Cultural Compass: Movement at MAS, madness at the opera and personal histories of WWI

Every Sunday, Belga English picks its favourite events from the cultural agenda. This week: Antwerp's MAS celebrates the art of movement and dance from all over the world, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen infuses horror and tragedy into one of the most beloved operas and Ypres honours Belgians who were forced to flee during the First World War.

Universal Tongue, until 4 January, MAS, Antwerp

This autumn, MAS celebrates the power of movement with Universal Tongue, a monumental video installation by Dutch artist Anouk Kruithof. The work explores dance as a universal language, bringing together thousands of styles from across the globe, from Vogueing and Twerking to Sufi and the Macarena.

Aided by 52 researchers, Kruithof compiled 8,800 videos from social media, representing 1,000 dance styles from all 196 countries. The result is a four-hour immersive installation shown across eight screens, synchronised to a vibrant soundtrack. “Antwerp is dancing!” says alderman for culture Lien Van de Kelder. “Dance is a universal language that brings everyone together and stirs the hearts of the city.”

Alongside the installation, ErfgoedLab Antwerp uses Universal Tongue to investigate how dance lives online through mapping Antwerp’s own dance communities and exploring how digital platforms shape dance as cultural heritage. Visitors can hear local dancers reflect on these trends in the exhibition’s final section.

MAS also presents ten weeks of dance-themed activities. In the Kijkdepot, eight Antwerp dancers and organisations pair objects from the museum’s collection with artefacts from their own traditions. Meanwhile, the #MASmoves evenings invite visitors to join workshops and performances spanning Bollywood, tango, pole dance and more.

Lucia di Lammermoor, 2-14 November, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen

Forbidden love, ghosts and a finale drenched in blood, Gaetano Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor remains one of opera’s most gripping tragedies. More than a gothic tale, it’s the story of a woman fighting for autonomy amid crushing family expectations. Forced by her brother into a political marriage, Lucia’s descent into madness culminates in a haunting finale and one of the most famous “mad scenes” in all opera.

A milestone role for sopranos from Maria Callas to Joan Sutherland, Lucia now welcomes Vuvu Mpofu in her debut at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen’s concert performance.

Steeped in 19th-century passion and peril, the music encapsulates everything that makes opera irresistible: love, loss, revenge and redemption, all elevated by music that turns private despair into universal emotion. The infamous mad scene, accompanied by a glass harmonica, remains its dazzling and devastating heart.

Displaced. The Belgian refugees of the First World War, until 14 June, In Flanders Field Museum, Ypres

During the First World War, more than one and a half million Belgians were forced to flee their homes on foot, by train, boat or horse and cart. They took only what they could carry and were uncertain if they would ever return. Around 600,000 spent years in exile, mainly in France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, while thousands more were evacuated by soldiers from both sides. Returning home after the war proved difficult, and for some, impossible.

The exhibition Displaced brings these experiences to life through more than 40 personal stories of Belgian refugees. Nine contemporary illustrators interpret their testimonies, while an audio guide immerses visitors in their journeys. Letters, photographs and everyday objects make this history tangible and immediate.

The exhibition extends beyond the walls of the Cloth Hall, connecting past and present across the city. In Ypres’ centre, six large arrows mark key locations tied to these stories, guiding visitors through the traces of displacement that still shape the landscape today.

The Associations of Pauline Curnier Jardin, until 26 January, ​
​M HKA, Antwerp

This autumn, M HKA presents the first major retrospective of French artist Pauline Curnier Jardin (born 1980, Marseille). The Associations of Pauline Curnier Jardin spans 20 years of her vibrant, hybrid practice, bringing together films, drawings, sculptures, installations and live performances.

Curnier Jardin’s work merges cinema, performance and visual art into a vivid exploration of community, ritual and transformation. Drawing on her experiences across France, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands, she weaves together feminist, social and collective narratives that celebrate freedom and imagination.

Two central themes run through her art: a fascination with cultural practices that channel expression and a deep commitment to collective creation. The exhibition unfolds as a living gathering of people, places and stories, reflecting an artistic universe where all threads of society intertwine.

(MOH)

^{#FlandersNewsService | © PHOTO VICTORIANO MORENO}

Related news

Two suspects arrested after Louvre jewellery heist

Two suspects have been arrested following the jewellery theft at the Louvre in Paris. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed the arrests on...

belganewsagency.eu

Brussels universities to honour Stromae, Lize Spit and Amélie Nothomb with doctorates

The Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) announced on Monday that Stromae, Lize Spit, Amélie Nothomb, François Schuiten and Ever Meulen will be...

belganewsagency.eu