Cultural Compass: Ensor takes Antwerp, rare Alechinsky, primal forces in music and more

Exhibitions, music, architecture, books, festivals… this is Belga English's pick of cultural activities in Flanders and Brussels, published every Sunday.

Antwerp will commemorate the 75th anniversary of James Ensor’s death with four major exhibitions celebrating the Belgian artist’s profound impact on art starting on 28 September. These exhibitions will not only showcase Ensor’s groundbreaking work but also explore how his artistic vision continues to inspire contemporary art, fashion and photography.

Ensor (1860–1949) was a painter and printmaker known for his innovative and often surreal approach to art. He drew much of his inspiration from the seaside in Ostend where he spent most of his life. His work, which reflected his fascination with death is characterised by vivid colours, masks and skeletons.

At the heart of the celebration is Antwerp’s Royal Museum of Fine Arts (KMSKA), home to the largest collection of Ensor’s works in the world. The museum will present one of Belgium’s most extensive retrospectives of Ensor’s oeuvre, highlighting how he radically broke from traditional art conventions with In Your Wildest Dreams: Ensor Beyond Impressionism. ​
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​Rejecting the French impressionism popular in his time, Ensor embraced themes that were grotesque, whimsical, and humorous. His work, The Oyster Eater, will be displayed alongside masterpieces by Manet, Monet, Munch and Nolde. Visitors will have the rare opportunity to view artworks from prestigious institutions like MoMA, the Chicago Art Institute, the Musée d’Orsay and the National Gallery in London, illustrating Ensor’s wide-reaching influence on the international art scene.

Meanwhile, the Museum Plantin-Moretus will explore Ensor’s graphic experimentation through the exhibition States of Imagination. While not originally a printmaker, Ensor spent several years developing a distinctive approach to etching. The exhibition will showcase his preparatory sketches, copper plates and prints, offering a rare glimpse into the evolution of his technique. These works reveal hidden details and unexpected additions, such as the increasing complexity of crowded scenes and the emergence of new figures.

The Photo Museum Antwerp (FOMU) will present a different angle by showcasing the work of American photographer Cindy Sherman, who, like Ensor, uses her art to critique social conventions. Sherman's satirical and critical self-portraits, in which she assumes various roles, examine issues related to identity, gender and stereotypes. This will be Sherman’s first retrospective in Belgium, featuring both well-known and lesser-known works from major collections around the world. Sherman’s approach echoes Ensor’s use of masquerade and irony to question societal norms.

Finally, Antwerp’s Fashion Museum (MoMu) will delve into the world of personal expression through make-up and fashion, exploring how these mediums serve as modern forms of artistic experimentation. Ensor’s fascination with masks and masquerades will be reinterpreted through the lens of contemporary beauty practices. The exhibition will examine how make-up, much like paint, can be used to confront societal expectations about beauty, aging and identity. Today’s billion-dollar beauty industry, while often linked to ideals of perfection, also offers individuals a powerful means of self-expression and creativity. This multimedia exhibition will highlight the intersection of light, color, fashion and art, investigating how closely make-up is tied to the human experience.

The Ensor celebration reaches far beyond Antwerp with Musea Brugge paying tribute to the artist as well with a special presentation of his works on paper. Ensor’s sharp view of the world is vividly captured in the 30 drawings and etchings on display, showcasing his remarkable graphic talent.

Highlights include the recently acquired colored etching, The Seven Capital Sins Dominated by Death, featured on the cover of the satirical album Les Péchés Capitaux (The Capital Sins), along with the other etchings from the same series. Ensor's painting Icon. Portrait of Eugène Demolder is also part of the exhibit, which runs from September 26 to February 18.

The Boghossian Foundation will present Alechinsky, Pinceau Voyageur, a solo exhibition showcasing the remarkable works of 20th-century European artist Pierre Alechinsky at Villa Empain from 26 September until 16 March. This is the Foundation’s first exhibition dedicated to a major European artist since its public opening in 2010.

On display are around 100 works and archival documents spanning over 70 years, highlighting Alechinsky's fascination with Japanese and Chinese artistic traditions. The exhibition highlights his freedom of experimentation across various mediums, including canvases, etchings, lithographs, enameled lava and porcelain books. Visitors will also see collaborative works with artists like Jiří Kolář and Hans Spinner, as well as pieces inspired by writers such as Salah Stétié and Joyce Mansour.

From late September into early October 2024, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen will host two exceptional musical events. On September 27 and October 5, Gustav Mahler’s Third Symphony will be performed by the Brussels Philharmonic under the baton of Kazushi Ono. This monumental work, one of the longest in the symphonic repertoire, explores themes of creation, from primal forces to love, featuring choirs and a solo alto.

In contrast, on September 28 and 29, enjoy intimate aperitif concerts with the string section of the Symphony Orchestra of OBV, led by Maximilian Lohse. The program includes Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings, Elgar’s Serenade, and Joaquín Turina’s Oración del Torero.

Emile Claus, arguably the most important Belgian impressionist will be honoured at the Mudel Museum of Deinze marking 100 years since the artist’s death. Dozens of his pieces from his oeuvre will be shown in collaboration with the Museum of Fine Arts Ghent. Throughout 2024, various activities will be to celebrate Claus. These include an exclusive Valentine's dinner, cycling and walking routes, the issuance of an official series of stamps and the exhibition Emile Claus: The Prince of Luminisim that runs from 27 September until 26 January, 2025.
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Additional cultural coverage from Belga this week includes: Belgium's Museumpass grants access to over 245 cultural institutions around the country, Film Fest Gent offers "adventurous edition" this year with massive lineup, Antwerp to build new heritage depot in the South that will house 800,000 items

​Ongoing events

Whats the Story? KMSKA​
​​​​​​5,000 cultural objects from the DR Congo, MAS​​​
​​Jean-Michel Folon, A Journey in Brussels ​​
​​​To Antarctica, The Polar Pioneers of the Belgica, MAS​
​Margaret of Parma, MOU
​Alternative Narrative, MSK

 (MOH)

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