BRAFA City Guide 2025

Page 1


CONTENTS

P. 3 BRAFA

Preface by Klaas Muller, Chairman of BRAFA

P. 5 GUEST OF HONOUR 2025

Joana Vasconcelos

P. 7 NEW PARTNERSHIP: KIK-IRPA

The Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage

P. 8 HISTORY OF BRAFA

P. 11 PRACTICAL INFORMATION

P. 14 BRAFA’S SELECTION

Hotels, restaurants, wine & cocktail bars

P. 20 MUSEUMS

P. 25 TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS DURING BRAFA

P. 42 OPERAS, CONCERTS, DANCE & THEATRE

P. 47 SHOPPING & TOURIST INFORMATION

Dear Art Lover,

Even more so than in previous years, this 70th edition of BRAFA will be a true celebration of the arts! The Fair has changed venue several times since its foundation in 1956: the Salle Arlequin in the Galeries Louise in Brussels for 11 years, the Palais des Beaux-Arts for 35 years, Tour & Taxis for 20 years and Brussels Expo for the past 4 years. From a national event with 50 Belgian participants, BRAFA has blossomed into an international fair with over 130 exhibitors from 16 countries.

Over the course of this extraordinary adventure, BRAFA has become what it is today: one of the most prestigious art fairs in the world. More than ever, BRAFA 2025 will be a unique meeting place for exhibitors, collectors, museums, foundations, art dealers and art lovers.

BRAFA has always strived for excellence, cultivating a reputation for high-profile galleries, eclecticism and conviviality – a reputation we are determined to uphold! Each year, visitors to the Fair are treated to a magnificent journey through time from classical antiquity to contemporary art and design and this array of specialities creates a fantastic dynamic.

Our selection of exhibitors guarantees art lovers the best the art market has to offer. At BRAFA, we place great value on expert appraisals. The quality and authenticity of the objects on display are examined before each edition by a committee of independent international experts.

For this special edition, we have invited the internationally renowned Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos, who is famous for her baroque, militant and humorous sculptures. Her colourful, monumental installations will give the Fair an even more festive character, making BRAFA a real visual spectacle.

Our specialist lectures, the BRAFA Art Talks, organised on the King Baudouin Foundation stand and our guided tours, the BRAFA Art Tours, will once again be offered to enthusiast art lovers – a great opportunity to further your knowledge of art. This year will also mark the launch of a new collaboration with the leading Belgian KIK-IRPA, the Royal Institute for the Cultural Heritage. The KIK-IRPA, which is devoted to the study, conservation and restoration of works of art, will be showcasing the latest in cutting-edge research techniques, as well as organising practical workshops for visitors.

In parallel to BRAFA, the city of Brussels is a treasure trove of cultural hotspots, offering a host of unexpected artistic and musical events, as well as excellent food and shopping experiences. This BRAFA City Guide provides a joyous roadmap through Brussels and other cultural cities in Belgium.

We look forward to welcoming you to this festive edition of BRAFA.

JOANA VASCONCELOS

Joana Vasconcelos is a Portuguese visual artist, born in 1971. Over the course of her 30-year career, she has made use of a wide variety of media. Although she has a preference for textiles, Joana Vasconcelos also works with cement, metal, ceramics, glass and found objects. She is renowned for her monumental sculptures and immersive installations. Her ambition is to decontextualise everyday objects and revisit the concept of craft in the twenty-first century. With humor and irony, she questions the status of women, consumer society and collective identity.

Her international reputation was consolidated in 2005, at the first Venice Biennale curated by women, where she presented her piece The Bride, a classically shaped chandelier whose crystal pendants had been replaced by approximately 14,000 tampons.

Joana Vasconcelos was the youngest artist and the first woman to exhibit at the Château de Versailles in 2012. In 2018, she became the first Portuguese artist to have a solo show at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. In 2023, she had the honour of exhibiting at the Uffizi Galleries and the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, alongside great masters such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Caravaggio.

Among her works, the most impressive are undoubtedly the Valkyries, sculptures inspired by the female figures from Norse mythology who flew over the battlefields, bringing the bravest warriors back to life to join the deities in Valhalla. Made from textiles, they give full expression to the artist’s creativity, involving a variety of fabrics, hooks and trimmings.

The result is a surprising combination of volumes, textures and colours. Made up of a central body, a head, a tail and several arms, many of the Valkyries combine traditional craftsmanship with more technological methods, such as the insertion of light to simulate vibration and breathing, which gives movement to the work.

Joana Vasconcelos will be bringing a pop, colourful and festive touch to the 70th edition of BRAFA: “For this historic edition, I am proposing the installation of works that I have been developing since last year in collaboration with Dior. This series will feature two monumental sculptures, the placement of which I believe will serve as an aesthetic and conceptual focal point at the fair. These works are intended to not only celebrate the fair’s rich heritage but also to engage in a dialogue with the contemporary moment, creating an atmosphere that resonates with the depth and vision that BRAFA embodies. Through this installation, my hope is to contribute to the creation of a distinctive and memorable experience, befitting the significance of BRAFA’s 70th anniversary.”

THE ROYAL INSTITUTE FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE (KIK-IRPA)

Celebrating Art and Science at BRAFA 2025

The Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA), Belgium’s leading centre for the study and conservation of the country’s artistic and cultural heritage, is excited to share its expertise and passion for art, history, and science at BRAFA.

Since its founding in 1948, KIK-IRPA has been devoted to expert research and the meticulous treatment of a wide range of heritage objects, including paintings, wooden and stone sculptures, tapestries, precious metals, glass, and elements of the country’s architectural heritage. With its team of restorers, chemists, scientists, photographers and art historians, the Institute carefully analyses artworks to determine the most appropriate conservation methods and the degree of intervention required, in the greatest respect of their historical authenticity.

Scientific research is at the heart of KIK-IRPA’s work. In its state-of-the-art laboratories, advanced tools such as 3D microscopy, macro-XRF, and radiocarbon dating provide crucial insights into the materials and techniques used by artists and craftsmen, helping to ensure the proper preservation of cultural treasures for future generations.

At BRAFA, the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (booth n°136) will be will be showcasing the many facets of its work, from art conservation and restoration to heritage management and scientific analysis. Visitors are invited to discover how specialists analyse and document works of art, providing fascinating insights into their history and craftsmanship.

Engaging workshops throughout the Fair daily at 2pm and 5pm will offer attendees hands-on opportunities to explore art and heritage from a new perspective. Participants will learn how to approach artworks with a critical eye, understand the materials used by artists, and learn how to care for valuable objects and artworks at home. Experts will also share fascinating discoveries from their research, illustrating how scientific methods and modern technology are unlocking new dimensions for the understanding of historical works of art. Participation in the workshops is by reservation only on the BRAFA website.

The presence of KIK-IRPA at BRAFA 2025 will offer an extraordinary glimpse into the world of heritage conservation and restoration, inviting art lovers and heritage enthusiasts to a first-hand experience of the intricate work that ensures the survival of our shared cultural legacy. The KIK-IRPA looks forward to welcoming visitors to this celebration of cultural excellence.

For more information on KIK-IRPA: www.kikirpa.be

HISTORY OF BRAFA

Since 1956, the year of its creation, BRAFA’s constant evolution has been informed by its taste for excellence. Over the years, it has grown in size and international scope and changed venue several times without losing any of its charm, with one simple goal: to offer the highestquality art fair to satisfy the desires of collectors in search of hidden gems.

INITIAL DEVELOPMENTS

In 1995, Christian De Bruyn, the Chairman at the time, suggested opening the Fair up to foreign antique dealers, representing a first step forward. Until then, the event had been restricted to Belgian antique dealers, members of the Chambre Royale des Antiquaires de Belgique. In 2004, the Foire des Antiquaires de Belgique moved to Tour & Taxis. This move was a real gamble since the site was still in its development stage. The space provided by this new venue quickly enabled the Fair to expand. From a national Fair with fifty participants, it grew over time to become an international Fair with more than one hundred thirty exhibitors.

BIRTH OF A FUTURE SUCCESS STORY

The first Foire des Antiquaires de Belgique was held in 1956 at the Salle Arlequin in the Galeries Louise in Brussels. The Antiques Fair was organised at the request of Charles Van Hove, the Chairman of the Chambre des Antiquaires de Belgique at the time. This event can be seen as a precursor, since only two fairs had enjoyed comparable renown beforehand: the Grosvenor House Fair in London and the Prinsenhof Fair in Delft. In 1968, in light of the fair’s success and the growing number of participants, the organisers decided to move the event to the Palais des BeauxArts in Brussels.

EYES ON THE HORIZON

In the 1990s, the specialities on show at the fair also began to evolve. Tribal art, contemporary art and comic strips began to be exhibited on certain stands. In 2009, the name 'Antiques Fair of Belgium' no longer corresponded to the internationalisation and diversity of the fields on offer, which was renamed BRAFA: the Brussels Antiques & Fine Arts Fair. On September 30th, 2009, the fair was placed under the High Patronage of Her Majesty Queen Paola of Belgium. Following a complete visual remodelling of the event in 2014, the fair came to be known as BRAFA, or Brussels Art Fair.

PRESTIGIOUS GUESTS

THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES AT BRUSSELS EXPO

In 2022, following the development of new projects on the Tour & Taxis site, BRAFA moved to a new venue for the fourth time. It is now held at Brussels Expo on the Heysel plateau, to the north of the Belgian capital. The Brussels Expo exhibition venue was specifically designed to host a variety of trade fairs and international events. Emblematic of a prestigious past, the infrastructure of its exhibition halls is a legacy of the Brussels World’s Fairs of 1935 and 1958, the flagship monument of which is undoubtedly the Atomium, the symbol of the 1958 Fair.

From the outset, a host of VIPs have been invited to inaugurate the Fair. These have included the Belgian Royal family, Princess Hélène of France, the Grand-Ducal family of Luxembourg, Baroness Philippine de Rothschild, Baron Albert Frère, Karl Lagerfeld, Catherine Deneuve, Jean-Claude Brialy, and many others. Since 2008, BRAFA has also welcomed prestigious guests of honour, ranging from major Belgian cultural institutions such as the Opéra de la Monnaie in 2013 and the AfricaMuseum in 2014, to internationally renowned artists such as Julio Le Parc in 2017, Christo in 2018, Gilbert & George in 2019 and Joana Vasconcelos in 2025.

1966 - Inauguration of the Antiques Fair of Belgium by Her Royal Highness Queen Fabiola of Belgium
BRAFA - Stand Didier Claes © A2pix
1974 - Princess Hélène of France and Charles Van Hove, Chairman of the Belgian Chamber of Antique Dealers
Entrance hall © Olivier Pirard
1988 - Inauguration of the Antiques Fair of Belgium by fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld

TODAY, BRAFA IS…

• one of the top 5 art and antiques fairs

• the oldest art fair in Europe, now celebrating its 70th exhibition…

• a first-class gathering of 130 exhibitors from 16 countries, covering 20 specialities from archaeology to design and contemporary art

• an exceptional showcase of 10,000 to 15,000 pieces for sale in a warm and elegant setting

• a guarantee of quality, since the authenticity and condition of each artwork on display will have been appraised by 80 experts from around the world over a two-day period before the opening

• an unparalleled meeting place bringing together more than 67,000 collectors, museum conservators, art market professionals, designers, interior decorators and art lovers from around the world

• a human-scale fair (despite its 21,200 m² of exhibition space), enabling visitors to pick out their favourite artworks in the space of a few hours...

• one of the most inspiring art fairs and quite simply the first unmissable event on the artistic calendar!

