freshly printed book on her fascinating oeuvre: “Some Things…” published by Maison CFC. The Reykjavík-born artist, based in Brussels, often takes personal experiences and emotions as a starting point, creating layered drawings and paintings which she cuts, peels and carves – an almost contemplative process that can take up to 20 years.

Talent watch: Master Sculpture Expo

From 21 to 24 January Antwerp

This week, the students of the  Sculpture Master Class of the prestigious Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp present what they have been working on. A great way to discover what the next generation of artists is up to. With works by  Jeffe De Brabandere, Rudolf Stamers, Fran Van Coppenolle, Romy Streep, Xander Faes, Mi Rim Shin, Victoria Pérez Castillo. Amy Faust, and Bram Rinkel.

Birthday bash: Jonathan Meese at Tim Van Laere Gallery

Thursday, 23 January, 18-21h00 Antwerp

Antwerp’s Tim van Laere not only invites you to the fourth solo exhibition of legendary enfant terrible Jonathan Meese at the gallery, but also to celebrate the German artist’s 50th birthday. Meese’s diverse practice ranges from performance and installation to painting and sculpture, and evolves around his utopian concept of the so-called dictatorship of art: a new world order where art is the legislative power, and free play the foundation of all life and creation. Exuberant, humorous, and slightly grotesque.

Night out I: Under My Garage at FFORMATT

Friday, 22 January, 23-6h00 Brussels

Brussels party series Under My Garage takes over new alternative music venue FFORMATT in the former Grand Magasins de la Bourse for a night to remember. The motto: “Experimental club music that doesn’t forget to make you move.” The main act is Object Blue, offering a mix of mutant R&B, trance euphoria and mystical sounds.

Opening: 3 exhibitions at Musée de la Photographie

Saturday, 25 January Charleroi

Charleroi’s photography museum invites you to an opening with a heavily charged program this week: not one but three captivating exhibitions will kick off this Saturday: “Les images révélées” shines a light on the role photography played in the oeuvre of iconic Belgian artist René Magritte, “My America” presents a thought-provoking series by Diana Mater retracing locations of police killings of civilians, and “Studio Madame” showcases the work of Laurence Bibot.

Night out II: Club Belgique at La Cabane

Saturday, 25 January, 23h00 Brussels

Brand new Brussels night club La Cabane turns the spotlight on Belgium this weekend, with the idea in mind to revive the country’s limitless club scene of the 80s and 90s, “when there were no boundaries or subgenres, just clubs and DJ’s spinning whatever they and their dancers fancied.” This edition of “Club Belgique” invites homegrown Nosedrip and Red D aka Max Erotic, who will guide you through the Belgian sound of the last three decades.

Opening: Silence is so accurate at Geukens & De Vil

Sunday, 26 January, 14-18h00 Antwerp

A timely exhibition in today’s fast-paced, digitalized world: “Silence is so accurate” revolves around the longing for quietness and stillness, a growing need that might be all too familiar for many of us. The group exhibition curated by Lien Craps brings together works by 15 international artists: Matthew Allen, Pieter Vermeersch, Anna-Eva Bergman, Jean-Baptiste Besançon, John Zurier, and many others.  

Art fair: BRAFA

From 26 January to 2 February Brussels

Starting this Sunday, BRAFA will once again take over Tour & Taxis for what is one of the first art fairs the year, serving as a bit of a barometer for the current art market. Founded in 1956, BRAFA is one of the world’s oldest fairs, and since 2010, its number of guests has doubled, which might partly be due to the inclusion of a contemporary art section, something that has undoubtedly helped the fair to refresh its slightly dusty image. What’s so special about BRAFA is its broadness: Roman marbles, modernist bronzes, Oceanic masks, contemporary painting, ancient Chinese porcelain…all under one roof.

Cover photo Sasha Vernaeve