Cultural Compass: Ghent museum night, short film fest, Panamarenko magic carpet and more

Exhibitions, music, architecture, books, festivals… this is Belga English's pick of cultural activities in Flanders and Brussels, published every Sunday.

Ghent’s museums transform into a vibrant playground of art, music and creativity for the highly anticipated Museum Night on 5 December. With free admission, this year’s event celebrates Ghent as the European Youth Capital, spotlighting young energy and innovation in unforgettable ways.

At the Design Museum Gent, visitors can immerse themselves in a cutting-edge "algorave", where artist and coder Kasper Jordaens leads a mesmerising fusion of music and visuals. Watch as live code transforms the museum's revamped collection into dynamic digital art, set to pulsing beats. This one-of-a-kind event, Lost in Diffusion, collaborates with Winter Circus, a tech hub shaping the future alongside the museum.

Dive into the Ghent City Museum's exhibition, The Gates, a tribute to Ghent’s historic city gates and the diverse neighbourhoods they anchor. The evening comes alive with freestyle rap battles, slam poetry from Slam Aleikum and live virtual graffiti on a massive aerial map of the city.

Elsewhere, experience quirky highlights like eighties aerobics at the Huis van Alijn, a screen-printing studio at the S.M.A.K. and an ASMR escape at the Industriemuseum. Discover extraterrestrial wellness at Museum Dr Guislain, secrets unearthed at the GUM and films exploring the SWANA region at Kunsthal Gent. For the little ones, the Ghent Museum of Fine Arts hosts a special Kid’s Museum Night.

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The Leuven Short Film Festival celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, continuing its tradition of showcasing a diverse selection of fiction, animation, documentary and non-narrative short films. Founded in 1995, the festival is renowned for its Flemish and European short film competitions, awarding both jury and audience prizes across nine categories. Highlights include retrospective programmes, special screenings and the annual presentation of the VAF Wildcards since 2007.

From 29 November until 7 December, the festival features more than 120 screenings, presenting over 200 short films from around the globe. With its robust lineup of masterclasses, workshops and panel discussions, it has become a key event for both film enthusiasts and industry professionals, drawing over 10,000 visitors annually since 2014.

This year, Focus on Palestine offers a poignant exploration of Palestinian identity and resilience. Films like Bethlehem 2001 and Layl (Night) capture the fear wrought by conflict, while A Short Film About Kids highlights the strength of Palestinian children. Dancing Palestine pays tribute to dabke, a traditional dance symbolising collective memory and hope. Through documentaries, animation and fiction, these films present diverse perspectives on a culture and identity under threat, celebrating a deep love for life amidst adversity.

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The Panamarenko Foundation and the Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art Ghent (SMAK) unveil a hidden treasure not seen in 45 years: Panamarenko’s Magic Carpet. This extraordinary artwork will be on display for free in Hall 1 of SMAK until 5 January, 2025. Previously showcased only at the 1979 Biennale of Sydney, the piece now re-emerges to honour the iconic Belgian artist, who would have turned 85 in 2025.

Panamarenko (1940–2019) was a visionary whose work blended artistic imagination with technological exploration. His lifelong dream of human-powered flight inspired a range of fantastical creations, such as aeroplanes, submarines, cars and birds. Everything he touched had a balance of playfulness and innovation.

Magic Carpet, first exhibited alongside works by renowned artists like Marina Abramović, Joseph Beuys and Gerhard Richter, exemplifies his unique vision. After its Sydney debut, the sculpture returned to Belgium, where it remained in SMAK’s collection depot until now.

This exhibition marks the start of a yearlong celebration of Panamarenko’s groundbreaking legacy, offering a rare chance to experience the wonder and ingenuity of one of Belgium’s most beloved artists. Don’t miss this opportunity to step into a world where art and dreams take flight.

Experience an unforgettable evening of creativity and connection as MoMu and Arenberg join forces for NITE SH FT. This nocturne invites visitors to immerse themselves in a dynamic mix of dance, performance art, slam poetry and music, culminating in a high-energy DJ set.

NITE SH FT is a celebration of discovery, unfamiliar art forms, untold stories and new facets of oneself.

The programme features captivating performances by a diverse lineup of artists, such as Rebecca Lenaerts, whose work has been inspired by Japanese Butoh. She explores the vulnerability of the human body and its connection to nature in her multidisciplinary work.

Pommelien van Hees, a Rotterdam-based dancer, brings Maquillage, a playful and adaptive exploration of physicality. Meanwhile, Sesa, a spoken word poet from Antwerp, offers an immersive experience blending melodic introspection with sound healing and live music.

Finally, STACE, a neo-soul sensation, shares her raw and emotional soundscapes from her latest EP, reflecting on intense human emotions.

Kazerne Dossin in Mechelen hosts The Unimaginable Imagined, a unique exhibition exploring how visual storytelling keeps the memory of the Holocaust alive through comic strips. Featuring work by ten artists from Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, the exhibit centres on stories tied to three former Nazi camps: Neuengamme in Germany, Camp Westerbork in the Netherlands, and the Dossinkazerne in Belgium. Through comics, historical artefacts and audiovisual materials, it portrays unimaginable events in a deeply personal and accessible way.

The project was inspired by an 80-year-old comic strip by August M. Froehlich, discovered in a US archive. Published in early 1945, it depicted the arrival of a deportation train, even as German extermination camps remained operational.

On 7 December, comics expert Kees Ribbens and three contributing artists—Wide Vercnocke (Belgium), Melanie Kranenburg (Netherlands) and Tobi Dahmen (Germany)—will discuss how comics can navigate and illuminate difficult histories. The expo is on display until 15 December.

Additional cultural coverage from Belga this week: Brussels to celebrate its Art Deco heritage in 2025, Two Rare René Magritte Sketches Discovered in Brussels, Unique tapestry from 1530 brought back from London to Brussels

Ongoing events

​​Whats the Story? KMSKA​​​​
​​​​​​​​​​​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​​​
​​​​Margaret of Parma, MOU​​​​​
​​​​Alternative Narrative, MSK​​​​​
​​Lucy McKenzie Super Palace, Z33​​​
​​​​​​René Magritte X Emily Mae Smith, Magritte Museum

​(MOH)

 ^{​​#FlandersNewsService | KMSKA © BELGA PHOTO JONAS ROOSENS}