Brussels in English

After a thirty year meticulous restoration, the 144 year old commercial passageway connecting the rue Neuve with the Place de Brouckère is inaugurating its refound splendor with the exposition of urban wildlife photographer Thomas Jean's show entitled Sauvage. He tells us all about the rich wildlife to be found in Brussels which he has captured on film. http://www.passagedunord.be/index.php/fr/...

Imagine!:100 Years of International Surrealism is the Royal Museum of Fine Arts' major exhibition to salute the centenary of surrealism and the last of this year's mega shows on the subject to close so you can still catch this exceptional exhibition until July 21. Head Curator Francisca Vandepitte explains the thinking behind the museum's take on the anniversary. https://fine-arts-museum.be/en/...

The Brussels International Film Festival (BRIFF) is back with a plethora of the latest of the best International and Belgian movies and a sprinkling of much loved classics. Festival Artistic Director Céline Masset tells us all about it. https://briff.be/en/ June 25 to July 3 2024

The ULB is presenting Biladi Belgica, an itinerant exhibition of photos celebrating 60 years of Moroccan immigration to Belgium. The exhibition is currently mounted across downtown Brussels after which it will go to the ULB campus, and then to Morocco. Curator Ahmed Medhoune tells us the history behind the exhibition. Through  21 July 2024 in downtown Brussels. https://belgica-biladi.ulb.be/

In a city filled with remarkable Art Deco buildings the Villa Empain stands out as the high point. The Boghossian Foundation has restored it to its former glory and has made it not only a museum which aims to connect East and West through its exhibits, but also a convivial place with events that bring people together. Communications Director Caroline Schuermans tells all about this summer's eve...

BOZAR’s contribution to the array of museum exhibitions celebrating the centenary of Surrealism is: Surrealism in Belgium: It's No Laughing Matter. The show is composed of a stellar collection of works of art brought together for the occasion including works by Paul Nougé, René Magritte, Jane Graverol, Marcel Mariën, Rachel Baes, Leo Dohmen, Paul Delvaux, Max Ernst, Yves Tanguy, Salvador Dalí, ...

To celebrate the centenary of Surrealism, there have been a number of special exhibitions in various museums in Brussels. One of them is coming to a close on  June 2nd so if you haven't been to the Royal Library of Belgium (KBR) to see their fascinating show James Ensor: Inspired by Brussels, do yourself a favour and go before it's too late. Daan van Heesch, the curator of the Department of Pri...

There are over 80 artisanal bakeries in Brussels but it's not always easy to find them. Luckily for us, journalist Géry Brusselmans created the website Tartine et Boterham which supplies all the information you need to be able to eat the best bread and pastries available; He also puts out a guide and the 2024 issue came out recently. We spoke with Brusselmans at the launch party for this year's...

There's a new museum in downtown Brussels: The Museum of Infinite Realities (MOIR) in which the visitor calls a lot of the shots; so it's immersive but also reactive. Co-founder Kristian Gilroy explains how  visitors become the hero of their own visit. https://www.museumofinfiniterealities.com/en

The role of the arts during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648), which devastated large parts of Europe, lies at the heart of an international exhibition at the House of European History. The exhibition Bellum et Artes (War and Art) demonstrates how the warring parties used the arts as a propaganda tool and to show off their power. In the midst of a brutal war that cost millions of lives, works o...

At the crossroad of art, curatorial practices, architecture, graphics, typography and cartography, the Belgian pavilion at the Venice Biennale features UNESCO recognised giants from Belgium, Northern France and Spain, 15 feet tall and made of wicker, fabric and papier-mâché, dancing and twirling thanks to dedicated giant carriers. The collective The Petticoat Government, a group of multidiscipl...

11 days, 3 competitions, 48 programs, 300 films, 76 screenings and much more! It's the 27th edition of the Brussels Short Film Festival (BSFF) and it's back with much loved categories such as the all night session, the very very short shorts and the open air sessions, as well as some new categories. Co-founder and director Céline Masset brings us up to date. www.bsff.be (http://www.bsff.be/) Ap...