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

VENUE

Brussels Expo - Halls 3 & 4 (entrance)

Place de Belgique - Belgiëplein 1 BE-1020 Brussels

DATES AND OPENING HOURS

Exclusive Saturday 25 January 2025, from 11 am to 7 pm

Sunday 26 January to Sunday 2 February 2025, from 11 am to 7 pm

except on Monday 27 January 2025 (by invitation only)

Late opening on Thursday 30 January 2025 until 10 pm

TICKETS

Exclusive Saturday

Day ticket

16-26 years old

< 16 years old free

Buy online at www.brafa.art or on site (cashless payment only)

Catalogue*

Combination tickets*

1 entry + 1 catalogue

2 entries + 1 catalogue

*Only on sale at the event (cashless payment only)

EXHIBITORS

130 galleries from 16 countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

SPECIALITIES

Classical antiquities, Old Masters, modern and contemporary paintings, silverware, antique jewellery, furniture, sculpture and works of art from the Middle Ages to the 21st century, design objects & furniture, curiosities, glass and ceramics, tribal art, Asian art, Pre-Columbian art, antique frames, icons, drawings and engravings, antique and modern books, original comic art, autographed letters and manuscripts, photography, carpets and textiles, tapestries, naturalia…

BRAFA ART TALKS

Captivating talks for curious minds, open access without reservation with an entrance ticket. Daily at 4 pm on the stand of the King Baudouin Foundation n°135.

Belgian and international curators, art experts and journalists will be delivering exciting lectures on a variety of topics. Full programme available at: www.brafa.art/en/art-talks

General view © Emmanuel Crooÿ

BRAFA ART TOURS, SUPPORTED BY HISCOX

Discover uplifting highlights of the Fair and gain a deeper understanding of these pieces. Daily at 3 pm, free public tours in English, French and Dutch by registration only on www.brafa.art/en/tickets.

Private tours in English, French, Dutch, German and other languages on request. For prices and bookings, please contact Patricia Simonart, p.simonart@brafa.be, t. +32 (0)2 513 48 31

KIK-IRPA: SPECIAL EXHIBITION & WORKSHOPS

Free engaging workshops offering hands-on opportunities to explore art and heritage. Daily at 2 pm and 5 pm (booth n°136) by registration only at: www.brafa.art/en/guided-tours-and-art-tours.

Participants will learn how to approach artworks with a critical eye, understand the materials used by artists, and learn how to care for valuable objects and artworks at home. Experts will also share fascinating discoveries from their research, illustrating how scientific methods and modern technology are unlocking new dimensions for the understanding of historical works of art.

SERVICES

Concierge, restaurants, champagne bars, cloakroom (3 €), parking (12 €) Special parking & access for disabled persons (Parking M & T).

Loading stations for electric cars: Atomium, Boulevard du Centenaire 617 / Parking T, E, C

SAFETY REGULATIONS

- Animals, large bags, backpacks, suitcases and umbrellas are not allowed at the fair

- Please do not bring art or antiques for valuation

- No photography or filming of the artworks is allowed without permission from the exhibiting gallery

- No use of tripods without permission

- Security personnel reserve the right to search all visitors and their belongings at the entrance to the fair

CONCIERGE SERVICE

BRAFA’s aim is to make your visit a truly unforgettable experience! For all inquiries about BRAFA before the opening of the Fair, or about Brussels’ museums, exhibitions or concerts, restaurants, hotels, car rental, plane tickets, transfers to the airport or anything else, please contact Patricia Simonart: p.simonart@brafa.be, t. +32 (0)2 513 48 31. During the Fair, the Concierge of the Hotel Le Plaza Brussels, a member of the Belgian Royal Warrant Holders, will be delighted to assist you with any enquiries. The Concierge will be located at the entrance hall of the Fair.

ORGANISATION

Foire des Antiquaires de Belgique asbl / Antiekbeurs van België vzw t. +32 (0)2 513 48 31 - info@brafa.be - www.brafa.art

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HOW TO GET TO BRAFA

Brussels Expo is located 20 minutes from Brussels International Airport. Book tickets on www.brusselsairlines.com

From the airport, take a taxi to Brussels Expo or the Trambus-De Lijn n° 820 (direction UZ Brussel) and get off at the Brussel Expo stop on the Chaussée Romaine/Romeinsesteenweg. To get from there to BRAFA, take the footbridge from Parking C located next to the bus stop or the free shuttle service on the Parking C that will take you to the entrance Hall 4.

BELGIAN RAIL - SNCB/NMBS

For information about transport in Belgium and abroad: www.belgianrail.be

EUROSTAR

Direct route to Brussels: from Paris (1h22), from London (2h), from Amsterdam (1h50), from Cologne (1h50). Train times and tickets on www.eurostar.com Arrival at Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel-Zuid station. To reach Brussels Expo, take a taxi or the metro, line 6 (direction Roi Baudouin). Get off at Heysel station, which is located almost opposite the entrance to Hall 4. This journey takes approximately 15 minutes.

Ring RO - Exit 7A Expo - Parking C, Chaussée Romaine/Romeinsesteenweg

Parking: 12 € - presale at www.brussels-expo.com/en/parkings

To access BRAFA from Parking C, take the footbridge that connects Parking C to Hall 4 or the free shuttle service.

Special access for people with reduced mobility on the right at the entrance of Hall 4. Parking M & T are easy to access: www.brussels-expo.com/en/pmr

Please let us know in advance if you need special assistance, t. +32 (0)2 513 48 31 - info@brafa.be

BY TAXI

Taxis Verts - t. +32 (0)2 349 49 49

BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Visit www.stib-mivb.be

BY METRO

Line 6 - direction Roi Baudouin

Heysel stop

BY TRAM

Line 3 - direction Esplanade Heysel stop

Line 7 - direction Heysel

Heysel stop (terminus)

Line 9 - direction Roi Baudouin Roi Baudouin stop (terminus)

BY BUS

Line 83 - direction Gare de Berchem Heysel stop or Val Maria

BY TRAMBUS - De Lijn

(Trambus between Brussels Airport & UZ Brussel)

Trambus n° 820 - direction UZ Brussel

Brussel Expo stop (access via Parking C)

HOTEL PARTNERS

PREFERENTIAL RATES FOR BRAFA VISITORS

VALID FROM THURSDAY 23 JANUARY TO SUNDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2025

HOTEL LE PLAZA BRUSSELS

Boulevard Adolphe Max 118-126

1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 278 01 00 reservations@leplaza.be www.leplaza-brussels.be

Special offer for 2 people:

- One night in a Deluxe room

- Breakfast for two

- A box of fine Belgian biscuits by Maison Dandoy

- Late check out

Special rate: 255 € excl. city tax of 4,24 €

HOTEL AMIGO, A ROCCO FORTE HOTEL

Rue de l’Amigo 1-3

1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 547 47 09 smuhlfellner@roccofortehotels.com www.roccofortehotels.com/hotel-amigo

Special offer for 2 people:

- One night in a Classic room

- Upgrade to a Deluxe room subject to availability

- Breakfast for two

- A box of delicious Laurent Gerbaud by Belgian chocolates

Special rate: 335 € excl. the city tax of 4,24 €

BOTANIC SANCTUARY ANTWERP (5-STAR SUPERIOR)

Leopoldstraat 26 2000 Antwerp t. +32 (0)3 269 00 00 reservations@botanicantwerp.com www.botanicantwerp.be

This VIP package for 2 people includes:

- One overnight stay

- 15 % discount on each type of room

- Botanic champagne breakfast experience

- 100 € Spa credit at the Botanic Sanctuary Spa over the course of the stay

- Late check-out and early check-in (subject to availability)

- Invitation card for BRAFA 2025

- BRAFA catalogue (subject to availability)

The hotel can arrange for transport to BRAFA, but this service is not included in the VIP package.

OUR SELECTION RESTAURANTS

AROUND BRUSSELS EXPO

AUBERGE NAPOLEON

Franco-Belgian cuisine

Bouchoutlaan 1 / 1860 Meise

t. +32 (0)2 269 30 78

www.aubergenapoleon.be closed on Mondays, Wednesday evening, Saturday midday and Sundays

LE GRIL AUX HERBES, EVAN RESTAURANT

French cuisine

Brusselsesteenweg 21 / 1780 Wemmel

t. +32 (0)2 460 52 39

www.evanrestaurants.be closed on Saturdays and Sundays

SAN DANIELE

Traditional Italian cuisine

Avenue Charles-Quint 6 1083 Ganshoren

t. +32 (0)2 426 79 23

www.san-daniele.be closed on Sundays and Mondays

‘T STOVEKE*

French gastronomy

Jetsestraat 52 / 1853 Strombeek-Bever

t. +32 (0)2 267 67 25 / www.tstoveke.be closed Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturday midday and Sundays

WINE IN THE CITY

International cuisine

Place Reine Astrid 34 / 1090 Jette

t. +32 (0)2 420 09 20

www.wineinthecity.be open on Wednesday and Thursday evening, Friday and Saturday evening

* or ** = Michelin starred

IN THE CITY – DOWNTOWN / SABLON / IXELLES

AMEN

Franco-Belgian gastronomy

Rue Franz Merjay 165 / 1050 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 217 10 19

www.amen.restaurant closed on Sundays and Mondays

AU VIEUX SAINT-MARTIN

Belgian cuisine

Place du Grand Sablon 38

1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 512 64 76 www.auvieuxsaintmartin.be open 7/7

BARGE*

Belgian gastronomy

Boulevard d’Ypres 33 / 1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 425 73 60

www.bargerestaurant.be open from Tuesday to Saturday evening and Friday midday

BELGA QUEEN

Refined Belgian cuisine

Rue du Fossé aux Loups 32 1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 455 55 55 www.belgaqueenbrussels.be open 7/7

BOCCONI

Refined Italian cuisine

Hotel Amigo / Rue de l’Amigo 1

1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 547 47 15 www.roccofortehotels.com/ hotels-and-resorts/hotel-amigo/ dining/ristorante-bocconi/ open 7/7

BOZAR RESTAURANT**

Franco-Belgian gastronomy

Rue Baron Horta 3 / 1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 503 00 00

www.bozarrestaurant.be

closed Mondays, Tuesday midday, Saturday midday and Sundays

BRUGMANN

French cuisine

Avenue Brugmann 52-54

1190 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 880 55 54

www.brugmann.com

closed Monday and Saturday

LA BELLE MARAÎCHÈRE

French cuisine, fish and seafood specialities

Place Sainte-Catherine 11a

1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 512 97 59

www.labellemaraichere.com

closed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

LE CHALET DE LA FORÊT **

French gastronomy

Drève de Lorraine 43 / 1180 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 374 54 16

www.lechaletdelaforet.be

closed on Saturdays and Sundays

COMME CHEZ SOI*

French & Belgian gastronomy

Place Rouppe 23 / 1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 512 29 21

www.commechezsoi.be

closed on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays

LE CORBIER

Refined Belgian cuisine

Rue des Minimes 51 / 1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 705 59 95

www.lecorbier.be

open from Wednesday evening to Saturday night and Sunday midday

EMILY

Italian cuisine

Rue de l’Abbaye 4 / 1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 318 18 58

www.emily.restaurant

closed Saturday midday, Sundays and Mondays

HUMUS & HORTENSE*

Plant-based gastronomy

Rue de Vergnies 2 / 1050 Brussels

t. +32 (0)474 65 37 06

www.humushortense.be

open on Wednesday and Thursday evening, Friday and Saturday

KAMO*

Japanese gastronomy

Chaussée de Waterloo 550A

1050 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 648 78 48

www.restaurant-kamo.be

open in the evening from Monday to Friday, open for lunch on Thursday and Friday

LILY’S

World cuisine

Restaurant + Club

Avenue De Mot 1 / 1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 647 66 68

www.lilys.be

closed Saturday midday and Sundays

Club open from Thursday to Saturday

KLINE

Young Belgian creative cuisine

Rue de Flandre 162 / 1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)472 96 46 36

www.kline.brussels

open from Tuesday evening to Saturday night

LES BRIGITTINES

Belgian cuisine

Place de la Chapelle 5 / 1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 512 68 91

www.lesbrigittines.com closed on Saturdays and Sundays

MARCELLA

Real Napolitan Pizza

Rue du Bailli 106 / 1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 751 44 49

www.marcellapizzeria.it closed on Sundays

MARU

Korean cuisine

Chaussée de Waterloo 510

1050 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 346 11 11 closed on Mondays and Tuesdays

