A celebration of matter and an ode to the elements, pop colours, urban poetry and ever present humour…..the new arts season in Brussels promises a wealth of artistic experiences.
Starting in September, the capital surprises with the boldness and diversity of its offerings.
Over the past few years, Brussels has established itself as a beating heart of contemporary European art. Exhibitions, varied events, high-quality galleries and art fairs make the city a true creative crossroads.
This autumn is no different.
Alongside the major event exhibition dedicated to conceptual art master John Baldessari, the capital presents a fine array of solo shows devoted to female artists.
While Nairy Baghramian explores the potential of form and Charlotte Abramow conjures death through photography, Claudine Monchaussé works at the boundary between art and craft.
An event organiser told this site, “From different artistic and geographic backgrounds, they open up perspectives as varied as they are fascinating.
“t the same time, this season’s exhibitions remain rooted locally, highlighting the talent of Brussels-based artists.”
Here’s an overview of just some of the capital’s unmissable cultural events this autumn:
Exhibitions Opening in September Loom of the land, Rachel Labastie
Journeying from clay to wicker and from marble to wood, Rachel Labastie loves to explore materials.
Deeply attached to craftsmanship and the creative gesture, her work pays tribute to her family heritage (her grandmother was a basket weaver). Without ever losing its poetic dimension, the body of work presented at Le Botanique establishes a sensitive dialogue between matter and memory, textures and roots.
When: 3 September – 26 November
Where: Le Botanique
More info: www.botanique.be
All That Remains يْ سىَ لا كَ نْ َن) Kay la nansa) de Inas Halabi
Palestinian artist and filmmaker Inas Halabi is fascinated by regions plagued by colonial violence and how these tensions are reflected in the landscape.
For her Brussels exhibition La Loge, she explores a highly controversial phenomenon: the establishment of Israeli national parks on the sites of destroyed Palestinian villages. Combining sound and image, her quasiarchaeological work captures the various layers of trauma, colonial violence and dispossession at play. All That Remains tackles a highly topical subject involving dominant political power, struggles and resilience.
When: 4 September – 11 November
Venue: La Loge More info: www.la-loge.be
Sourdre: Claudine Monchaussé with Nicolas Bourthoumieux, Damien Fragnon, mountaincutters, Germaine Richier, Marie Talbot
This “augmented” solo show is moulded around the discreet and endearing figure of ceramic artist Claudine Monchaussé.
Her sculptures – half secret amulets, half totems – pay a strong tribute to the raw beauty of stoneware and to the forces of nature. Fired in a wood kiln, using an ancestral technique, they bear the reddish imprint of the flames and are dusted with ashes.
This retrospective spans five decades of creation, enriched by the interventions of various artists such as stone carver Damien Fragnon and sculptor Germaine Richier.
When: 11 September – 13 December
Where: La Verrière
More info: www.fondationdentreprisehermes.org