Have you ever hungered for a sensory experience that involves the enjoyment of artistic, intellectual, emotional and culinary experiences all at once? Check out Les Passagées, located in a 125 year old house built on a leafy square in Saint-Gilles by an architect as his home, which offers such an exploration in which the audience, artists and chefs all share, question, eat and exchange ideas ar...

There's a new cozy, convivial club in the cellars of the Sheds at Tour et Taxis where one can get a bite to eat, have a drink and enjoy live music ranging from jazz, manouche and Brazilian, to classical. Founder Martine Renwart tells us what to expect. https://www.lebaixu.com/en Music courtesy of Henri Greindl

Brussels' native daughter Diane von Furstenberg has been back in her hometown for a number of different events in the last few months. She was honored by the city and there was a retrospective of her career at the Fashion & Lace Museum. Most recently she inaugurated a new costume for the Manneken Pis; a pint-sized version of her iconic wrap dress cut from the dress she wore on the cover of News...

To celebrate the 90th anniversary of the birth of Belgian artist Jean-Michel Folon and the 100th year of Surrealism, the Fondation Folon is highlighting his many facets by mounting four exhibitions of his work in Brussels entitled Folon a Journey in Brussels. Pauline Loumaye of the foundation gives us a rundown of everything that is taking place.https://fondationfolon.be/en/folon-a-journey-in-b...

Bicycle use in Brussels has skyrocketed over the past few years with more and more people using bikes for daily commuting as well as recreation. As spring approaches and bike use increases even more due to the season, Adrien Guilmin, founder of Ermès Bike Services, gives us a rundown of how things have changed and what the current bike users need in terms of different kinds of maintenance. http...

Shelley Read, the author of ‘Go As a River’ took the time to chat from Colorado in the US about her new book. What is our connection to where we come from? And what is Colorado based author Shelley Read's connection to Belgium?

Internationally celebrated Brussels musical ensemble Ictus is presenting Liquide Room No 10 at the Maison de la Poste at Tour & Taxis on 17 March. This 10th edition, subtitled ‘Robert Ashley And The Theatre Of Voices’, is part of Klarafestival, an annual classical and new music cultural event. The name Liquid Room highlights the nature of the show which takes the form of a mini festival compose...

The 8th edition of BANAD; the Brussels Art Nouveau Art Deco Festival adds a touch of Modernism to its offer. Co Director  of Explore Brussels, Amaury De Smet tells us what to expect. https://www.banad.brussels/en/ March 9th to 24th.

Wilfrid Lupano and Mayana Itoïz bring us Le Loup en Slip (The Wolf in Underpants), a comic book series that combines philosophy, humor, and raises issues about societal values, all in a format that entertains children as it asks questions. There's a show on at the Comic Arts Museum where you can discover this character who is neither big nor bad but extremely entertaining. We spoke with author ...

For the 43rd edition of Anima, the venerable animated film festival, we have a world upside down. Instead of the event inspiring the makeup of the poster, it's the poster that inspired the theme of the event. The result is a perfect match: animation and science fiction. Co-director Karin  Vandenrydt tells us everything. Anima Festival 23 February - 3 March https://animafestival.be/en/about/2024...

Venerable theatre Les Tanneurs, a cultural touchstone of the Marolles neighborhood, just upped their conviviality factor with a brand new foyer and restaurant. Artistic Director Alexandre Caputo  explains how the theatre going experience is about more than just seeing a performance and invites us all to the big opening bash on February 23rd. www.lestanneurs.be (http://www.lestanneurs.be/)

After a successful first edition last year, Sculptura, the festival of sculptures and installations is back and it's bigger. Sculptura #2 is taking place in the Gare Maritime at Tours et Taxis like last year, but this year it's also in the new gardens outside the Gare Maritime as well as in the Royal Depot. 38 artists from over 20 countries are participating. Organiser Äke Verstraelen gives us ...

Venerable art fair BRAFA is back and this year the guest of honor is the Paul Delvaux Foundation as Brussels celebrates 100 years of Surrealism. We spoke with foundation Director Camille Brasseur and foundation President Pierre Alexis Hocke about what they are bringing to the fair. Through February 4th https://www.brafa.art/en

Mons is launching a festival of lights, 26 installations over a 3 KM circuit during two four day weekends. To join the yearlong and country-wide celebrations of one hundred years of Surrealism the theme of this first edition is Surrealism and Poetry. We spoke with Natacha Vandenberghe, Director of the department of Culture and Tourism of the City of Mons, Mark Largent, Co-Founder of lightshow c...

“Small is beautiful, Miniature Art” is the first international museum entirely devoted to miniature art, compiling the work of 18 international miniature artists.and presenting their work for us to enjoy the magical and  unusual worlds created. We spoke with show producer Serge Victoria and with Derrick Lin, one of the artists. https://smallisbeautifulart.com/bruxelles/en

The Bellevue Museum and the King Baudouin Fondation are commemorating the first scientific expedition to Antarctica. It's been 125 years since the Belgian expedition on the vessel Belgica was the first to collect data and spend the winter in Antarctica. The exhibition entitled The End of the World! will cover the historic voyage, the present day situation and the possibilities for ensuring a br...

Huberty & Breyne, an art gallery with two locations in Paris and one in Brussels specialises in comic book art and more particularly they aim to highlight the connections that can occur between comic art and contemporary art.  For the most part their shows are commercial endeavours but this holiday season they are offering us a splendid gift; to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of M...

The 2024 edition of the Brussels Cultural Hotlist 100 is out and Guy de Bellefroid, director of the Brussels Foundation for the Arts, tells us why this little book is essential to navigate the myriad cultural events that take place in Brussels all through the year.

To celebrate 130 of Art Nouveau the Horta Museum has joined the Ixelles Museum and the Museum of Fashion and Lace to put on Art Nouveau: From Dresses to Paintings. The Fashion Museum has lent dresses and fans, and the Ixelles Museum has lent paintings from its collection.  The superb interiors of the Horta Museum are the scene which is set with the pieces on loan to create a synergy between the...

Traditional Belgian street food made with traditional recipes using all locally sourced ingredients served in an iconic building and accompanied by concerts is the concept behind MAYO which has just opened in the Halles Saint-Géry. To celebrate the opening, there is a show devoted to the Belgian frite which is exposed on the exterior walls of the Halles until December 21st. Cédric Gérard, owner...

The Royal Museum of Art and History is ending its participation in Brussels Year of Art Nouveau 2023  with: Josef Hoffman: Under Beauty's Spell, a show that reveals the Austrian architect's sixty years of forward thinking design. His greatest project is the Palais Stoclet, one of the most iconic Art Nouveau buildings in Brussels. Curator Adriàn Prieto tells us about Hoffmann's lifelong quest to...

After a very successful run in Paris, TINTIN The Immersive adventure has made its way to Brussels at Tour & Taxis.. Grégoire Meunier, director of Culturespaces which developed the show with Tintinimaginatio, tells us what we can expect. https://tintin-immersiveadventure.com/en

It's the eleventh edition of the Semaine de la Frite, a week during which Belgium celebrates its peerless chips and the over five thousand chip shops all across the kingdom. BPost is selling a special edition of five stamps which come on a sheet that, when folded, becomes a chip truck, each stamp in the image of a different historic chip shop. There's a show on at the Folklore Museum (MuFIm) of...

Hangar is presenting Close Enough 12 Women Photographers of Magnum, an exhibition celebrating the 75 years of Magnum Photo. Global Cultural Director for Magnum, Andréa Holzheer, explains how Magnum was revolutionary when it was founded, and gives us the details on the all woman show. hangar.art Through mid December 2023

We took a trip to KU Leuven and their Literature department and spoke to Professor Elke D'hoker asking her, 'what is a short story?'

The exhibition Visions of tomorrow & Living together shows the work of the 10 winners of the Comic Art Europe project. These authors present their own "visions of tomorrow" and, together, question our current world. Along with the Lyon BD Organisation (France), the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (UK), and the Escola Joso de Comics (Spain), the Belgian Comic Strip Center has been involve...

It seems like every day there is a new temporary or permanent attraction available at Tours & Taxis. The latest temporary event is Bubble Planet which epitomizes "fun for the whole family." Comprising eleven distinct environments including the jaw-dropping infinity Room and the serene Cloud Room, the exhibition is open to everyone from babes-in-arms to seniors. David Zylberberg, Vice President ...

Canadian phhotographer Ève Cadieux turned her father's enthusiasm for the 1967 Montreal World's Fair into a photographic quest that took her around the world to see what was left of the future at many world's fair sites. A selection of her big format, striking, backlit photos of the various fairs take over both levels of one of the Atomium's spheres for a stunning show entitled I Have Seen the ...

If you thought that the 19th century architectural movements in Brussels were limited to the Neo-classical and Art Nouveau, the second edition of the Brussels Biennale of Eclectic Architecture (BBEA)  is here to put you straight. From the Palace of Justice and the Bourse to various churches, industrial buildings and countless private homes the Eclectic Style is very present and the BBEA gives v...

Europalia is a biennial event celebrating a European  country. This year it's Georgia's turn. Dirk Vermaelen, Europalia Artistic director, tells us what to expect. October 2023 - January 2024 https://europalia.eu/en

We talk to Joanna Booth an Editor, Academic, Journalist and long term writer from Bristol who takes us through the leaps and bounds, needed to get to grips with the short story.

In this episode we continue our query - What is a Writers Festival? With none other than Mitchell Kaplan of Books and Books and the Miami Book Fair in conversation with Alia Papageorgiou.

Brussels' PARCOURS Street Art is celebrating its tenth anniversary with nine new murals and three weeks of tours (self or guided), an exhibition of the work of hip hop photographers Martha Cooper and NIka Kramer, documentary screenings and a major closing party. Thierry Dubois from All About Things gives us the details and explains the philosophy behind the event. www.parcoursstreetart.brussels

The Eat Festival will take place in the Gare Maritime at Tour & Taxis from September 28th to October 1st while the BXLBeerFest will be taking place next door in Shed 1 at Tours & Taxis September 30th & October 1st. So they decided to work together; giving the visitor the opportunity to mix and match food and beer. Cédric Dautinger of the Beer Fest and Jeroen Roppe of Visit Brussels explain how ...

Farm Prod, the legendary Belgian street art collective that has enchanted people around the world with their wide array of mural styles is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a free 1500 sq. meter exhibition at La Vallée, the vintage industrial space which is now an eclectic cultural venue. The show is a magnificent explosion of creativity and humanity which will stay with you. Member Guillau...

Downtown Brussels is transformed into Cinema City as the sixth edition of the Brussels International Film Festival (BRIFF) (https://briff.be/en/) gets underway from 27 June to 5 July. Setting up its big top on Place de Brouckère, the festival village serves as a hub for the annual cinema event. Festival goers can congregate and meet invited festival guests, enjoy a drink and a snack and discuss...

Jeanfrançois Prins, a jazz musician, composer, and the director of GAM Records, an independent record company which specializes in Jazz (but not only) is the third generation of the family that has produced and promoted jazz and music in all its facets in Brussels since the 1940’s. He recounts for us this quintessential Belgian story. https://www.gam-music.com/

Ohme presents its new artistic-scientific exhibition, Tell All The Truth But Tell It Slant at Face B. This intriguing and fascinating collective exhibition explores the concept of truth and the subject of the construction of knowledge, through the relationships between art, technology, science and society. Curator Camilla Colombo explains everything including how a line from a poem by Emily Dic...