What’s on this week: 7 to 13 February

In a nod to the Britney Spears song, Ooops I drew it again is the nickname of just one of some 255 artists – amateur and established – whose work will grace the mammoth space of Espace Vanderborght’s five floors in this year’s Carte de Visite – ARTopenKUNST. Admire more than 900 creations including collages, drawings, paintings, photographs, illustrations, sculptures and screen prints. Then, if you are interested, pick up the artist’s calling card for more information or future purchases. Free entrance. 7 February (18.00 to 22.00), 8 February (11.00-19.00) and 9 February (11.00-18.00), Espace Vanderborght, Rue de L’Ecuyer 50

Some 20 world music, folk and country musicians come together to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Chouette Festival at Jacques Franck Cultural Centre. There are concerts every evening, and from 14.00 on Sunday the festival adopts an itinerant programme and moves into surrounding cafes and venues. An afterparty on Friday evening is staged in Brasserie Illegaal.  6-9 February, Chaussée de Waterloo (Saint-Gilles)

Prepare to be dazzled at a beautiful and intimate light show. Set in stunning Parc Josaphat, Les Etincelles will treat you to an enchanted, poetic light trail. Illuminated stilt walkers, son et lumière shows, floating lights and a light beam tunnel are just some of the delights in store. Do not miss the disco cube, tag wall or chance to get on the ‘Vellow Energy’ electricity-making bike. Concerts in three local cafés are also on offer. 7-8 February (18.00 to 22.00), Parc Josaphat. The walk starts at the intersection of Avenues des Azalées and Ambassadeur Van Vollenhoven (Schaerbeek)

Continuing its dazzling mission to explore art and technology, one of the Atomium’s nine spheres is filled with the latest digital art installation by the Visual System collective. CROSSING is a 3-D creation that fuses light, sound and space to offer a unique sensory and hypnotic experience. An original soundtrack by Thomas Vaquié accompanies visitors. Until 4 January 2026, Place de l’Atomium (Laeken)

Following previous editions dedicated to Casablanca, Beirut and Tehran, it is Istanbul that takes centre stage in this year’s multidisciplinary festival Moussem Cities. Shaped by centuries of transformation, the city has maintained its role as a beacon of inspiration, radiating an appealing and unmistakable grandeur. A diverse programme of exhibitions, participatory projects, performance art, literature, film screenings, concerts and talks are staged at Bozar and the Nomadic Arts Centre. 6-16 February, Rue Ravenstein (Bozar), Rue des Mégissiers 6 (Anderlecht)

For its 12th edition, Flagey Piano Days invites a clutch of international star names, including Sir András Schiff, Angela Hewitt and Arcadi Volodos. They are joined by rising talents for a programme aimed at all ages, from offbeat musical experiences to a show for younger audiences that revisits the tales of Hans Christian Andersen through a poetic fusion of theatre, singing, piano, shadows and paper cut-outs by Compagnie Artichoke (pictured). Before some concerts, a series of music talks enlighten the works in an accessible and captivating way. 12-16 February, Place Sainte-Croix

The Affordable Art Fair Brussels is a winter cultural highlight. Offering a snapshot of the contemporary art scene in a relaxed setting, the event once again boasts a large and diverse selection of works, priced between €100 and €10,000. For its 16th edition, thousands of artworks by emerging and established artists go on display, represented by more than 90 Belgian and international galleries. The ‘Fresh at the fair’ section features new galleries showing disciplines such as rising talents, contemporary ceramics, Cameroonian and Iranian artists and graffiti and street art. Until 9 February, Tour & Taxis, Avenue du Port 86C

Antonio Oyarzabal returns to The Nine women’s club with his piano recital La Muse Oubliée, celebrating the works of lesser-known female composers. Expanding his tribute to include more overlooked pieces from women, the performance moves from French Baroque to avant-garde compositions, featuring works by Jacquet de la Guerre, Ruth Crawford Seeger, Lili Boulanger, Clara Schumann and others. 7 February 19.00, Rue Archimède 69

OUTSIDE BRUSSELS

In her first major solo exhibition in Belgium, South African artist and filmmaker Candice Breitz presents six works from the 90s to the present day that expose racial and gender discrimination. Off Voices at Charleroi’s BPS22 art museum gives silenced individuals and communities a voice. Her powerful video installation TLDR evokes the struggle of South Africa’s sex workers in the format of a musical and individual video testimonies. Each installation – tackling topics such as whiteness, mass media and visibility as well as discrimination – is multi-layered, yet accessible to a wide audience. 1 February to 11 May, Boulevard Solvay 22, Campus Charleroi Metropôle, Charleroi

Namur citadel’s renovated military barracks Terra Nova host the 15th edition of Le Salon des Vignerons Namurois. The wine fair enables winegrowers with a connection to the region, whether cultivating grapes in Belgium and France, to present their liquid wares. It is an opportunity to taste a variety of wines from local vineyards and domains from more southern climes. 8-9 February, Terra Nova, Route Merveilleuse 64, Citadel, Namur

Sharing the ‘history of yesteryear’ and aiming to transmit a message of peace, In Flanders Fields Museum honours the people who fought and died in World War One, which included some 600,000 losing their lives in Belgium. Pieper and Yperman, Witnesses of War shows how two men experienced the ‘Great War’ on the West Flanders coast. German engineer and architect Hans Pieper’s story is illustrated by paintings and sketches. Bruges stained-glass artist Jules Yperman recounted daily life in his diary of drawings, watercolours, in stories, a scrapbook, and even a song book. Until 1 June, Grote Markt 34, Ypres

It is an opportune moment to be reminded of the inherently human quality of feeling or showing compassion. Antwerp’s Museum AAN De Stroom (MAS) presents a new exhibition Compassion with decorative objects, utensils, music, testimonies and a wonderful selection of paintings and sculpture showing how artists from the Renaissance period to the modern day portrayed acts of kindness and empathy. The juxtapositions of works by historic figures such as Bruegel and Géricault with contemporary artists including Berlinde De Bruyckere, Annita Smit, Ai Weiwei, Khaled Barakeh and Stephan Vanfleteren, thought-provokingly raises questions about the theme. Until 31 August, Hanzestedenplaats 1, Antwerp

Discover more upcoming events at The Bulletin's events page.

Photos: (main image) Carte de visite ©Ato; Contes de Papier Chapelle-SVDT-MF; AAF Brussels 2024 ©almicheal fraay maikeljay; Candice Breitz Profile extrait Gerald Machona 2017 ©KOW Berlin; MAS ©Kunsthaus Zürich, The Gottfried Keller Foundation, Federal Office of Culture, Berne, 1920