NOTOS

Greek gastronomy

Rue de Livourne 154 / 1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 513 29 59 / www.notos.be

closed on Saturday midday, Sundays and Mondays

ODETTE EN VILLE

French cuisine

Rue du Châtelain 25 / 1050 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 640 26 26

www.odetteenville.be closed Saturday and Sunday middays

SENZANOME*

Italian gastronomy

Place du Petit Sablon 1 / 1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 223 16 17

www.senzanome.be closed Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays

TOUCAN SUR MER

Seafood specialities

Avenue Louis Lepoutre 17

1050 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 340 07 40

www.toucan.brussels open 7/7

LA VILLA IN THE SKY*

French gastronomy

IT Tower - 25th floor / Avenue

Louise 480 / 1050 Brussels

t. + 32 (0)2 644 69 14

www.lavillainthesky.be

closed Saturday midday, Sundays, Mondays and Tuesday midday

LA VILLA LORRAINE BY YVES MATTAGNE**

French gastronomy

Avenue du Vivier d’Oie 75

1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 374 31 63

www.villalorraine.be closed on Mondays, Tuesday midday, Saturday midday and Sundays

LE VARIÉTÉS

Belgian classical cuisine

Place Sainte-Croix 4 / 1050 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 320 10 00

www.levarietes.be open 7/7

UMA RESTAURANT

Modern European cuisine

Rue de la Reinette 8 / 1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 425 51 15

www.uma-restaurant.com closed on Mondays and Sundays

WINE & COCKTAIL BARS

BAR MAGRITTE

Cocktail bar

Hotel Amigo, A Rocco Forte Hotel

Rue de l’Amigo 1-3 / 1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 547 47 09

www.roccofortehotels.com/hotel-amigo open 7/7

CHEZ RICHARD

Wine, cocktails & bistro

Rue des Minimes 2 / 1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)479 611 256

www.chezrichard.be open 7/7

L’ARCHIDUC

Iconic Art Deco cocktail & spirits bar

Rue Antoine Dansaert 6 / 1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 512 06 52 www.archiduc.net open 7/7

PÉNAR/WINERY BRUGMANN

Wine bar

Place Georges Brugmann 18

1050 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 895 77 71 / www.winery.be closed on Saturday midday and Sundays

LA PHARMACIE ANGLAISE

Cocktail bar

Coudenberg 66 / 1000 Brussels

t. + 32 (0)489 560 736

www.lapharmacieanglaise.com open 7/7

REBEL

Wine bar

Rue Lesbroussart 48 / 1050 Brussels

t. +32 (0)471 90 34 66 closed on Monday and Tuesday

TARZAN

Wine bar

Rue Washington 59 / 1050 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 538 65 80 open 7/7

TOPE

Rooftop bar, Mexican-inspired tapas

@ The Hoxton, Square Victoria

Régina 1 / 1210 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 883 8123

www.thehoxton.com/brussels/ tope-restaurant/

Bar Magritte

MUSEUMS & FOUNDATIONS

BRUSSELS

AFRICAMUSEUM

Leuvensesteenweg 13 / 3080 Tervuren www.africamuseum.be

ART & HISTORY MUSEUM

Parc du Cinquantenaire 10 1000 Brussels www.artandhistory.museum

BELGIAN COMIC STRIP CENTRE

Rue des Sables 20 / 1000 Brussels www.comicscenter.net

BOGHOSSIAN FOUNDATION -

VILLA EMPAIN

Centre for art and dialogue between Eastern and Western cultures

Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 67 1050 Brussels www.villaempain.com

BOZAR - CENTRE FOR FINE ARTS

Rue Ravenstein 23 / 1000 Brussels www.bozar.be

CENTRALE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART

Place Sainte-Catherine 44 1000 Brussels www.centrale.brussels

DESIGN MUSEUM BRUSSELS

Place de Belgique 1 / 1020 Brussels www.designmuseum.brussels

FASHION & LACE MUSEUM

Rue de la Violette 12 / 1000 Brussels www.fashionandlacemuseum.brussels

FONDATION CAB -

ART CENTER BRUSSELS

Rue Borrens 32-34 / 1050 Brussels www.fondationcab.com

FONDATION FOLON

Ferme du Château de La Hulpe

Drève de la Ramée 6A / 1310 La Hulpe www.fondationfolon.be

FOUNDATION FRISON HORTA

Rue Lebeau 37 / 1000 Brussels www.foundation-frison-horta.be

Open by appointment only

HORTA MUSEUM

Rue Américaine 25-27 / 1060 Brussels www.hortamuseum.be

KBR MUSEUM

@ ROYAL LIBRARY OF BELGIUM

Boulevard de l’Empereur 2 1000 Brussels www.kbr.be

MAISON HANNON

Avenue de la Jonction 1 / 1060 Brussels www.maisonhannon.be

MIM - MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS MUSEUM

Montagne de la Cour 2 / 1000 Brussels www.mim.be

ROYAL BELGIAN INSTITUTE OF NATURAL SCIENCES

Rue Vautier 29 / 1000 Brussels www.naturalsciences.be

ROYAL MUSEUMS OF FINE ARTS OF BELGIUM

includes: Old Masters Museum, Magritte Museum

Rue de la Régence 3 / 1000 Brussels www.fine-arts-museum.be

THE SOLVAY HOUSE

Avenue Louise 224 / 1050 Brussels www.hotelsolvay.be

Mandatory registration

VAN BUUREN MUSEUM AND GARDENS

Avenue Léo Errera 41 / 1180 Brussels www.museumvanbuuren.com

WIELS - CONTEMPORARY ART CENTRE

Avenue Van Volxem 354 / 1190 Brussels www.wiels.org

WITTOCKIANA - MUSEUM OF BOOK ARTS AND BOOKBINDING

Rue du Bemel 23 / 1150 Brussels www.wittockiana.org

© Boghossian Foundation - Villa Empain

ANTWERP

DIVA, THE MUSEUM FOR DIAMONDS, JEWELLERY, AND SILVER

Suikerrui 17-19 / 2000 Antwerp www.divaantwerp.be

KMSKA - ROYAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS ANTWERP

Leopold de Waelplaats 2 2000 Antwerp www.kmska.be

MAS - MUSEUM AAN DE STROOM

Hanzestedeplaats 1 / 2000 Antwerp www.mas.be

MIDDELHEIMMUSEUM

Open air sculpture park

Middelheimlaan 61 / 2000 Antwerp www.middelheimmuseum.be

MOMU - FASHION MUSEUM

Nationalestraat 28 / 2000 Antwerp www.momu.be

M HKA - MUSEUM FOR CONTEMPORARY ART

Leuvenstraat 32 / 2000 Antwerp www.muhka.be

MUSEUM DE REEDE

Ernest van Dijckkaai 7 / 2000 Antwerp www.museum-dereede.com

MUSEUM MAYER VAN DEN BERGH

Last chance - will close for renovation in April 2025 Lange Gasthuisstraat 19 / 2000 Antwerp www.museummayervandenbergh.be

MUSEUM PLANTIN-MORETUS

Unesco World Heritage

Vrijdagmarkt 22 / 2000 Antwerp www.museumplantinmoretus.be

THE RUBENS HOUSE

Wapper 9-11 / 2000 Antwerp www.rubenshuis.be

BRUGES

GROENINGEMUSEUM

Dijver 12 / 8000 Bruges www.brugge.be/musea

© Gruuthusemuseum, Bruges

GRUUTHUSEMUSEUM

Dijver 17C / 8000 Bruges www.brugge.be/musea

O.L.V. TER POTTERIE

Potterierei 79 B / 8000 Bruges www.brugge.be/musea

SINT-JANSHOSPITAAL –

MEMLING MUSEUM

Mariastraat 38 / 8000 Bruges www.brugge.be/musea

CHARLEROI

BPS22 – MUSÉE D’ART DE LA PROVINCE DU HAINAUT Boulevard Solvay 22 / 6000 Charleroi www.bps22.be

THE PHOTOGRAPHY MUSEUM

Avenue Paul Pastur 11 / 6032 Charleroi www.museephoto.be

GHENT

MSK - MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS Fernand Scribedreef 1 / 9000 Ghent www.mskgent.be

MUDEL (MUSEUM VAN DEINZE EN DE LEIESTREEK) Lucien Matthyslaan 3-5 / 9800 Deinze www.mudel.be

MUSEUM DHONT-DHAENENS Museumlaan 14 9831 Sint-Martens-Latem www.museumdd.be

ROGER RAVEEL MUSEUM Gildestraat 2-8 9870 Machelen-aan-de-Leie www.rogerraveelmuseum.be

S.M.A.K. - MUNICIPAL MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART Jan Hoetplein 2 / 9000 Ghent www.smak.be

HASSELT

HASSELT FASHION MUSEUM Gasthuisstraat 11 / 3500 Hasselt www.modemuseumhasselt.be

Z33 - HOUSE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE Bonnefantenstraat 1 / 3500 Hasselt www.z33.be

HORNU

CID - INNOVATION AND DESIGN CENTER

Site du Grand-Hornu

Rue Sainte-Louise 82 / 7301 Hornu www.cid-grand-hornu.be

MAC’S - MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

Site du Grand-Hornu

Rue Sainte-Louise 82 / 7301 Hornu www.mac-s.be

LEUVEN

M LEUVEN

Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 28 3000 Leuven www.mleuven.be

SNIJDERS&ROCKOX HOUSE

Keizerstraat 10-12 / 2000 Antwerp www.snijdersrockoxhuis.be

LA LOUVI È RE

THE CENTRE FOR ENGRAVINGS AND PRINTS (CGII) Rue des Amours 10 / 7100 La Louvière www.centredelagravure.be

KERAMIS - CERAMICS CENTRE

Place des Fours-Bouteilles 1 7100 La Louvière www.keramis.be

LI EGE

LA BOVERIE

Parc de la Boverie / 4020 Liege www.laboverie.com

LE GRAND CURTIUS

Quai de Maastricht 13 / 4000 Liege www.grandcurtiusliege.be

LOUVAIN-LA-NEUVE

MUSÉE L – MUSÉE UNIVERSITAIRE

DE LOUVAIN

Place des Sciences 3 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve www.museel.be

HERGÉ MUSEUM

Rue du Labrador 26 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve www.museeherge.com

MARIEMONT

ROYAL MUSEUM OF MARIEMONT

Chaussée de Mariemont 100 7140 Morlanwelz www.musee-mariemont.be

MECHELEN

MUSEUM HOF VAN BUSLEYDEN

Frederik de Merodestraat 65 2800 Mechelen www.hofvanbusleyden.be

MONS

TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS

BRUSSELS

ART & HISTORY MUSEUM

Parc du Cinquantenaire 10 1000 Brussels www.artandhistory.museum

Masterpieces of the 18th century. A Tale of Power and Beauty.

