Cultural Compass: Heritage Day, Flemish celebrations in art and mountain reverence

Every Sunday, Belga English picks its favourite events from the cultural agenda. This week: the yearly celebration of heritage returns to Flanders and Brussels, a look at how celebrations throughout history shaped Flemish society and an intimate look at mountains through painting.

Heritage Day, 27 April, Flanders & Brussels

Heritage Day is an annual celebration of cultural heritage in Flanders and Brussels, shining a light on both tangible and intangible treasures.

Tangible heritage includes items like old books, paintings, photographs and tools, while intangible heritage involves traditions such as storytelling, tea culture or craft techniques like basket weaving and creating giant puppet heads.

Each year, the event explores a specific theme, with this year's being Game On. The theme invites visitors to explore how sports and games have shaped culture, past and present.

A wide range of playful and immersive experiences await those who wander through the cities. The brave can explore the art of burlesque or pole dancing, challenge friends to designer board games at Spelclub 2660 or play historical card games in the Sint-Jacobskerk.

At the Middelheim Museum, combine art and fitness with a 3.2km run that includes six sculpture stops along the way.

Flemish Celebrations and Festivities, 26 April-1 September, Lille Palace of Fine Arts

This ambitious exhibition developed with the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium (RMFAB) and the Louvre brings more than 100 works together to explore the vibrant tradition of public celebration in the Low Countries.

Paintings, engravings, drawings and objects tell a story of how, even in times of war and plague, festivities offered communities moments of collective joy and resilience.

“This is the first time the theme of Flemish celebrations has been explored in such depth,” says the RMFAB. The exhibition not only captures their rich variety but also highlights their deeper social and symbolic meanings through works by Rubens, Brueghel, Jordaens and others.

The exhibition is divided into four sections: War and Celebration, Festivals and Ceremonies, Weddings and Village Festivals and finally Court Festivals and Kings’ Festivals. Notable works include Fair with Theatre and Procession by Pieter Brueghel the Younger, The Infanta Isabella at the Jay Shooting by Antoon Sallaert and Jordaens’ The King Drinks.

Mountains-Drawings-Paintings-Research, 25 April-31 May, Huberty & Breyne, Brussels

This solo exhibition by French artist Nicolas de Crécy invites visitors on a visual ascent through nearly 70 works exploring the sublime beauty of mountains. Rooted in his deep connection to alpine landscapes, the exhibition is both a tribute and a response to the evolving fragility of mountain ranges.

Over years of hiking, De Crécy has witnessed first-hand the impact of climate change, such as crumbling rocks, melting ice and the disfigurement of valleys by ski industry development. In this context, his work becomes an act of preservation, capturing a world in transformation.

Mixing techniques such as painting, collage, engraving, charcoal and watercolor, De Crécy creates what he calls a “research laboratory” in an attempt to decode the atmosphere, light and mystery of high altitudes. Each piece is an ode to the mystery and grandeur that mountains evoke and a harkening back to when they were approached with reverence in the spirit of pilgrimage.

Young FENIX Mental Health EXPO, 23 April, De Roma, Antwerp

Born during the Covid-19 crisis, the Young FENIX initiative has grown into a powerful movement supporting young people in vulnerable situations and is celebrating its fifth anniversary. To mark this milestone, De Roma will host an evening of connection and honest conversation.

Expect raw testimonies from young voices and insights from founder Khalid El Hatri and Welfare minister Caroline Gennez. Through talks, slam poetry and music, the event aims to break the silence around youth mental health.

(MOH)

_{#FlandersNewsService | Plantin Moretus Museum © PHOTO HOLLANDSE HOOGTE}

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