Cultural Compass: South African Hamlet, transformed space, Wagner evening and more
Exhibitions, music, architecture, books, festivals… this is Belga English's pick of cultural activities in Flanders and Brussels, published every Sunday.
DeSingel in Antwerp will host Dada Masilo’s Hamlet, a bold, South African reinterpretation of Shakespeare's iconic tragedy. This production blends contemporary dance, ballet and African dance forms.
Set in urban South Africa, this adaptation strips away much of the original text, allowing universal themes of deceit, betrayal and lies to take centre stage. Masilo’s inventive choreography brings a fresh perspective, highlighting the dark humour of the story while exploring gender fluidity and androgyny. In keeping with Shakespearean tradition, where men once played women's roles, some women will also portray male characters.
The production features live acoustic music, a nod to the Elizabethan instruments of Shakespeare’s time, while also reflecting its South African setting. The cast includes Bessie Award-winner Albert Khoza as Gertrude, newcomer Aphiwe Dike as Hamlet, and Masilo herself in the role of Ophelia.
By merging classical and contemporary elements, Masilo transforms Hamlet into a powerful, visually striking dance theatre piece that resonates with modern audiences. This thought-provoking performance runs from 3-5 October.
© ImPulsTanz
On September 29, Z33 in Hasselt presents Super Palace, the first major solo exhibition in Belgium by Scottish artist Lucy McKenzie, who has lived in Brussels since 2006. Hosted in the new exhibition wing Vleugel 19, designed by Francesca Torzo, the show transforms the space into a microcosm of city life.
McKenzie recreates familiar public scenes like a shopping street, train station and fairground, alongside domestic spaces. She creates a dialogue between art and everyday environments, investigating the roles these spaces play in society.
Her multidisciplinary approach spans painting, installation, film and video. She explores how painting operates across different forms of visual communication, from political murals to commercial advertising. Her ability to blend genres is on full display in this exhibition, which features several new commissions. The works are inspired by 19th-century moving panoramas, a precursor to cinema and immersive entertainment.
The second part of the exhibition focuses on private interiors. How do they reflect the lives and personalities of their inhabitants? And how do they reveal gender roles and norms? By dividing the exhibition into a downstairs area (public space) and an upstairs area (private interiors), McKenzie highlights the intimate nature of the upstairs rooms in this wing.
Opera house La Monnaie will present a recital exploring the romanticism of unfulfilled love through the lieder of Richard Wagner, Hugo Wolf and Franz Liszt with Transfiguration on 3 October.
The evening opens with Wagner's Wesendonck-Lieder, inspired by his unattainable muse, Mathilde Wesendonck, echoing the theme of impossible love central to Tristan und Isolde. This theme continues with Wolf’s Michelangelo-Lieder, and Liszt’s Liebestraum.
Renowned bass Franz-Josef Selig will be joined by South African soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, winner of the 2021 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition. Pianist Inge Spinette, in her final performance at La Monnaie, completes the cast.
Two exhibitions have opened at the BPS22 art museum in Charleroi, running until early 2025. Juliette Vanwaterloo’s Burn it All Down and Alain Séchas’ Never Get Bored showcase their distinctive artistic styles.
Vanwaterloo, a feminist and decolonial activist, uses embroidery, lace and textile installations to challenge police violence and dominant political narratives. Her work offers counter-narratives through soft, colourful materials historically linked to women.
Séchas presents drawing, painting and sculpture, often using anthropomorphic cats or abstract forms. His work critiques the absurdity of humanity and the foundations of art, blending humour and deeper reflections.
Art on Paper, the international drawing fair in Brussels, will take place from 3-6 October at Gare Maritime at Tour & Taxis. This event showcases the richness and diversity of drawing, from contemporary to modern and ancient works, through an international exhibition. More than 60 Belgian and international galleries, both established and emerging, will present a wide range of works on paper.
The fair is part of the fifth edition of Brussels Drawing Week, which runs from 30 September to 6 October and features a host of drawing-related activities across the city.
Additional cultural coverage from Belga this week includes: Museums, galleries and art centres open during Kortrijk Art Weekend, Jewish Museum in Brussels to close for more than three years for renovation, Royal Museums of Fine Arts launch first Belgian audio guides in Ukrainian, New experience centre unlocks rich historical past of Borgloon in Limburg, Comic book creators depict horrors of the Holocaust in travelling exhibition
Ongoing events
Whats the Story? KMSKA
Last Chance: 5,000 cultural objects from the DR Congo, MAS
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
To Antarctica, The Polar Pioneers of the Belgica, MAS
Margaret of Parma, MOUAlternative Narrative, MSK
(MOH)
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