CAP - FINE ARTS MUSEUM MONS

Rue Neuve 8 / 7000 Mons www.cap.mons.be

SENEFFE

DOMAINE DU CHÂTEAU DE SENEFFE

Silver Museum of the Fédération

Wallonie-Bruxelles

Rue Lucien Plasman 7-9 / 7180 Seneffe www.chateaudeseneffe.be

The Art & History Museum exhibition, held in recently renovated rooms, presents a selection of 18th-century art objects, focusing on seven areas that underwent radical transformation in Europe during the Age of Enlightenment: nature, exoticism, the state, religion, philosophy, science and technology. The aim of this new presentation is to go beyond the usual historical and stylistic approach and to look at the ways of thinking and living in the Low Countries under the Habsburgs of Austria and in the Principality of Liege. As well as unveiling recent acquisitions, the revamped scenography sheds new light on some of the best-known masterpieces in the collections, highlighting sometimes lesser-known works whose artistic quality and variety are nevertheless a tribute to the artists of our regions in the fields of goldsmithing and silversmithing, sculpture, ceramics, glassmaking, lacemaking and tapestry.

America collection

The Art & History Museum’s collection of Central and South American civilisations is one of the most important and comprehensive in Europe, and even worldwide. Olmecs, Mayas, Aztecs, Incas and many other populations are well-represented. Nine rooms present a revitalised display of new objects and scientific content on various themes such as rituals and sacrifices, ball games, Mayan writing, the Aztec calendar and Moche vases. The updated display also offers new background material on

lesser-known cultures, such as those from Costa Rica, Panama, the Caribbean, Colombia, Ecuador and Chile, amongst others. After a two-year absence for restoration, the figurine that served as model for the Tintin album ‘The Broken Ear’ is back, just like the mummy from which Hergé drew inspiration for his character Rascar Capac in the album ‘The Seven Crystal Balls’. Some of the new objects on display come from the recent bequest to the museum by the Dutch couple Heggen-Van der Giessen.

ATOMIUM

Place de l’Atomium 1 / 1020 Brussels www.atomium.be

Centrale and Look Up 01 Jan 2024 > 31 Dec 2025

Temporary closure 13 Jan > 26 Jan 2025 (Re)discover the Atomium, a Belgian icon rooted in the present and looking to the future. Built for the 1958 World’s Fair, the Atomium is more than a monument: it’s a journey in its own right, a crossroads between art, science and history. Since 2013, the Atomium, as cultural venue, has been devoting its programming of exhibitions, installations and performances to

digital creations. It regularly gives carte blanche to artists who create immersive and original universes in the exhibition space. These projects made of sound and light, such as Centrale and Look Up, exploit the magic of the space and accentuate the heritage richness of the building. The Atomium ticket automatically includes entry to the Design Museum Brussels, 150m away.

BELFIUS ART GALLERY

Belfius Tower, Place Charles Rogier 11 / 1210 Brussels

Mandatory registration: www.belfius.com/art

ART POPS

18 Oct 2024 > 20 Jun 2025

Step into Art Pops, an immersive art experience brought to visitors by the Belfius Art Collection, in which their senses become the brushstrokes of creativity. This unique exhibition invites visitors to explore art beyond sight, engaging the senses of touch, sound, and even smell in order to awaken a deeper connection with each piece. It’s a great way to dive into vibrant installations that pop with colour and vibrate with energy, and to feel the textures of artistic expression. Art Pops is more than an exhibition, it’s a sensory journey that redefines how we perceive and interact with art.

BOGHOSSIAN FOUNDATION -

VILLA EMPAIN

Avenue Franklin Roosevelt 67 1050 Brussels www.villaempain.com

Alechinsky, pinceau voyageur 26 Sep 2024 > 16 Mar 2025

Echoes of Art Deco

15 Nov 2024 > 25 May 2025

For the first time, the Boghossian Foundation is presenting a solo exhibition devoted to a major 20th-century European artist, Pierre Alechinsky, in the unique setting of the Villa Empain. The exhibition, curated by Catherine de Braekeleer, brings together an exceptional collection of a hundred works and numerous archival documents, gathered over the past seventy years. Alechinsky, pinceau voyageur is an ode to travel, exploring the artist’s fascination with artistic practices and traditions in Japan and China. An ode to freedom, showcasing the artist’s experimentation with different techniques and mediums since 1947. An ode to friendship, with works created in collaboration with artists like Jiří Kolář, Hans Spinner, or accompanying the works of authors such as Salah Stétié, Amos Kenan, and Joyce Mansour. An ode to love, since the exhibition centres around the image of the previous unseen painting titled Comme elle partait, created in 2023 as a tribute to Micky (19282023), whom he married in 1949.

In the context of the centenary commemoration of Art Deco in 2025, the Boghossian Foundation is presenting a thematic exhibition on this key movement in Brussels. The term Art Deco refers to the Exposition internationale des Arts décoratifs et industriels modernes, held in Paris in 1925, which provided a unique opportunity for architects and the public to immerse themselves in this fresh, innovative spirit. Echoes of Art Deco invites visitors to explore the iconic architecture of the Villa Empain, a paragon of Art Deco with an eventful past. Set against the lively musical backdrop of the era, the exhibition offers an immersive experience in the lifestyle of the Roaring Twenties. The Art Deco movement encompassed both architecture and the decorative arts. Furniture takes centre stage in a scenography that recreates the intimate atmosphere of a private residence. Drawings, ceramics, woodwork and ironwork transport visitors to a time oriented towards modernity, technical progress, and the forthcoming society of leisure. Stained glass, an exemplary marker of stylistic evolution, is showcased by an exceptional collection of 25 original pieces, alongside the complete preparatory drawings for Anto Carte’s La Gioconda, which was exhibited at the 1925 International Exhibition in Paris.

BOZAR - CENTRE FOR FINE ARTS

Rue Ravenstein 23 / 1000 Brussels www.bozar.be

Monira Al Qadiri.

The Archaeology of Beasts

14 Nov 2024 > 09 Mar 2025

Monira Al Qadiri (Senegal, 1983) is an international artist whose practice explores topics as diverse as ancient history and the possibilities of new technologies, always from a critical yet playful point of view. Bozar is hosting her first solo exhibition in Belgium, titled

The Archaeology of Beasts. Consisting of new digital creations commissioned for this occasion, the exhibition represents a new visual turn for Al Qadiri, inspired by the Gods and Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt. Interweaving ancient myths and recent facts connected to climate change, Al Qadiri’s works oscillate between humour and beauty, often charged with an underlying violence. For this exhibition, she is asking visitors to reflect on who qualifies as a Human and who as a Beast.

CENTRALE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART

Place Sainte-Catherine 44 1000 Brussels www.centrale.brussels

hosting / 10 Oct 2024 > 09 Feb 2025 hosting welcomes and celebrates the artistic diversity of the Brussels scene, opening up to the city, its periphery, its artists and its audiences. The exhibition is presented as a large-scale cabinet of curiosities, occupying all of Centrale’s spaces. It is based on an open call to Brussels-based artists of all generations and disciplines in the visual arts. The exhibition examines the notions of hospitality, territory, solidarity and emergence in the current art ecosystem. The works have been selected and curated by an artistic committee including guest artists Manon de Boer, Pélagie Gbaguidi, Juan Pablo Plazas and Richard Venlet, and Tania Nasielski, the artistic director at Centrale.

BOZAR
Monira
Boghossian

CLOUD SEVEN

Quai du Commerce 7 / 1000 Brussels

www.cloudseven.be/exhibitions

A Public Affair

12 Sep 2024 > 28 Mar 2025

The exhibition explores the boundaries between the private and public spheres, highlighting conflicts that may emerge when personal issues become collective.

A selection of works from Frédéric de Goldschmidt’s collection by Aline Bouvy, Romuald Hazoumè, Kapwani Kiwanga, Jacqueline Mesmaeker, Sophie Nys, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Barthélémy Toguo, Nico Williams and many other established and upcoming artists, curated by Bayo Hassan Bello.

DESIGN MUSEUM BRUSSELS

Place de Belgique 1 / 1020 Brussels www.designmuseum.brussels

Here

We Are! Women in Design, 1900-Today

16 Oct 2024 > 09 Mar 2025

Temporary closure 13 jan > 26 jan 2025

From the pioneers of the Bauhaus to the interior designers of space capsules, together with more classic productions, women have shaped the field of design, and yet they are often overlooked. The Here We Are! Women in Design, 1900Today exhibition pays tribute to women designers past and present through a large collection of furniture, ceramics, glass, textiles, fashion and graphic design. Produced by the Vitra Design Museum, this exhibition is coming to the Design Museum Brussels with the addition of a section devoted to this issue in the history of design in Belgium.

Untold Stories - Women Designers in Belgium, 1880-1980

16 Oct 2024 > 13 Apr 2025

This exhibition brings the works of more than 50 women designers and makers, active in Belgium between 1880 and 1980, together for the first time. Based on extensive research, objects from a wide range of disciplines and sourced from several museums and private collections are on display, many of which have never been shown to the public before.

FONDATION CAB BRUSSELS

Rue Borrens 34-36 / 1050 Brussels www.fondationcab.com

Kasper Bosmans

15 Jan 2025 > 15 Feb 2025

Van den Weghe, a company specialised in noble materials headed by the entrepreneur and art collector Tanguy Van Quickenborne, has invited the Belgian artist Kasper Bosmans (b. 1990) to take up a residency at his company. Van den Weghe offers the artist the opportunity to explore the craft and tackle the most inspiring materials. As part of this project, Kasper Bosman is presenting marble works, produced during his year-long residency, at the CAB Foundation. Kasper Bosmans is a shrewd observer of the ways in which images can teeter on the brink of nature and fiction, or art and craft. With an intuitive anthropological approach, he looks towards the remnants of local traditions and mythological iconography in contemporary life.

FONDATION

WALTER & NICOLE LEBLANC

Chaussée de Gand 1118 / 1082 Brussels www.walterleblanc.org

Schémas by Hana Miletić

02 Oct 2024 > 07 Feb 2025

With the aim of cultivating a platform for experimentation, research and exchange between Walter Leblanc’s legacy and contemporary art and cultural practitioners, artists are invited to meticulously explore the archive of the Walter & Nicole Leblanc Foundation. The third exhibition presents an engaging dialogue between the works of Leblanc, the archiving work of his life partner Nicole, and the acclaimed artist Hana Miletić (Zagreb, 1982), who has conceived a site-specific installation especially for this occasion. Miletić’s work, which explores themes of representation and social reproduction through the interaction of photography and weaving, brings a fresh perspective to the ongoing conversation.

HORTA MUSEUM

Rue Américaine 27 / 1060 Brussels www.hortamuseum.be

Smooth as velvet

13 Sep 2024 > 30 May 2025

The Horta Museum has invited five artists to dress the walls of the house. Following the successful ‘Pushing Back the Walls’ exhibition held in 2022, it is now velvet’s turn to take centre stage as it decorates the walls of this famous home. Louisa Carmona, Elise Peroi, Marc Van Hoe and Flore and Pauline Fockedey were all given full creative freedom for this project.

MAISON HANNON

Avenue de la Jonction 1 / 1060 Brussels www.maisonhannon.be

Belgian Art Nouveau. Van de Velde, Serrurier-Bovy, Hankar & Co

01 Sep 2023 > 02 Feb 2025

In the Saint-Gilles district of Brussels, a sleeping beauty is awakening. For its first exhibition since its opening, the Maison Hannon is presenting Belgian

Art Nouveau in all its diversity, through a wide range of art pieces from public and private collections, many of which have never been seen before. Art Nouveau. A style? More like a state of mind, and an insatiable faith in modernity. In 1900, at the peak of the Industrial Revolution, Brussels was the field of experimentation for a subversive style. Whilst Victor Horta addressed himself to a wealthy clientele, Paul Hankar, Henry van de Velde and Gustave Serrurier-Bovy worked together to invent a modern way of life that was simpler, with the aim of popularising it. Through this approach, they sought to establish the foundations of a first modernity.

