Cultural Compass: Jazz festival, activist turned painter, designs by women and more

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

The 10th edition of Brussels Jazz Festival at Flagey promises a celebration of innovative performances. The event will spotlight some of the most creative voices in contemporary jazz, including Belgian pianist Bram De Looze, hailed as one of the most inventive jazz musicians of the past decade.

As the festival’s artist-in-residence, De Looze will showcase three unique projects, bringing together an ensemble of exceptional musicians. Among them are drummers Eric McPherson and Joey Baron, whose dynamic artistry inspires him.

“Playing with them is almost addictive,” De Looze says. “It’s great to see how they improvise musically and come up with ideas on the spur of the moment. Their ears and imaginations are extremely well trained in a very special way. They don’t limit themselves in any way. It’s an incredible experience.”

Running from 9 to 18 January, the festival features artists from the UK, US, Italy, Taiwan and Belgium.

Known for his mastery of "visionary silence", Flemish painter War Van Overstraeten (1891-1981) developed a unique style often associated with animism. His paintings evoke tranquillity, blending influences from expressionism with a deeply personal perspective. With the exhibition Terug Naar De Kempen at the Jakob Smits Museum in Mol, Antwerp province, until 26 January, visitors can view his journey from activist to artist.

Besides being a painter, Van Overstraeten was a communist activist whose career bridged politics and art. He co-founded the Communist Party of Belgium and served briefly as a deputy in the Chamber of Representatives. After a tumultuous political life, including imprisonment and expulsion from the party for Trotskyist sympathies, he withdrew from activism in the 1930s to focus entirely on painting.

Art critics have compared his landscapes to the works of Jakob Smits and Henri de Braekeleer, with whom he shared a love of nature and humanity. “When the artist is fascinated by nature and man, and depicts them with loving power, then we have Art,” he once said.

During World War II, Van Overstraeten participated in exhibitions in Nazi Germany, but his later years were spent in Bruges, where he honed his craft. His works remain a testament to his ability to render silence and harmony palpable through art.

Here We Are! Women in Design 1900-Today at Brussels' Design Museum is an ambitious exhibition tracing 120 years of design history through the lens of women’s contributions, creativity and struggles for recognition.

Showcasing the work of 80 trailblazing designers, it highlights both well-known pioneers like Charlotte Perriand, Eileen Gray and Florence Knoll, and lesser-known figures such as social reformer Jane Addams and space designer Galina Balashova.

The exhibition begins in the early 20th century, when women like Elsie de Wolfe and the Loheland School’s all-female students shaped emerging fields of interior and social design. The 1920s to 1950s spotlight figures such as Charlotte Perriand, who worked alongside Le Corbusier but only recently received full recognition for her contributions.

The post-war period examines the evolving roles of women amid societal upheavals, with bold innovations from Marimekko’s vibrant prints to futuristic designs by Balashova. Today, women like Julia Lohmann and Patricia Urquiola redefine design with sustainable materials and intersectional perspectives, while feminist collectives challenge established norms.

This multifaceted journey not only celebrates women’s pivotal roles in design but also reframes their impact on the industry. It runs until 9 March.

The immersive exhibition Wild, at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, challenges the boundaries between humans and animals, inviting visitors to explore the connections that unite the two worlds.

Through films and wildlife observation cameras, interactive exhibits and artefacts from the institute, the public can delve into stories of safaris, zoos (including the long-lost Brussels Zoo) and animal behaviour. The journey of how wolves were domesticated along with eight other animals is on display, mixed with information about Belgium’s wildlife, including lynxes and beavers.

“This journey is more than observation; it’s a call to action. Are we protectors or disruptors of the wild? As humanity faces a pivotal challenge, your role becomes crucial,” the institute says. Wild runs until 31 August.

Additional cultural coverage from Belga this week: KMSKA's 2025 season bursts out of the frame with an intriguing line-up of exhibitions, Beloved comic character Tintin enters US public domain with certain limitations, Final weekend for Brussels' MIMA museum ahead of permanent closure
​

​Ongoing events

Dürer: Master of the Renaissance, Museum De Reede
​Testerep, Venetian Galleries
​Fireflies, Art and History Museum
​Eternal Spring: Gardens and Tapestries in the Renaissance, Museum Hof van Busleyden
​​​Whats the Story? KMSKA​​​​​
​​​​​​​​​​​​​Emile Claus: The Prince of Luminisim, Mudel Museum of Deinze​​​​​​
​​​​​​Alechinsky, Pinceau Voyageur​​​​​
​​​​​​​Cindy Sherman, ENSOR 2024, FOMU​​​​​​
​​​​​​Masquerade, Make-up and Ensor, MOMU​​​​​​
​​​​​​Ensor's States of Imagination, Plantin-Moretus Museum​​​​​​​​
​​​​In Your Wildest Dreams: Ensor Beyond Impressionism, KMKSA​​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​Alternative Narrative, MSK​​​​​​​​
​​Lucy McKenzie Super Palace, Z33​​​
​​​​​​​​​René Magritte X Emily Mae Smith, Magritte Museum​​
​​The Panamarenko House ​​​​
​Panamarenko’s Magic Carpet, S.M.A.K.​​​

​(MOH)

​​ ​

​^{​​#FlandersNewsService | KMSKA © BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS}