Your alternative cultural agenda for the week: 12 things to do in Belgium featuring exhibitions, concerts, nights out and more from Veurne to Brussels.
Concert: Wild Shelter at Botanique
Wednesday, 12 April Brussels
A while ago we interviewed newbies Wild Shelter about their very first steps in the Belgian music scene. Tomorrow they’re releasing their debut album at Botanique‘s Rotonde – a huge milestone for the two Brussels brothers that you shouldn’t miss!
Photography: Stefan Vanthuyne at Tique
Wednesday, 12 April Antwerp
Tique Salon gives artists a platform to present and talk about their work in-depth. This seventh edition invites Belgian photographer, researcher, and writer Stefan Vanthuyne who will not only speak about his own practice but also about some of his favourite photo books. The latter is a bit of a specialty of his: Vanthuyne is a researcher on photo book culture in Belgium at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp and a member of the photography research group Thinking Tools.
Opening: Sky’s The Limit at Hole Of The Fox
Friday, 14 April Antwerp
Antwerp’s Hole Of The Fox is an independent showroom not bound by the conventions of a traditional gallery space which focuses on young, emerging artists. This week there’s a new exhibition opening with the title “Sky’s The Limit”, presenting the work of Latvian, Ghent-based artist Indrikis Gelzis.
Night out: Ce soir on danse at MIMA
Friday, 14 April Brussels
If you like parties in special locations, this is for you: this weekend you can dance your heart out to hip hop and North African Groove in Brussels’ Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art (MIMA), and it’s all for free!
Opening: Modus Operandi at Societé
Saturday, 15 April Brussels
Société, an independent art space breathing new life into the much-bashed neighbourhood of Molenbeek, invites you to the opening of “Modus Operandi” this weekend, an eclectic, expansive group exhibition exploring, among other things, the working processes in conceptual art. It deals with the notion of artworks being the result of instructions: the artwork imagined by the artist is presented in form of a written or verbal statement to be executed by others. Highly interesting!
Night out: Basic Moves at Epicerie Moderne
Saturday, 15 April Brussels
There’s a new party series in town for those who like it off the beaten track: Basic Moves, a night out dedicated to underground club music, takes over Brussels’ Epicerie Moderne for its very first edition. The creative mind behind it all is well-known Belgian DJ and producer Walrus, who’s also part of electronic music project Bepotel. Basic Moves is his ode to the outer limits of house, techno and electro.
Opening: Eric Van Hove at Comitée Mu.zee
Friday, 14 April Ostend
© Keetja Allard
“Atchilihtallah – On the transformation of art, craft and product” lets you discover the practice of Belgian-Algerian artist Eric Van Hove, who mixes conceptual art with socio-political research and activism while revealing a deep interest in different forms of production.
Pop-up: Yoga Breakfast Club at Chicago Café
Saturday, 15 April Brussels
If you manage not to be hungover this Saturday, here’s a tip for early risers: the lovely Chicago Café transforms into a yoga studio that morning before it’s usual opening, and the session even includes a healthy breakfast. Not a bad way to start your day!
Night out: Rhythm is a Dancer at Bagger
Saturday, 15 April Antwerp
Musical guilty pleasures in a cozy, vinyl-only bar boasting a large outdoor terrace at Antwerp’s docks with stunning views on the city’s harbour area – sounds like the perfect recipe for a great Saturday night. Bagger is the brainchild of best buddies Tom Aerts and Sven Mes, who wanted to create a place reflecting their shared passion for industrial heritage, gastronomy, nightlife, architecture and design.
Opening: Harold Ancart, Michel François & Gabriel Kuri at La Comète
Saturday, 15 April Liège
Liège art space La Comète brings together rising Belgian artist Harold Ancart, Mexican-born Gabriel Kuri, and Belgian artist Michel Francois, who represented his home country at the Venice Biennale in 1999. A promising mix!
Food: Mary Pop-in invites Witlov
Saturday, 15 April Brussels
Innovative food project Mary Pop-in, dedicated to fighting food waste, invites environmental scientist-cum-chef Filip Fransen, the creative mind behind caterer Witlov, for a five course culinary experience that will undoubtedly tickle your tastebuds.
Finissage: “Je ne sais quoi” & “Nouvelles” at Emergent
Sunday, 16 April Veurne
It’s worth to have a look at Belgium’s art scene outside its major big cities. Proof of that is for example Veurne’s Emergent gallery, which hosts three exhibitions a year of both established and emerging artists. This Sunday sees the closing event of “Nouvelles”, a series of paintings created around the concept of a fictional newspaper by Young Belgian Art Prize Winner 2015, Emmanuelle Quertain as well as “Je ne sais quoi”, a group show curated by Jan De Nys inspired by Icelandic superstar Ragnar Kjartansson’s famous video installation “The Visitors”.