Culture

Prize for Belgian heritage abroad

25 February 2016

Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders presented today, in the presence of Prince Lorenz, the laureates of the 2015 Prize for Belgian heritage abroad at the Egmont Palace in Brussels.

A Belgian wins the award for the best birth photo

09 February 2016

On February 9, the International Association of Professionals Birth Photographers (IAPBP), which crowns the best birth photos every year, unveiled its winners: the first place is occupied by a Belgian

Belgica rewarded at Sundance

31 January 2016

On 31 January 2016, Felix van Groeningen has won the award for best Director in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, in Utah (USA).

Hermann wins the Grand Prix d’Angoulême

28 January 2016

The Grand Prix de la ville d’Angoulême, which is one of the most prestigious rewards of the comics, was awarded to the Franco-Belgian Hermann.

Death by Death, a Belgian feature film wins at the Palm Springs Festival

12 January 2016

Je me tue à te le dire (Death by Death) by Xavier Seron won Best First Film at the 27th Palm Springs International Film Festival which took place on 9 January. This award is worth 60,000 dollars.

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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