Cultural Compass: Art fair, art festival, a romp at the opera and photos that tell a story

Every Sunday, Belga English picks its favourite events from the cultural agenda. This week: Brussels and Roeselare show off with an art fair and arts festival, Italian opera at La Monnaie turns the theatre into a Carnival party and PhotoBrussels celebrates 10 years with over 50 exhibitions around the city.

BRAFA Art Fair, until 1 February, Brussels Expo

Decorative arts, tribal artefacts, ceramics, jewellery and design create unexpected visual dialogues. A striking bracelet by Pol Bury and a compelling Pop Art canvas by Evelyne Axell sit alongside meticulously crafted Brussels lace and treasures from medieval and Renaissance Europe, each piece a testament to artistic craftsmanship across centuries.

Beyond the galleries, BRAFA fosters deep engagement with art through daily expert talks and lunchtime concerts, offering fresh insights into masterpieces on display. It is this blend of scholarship, surprise and sheer beauty that ensures BRAFA remains a highlight on the international art calendar.

The BRAFA Art Fair in Brussels is one of Europe’s most celebrated art gatherings, renowned for its extraordinary assortment of quality of works on offer. Seamlessly blending era and genres, it invites visitors to wander from dazzling Old Masters to cutting-edge contemporary pieces, all under one roof.

At the heart of this year’s presentation is a spirited dialogue between heritage and innovation. A newly rediscovered portrait by Peter Paul Rubens anchors the Old Master section. Belgian artistry takes centre stage, from the atmospheric sculptures of Hans Op de Beeck to the modernism of Pierre Alechinsky.

Roeselare Arts Festival, until 22 March, Roeselare

Roeselare is stepping boldly into the contemporary art world with its inaugural Kunstenfestival Roeselare, a vibrant new celebration that criss-crosses the city like a breath of fresh air. At its heart lies the poetic concept of Anemochorie, a name drawn from the Greek for wind-borne dispersal, evoking the way ideas, like seeds, take flight, land and take root in unexpected places.

Rather than a single gallery installation, the festival unfolds across seven distinctive venues scattered throughout the city, from historic post-building façades to elegant villas and contemplative church spaces. At each site, work by Belgian and international artists enters into thoughtful dialogue. Sculptural pieces by Renato Nicolodi and Nick Ervinck explore form and space, while provocative contributions by Jan Fabre and Shirley Villavicencio Pizango challenge perceptions of identity and connection.

But Kunstenfestival Roeselare isn’t just about looking, it’s about immersion. Across the city, an eclectic programme of performances, talks and workshops animates the theme of spread and encounter: Alexander Vantournhout reimagines souvenirs in whimsical theatrical form, Zoë Demoustier’s Hear The Silence bridges dance and music as a quiet act of resistance and Bram De Looze’s jazz performance drifts through architectural spaces with fluid, lyrical intensity.

Workshops such as De Reis invite audiences to trace the journey of an idea like a sprouting seed, while family-friendly pieces like Pluis het uit charm with poetic storytelling.

Benvenuto Cellini, 28 January until 22 February, La Monnaie

Hector Berlioz’s Benvenuto Cellini arrives as a vivid, larger-than-life operatic fantasia that blends spirited romance with theatrical spectacle. Inspired by the tempestuous autobiography of the Florentine sculptor and goldsmith of the same name, the opera is a rollicking journey through love, rivalry and artistic ambition.

The plot centres on Cellini’s quest to cast a monumental bronze statue of Perseus for Pope Clement VII against the backdrop of Rome’s rumbling Carnival. As is always the case in opera, the story features a passionate love story and a dramatic twist, supported by music that is equally exhuberant, chaotic and as colourful as the Roman Carnival it is based on. Benvenuto Cellini is in equal parts comedy, romance and grand musical tapestry.

PhotoBrussels Festival, until 22 February, Brussels

The PhotoBrussels Festival turns Brussels into a captivating city-wide showcase of contemporary photography, where hidden galleries, art centres and unexpected spaces come alive with striking visual narratives. Celebrating its tenth anniversary with over 50 exhibitions and more than 100 artists, the festival underscores how photography remains a vibrant and ever-evolving medium that reflects the world around us.

Rather than a single show, PhotoBrussels unfolds across the city, inviting visitors to explore singular voices and collective explorations of identity, place, memory and the everyday. At Galerie Eric Mouchet, powerful works by Robert Mapplethorpe delve into raw and evocative portraiture, while Berlin Brussels Arts Projects presents Holger Herschel’s “Forgotten Future”, a poignant contemplation on impermanence and nostalgia.

Studio Baxton offers the atmospheric imagery of Dolorès Marat, whose moody compositions blur the boundary between dream and reality, and Galerie Fontana showcases Ruud Van Empel’s evocative investigations into nature and staged photography.

Elsewhere, group exhibitions such as “L’image latente” by FCTW and thematic shows in independent spaces reveal photography’s range, from intimate portraits to conceptual and experimental work by artists like Karine Maussière, Clara Bahlsen and Anne-Françoise Tasnier. Maison Pelgrims explores dreamscapes through collective voices, while the festival’s many satellite venues amplify local and global perspectives alike.

More than just an exhibition route, PhotoBrussels fosters dialogue between creators and audiences, placing Brussels at the heart of contemporary photographic practice and proving that the power of the still image remains as compelling as ever.

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(MOH)

_{#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO BRAFA - OLIVIER PIRARD}

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