ROYAL MUSEUM OF FINE

ARTS OF BELGIUM

Rue de la Régence 3 / 1000 Brussels www.fine-arts-museum.be

Drafts. From Rubens to Khnopff 11 Oct 2024 > 16 Feb 2025

How is a work of art created? This is the question that the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium are seeking to answer with an exhibition devoted to sketching. A tour of one hundred works takes visitors into the intimacy of the creative process, inviting them to push open the doors of the studio in an attempt to grasp the very soul of the work, the first idea laid down on a blank sheet of paper, a plank of wood or a piece of cardboard. This immersion offers a new, behind-the-scenes perspective on the creations of iconic artists, from

Hans Hartung, Composition T.51-10 (1951), Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels, photo Guy Cussac © Hans Hartung, SABAM Belgium
Fondation
CAB, Kasper Bosmans © Kristien Daem

Rogier van der Weyden to James Ensor, by way of Rembrandt, Rubens and Magritte. Based around the exceptional collections of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, this unique exhibition is the result of a major restoration campaign carried out by the museum’s teams over a period of almost two years.

Emily Mae Smith X René Magritte 11 Oct 2024 > 02 Mar 2025 Emily Mae Smith (USA, 1979), a young American painter, has been invited by the Magritte Museum to create a unique dialogue with his fascinating universe. Most of Emily Mae Smith’s works feature an anthropomorphic broomstick figure, inspired by Disney’s Fantasia (1940). This figure becomes the artist’s avatar, simultaneously referring to the painter’s brush, the working tool of housemaids, and the phallus, giving her paintings a sexual dimension. Emily Mae Smith stages this broom-brush figure in various contexts: a seventeenth-century interior, a rocky exterior, a cave, etc. She accompanies it with props and objects borrowed from Symbolism (skull, flowers, still life…) and Surrealism. She readily includes direct references to art history, and to Magritte’s work: here and there, one recognises an apple, a burnt-out candle, rocks... New works made exclusively for the exhibition are displayed alongside loans from private and public collections.

TRAIN WORLD

Place Princesse Elisabeth 5

1030 Brussels www.trainworld.be

Draw me a train

19 Sep 2024 > 11 May 2025

This exhibition showcases the work of some of the greatest artists whose work, in their time, captured the beauty of trains: Victor Horta, Henry van de Velde, Paul Delvaux, Franquin, Santiago Calatrava, François Schuiten and many others.

Original drawings by Victor Horta relating to his work on the BrusselsCentral station will be displayed to the public for the first time. Cars dating from the 1930s, designed by Henry van de Velde, have also been restored specially for the occasion and will be the subject of an exclusive presentation.

VANHAERENTS ART COLLECTION

Rue Anneessens 29 / 1000 Brussels www.vanhaerentsartcollection.com

Open once a month: Sat 01 Feb 2025 Mandatory registration

Viewing Depot EXH#03

Year of the Dragon

EXH#03 is the third major presentation highlighting recent acquisitions and seminal works from the collection, all in the unique setting of a viewing depot. Drawing inspiration from the Chinese calendar and astrology, the thematic core of this exhibition is the zodiac sign of the dragon, symbolising creativity, curiosity, confidence and generosity. Associative in nature, EXH#03 brings together large-scale works that combine aesthetic innovation and emotional

intensity. One of the focal points in the exhibition, spanning the full three floors of the Vanhaerents Art Collection, is Ai Weiwei’s haunting installation Life Vest Snake, 2019, which seamlessly intertwines traditional Eastern iconography with poignant reflections on the contemporary refugee crisis.

WIELS - CONTEMPORARY

ART CENTRE

Avenue Van Volxem 354 / 1190 Brussels www.wiels.org

Willem Oorebeek. Obstakles 01 Feb 2025 > 27 Apr 2025

WIELS presents Obstakles, a major retrospective exhibition of Willem Oorebeek (Netherlands, 1953), an artist of Dutch origin who has been living and working in Brussels for the past thirty years. The exhibition encompasses approximately forty sets of work ranging from the 1990s to new productions. Spread across two floors, the exhibition highlights Oorebeek’s in-depth exploration of authorship and aura through mass-produced images and the reproduction of techniques of appropriation, calling the claim of the unique experience of painting into question. Through elaborate processes of repetition and superimposition, his work simultaneously thematises mediatic forms of representation and the viewer’s possibilities of perception. In an age of visual information overload and the ubiquitous spectacle, Oorebeek’s work delves sensitively into the image’s dynamics of attracting attention, without compromising its mystery.

Paulo Nazareth

01 Feb 2025 > 27 Apr 2025

Paolo Nazareth (Brazil, 1977) is a travelling artist who creates as he walks. His work, which includes performances, videos, photographs and sculptures, is akin to a protean travel diary. Across the Americas and Africa, he follows migration routes on foot or by bus, documenting social tensions and exhuming parts of the collective memory. He roams the

world like a nomad with the aim of producing traces that might result in a work of art. In this exhibition, Nazareth’s interdisciplinary, participatory work connects his life to his artistic output.

WITTOCKIANA - MUSEUM OF BOOK ARTS AND BOOKBINDING

Rue du Bemel 23 / 1150 Brussels www.wittockiana.org

L’Atelier du Faux 12 Oct 2024 > 02 Feb 2025

Rare and desirable goods have always stimulated the ingenuity of counterfeiters. Counterfeit coins have been in circulation for as long as money has existed, and the same applies to religious relics, works of art and luxury items. When it comes to printed matter, however, forgery is not always the opposite of truth. As Umberto Eco points out, it is extremely difficult to give a satisfactory definition to such terms as ‘fake’, ‘forgery’, ‘pseudo’, ‘falsification’, ‘facsimile’, ‘counterfeiting’, ‘apocryphal’, ‘similar’, ‘copy’. And the real headache for theorist is to decide what is meant by an ‘authentic object’. (Umberto Eco, The Limits of Interpretation). This exhibition is an attempt to show the nuances and reflections of forgery in the field of books.

ANTWERP

DIVA, THE MUSEUM FOR DIAMONDS, JEWELLERY, AND SILVER Suikerrui 17-19 / 2000 Antwerp www.divaantwerp.be

Pinned! Contemporary Antwerp

Jewellery / 25 Oct 2024 > 21 Apr 2025

This exhibition presents the extraordinary collection by Antwerp collector Dirk Schrijvers, consisting of 200 jewels by more than 60 designers. With this unique exhibition, the DIVA museum offers an insight into jewellery made in Antwerp during the past 25 years. It is a celebration of craftsmanship and innovation. From bold statement pieces to sophisticated subtle touches and technological developments, each piece of jewellery tells its own story.

FOMU - FOTOMUSEUM

Waalsekaai 47 / 2000 Antwerp www.fotomuseum.be

Cindy Sherman. Anti-Fashion

28 Sep 2024 > 02 Feb 2025

FOMU presents Belgium’s first major solo of the American artist Cindy Sherman (USA, 1954). Featuring more than 100 works from the 1970s to the present, the exhibition offers an exciting overview of this leading contemporary artist’s work. The exhibition Anti-Fashion dives deeper into Sherman’s fascination for fashion and the nexus between her independent work and commissions in the fashion industry. Since the 1980s she has worked regularly with leading fashion houses including Comme des Garçons, John Galliano and Balenciaga and

fashion magazines such as Vogue, Interview and Harper’s Bazaar. With no interest in glamorous fashion shoots, she creates provocative photos featuring figures that could hardly be called beautiful, thus calling established ideals of beauty into question.

KMSKA - ROYAL MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS ANTWERP

Leopold de Waelplaats 2 2000 Antwerp www.kmska.be

What’s the story?

28 Nov 2024 > 09 Feb 2025

What’s the Story? is all about the dialogue between the collection and contemporary artists. Artists past and present influence our ideas about which universal subjects we consider important today. The presentation shows how the same themes changed over the centuries and how artists build on each other’s work. Shown together, the artworks tell a shared story. Three themes are featured: life and death, seduction and storytelling. Works by Jacob Jordaens, Jan Massijs and Constant Permeke from the museum’s collection enter into dialogue with those of Evelyne Axell, Maen Florin, Kati Heck, Jozef Legrand, Rinus Van de Velde, Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven and Liliane Vertessen.

Panamarenko on paper

01 Feb 2025 > 04 May 2025

‘There is a wonder somewhere in that mechanism. If you could poke that out...’. This one sentence seems to sum up Panamarenko 's oeuvre (Antwerp 1940-2019 Brakel). His life’s work seemed like a kind of game without limits where experimentation took precedence over result. Or did it? KMSKA will be gathering together Panamarenko’s most playful works on paper for this exhibition.

MAS - MUSEUM AAN DE STROOM

Hanzestedeplaats 1 / 2000 Antwerp www.mas.be

COMPASSION

01 Feb 2025 > 31 Aug 2025

Wanting to help others and feeling or showing compassion is typically human. This new exhibition at the MAS explores questions such as: How do people put their compassion for others into practice? Why do they do it, and what are good examples of it? In this exhibition, visitors discover how the idea of compassion is represented in art and culture: religious and non-religious objects, works of art, popular objects and decorative pieces, as well as music, stories and customs show how people always strive to help others. Contemporary testimonies and critical voices also show how topical the theme is and still remains.

MOMU - FASHION MUSEUM

Nationalestraat 28 / 2000 Antwerp www.momu.be

Masquerade, Make-up & Ensor 28 Sep 2024 > 02 Feb 2025

In MoMu’s exhibition, Masquerade, Make-up & Ensor, James Ensor’s ideas about masquerade, (false) coquetry, seduction, deception and transience are updated to the present day. MoMu celebrates the painters of fashion: the craftsmanship and inexhaustible creativity of make-up artists and hair stylists, in a multimedia exhibition combining light, colour, art, fashion and make-up. With works by James Ensor, Cindy Sherman, Tschabalala Self, Genieve Figgis, Inge Grognard, Martin Margiela, Christian Lacroix, Walter Van Beirendonck, Cyndia Harvey.

MUSEUM DE REEDE

Ernest van Dijckkaai 7 / 2000 Antwerp www.museum-dereede.com

Albrecht Dürer and Antwerp 7 Dec 2024 > 31 Mar 2025

Albrecht Dürer, one of the most influential artists of the Northern Renaissance, visited Antwerp in 1520-1521. During his stay, he met prominent figures from the art world and sold several of his works. Dürer was impressed by the city’s rich artistic scene and produced copious sketches and notes. His time in Antwerp contributed to his reputation in the Low Countries, and his visit also strengthened the cultural exchange between German and Flemish art. The exhibition, a collaboration with the KBR Museum, features more than 100 works by this iconic artist.

THE RUBENS HOUSE

Wapper 9-11 / 2000 Antwerp www.rubenshuis.be

Reopening of the Rubenshuis since 30 Aug 2024 Artist, marketeer, scientist, diplomat, family man... Rubens was an extraordinary talent, but also a downto-earth man. The Rubenshuis is where he lived happily and voraciously and worked for much of his life. The restoration of Rubens’s home will take a few more years to complete but the Rubens’ estate reopened in 2024 at Hopland 13, where the visit starts. Visitors can come face to face with the very first influencer through an immersive experience, wonder at the depth and breadth of his archives in the library and take a walk through the Baroque Garden where famous fashion designer Dries Van Noten cares for colour 365 days a year. Rubens’ work is visible the world over, but seeing his world is only possible here.

