Cultural Compass: Martial arts, painted plants and Belgian migration in photos

Every Sunday, Belga English picks its favourite events from the cultural agenda. This week: The world of martial arts comes under the cultural microscope, spring arrives with 500 years of plant illustration and a timely photographic journey bring the history of Belgian migration to life.

Martial Arts, until 29 November, MAS, Antwerp

​Far more than combat, Martial Arts reveals a world where discipline, philosophy and community intersect. Bringing together stories, objects and immersive elements, the exhibition traces both well-known practices, from kung fu and karate to capoeira and fencing, and lesser-known traditions such as Nguni stick fighting.

Rather than focusing solely on physical technique, the exhibition highlights the deeper motivations behind martial arts. Practitioners are shown not just as fighters, but as individuals engaged in a continuous dialogue with themselves, striving for personal growth, resilience and balance.

At the same time, Martial Arts foregrounds the collective aspects of these disciplines. Clubs, neighbourhoods and cultural traditions emerge as vital spaces where identity and belonging are shaped. This exhibition draws on Antwerp’s own rich martial arts scene, presenting local stories and showing how these practices continue to evolve within the city today.

Plantin’s Plants, until 2 August, Plantin-Moretus Museum, Antwerp

A richly layered journey through 500 years of botanical illustration feels fitting for the first weeks of spring. De planten van Plantijn examines how art and science have long been intertwined. Drawing from the museum’s exceptional collection, the exhibition brings together delicate book illustrations, original woodblocks and later drawings, tracing how plants have been observed, recorded and imagined from the 16th century to today.

At its heart is the legacy of pioneering botanists such as Carolus Clusius, whose work helped shape early modern plant science. Printed by Christoffel Plantijn and his successors, these richly illustrated books were essential in spreading knowledge about flora, from wild plants and mushrooms to flowers, fruit and vegetables.

The exhibition reveals not only the scientific ambition behind these works, but also their aesthetic beauty. Intricately carved woodblocks and finely detailed prints highlight the craftsmanship involved in early publishing, while contemporary contributions create a dialogue between past and present.

Mashid Mohadjerin - Drifting Belgians, until 30 August, Red Star Line Museum, Antwerp

Iranian-Belgian visual artist Mashid Mohadjerin traces the journeys of Belgian migrants in the 1920s who, faced with strict US immigration laws, attempted to reach America via Canada, sometimes crossing frozen borders in secrecy, earning the haunting nickname “ghost walkers”. This exhibition is an exploration of a little-known chapter of migration history through the lens of contemporary art.

Through photography, video and sound, Mohadjerin retraces these routes, transforming historical research into an immersive, emotional experience. Archival materials such as letters and postcards are interwoven with contemporary perspectives, bringing both the hopes and hardships of migration into sharp focus.

Rather than presenting history as distant fact, the exhibition invites visitors to feel what it means to be in transit: caught between departure and arrival, hope and uncertainty. Drifting Belgians reveals migration not just as a historical phenomenon, but as a deeply human story that continues to resonate today. At a time when questions of displacement, borders and belonging are once again at the forefront, Mohadjerin’s work feels particularly urgent.

Valérie Mannaerts Antennae, until 30August, M Leuven

Antennae offers a compelling insight into the work of Valérie Mannaerts, bringing together more than 30 years of artistic practice alongside new creations. Working across sculpture, painting, textiles and installation, Mannaerts blurs the boundaries between disciplines, allowing objects to shift in meaning and form.

Her work is driven by intuition and sensory experience, often questioning what an object is and what it can become. A canvas might take on sculptural presence, while garments transform into spatial installations. Throughout, she explores themes of the body and transformation, creating works that feel both intimate and expansive.

The title Antennae points to this sensitivity: like feelers sensing the world, Mannaerts’ practice is attuned to subtle connections between materials, space, the viewer and lived experience.

Rather than following a fixed narrative, the exhibition unfolds through intuitive groupings, inviting visitors to navigate shifting forms and meanings, giving the impression that her art is responsive and deeply alive.

​​(MOH)

_{​#FlandersNewsService | Valerie Mannaerts - atelier © PHOTO ELIAS DERBOEN VOOR M LEUVEN}

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