Painting after Painting – A contemporary survey from Belgium, 4 April – 2 November, S.M.A.K., Ghent
Painting After Painting brings together over seventy contemporary painters, offering a snapshot of recent trends in the medium. While artists draw from past motifs and techniques, they also push boundaries, exploring themes of identity, politics and daily life or embracing abstraction and formalism. The exhibition highlights painting’s ongoing evolution and its dialogue with other visual forms.
Alongside the works on display, a richly illustrated catalogue features essays by Dominic van den Boogerd and Tanja Boon. Additionally, S.M.A.K. will transform Room 1 into an interactive painting studio, inviting visitors, including groups and schools, to engage with the medium firsthand.
Amazônia, the Must-See Exhibition by Photographer Sebastião Salgado, 4 April – 31 October, Tour and Taxis, Brussels
For seven years, Sebastião Salgado journeyed through the Brazilian Amazon, travelling by boat and air to capture its breathtaking landscapes, winding rivers, towering mountains and the Indigenous communities who call it home. Immersing himself in this profound environment, he documented the immense power of nature, producing striking images that evoke both its beauty and fragility. Many of these photographs are being unveiled to the public for the first time in the Amazônia exhibition.
Beyond its visual impact, the exhibition offers a sensory experience, incorporating testimonials from local communities and an immersive soundscape by Jean-Michel Jarre composed from recordings of the Amazon itself. The rustling of trees, the calls of birds,and the roar of cascading water adds depth to every visit, bringing the rainforest to life.
Collected with Vision. Private Collections in Dialogue with the Old Masters, 4 April -12 October, KMSKA, Antwerp
Post-war and contemporary art joins forces with KMSKA’s generous collection of old masters to create a dialogue based on 700 years of art history. While the nineteenth-century halls house traditional portraits and classical figures, this exhibition introduces contemporary works that challenge, contrast or complement them.
By juxtaposing past and present, Collected with Vision invites visitors to explore the evolving role of collectors and museums. Does the exchange between old and new create harmony, or do the contrasts provoke? This carefully curated selection offers a rare glimpse into hidden artistic treasures while questioning how collections shape art history.
Pride and Solace: Medieval books of hours and their readers,
4 April – 7 October, Bruges Public Library
This special collection at the Bruges Public Library features rarely seen medieval books of hours, paintings and artefacts. To protect these fragile treasures, the displayed pages will change on 2 July, offering visitors a fresh perspective with each visit.
Books of hours, filled with exquisite miniatures and heartfelt prayers, were once more precious than jewels, believed to protect their owners from misfortune and secure their place in the afterlife. They also served as status symbols, as influential patrons commissioned portraits of themselves holding these prized possessions in works by masters like Petrus Christus and Hans Memling. Beyond their beauty, this exhibition reveals the deeper meaning of these medieval bestsellers.
Asia(n diaspora) – Challenging the Western Gaze, 31 March, Munt Punt, Brussels
Join a thought-provoking discussion on the experiences and identities of the Asian diaspora in Belgium, marking the International Day Against Racism. This conversation will explore how the Asian diaspora is defined in Europe.
The conversation will delve into the lasting effects of historical narratives such as the model-minority myth, white supremacy and the “Yellow Danger” stereotype, considering their impact on Asian radicalisation and representation today. The discussion will also address the specific dynamics of these issues in Belgium, shedding light on how Western perspectives shape Asian community-building.