CHARLEROI

BPS22 – MUSÉE D’ART DE LA PROVINCE DU HAINAUT

Boulevard Solvay 22 / 6000 Charleroi

www.bps22.be

Candice Breitz

01 Feb 2025 > 11 May 2025

Known for her video installations, Candice Breitz (Johannesburg, 1952)

works with the languages of mass culture to highlight the influence they have on our perception of reality and our empathy towards our peers. From her first collages (Ghost series, 19941996) denouncing racial and gender stereotypes to her latest installation repurposing 1001 VHS sleeves and her fresco on the struggles of a community of sex workers in Cape Town, Candice Breitz explores celebrity culture, the ubiquity of social media and systems of white privilege as so many instruments vying for our attention.

THE PHOTOGRAPHY MUSEUM

Avenue Paul Pastur 11 / 6032 Charleroi www.museephoto.be

Surréalisme, pour ainsi dire… 05 Oct 2024 > 26 Jan 2025

Pol Pierart. De progrès ou de force

05 Oct 2024 > 26 Jan 2025

Simple and effective images that speak of strength and fragility, anger and illusions; powerful images that reflect disappointment, tender images sometimes that reflect hopes, small images with big ambitions, served so much better by a postcard format than by flattering enlargements; apt images in photographic aphorisms that are, more than those of a moralist, the sentences of a philosopher which, with their concluding words, always manage to move us.

Also on view:

Jérôme Cortie. Paradise

Hongsuk Ahn. Till the humming sleeps

Studio Stone

01 Feb 2025 > 18 May 2025

GHENT

MSK - MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS

Fernand Scribedreef 1 / 9000 Ghent www.mskgent.be

Restoration of the Ghent Altarpiece

02 May 2023 > 01 Mar 2026

The centenary of the publication of André Breton’s Manifesto of Surrealism, celebrated by numerous exhibitions and events around the world, seemed to be the ideal opportunity to look at one of the major areas of the Museum’s collection, Surrealist photography. Besides the acquisition of photographic prints, particular attention has been paid to publications, reviews, books and catalogues, which were the main means of disseminating Surrealist photography before there was a market for it.

The Photography Museum in Charleroi and the Amsab - Institut d’Histoire Ouvrière et Sociale in Ghent are joining forces to present the work of avant-garde photographers Cami and Sasha Stone.

Also on view:

Jean-Marc Wull. Les portraits oubliés Lucie Pastureau

Since 2023, seven panels of The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb by the Van Eyck brothers (more commonly known as the Ghent Altarpiece) have been undergoing restoration in the heart of the Museum of Fine Arts in Ghent (MSK). Visitors could already follow the campaign from 2012 to 2019, and now the remaining panels are in the museum for the final restoration phase. During the week, the restorers of the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA) can be seen live at work, in the studio behind glass. At the weekend, the panels are placed in a location visible to visitors.

Erich Heckel

12 Oct 2024 > 26 Jan 2025

The German artist Erich Heckel (18831970) was one of the leading figures of German Expressionism and a co-founder of the artists’ association Die Brücke. During World War I, he worked as a nurse for the Red Cross in Roeselare, Ostend, and Ghent. His fascination with the Flemish landscapes and cities is reflected in his striking artworks: romantic and expressive, spiritual

and tangible, and above all, hopeful. With this monographic exhibition, the MSK has chosen to highlight a lesser-known but particularly intriguing period of this influential artist’s work.

MUSEUM DHONDT-DHAENENS

Museumlaan 14

9831 Sint-Martens-Latem www.museumdd.be

Eloquent Formalism

Collection Andries-Vanlouwe Foundation

17 Nov 2024 > 06 Apr 2025

MDD has officially inaugurated the renovated annexe with the exhibition Eloquent Formalism, presenting a wide selection from the Andries-Vanlouwe Foundation collection together for the first time. The collection of Jan and Lieve Andries-Vanlouwe was initiated during the Cold War period. The canon of European art history still seemed valid, and the narratives about art as a means of communication across borders and continents remained relatively undisputed. The collection reflects a deep-seated belief in a democratic and open-minded idea of art. Artists: Pierre Alechinsky, Lawrence Carroll, Lucio Fontana, Isa Genzken, Hans Hartung, Imi Knoebel, Eugène Leroy, René Magritte, Robert Mangold, Nic Nicosia, Panamarenko, Serge Poliakoff, Gerhard Richter, Mark Rothko, Léon Spilliaert, Mitja Tušek, Luc Tuymans, Koen van den Broek, Dan Van Severen, Hilde Van Sumere, Marthe Wéry.

ROGER RAVEEL MUSEUM

Gildestraat 2-8 9870 Machelen-aan-de-Leie www.rogerraveelmuseum.be

MONOS. Artist Museums: Shrines and Reflections

03 Nov 2024 > 09 Feb 2025

home and abroad. Paintings, drawings, photographs, models, archival and other documentary material are brought together in fascinating thematic rooms.

Emptiness around me. A temporary farewell to the Roger Raveel Museum

13 Oct 2024 > 09 Feb 2025

S.M.A.K. – MUNICIPAL MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

Jan Hoetplein 2 / 9000 Ghent www.smak.be

HELL ON EARTH, in search of Pur, Nur and Fur - Joris Van de Moortel

05 Oct 2024 > 02 Mar 2025

century craze for moving panoramas – a precursor of 20th and 21st-century cinema and immersive entertainment.

HORNU

This exhibition examines the typology of the monographic museum. Particular histories, specific museum aspects and architectural programmes are highlighted on the basis of several case studies of artists’ museums at

The museum is preparing for a temporary farewell: it will close its doors in spring 2025 for renovation works that will take just over a year. The museum halls will be stripped down and a selection of works from the collection will be hung sparingly. The focus shifts to Raveel’s later works in which the colour white plays a leading role.

25th anniversary of the Roger Raveel Museum

03 Nov 2024 > 09 Feb 2025

The museum looks back on its 25 years of existence through photographs, archives, an overview of exhibitions and highlights, and video interviews with the honorary curators Roland Jooris and Piet Coessens, amongst others. Special attention is also paid to the architecture, a design by Stéphane Beel, and the construction history of the Roger Raveel Museum. \ \

The automobile is an unusual object, one that imposes its own madcap infrastructure on the world, as well as shaping the landscape and the atmosphere just as much as our imaginations: an object located in the blind spot of our day-to-day lives. More than 1.2 billion automobiles are on the roads around the world today. Presented in 2022 at the Cité du design as part of the 12th Saint-Étienne International Design Biennial, the Autofiction exhibition has been adapted to reflect the latest developments on the subject of the automobile object for its presentation at the CID. \

For more than 15 years, Joris Van de Moortel (Ghent, 1983) has been building his multidisciplinary oeuvre, which transcends borders and defies conventions. His studio is akin to a laboratory of the imagination, where he experiments with materials and ideas like a modern alchemist. With HELL ON EARTH, in search of Pur, Nur and Fur, the artist has created an overwhelming installation that fills and transforms the space of the S.M.A.K. New oil paintings, watercolours, models, sculptures, videos and music converge in an almost esoteric setting, in which every corner tells a story, by turns hopeful and apocalyptic.

HASSELT

Z33 - HOUSE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART, DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

Bonnefantenstraat 1 / 3500 Hasselt www.z33.be

Lucy McKenzie

29 Sep 2024 > 23 Feb 2025

Z33 is presenting the first large institutional solo exhibition in Belgium by the Scottish artist Lucy McKenzie (Glasgow, 1977), who has been based in Brussels since 2006. McKenzie will respond to the distinctive architectural volumes of the new exhibition wing, Vleugel 19, with a series of scenes that echo public and semi-public spaces

– including a shopping street, a train station and a fairground – as well as focusing on the domestic space. The exhibition will feature several major new commissions, including works inspired by the mid- to late-19th-

CID - INNOVATION AND DESIGN CENTRE

Site du Grand-Hornu

Rue Sainte-Louise 82 / 7301 Hornu

www.cid-grand-hornu.be

Autofiction

06 Oct 2024 > 16 Feb 2025

MACS - MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART

Site du Grand-Hornu

Rue Sainte-Louise 82 / 7301 Hornu

www.mac-s.be

Daniel Turner

15 Dec 2024 > 06 Apr 2025

Daniel Turner (USA, 1983) works with abandoned infrastructure, recovering and working with found elements to make the spirit of places tangible. For his first museum exhibition in Belgium, he has worked with a particularly highly charged site, namely the Prison de Forest. Taking advantage of the dismantling of the prison, he explored the space and collected materials capable of recording the initial sensations generated by this carceral environment.

LA LOUVIÈRE

THE CENTRE FOR ENGRAVINGS AND PRINTS (CGII)

Rue des Amours 10 / 7100 La Louvière www.centredelagravure.be

Marchoul's people

24 Jan 2025 > 18 May 2025

This exhibition showcases the great Belgian engraver Gustave Marchoul (1924-2015). CGII has chosen to offer an original point of view by proposing an exhibition showing this Master’s influence on those who frequented him, notably through his teachings. The exhibition presents both his practice and that of his close friends and family, his students (a fascinating selection of fifteen French-speaking Belgian artists) at the Mons school where he taught for two years and then at La Cambre from 1966 to 1989, as well as his book workshops at the Musée Royal de Mariemont. Two hundred works are on display in a never-before-seen presentation.

KERAMIS – CERAMICS CENTRE

Place des Fours-Bouteilles 1 7100 La Louvière www.keramis.be

L’obscur objet des désirs les plus clairs. Rachel Labastie and Nicolas Delprat

16 Nov 2024 > 02 Mar 2025

She is a ceramist and sculptor, he is a painter. A couple in both art and life, sharing a studio in Brussels since 2011, Rachel Labastie and Nicolas Delprat have carte blanche at Keramis. Born in Bayonne in 1978, Rachel Labastie creates sculptures and installations dominated by the presence of earth, baked or raw. Born in Rennes in 1972, Nicolas Delprat reflects on the value of light in painting and its status as both subject and object throughout the history of art, from the invention of photography to the light object in contemporary art, recalling the installations of Dan Flavin or the environments of James Turrell.

La possibilité d’un portrait. Jeanne et Georges Vercheval 16 Nov 2024 > 02 Mar 2025

With the aim of offering them to Keramis, Georges Vercheval (Belgium, 1934) gathered the photographs he had taken during his life in various ceramics workshops. Amongst these is a beautiful collection of portraits that allow us to put a face to the creators of works in the collections of Keramis. Georges and Jeanne Vercheval also donated works by their ceramicist friends, such as

Marc Feulien and Helen Von Boch. This collection thus constituted is showcased in relation to the work of Rachel Labastie and Nicolas Delprat. The exhibition also highlights the feminist activism of Jeanne Vercheval, and the fight she led alongside Marie Moreau, a trade unionist at the Boch faience factory.

LEUVEN

M LEUVEN

Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 28 3000 Leuven www.mleuven.be

Peter Morrens – OEEEEEEUUUUVVRE 11 Oct 2024 > 02 Mar 2025

Peter Morrens (Belgium, 1965) is bringing his multifaceted oeuvre to M. His work encompasses paintings, drawings, photographs, installations and performances. Language, sound and image converge in his practice, in which knowing and not-knowing are inextricably intertwined. With disruptive humour and often searing images, the artist questions the things around him. His work is both playful and generous. It challenges a wealth of conventions and prejudices, lending it a provocative and contemplative character.

Collection of M

29 Jun 2024 > 29 Apr 2029

‘Collection of M’ spans several centuries: from ancient masters to contemporary makers and everything in between. The new displays showcase the richness of

M’s collection and challenge visitors to actively look. Masterpieces and little-known gems reveal unexpected parallels or highlight the burning issues of the day. The presentation beings out the diversity of the collection in all its fascinating depth. Sculpture, painting, video, ceramics, glass ... The displays feature every conceivable media and discipline: historical objects from the Middle Ages, contemporary artworks and an array of masterpieces from other periods, some of the works being exhibited for the first time. Various themes and stories come to the fore, sometimes in an obvious way, and at other times more subtly. What do artworks communicate that isn’t perhaps visible?

LIEGE

LA BOVERIE

Parc de la Boverie / 4020 Liege www.laboverie.com www.expo-pauldelvaux.com

The worlds of Paul Delvaux 04 Oct 2024 > 16 Mar 2025

As part of the 100th anniversary of Surrealism, Paul Delvaux (1897-1994), a leading figure in 20th-century Belgian painting, is being honoured in a major exhibition. Taking a novel approach, the exhibition reveals little-known facets

© Keramis, Rachel Labastie, Femme proue , 2021, Collection of the artist
Marshes of Genk (detail), Rodolphe de Lexhy, 1894, Collection M Leuven, artinfl anders.be, photo Cedric Verhelst / I Sea (detail), Tina Gillen, 2018, Flemish Community Collection at M Leuven, photo © the artist
La Boverie, Paul Delvaux, Le Tunnel 1978, Collection Foundation Paul Delvaux © Foundation Paul Delvaux, Belgium/SABAM 2024 © Photo Vincent Everarts

of this artist, known as the painter of women and railway stations. Through his paintings, drawings and objects, placed alongside each other or alongside the work of other artists, The worlds of Paul Delvaux provides an exceptional insight into Delvaux’s place in Surrealism, and in the history of art more broadly. The aim is to shed new light on a timeless body of work, revealing its complexity and engaging in a fresh dialogue with modern-day visitors.

MARIEMONT

ROYAL MUSEUM OF MARIEMONT

Chaussée de Mariemont 100 7140 Morlanwelz

www.musee-mariemont.be

Buddha 21 Sep 2024 > 20 May 2025

This year, Mariemont is showcasing its Asian collections! And who better than the figure of Buddha to embody the collective imaginary of East Asia? The exhibition examines the many representations of Buddha, the Buddhist pantheon and rituals. Every sculpture, painting and sacred object on display carries a meaning, a devotion, an active significance. The exhibition is an experience in which audiences are invited to create, offer, meditate and participate. Mariemont is embarking on a new path: that of the sensitive, multi-sensory prism.

MECHELEN

MUSEUM HOF VAN BUSLEYDEN

Frederik de Merodestraat 65 2800 Mechelen

www.hofvanbusleyden.be

Eternal Spring. Gardens and Tapestries in the Renaissance 14 Dec 2024 > 16 Mar 2025

This winter, Museum Hof van Busleyden in Mechelen is tempering the wait for spring with a lavish exhibition that pays homage to the rebirth of nature. Eternal Spring. Gardens and Tapestries in the Renaissance brings the splendour and magnificence of lush Renaissance gardens to life with imposing tapestries and other artistic treasures from the collection of Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle. At the same time, the exhibition aims to expose the tension between human artifice and nature. After all, our desire to shape nature is timeless, and remains a burning issue to this day.

MONS

CAP - FINE ARTS MUSEUM MONS

Rue Neuve 8 / 7000 Mons

www.cap.mons.be

Surrealism: turning reality upside down 19 Oct 2024 > 16 Feb 2025

This exhibition about Surrealism in Belgium is part of the celebrations commemorating the birth of the movement in 1924. The Surrealist object has attracted attention from international museums for several years, but no exhibition has yet been devoted to the subject from the specifically Belgian perspective. Yet objects are central to the very definition of Surrealism. They are directly linked to the quest for social impact that characterises the movement. This exhibition explores the history of objects (three-dimensional objects, but also those featuring in poetry, painting, photography, collage and film) within Surrealism during the 1920s and 1930s, and then in the new consumer society that developed after the war. It places particular emphasis on the multiple relationships between Surrealism and commercial imagery.

SENEFFE

DOMAINE DU CHÂTEAU DE SENEFFE

Silver Museum of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles

Rue Lucien Plasman 7-9 / 7180 Seneffe www.chateaudeseneffe.be

Thierry Bontridder.

Sculpteur de bijoux (1981-2024) 03 Dec 2024 > 11 Nov 2025

Thierry Bontridder, a Belgian jewellery designer, is renowned for the originality of his creations, working withunusual materials such as titanium, acrylic glass and nylon. Gradually, his artistic work shifted from jewellery, which is essentially sculptural, to actual sculpture, culminating in monumental, public works of art. His jewellery follows the same principles as his sculptures, with simple curves and shapes, playing on translucence and opacity, with subtle dialogues between light, space and colour. \

OPERAS, CONCERTS, DANCE & THEATRE

BRUSSELS

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

LA MONNAIE / DE MUNT

Place de la Monnaie – Muntplein

1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 229 12 11 www.lamonnaie.be - www.demunt.be

Dance

Amours Aveugles

Thu 23 & Fri 24 Jan 2025 at 8 pm

@ KVS Bol, Rue de Laeken 146, 1000 Brussels

Concertini.

Friday afternoon chamber music

Liszt / Wagner / Chopin

Fri 24 Jan 2025 at 12.30 pm

@ La Monnaie I Grand Foyer

Recital Werner Van Mechelen & Florestan Bataillie ‘Lebenswandel’

Fri 31 Jan 2025 at 12.30 pm

@ La Monnaie I Fiocco Room

Vocalissimo

For Cathy - Sarah Aristidou & Spectra Ensemble

Sun 26 Jan 2025 at 7 pm

@ BOZAR, Rue Ravenstein 23, 1000 Brussels

BOZAR - CENTRE FOR FINE ARTS

Rue Ravenstein 23 / 1000 Brussels t. +32 (0)2 507 82 00 / www.bozar.be

Concerts, Symphonic

Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela & Gustavo Dudamel

Thu 23 Jan 2025 at 8 pm

Concerts, Electronic Music

Bozar x Reset #6

Thu 23 Jan 2025 at 8 pm

Concerts, Young talents

Nemø ensemble - As part of ‘Portrait Berio-Berberian’

Sun 26 Jan 2025 at 11 am

Concerts

Hyoid & Joris Lacoste: A-Ronne - As part of ‘Portrait Berio-Berberian’

Sun 26 Jan 2025 at 3 pm & 5.30 pm

@ Halles de Schaerbeek, Rue Royale

Sainte Marie 22b, 1030 Brussels

Concerts, Global Music

The Grand Chinese New Year Concert in the Year of the Snake

Wed 29 Jan 2025 at 8 pm

Concerts, Young talents

Yiheng Wang. piano recital Sun 2 Feb 2025 at 11 am

FLAGEY

Place Sainte-Croix / 1050 Brussels t. +32 (0)2 641 10 20 / www.flagey.be

Music, Orchestra, Contemporary

Widmann: Concerto for Horn

Brussels Philharmonic, Stefan Dohr & Kazushi Ono Sat 25 Jan 2025 at 8.15 pm

Music, Orchestra

Brussels Philharmonic, Kazushi Ono

Sun 26 Jan 2025 at 3 pm @ studio 4

Music, Classical, Piano

Kit Armstrong

Wed 29 Jan 2025 at 6.30 pm @ studio 4

Music, Classical, Piano, String quartet, Vocal

Kit Armstrong & Sophie

Karthäuser & Ensemble

Wed 29 Jan 2025 at 8.15 pm @ studio 4

Music, Classical, Piano, String quartet, Festivals

Kit Armstrong & Ensemble : Eine kleine Nachtmusik

Wed 29 Jan 2025 at 10 pm @ studio 4

Music, Contemporary Roots (Pierre Fontenelle)

Fri 31 Jan 2025 at 12.30 pm @ studio 1

Music, Orchestra, Vocal

Stravinsky & Messiaen

Fri 31 Jan 2025 at 8.15 pm @ studio 4

Music, Classical, Vocal

Collegium Vocale Gent & Philippe Herreweghe Bach Kantaten

Sun 02 Feb 2025 at 8.15 pm @ studio 4

KAAITHEATER www.kaaitheater.be

Dance

Inconditionnelles (Hopelessly Devoted)

Dorothée Munyaneza

Thu 30 & Fri 31 Jan 2025 at 8 pm @ Halles de Schaerbeek, Rue Royale Sainte Marie 22b 1030 Brussels

KONINKLIJKE VLAAMSE SCHOUWBURG

Rue de Laeken 146 / 1000 Brussels t. +32 (0)2 210 11 12 / www.kvs.be

Theatre

Liefde / Amour

Pitcho Womba Konga & KVS

Thu 23 - Sat 25 Jan at 8.30 pm

Tue 28 Jan at 2 pm Fri 31 Jan & Sat 01 Feb 2025 at 8 pm

Ifigeneia

Maaike Neuville & Tessa Hall / KVS

Fri 24 Jan, Sat 25 Jan, Fri 31 Jan 2025 at 8 pm

Fledermaus Forever Les Âmes Perdues / Muziektheater Transparant Tue 28 Jan 2025 at 7 pm

Anna Karenina

Carme Portaceli / Teatre Nacional de Catalunya & KVS

Thu 30 & Fri 31 Jan 2025 at 8 pm

Flagey,

Alleen Verbeelding

Michael De Cock / KVS

Thu 30 Jan at 9 pm & Fri 31 Jan 2025 at 7 pm

THÉÂTRE NATIONAL

Boulevard Emile Jacqmain 111-115

1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 203 53 03

www.theatrenational.be

Theatre

Christophe Sermet

Hamlet - William Shakespeare

Thu 23 & Fri 24 Jan at 8 pm

Sat 25 Jan at 7 pm, Tue 28 Jan at 8 pm

Wed 29 Jan at 7 pm, Thu 30 Jan at 2 pm

Fri 31 Jan at 8 pm & Sat 01 Feb 2025 at 7 pm

Martine Wijckaert

Thérèse Claus Philipp Mariascène de genre

Fri 31 Jan at 8.15 pm, Sat 01 Feb 2025 at 7.15 pm

THÉÂTRE ROYAL DU PARC

Rue de la Loi 3 / 1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 505 30 30

www.theatreduparc.be

Theatre

Valériane De Marteleire

La Reine Rouge

Thu 23 Jan - Sat 25 Jan at 8.15 pm

Tue 28 Jan - Sat 01 Feb at 8.15 pm

Sun 02 Feb 2025 at 3 pm

For live Jazz concerts in Brussels, visit the website www.jazzbrussels.be

ANTWERP

ANTWERP SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAQUEEN ELISABETH HALL

Koningin Astridplein 20-26

2018 Antwerp

t. +32 (0)3 213 54 06 www.antwerpsymphonyorchestra.be

Concerto for brass band and orchestra

Martyn Brabbins, Festival Brass Band Fri 31 Jan 2025 at 8 pm

de SINGEL INTERNATIONAL ARTS CAMPUS

Desguinlei 25 / 2018 Antwerp

t. +32 (0)3 248 28 28 / www.desingel.be

Music

Helena Basilova Homage to Ryuichi Sakamoto (live in 4Dsound)

