Cultural Compass: Bozar's art and music, Moby comes to Antwerp, rethinking museums and more
Exhibitions, music, architecture, books, festivals… this is Belga English's pick of cultural activities in Flanders and Brussels, published every Sunday.
Bozar's season highlight, Staging the Concert, introduces an innovative format where visual art and music engage in a dynamic dialogue. Through creative use of space, light, and materials, this new approach aims to deepen the concert experience.
One of the highlights of the experiment is a performance of Béla Bartók's Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta (1937) on 20 September. This iconic work emphasises symmetry by positioning two identical string groups opposite one another, with percussion instruments subtly placed between them.
Brussels architectural firm Robbrecht and Daem Architects took on the challenge of translating Bartók’s architectural principles into a spatial experience. Their concept in Bozar's Henry Le Boeuf Hall involves five floating, polygonal wooden and translucent objects suspended above the audience, each corresponding to the structure and rhythm of the music. These objects, designed using the Fibonacci mathematical sequence, subtly light up in response to the performance, creating a visual dialogue with the music.
Architect Paul Robbrecht describes the installation as having "an inner power", enhancing the connection between the music and the iconic Horta architecture of the hall. The audience is invited to experience Bartók’s piece twice from different perspectives, further encouraging a multisensory exploration of space and sound.
The architectural firm Giusto Van Campenhout and artist Michel François are also preparing a more permanent, adaptable redesign of the space, incorporating a light tent, a carpet that mimics Victor Horta's marble design and circular furniture. Their design focuses on preserving the protected heritage of the building while offering flexibility and acoustic comfort. This permanent transformation is set to be completed by spring 2025.
© VIDEO BOZAR
American musician, songwriter, record producer and DJ Moby will celebrate the 25th anniversary of his hit album Play with a date at Antwerp's Sportpaleis on 21 September. Moby rose to prominence in the 1990s, helping to shape the dance music scene. His stage name honours his great-great-great-uncle, Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick.
Moby initially played in hardcore bands before transitioning to electronic music, releasing his first track, Mobility, in 1990. His breakthrough came with the single Go in 1991, and he continued to experiment with techno while remixing major artists like Michael Jackson and Depeche Mode. In 1999, Play became a worldwide commercial success.
© PHOTO PRIMARY WAVE
Starting on 20 September and running until 26 January, the MSK youth collective Schoonvolk! is taking over the museum's collection with the exhibition Alternative Narrative, exploring what a modern museum and exhibition should be.
The show invites visitors to engage in creating an alternative narrative for the museum, experimenting with the boundaries of traditional curating. By applying their own manifesto to works from the museum's stores, they present the collection in a fresh, bold way, aiming to lower barriers and make art more accessible, especially for young people.
Schoonvolk! selected 70 works that resonated with them, including pieces that are rarely displayed, works by female artists - an underrepresented group in traditional museums - and art covering themes that are often overlooked. They also worked with contemporary artists like graphic design duo Studio Sessions, illustrator Charlot Vael and scenographer Mirthe Tibos, who created a soft sculpture as a rest spot within the exhibition.
With a focus on young people between 16 and 26, Schoonvolk! is committed to amplifying the voices of those who are often unheard in the art world. Their mission is to challenge the elitist image of art, making it accessible to all. By confronting taboos and shedding light on under-represented stories, they hope to inspire others to rethink the role of museums and art in society.
Soprano Liv Redpath and baritone Samuel Hasselhorn open the new Vocalissimo programme with an evening of romantic art songs at La Monnaie opera house in Brussels on 17 September.
Phänomen features selections from Hugo Wolf’s Italienisches Liederbuch and Mörike-Lieder and the recital explores the playful and passionate sides of love. These cycles, celebrated for their perfect blend of poetry and music, are considered the pinnacle of German late romanticism.
The evening also includes songs by Robert Schumann, whose works evoke the beauty of desire. Pianist Inge Spinette, in her final season with La Monnaie, will accompany the performance.
The Museum Oudenaarde presents its first international exhibition dedicated to Margaret of Parma, an extraordinary woman born in Oudenaarde in 1522. The illegitimate daughter of Emperor Charles V and Johanna Van der Gheynst, Margaret rose to prominence, becoming governor of the Netherlands during the early years of the Eighty Years’ War. Despite her turbulent era, she was a true art lover and patron.
From 21 September to 5 January, visitors can experience the splendor of Margaret’s life through portraits and cherished objects, many of which are being reunited for the first time in 500 years. Contemporary interventions, such as a moving video and audio installation by photographer Lieve Blancquaert and lutenist Floris De Rycker, add a modern touch to this historical homage.
In addition to historical displays, the exhibition's installation in Margaret's baptismal church, Pamele's Church of Our Lady, offers an emotional exploration of her life. Blancquaert and De Rycker’s work weaves together strength and vulnerability, reflecting on different stages of life and drawing parallels between Margaret's experiences and modern womanhood. Visitors are invited to connect with their "inner Margaret", discovering her spirit in every movement, glance and reflection of their own lives.
Additional cultural coverage from Belga this week includes: Flanders celebrates its iconic monuments on Heritage Day, Author Ish Ait Hamou debuts at Ghent film festival with BXL, Stromae to release movie with footage of cancelled tour and Julie Keeps Quiet is Belgian entry for the Oscars
Ongoing events
Last Chance: The Lives of Animals, M KHA
Last Chance: Come Closer, Middleheim
Whats the Story? KMSKA
5,000 cultural objects from the DR Congo, MAS
Jean-Michel Folon, A Journey in Brussels
To Antarctica, The Polar Pioneers of the Belgica, MAS
(MOH)
#FlandersNewsService | KMSKA © BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS