Culture

Francis Alÿs at the Venice Biennale

28 April 2022

Curator Hilde Teerlinck and artist Francis Alÿs have been entrusted with the design of the Belgian pavilion for the 59th Venice Biennale.

Arno, our rock icon is gone

27 April 2022

The iconic Belgian singer Arno Hintjens passed away on 23 April at the age of 72, a victim of pancreatic cancer.

Belgium loses one of its great composers

21 April 2022

Phillipe Boesmans, an icon of classical music, has passed away at the age of 85.

Brussels celebrates its greatest jazzman

13 April 2022

Toots Thielemans would have turned 100 this year, and the city of Brussels will pay several tributes to its jazz icon, with music of course.

How Antwerp resounded throughout the world

11 April 2022

Until the second half of the 18th century, when it was gradually ousted by the pianoforte, it was a favoured instrument in distinguished circles.

A country of legends and thrills

The constant contact with other peoples and cultures hasn't been without its effects in terms of art and culture, both in the past and the present day. A true crossroads of the major influences of art, Belgium has always been home to a large number of artists and frequently establishes itself as the place for innovation for new movements.

Belgium has preserved much evidence of the greatest architectural and artistic movements. The Middle Ages saw cathedrals and belfries spring up, monuments that still grace the Belgian cities of art. Countless châteaux pepper the countryside and Belgium is the country with the most châteaux per km². As for Brussels, in the 20th century, it became the capital of Art Nouveau. All this explains the country's incredible architectural wealth.

The splendid works of the old Flemish painters such as Peter Paul Rubens, Pieter Bruegel, Jan Van Eyck, Antoine Van Dyck, along with more recent artists like Paul Delvaux or René Magritte, are now exhibited in museums all over the world.

The ultimate hub for comics, Belgium is home to the largest concentration of comic book authors in the world. They continue the tradition of Hergé (Tintin), Peyo (Les Schtroumpfs), Edgar P. Jacobs (Blake et Mortimer), Morris (Lucky Luke), Bob De Moor (Barelli, Cori de scheepsjongen), Willy Vandersteen (Suske en Wiske) and many more!

Today, many Belgian talents are making a name for themselves. This is particularly the case on the international music scene with Angèle, Milow, Selah Sue and Hooverphonic. On the big screen, a new generation of directors and actors are frequently recognised with awards including the Palme d'Or at Cannes and the Oscars in Hollywood.

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