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What's on in Brussels - Archives
A Passage to Asia: 25 Centuries of Exchange between Asia and Europe
Sunday, October 10th 2010
25 June - 10 October 2010. Organised to coincide with the 2010 Asia-Europe summit in October, this exhibition highlights the 2,500 years of collaboration and exchange between Asia and Europe. Ferocious leaders such as Alexander the Great, Attila and Genghis Khan sought to conquer new lands, while explorers like Marco Polo and Zheng He concerned themselves with discovering new cultures. Trade routes quickly paved the way for huge interaction between the two continents. This exhibition presents, for the first time in Europe, a selection of over 300 decorative objects, including cargoes recently recovered from sunken shipwrecks. more
Thursday, May 27th 2010
27 May 2010 - 9 January 2011. As part of the celebrations of Congo's independence, the National Botanic Gardens of Belgium present 'Amazing Africa' - a botanical exhibition displaying the diversity of African plants from the Sahara to the rain forests of the Congo. As a former colonial power, Belgium has had links with the continent of Africa for over 100 years, and the Botanic Gardens have collaborated with research institutes in Congo, Cameroon and Madagascar to amass this living collection. The display includes Egyptian datepalms and South African proteas, and is a fitting testament to International Year of Biodiversity 2010. The gardens are located in Meise, a small village 12 km north of the centre of Brussels. Dail: 09.30-18.30 (Last admission: 17.30) more
Friday, April 2nd 2010
Until 17 June 2010. On the 200th anniversary of Franz Joseph Haydn's death (1732 - 1809), BOZAR celebrates the Austrian's enormous contribution to classical music. With a catalogue numbering 1,874 pages, Haydn was a hard-working and compulsive composer, albeit a modest one. Unlike the other heavyweights of the era, Bach and Mozart, Haydn was not born into the world of music; he grew up on a farm and later spent 30 years honing his craft as a court musician for the aristocratic Eszterházy family in Hungary. By his last years Haydn had amassed a fortune as a composer, and sought to pass on his legacy by teaching an up-and-coming student by the name of Ludwig van Beethoven. Sun: 11.00-13.00. Thurs: 20.00 - 22.00 more
Friday, March 26th 2010
26 March - 27 June 2010. Tracing the evolution of symbolism, this exhibition looks back at the origins of the movement in the romantic paintings and poetry of the late 19th century. The exhibition examines symbolism thematically by focusing on dreams, religion, portraiture and mythology as well as genres not instantly associated with symbolism, such as landscape. Included in the show are works by well known symbolist painters Fernand Khnopff, Félicien Rops and Jean Delville, as well as an evaluation of the impact that cities such as Brussels had on the movement. Tues-Sun: 10.00-17.00 Closed Monday more
Tuesday, March 2nd 2010
2 March - 29 August 2010. Tove Jansson (1914 - 2001) was a Finnish illustrator and author who created the highly popular 'Moomin' series of comic characters. Originally published in novel format, they later appeared as comic strips in Ny Fid in the 1940s and in the London Evening News in the 1950s. Jansson's style was characterised by a sensitive and refined approach, and her work continues to be published in some 40 countries. Presented by the Belgian Comic Strip Center in collaboration with the Embassy to Finland in Belgium, this exhibition highlights Jansson's work and sheds light on her extravagant personality. more
Sixties! The Colours of Freedom
Friday, February 12th 2010
12 February - 31 December 2010. The Museum of Costume and Lace documents the female 'clothes revolution' of the 1960s. The exhibition follows the liberation and freedom experienced by western women who suddenly enjoyed a form of emancipation through the radical changes in the fashion of the era, including the 'right' to wear trousers and mini skirts. Through a series of costumes and photographs, the museum traces the colour and optimism of the 60s. Mon, Tue, Thurs, Fri: 10.00-12.30 & 13.30-17.00. Weekends: 14.00-17.00. Closed Wednesday. more
Thursday, February 11th 2010
11 February - 11 April 2010. Why has Mexican photography been internationally applauded for so long? In 'Mundos Mexicanos' 25 Mexican photographers provide the answer, with stunning examples of Mexican life caught on film. Some of the country's greatest photographers of the 20th century are included in the show: Manuel and Lola Álvarez Bravo, Agustín Jiménez, Gabriel Figueroa, Nacho López, and Mariana Yampolsky. Much of the work displayed is on loan from the Centro de la Imagen which was founded in 1994 to preserve and promote Mexican photography. more
Thursday, February 4th 2010
4 February - 5 May 2010. El Greco has not always enjoyed the honour of being regarded as the master of Mannerism and one of the greats of the Spanish School of Painting. It was almost 300 years after his death before he was truly recognised, when in 1908 the art historian Cossío published a study of the artist. This exhibition in BOZAR is important, not just because of the treasures it presents, but because it is the last time that Toledo's El Greco museum is allowing this series of paintings to leave Toledo. Amongst the paintings on show is 'The Disrobing of Christ' and 'The Tears of St Peter'. Tues-Sun: 10.00-18.00 Thurs: 10.00-21.00 more
Saturday, January 16th 2010
16 January - 18 April 2010. As an artist and as a woman, Frida Kahlo never bowed to convention. She was a driving force behind the symbolist and surrealist movements, and soon became famous not only in her native Mexico, but worldwide. Her passionate, fiery artwork was mirrored by an equally tough life, in which she suffered much physical and personal trauma, much of it linked to her marriage to revolutionary Diego Rivera. BOZAR presents an exhibition of the artist's work which includes 19 paintings, an etching, 6 drawings and a number of photographs. Tues-Sun: 10.00-18.00 Thurs: 10.00-21.00 more
Friday, January 1st 2010
Until 31 May. Aimed specifically at children from the ages of 4 - 12 years old, the Children's Museum stages exhibitions which stimulate children through interaction and the opportunity to accumulate knowledge in a fun environment. The museum's philosophy lies in promoting the child's 'knowledge of self' to facilitate acceptance of self and tolerance of others in later life. Their current exhibition 'Red' allows a child's imagination to run riot. What does the colour red represent to you? Danger or beauty, life or death? Wed, Sat, Sun: 14.30-17.00 more