Cultural Compass: New narratives, Wagner's epic, most famous musical of all time and more

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

Esiri Erheriene-Essi, The Birthday Party, 2021 © ESIRI ERHERIENE-ESSI AND GALERIE RON MANDOS
Esiri Erheriene-Essi, The Birthday Party, 2021 © ESIRI ERHERIENE-ESSI AND GALERIE RON MANDOS

How have artists from Africa and its vast diaspora depicted daily life over the past century? Koyo Kouoh of Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town and her team explore this question in a landmark exhibition at Bozar. Opening on 7 February, When We See Us presents a sweeping survey of Black figurative painting from the 1920s to today.

The exhibition’s title, inspired by Ava DuVernay's series When They See Us, reflects a crucial shift in perspective - one that centres on Black self-representation and global Black subjectivities. Featuring approximately 150 works by 120 artists, the show is structured around the themes The Everyday, Joy & Revelry, Repose, Sensuality, Spirituality, Triumph and Emancipation.

“The series focused, like so many other Black stories, on trauma, and that’s something we wanted to avoid," Kouoh says. "By changing ‘they’ to ‘we’, we realised that we could flip the discourse and appropriate it in a relatively simple way. On the one hand, it’s a statement, but on the other, it’s a genuine invitation. Because we’re deliberately moving away from the ‘us-against-them’ discourse that many people, understandably, are uncomfortable with.”

Rewriting the narrative

From the outset, the curatorial team chose to centre the everyday joys of Black life such as cooking, eating, drinking, talking, making music, dancing, celebrating, experiencing intimacy or simply being. Kouoh describes this as “refusing the gaze”, rejecting the tendency to depict people of colour primarily through the lens of violence and pain.

When We See Us offers a nuanced portrayal of Black life, emphasising resilience, identity and the political significance of joy. The exhibition draws connections across geographic, generational and conceptual contexts, fostering a richer understanding of an often-overlooked lineage rooted in African and Black modernities. It also invites reflection on Black liberation, intellectual movements and the contributions of African and diasporic experiences to the art historical canon.

Kouoh will lead a guided tour on 8 February. The exhibition runs until 17 August.

Martha Da'ro in front of Espero que ya le dijiste a tu madre de nosotras, 2020 by Tiffany Alfonseca ​
© BOZAR
Martha Da'ro in front of Espero que ya le dijiste a tu madre de nosotras, 2020 by Tiffany Alfonseca ​
© BOZAR

Richard Wagner’s opera Götterdämmerung, the final instalment of The Ring Cycle, is a breathtaking conclusion to one of the most ambitious operatic works ever composed. It took Wagner 26 years to complete this monumental piece, which intertwines myth, destiny and the inevitable fall of gods and men. La Monnaie will present eight performances of the epic between 4 February and 2 March.

The opera opens with the three Norns weaving the fate of the world, their thread binding past, present and future until it snaps, signalling the twilight of the gods. What follows is a tragic cascade of betrayals, shattered alliances and doomed love.

Siegfried, naive and seduced by treachery, meets his end, while Brünnhilde’s final act of sacrifice restores the cursed ring to the Rhinemaidens. As Valhalla burns, Wagner poses the ultimate question: what remains of man when he can only count on himself?

This six-hour marathon is as demanding for its performers as it is mesmerising for its audience. La Monnaie’s production, spanning two seasons, reaches its grand finale under the direction of Alain Altinoglu and Pierre Audi.

On 12 February, Altinoglu will offer a piano lecture exploring Wagner’s score, its evolution from Siegfrieds Tod, and its influence on later composers like Schönberg. For those new to The Ring Cycle, La Monnaie provides a helpful terminology guide to navigate this operatic undertaking.

© LA MONNAIE
© LA MONNAIE

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, the world’s most popular musical, makes its long-awaited Belgian debut in its original English version at Stadsschouwburg Antwerp. During a limited run from 6 February to 2 March 2025, the production is brought to life with a star-studded cast from the West End and Broadway.

The international spectacle has retained its position as Broadway’s longest-running show even after closing years ago. The musical has won more than 70 major theatre awards and captivated over 160 million people across 41 countries and 186 cities.

Based on Gaston Leroux’s novel, the story unfolds in 19th-century Paris, where a masked musical genius haunts the depths of the Opera House. Obsessed with the young soprano Christine Daaé, he draws her into his dark and mysterious world of music and forces her to choose between him and her childhood love.

© VIDEO MB PRESENTS

Paulo Nazareth creates by walking. His arte de conducta, or behavioural art, is rooted in movement focusing on crossing borders on foot and engaging with communities shaped by Afro-Brazilian, Indigenous and anti-colonial struggles. His work weaves together memory, language and ritual to examine survival and resistance.

Patuá/Patois marks Nazareth’s first major exhibition in Belgium, presenting 80 works spanning over two decades. The exhibition explores patuá, an Afro-Brazilian amulet symbolising protection, and patois, a non-standard dialect spoken in marginalised communities.

Through these symbols, he highlights how language and objects serve as tools of resilience for displaced populations. At Wiels in Brussels, he extends this inquiry to Belgium, reflecting on its disappearing dialects, linguistic divisions and ties to migration.

As an act of resistance, Nazareth will not travel to Brussels for the exhibition that runs until 27 February. He maintains his commitment to visit all African nations before setting foot in Europe. His absence underscores his critique of colonial histories and the power imbalance between the Global North and South.

Paulo Nazareth, WHAT YOU WANT?, 2013 © PHOTO PAULO NAZARETH AND MENDES WOOD DM
Paulo Nazareth, WHAT YOU WANT?, 2013 © PHOTO PAULO NAZARETH AND MENDES WOOD DM

The Affordable Art Fair Brussels returns to Tour & Taxis from 5 to 9 February for its 16th edition, bringing together 85 Belgian and international galleries to showcase thousands of contemporary artworks. This is a chance for both avid art collectors and those starting their journey with new pieces to find pieces that don’t break the budget.

This year’s edition introduces seven new galleries, including three from Belgium.

MLVA Art Gallery in Ghent champions emerging artists from around the world, curating exhibitions that highlight figurative and colourful works. Atelier Louis provides a platform for South African artists, presenting a diverse range of styles that reflect the country’s dynamic contemporary art scene. Adrienne D – Ceramic Art, based in Kortrijk, specialises in contemporary ceramics and was selected as a member of the International Academy of Ceramics in 2023.

Alongside its impressive exhibitions, the fair offers an engaging artistic programme, making it a must-visit event for art lovers.

© VIDEO AFFORDABLE ART FAIR


Additional cultural coverage from Belga this week: Brussels marks 100 years of Art Deco with year-long programme of exhibitions, Passa Porta Festival celebrates literature with the theme 'Ghosts'


Ongoing events

COMPASSION, MAS
Family Happiness, Red Star Line
Panamarenko: Infinite Imagination, KMKSA
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​​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​​Alechinsky, Pinceau Voyageur​​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​​​​Alternative Narrative, MSK​​​​​​​​​​
​​Lucy McKenzie Super Palace, Z33​​
​​René Magritte X Emily Mae Smith, Magritte Museum​​​​​​ ​​​​​

​(MOH)

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​​#FlandersNewsService | KMSKA © BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS

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