Cultural Compass: Atomium laser show, history from the sea, Christmas puppets and more

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

The Atomium presents Echoes of Distant Lights, a laser and light art installation by Brussels artist Antoine Goldschmidt and his studio, Magicstreet. Set within one of the Atomium's iconic spheres, this immersive experience takes visitors on a poetic journey through the cosmos, exploring the mysteries of space and time.

Goldschmidt’s creation harmonises with the Atomium’s futuristic architecture. Laser beams interact with a suspended glass sculpture, casting organic patterns inspired by nebulae, galaxies and distant stars. Accompanied by an original soundtrack from Brussels musician Ofer Smilansky, the installation blends light, sound and motion to evoke the vastness ​ of the universe. It runs until 1 April.

^{© BELGA VIDEO LOU LAMPAERT}

Until the Middle Ages, a large island called Testerep stretched along the Belgian coast from Westende to Ostend. Testerep disappeared centuries ago, and archaeologists, led by Soetkin Vervust of VUB, are exploring its history and the sunken remnants of medieval Ostend, which vanished beneath the waves in the 14th century.

This story forms the basis of the exhibition Testerep and the Sunken Ostend, running until 20 April at the Venetian Galleries in Ostend. The exhibition spans 10,000 years of coastal evolution, focusing on how natural and human forces reshaped the coastline.

Jacob van Deventer’s 16th-century map hints at a remnant of medieval Ostend, visible as a small island after a devastating 1394 storm. Researchers hoped to find traces of the old city but faced numerous challenges.

The island, once extending further out to sea, began to erode around the 7th-8th centuries due to storm activity and shifting tidal channels. Over the last millennium, the coastline has receded kilometres inland, while relative sea level rise remained slow until the 20th century. Today, climate change accelerates sea level rise and intensifies storms, adding urgency to sustainable coastal management.

The exhibition brings the history of Testerep to life through archaeological artefacts, digital reconstructions, soundscapes and interactive elements.

Behind the scenes, a team of archaeologists, marine scientists, engineers and game designers has used cutting-edge technology to reconstruct Testerep’s past. Visitors can follow the research process, learning how soil scans, drilling, and mathematical modelling reveal the changing coastal landscape.

Antwerp’s De Studio is organising puppet theatre OERF OERF, in collaboration with theatre FroeFroe. From 27–30 December, a host of whimsical characters and creatures bring magical performances to brighten the year’s darkest days.

Expect Icelandic children, musical creatures, poetic donkeys and dancing shrimps. Highlights include En Suite and Øy, two shows blending storytelling, music and puppetry.

In En Suite, Anna, the oldest resident of a retirement home, is about to turn 100. For years, she has lived in quiet solitude, gazing into infinity and waiting for her final dance. But one sound breaks the silence, unleashing a flood of stories, music and memories. Featuring Johann Sebastian Bach’s iconic cello suites, this performance explores beauty, transience and acceptance with warmth and elegance.

Øy takes audiences to a snowy island with one mountain, one school and one dream. Eleven-year-old Tove lives at the mountain’s base, longing to fly like his father. On the other side, a new girl arrives, sparking hope and curiosity. Tove’s dreams of flight and the mystery of connection unfold in a performance about holding on, letting go and unforgettable first encounters.

The Art and History Museum in Brussels presents Fireflies, an exhibition that bridges the past and present through ceramics. This sensory journey highlights the museum’s collections of ancient Greek pottery, pre-Columbian ceramics and 18th-century European porcelain, alongside contemporary works by 20 young artists from La Cambre, all inspired by the transformative power of clay and fire.

Until 9 February, visitors will encounter exquisite black and red figure vessels from ancient Greece, intricate pre-Columbian sculptures and luxurious European ceramics reflecting the evolution of the art form. La Cambre artists offer fresh interpretations, demonstrating the enduring appeal and adaptability of ceramics in modern art.

The exhibition’s scenography, crafted from recycled materials by students of interior architecture, playfully incorporates light and irony, reimagining traditional display methods.

​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​
​​The Panamarenko House ​
​​​Panamarenko’s Magic Carpet, S.M.A.K.​
​​Women of Paper, Biekorf Library in Bruges

​(MOH)

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