Thu 23 Jan 2025 at 8 pm

Patricia Kopatsjinskaja / Ensemble Resonanz Playground

Thu 23 Jan 2025 at 8 pm

Ben Lamar Gay

The Manipulation of Lines and Breff Sat 25 Jan 2025 at 8.30 pm

Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen / Martijn Dendievel

Over sprookjes en muziek uit de hemel Sun 26 Jan 2025 at 3 pm

Piano

Alexandra Dovgan

De opkomst van een ster Beethoven, Schumann, Rachmaninov, Prokofjev

Thu 30 Jan 2025 at 8 pm

Opera

Freiburger Barockorchester / Zuricher

Singakademie / René Jacobs

Mozarts Idomeneo, Koning van Kreta

Fri 31 Jan 2025 at 8 pm

Dance

(LA)HORDE / Ballet National de Marseille

Age of Content

Fri 24 & Sat 25 Jan at 8 pm

Sun 26 Jan 2025 at 3 pm

Theatre

Mariano Pensotti

La Obra

Fri 31 Jan & Sat 01 Feb 2025 at 8 pm

Spoken language Spanish, surtitles Dutch

OPERA BALLET VLAANDEREN

Frankrijklei 1 / 2000 Antwerp

t. +32 (0)70 22 02 02

www.operaballet.be

Dance

Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker

Rain

Fri 24 & Sat 25 Jan at 8 pm

Sun 26 Jan 2025 at 3 pm

@ Stadsschouwburg Antwerpen, Nieuwstad 1, 2000 Antwerp

Opera

Vincenzo Bellini

Norma

Sun 26 Jan at 3 pm, Tue 28 Jan at 7.30 pm, Thu 30 Jan 2025 at 7.30 pm

@ Opera Antwerpen, Frankrijklei 1 2000 Antwerp

Concert

Luc Van Hove

BRUGES

CONCERTGEBOUW BRUGGE

’t Zand 34 / 8000 Bruges

t. +32 (0)78 15 20 20

www.concertgebouw.be

BACH ACADEMY BRUGES

Tue 21 Jan > Sun 26 Jan 2025

Music

Open rehearsals. Collegium Vocale Gent

Thu 23 Jan 2025 at 10.30 am

Dance, music

Femke Gyselinck / GRIP & B’Rock Orchestra

Torment of Hearts

Thu 23 Jan 2025 at 8 pm

Music

Collegium Vocale Gent

Denn Gott verlässet keinen

Fri 24 Jan 2025 at 8 pm

Music

Wim Berteloot. Bach on the carillon

Sat 25 Jan 2025 at 11 am

@ Belfort, Markt 7, 8000 Bruges

Music

Le Consort. Bach & Vivaldi

Sat 25 Jan 2025 at 2 pm

Pomes Penyeach / Liedcyclus

Luc Van Hove

Sat 01 Feb 2025 at 8 pm

@ Opera Antwerpen, Frankrijklei 1

2000 Antwerp

Dorothee Mields & G.A.P. Ensemble

Mind the GAP. Bach and Shostakovich

Sat 25 Jan 2025 at 4 pm

deSingel La Obra © Nurith Wagner-Strauss

Akademie für Alte Musik

Berlin & Voces Suaves

In die tiefste Seelennot

LIEGE

SHOPPING & TOURISM

Sat 25 Jan 2025 at 8 pm & at 7.15 pm: introduction by Ignace Bossuyt

Wim Berteloot. Bach on the carillon

Sun 26 Jan 2025 at 11 am @ Belfort, Markt 7, 8000 Bruges

Cindy Castillo. Bach in dialogue

Sun 26 Jan 2025 at 11 am @ Saint Walburga church, Sint-Maartensplein, 8000 Bruges

Thibaut Garcia & Antoine Morinière Bach. Goldberg Variations Sun 26 Jan 2025 at 2 pm

Le Consort. Bach und ein Stainer Sun 26 Jan 2025 at 4 pm

Collegium Vocale Gent. Ach süßer Trost! Sun 26 Jan 2025 at 7.30 pm

Dance

The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky

Wed 29 Jan 2025 at 8 pm

Mycelium. Ballet de l’Opéra de Lyon / Christos Papadopoulos

Sat 01 Feb 2025 at 8 pm

Music Theatre

UnRAVELed. Zonzo Compagnie & Revue Blanche

Sun 02 Feb 2025 at 3 pm

OPERA ROYAL DE WALLONIE

Place de l’Opéra / 4000 Liege t. +32 (0)4 221 47 22 www.operaliege.be

Opera young public

Freely inspired by Rossini’s

William Tell, la belle et franche aventure de Petit-Guillaume

Participative opera

Sun 26 Jan at 11 am & 3 pm

Wed 29 Jan at 3 pm, Sat 01 Feb 2025 at 11 am & 3 pm

Opera

Richard Wagner, Tristan und Isolde

Tue 28 Jan at 7 pm, Thu 30 Jan at 7 pm & Sun 02 Feb 2025 at 3 pm

WATERLOO

QUEEN ELISABETH MUSIC CHAPEL

Chaussée de Tervuren 445 1410 Waterloo

t. +32 (0)2 352 01 17

www.musicchapel.org

Piano, Violin

Horizon with Michael Guttman

Classical meets Tango

Thu 23 Jan 2025 at 8.15 pm

Chamber Music, Viola, Masterclass

Open MasterclassViola & Chamber Music

Miguel da Silva

Tue 28 Jan 2025 at 2 pm

Voice, Artist Diploma, Associate Artist Piano

Wed 29 Jan 2025 at 8.15 pm

Thu 30 Jan 2025 at 12 noon \ \

Artist Diploma - Louise Foor, soprano accompanied by Sophie Raynaud, piano

MuCH Surprise, MuCH soloists

The Artists in Residence surprise you with their ‘cartes blanches’.

BOOKSHOPS

LIBRAIRIE CANDIDE

Place Georges Brugmann 1-2

1050 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 344 81 94 www.librairie-candide.be

LIBRAIRIE FILIGRANES

Avenue des Arts 39-42 / 1040 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 511 90 15 www.filigranes.be

PASSA PORTA

Rue Antoine Dansaert 46

1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 226 04 54 www.passaporta.be

LIBRAIRIE PEINTURE FRAÎCHE

Rue Lesbroussart 9 & 39 / 1050 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 537 11 05 www.peinture-fraiche.be

TROPISMES LIBRAIRES

Galerie des Princes 11, Galeries Royales

Saint-Hubert / 1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 512 88 52 www.tropismes.com

WATERSTONES

Boulevard Adolphe Max 71-75

1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 219 27 08 www.waterstones.com/ bookshops/brussels

MUSIC STORE

LA BOÎTE À MUSIQUE

Coudenberg 74 / 1000 Brussels

t. +32 (0)2 513 09 65

www.classicalmusic.be

SHOPPING AREAS IN BRUSSELS

Brussels offers a wide range of shopping experiences, from the cosy charm of the luxury boutiques uptown to the bubbling creativity of the avant-garde Belgian and international designers downtown. Follow the guide...

RUE ANTOINE DANSAERT AND ITS SURROUNDINGS

The area has a great atmosphere and is full of lively bars and restaurants. The temple of fashion STIJL is a must-see, featuring Belgian designers for men and women such as Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Christian Wynants, Walter Van Beirendonck, JEANPAULKNOTT, Sofie D’Hoore, Y-Project, Jan-Jan Van Essche, Maison Margiela, Marina Yee, Rick Owens… and the first Ann Demeulemeester ‘A’ perfume. Other boutiques located nearby include Café Costume, Hatshoe, Kat en Muis for childrenswear, the iconic Underwear, the multi-brand shops ICON… - STIJL - WOMEN, Rue Antoine Dansaert 74

- STIJL - MEN, Place du Nouveau Marché aux Grains 6

GALERIES ROYALES SAINT-HUBERT NEAR THE GRAND PLACE

Inaugurated in 1847, the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert was the largest, most beautiful shopping area in Europe at the time, constructed with a technical prowess that attracted admiration from

all sides. Situated close to the Grand Place, the elegant interior houses luxury boutiques, restaurants, an arthouse cinema, a unique bookshop, a charming hotel… Visit www.grsh.be

Don’t miss:

- Maison Delvaux, luxury leather handbags, Galerie de la Reine 31

- Boutique Ligne, for the best in contemporary design, Galerie du Roi 14

SABLON

This bustling square is surrounded by antiques dealers as well as contemporary art galeries. Some of the very best Belgian chocolate shops and restaurants can also be found here. Further along, vintage clothing and furniture is on offer in the Marolles area where the famous flea market of the Place du Jeu de Balle, one of the most colourful markets in the city, takes place every day.

Don’t miss:

- Nathalie Vleeschouwer, Belgian designers’ shop, Rue Ernest Allard 8

- Lunetier Ludovic, genuine craftsmanship for bespoke luxury eyeglasses, Rue Ernest Allard 14

BOULEVARD DE WATERLOO, RUE DE NAMUR & AVENUE LOUISE

The Boulevard de Waterloo, one of the main luxury shopping areas in Belgium, is home to the most illustrious boutiques, home to designers such as Balenciaga, Gucci, Versace, Prada, Dior, Ralph Lauren, Tod’s, Giorgio Armani, Diane Von Furstenberg, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany’s, Maison Delvaux… The Avenue Louise area showcases international and Belgian international brands: Essentiel Antwerp, Bellerose, the fabulous perfumes of Sentiers d’Ailleurs…

Don’t miss here:

- Natan Couture, Avenue Louise 158 & Natan Prêt-à-Porter, Rue de Namur 78

- Carine Gilson, exclusive silk lingerie and nightwear (worn by a Bond girl!), Rue de Namur 65b

PLACE BRUGMANN AND SURROUNDINGS

This is a trendy, bohemian area full of exciting clothing and design shops such as Graphie Sud, Scènes de Ménage, Natan Atelier II, Elles, Lucia Esteves, Vintage Items, Bonnie and Jane and Homepage Furniture.

Don’t miss here:

- JEANPAULKNOTT, Rue Franz Merjay 147

- Cachemire Coton et Soie, Rue Franz Merjay 53

- Eva Velazquez, reinvented utilitarian clothing, Rue Franz Merjay 56

TOURIST INFORMATION

VISIT BRUSSELS

@ BIP (Brussels Info Place), Rue Royale 2-4 / 1000 Brussels @ Town Hall of Brussels, Grand-Place / 1000 Brussels t. +32 (0)2 513 89 40 www.visitbrussels.be

Did you know? The Brussels Card gives you free access to no fewer than 49 museums, and discounts on tourist attractions and city hotspots. A free app, information guide, city and museum app are also included. With supplement: access to public transport, Hop on Hop off buses & The Atomium. https://shop.brusselscard.be/en

2025, YEAR OF ART DECO IN BRUSSELS

In 2025, Brussels will be celebrating Art Deco 100 years after the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris, which gave its name to the ‘Art Deco style’.

A star of the Roaring Twenties, its aesthetic flourished in architecture, furniture, fashion, cinema, music and more. Brussels boasts some magnificent examples, including the Villa Empain (Boghossian Foundation), the Museum van Buuren, BOZAR (Centre for Fine Arts), the Flagey building, Hotel Riez, the Koekelberg Basilica, the Municipal Hall in Forest, the Eldorado room at cinema UGC De Brouckère, the Saint-Josse swimming pool, etc.

VISIT FLANDERS

Grasmarkt 61 / 1000 Brussels t. +32 (0)2 504 03 90 www.visitflanders.com

VISIT WALLONIA

Rue du Marché aux Herbes 25-27

1000 Brussels t. + 32 (0)2 899 04 78 www.visitwallonia.be

SPONSORS & PARTNERS

BRAFA - a celebration of unrivalled eclecticism, elegance without pretension and the finest Belgian hospitalitywelcoming 67,000 visitors

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