What’s on this week: 7 to 13 March

Manga, anime, gaming, YouTubers and cosplay – you’ll find it all at Made in Asia, a celebration of pop culture from China, Korea and especially Japan. Even those with a casual interest will find there’s fun to be had watching a race among manga-decorated remote-controlled cars, learning how to wield a sword, creating calligraphy and eliminating your friends from a labyrinthine laser game. Of course there’s also a market as well as special guests including Japanese animators Chikashi Kubota and Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru and French voice over actor Christophe Lemoine. 7-9 March, Brussels Expo, Place de Belgique 1

Avant-garde, cult, camp, trash and just downright non-conformist, the Offscreen Film Festival has become an unmissable event on the Brussels calendar. It is a rich programme of old and new for fans of B-movies and underground cinema. Don’t miss a focus on haunted movies in UK and Ireland, including The Blood on Satan's Claw (pictured) by Piers Haggard, unorthodox Greek films in a special ‘weird wave’ and a tribute to Brussels cartoonist Pikha and Boris Szulzinger. Screenings also take place in cinemas across Belgium. 12-30 March, across Brussels

With Belgium now boasting a World Rally Champion in Thierry Neuville, Autoworld celebrates his achievement with the pop-up exhibition Rally Legends – From Dust to Glory. It’s a “fire-breathing and rock-slinging” journey through the WRC with a unique collection of championship-winning cars and legendary drivers and co-drivers, says the national car museum. Among the iconic rally cars on display are an Alpine A110, an Audi Quattro and Lancia’s Delta HF Integrale and Stratos. Until 21 April, Esplanade 11, Cinquantenaire Park (Etterbeek)

Be amazed at Ordinary Madness, the new exhibition at La Patinoire Royale a wonderful white space that started life, in 1877, as the world’s first roller skating rink. French visual artist Jeanne Susplugas’s drawings, installations, sculptures and videos of chemical formulas highlight a pharmakon – a substance to help navigate a world where pursuing well-being often borders on addiction. Other highlights are her Plantes toxiques ceramics and phobia-feeding Forêt généalogique. Also on show is Portugal’s Joana Vasconcelos’ mesmerising, glittering The Enchanted Forest textile creations, and Geneviève Levivier’s environmentally conscious Un Arbre A Soi. Until 30 April, Rue Veydt 15 (Saint-Gilles)

The Brussels branch of the Ader auction house stages a major retrospective of the Japanese painter Toshio Bando, ahead of the sale of Jacques Boutersky's important collection of works. Bando was a member of the School of Paris; a disparate group of foreign artists who found success in France during the first half of the 20th century. This is the largest exhibition to date devoted of the little-known artist, with 40 selected works on show before the auction in Paris on 4 April. 11-19 March, Avenue de Tervuren 113 (Etterbeek)

Immerse yourself in some family favourite films with the Mundo Pixar Experience. After success in Madrid and Barcelona, the largest immersive Pixar exhibition is coming to Brussels Expo. Discover life-size sets of films such as Toy Story, Cars (pictured), Coco, UP, Vice Versa, Finding Nemo and many more. Tickets from €17.50. 12 March to 13 July, Place de la Belgique 1 (Laeken)

Delve into the fascinating world of the post impressionists at The Arts Society’s talk in English on Cezanne, Gaugin and Van Gogh – Lost souls looking for direction in the Oise Valley. Guide and lecturer Carole Pettifer explains how the three artists struggled to find their way in art and life. 12 March, 19.30, Avenue Paul Hymans 2, (Woluwe-Saint-Lambert)

Who said books were boring? At the Foire du livre de Bruxelles, as well as a romance corner, family village, Manga area and focus on German-language literature, on Saturday, come and dance the night away at the Book Party, complete with DJ sets. This book fair, a firm fixture for any bibliophile worldwide since its creation in 1969, boasts some 350 exhibitors expected to attract some 80,000 people. It also offers talks, mini-conferences and myriad opportunities for book signings, with this year’s stars including Philippe ‘le Chat’ Geluck, François Schuiten and Amélie Nothomb. 13-16 March, Tour & Taxis, Rue Picard 3

Homelessness is technically possible, humanely desirable and, icing on the cake, financially viable. That is the message of the 10-day Immense Festival (Individu dans une Merde Matérielle Enorme mais Non Sans Exigences/demands), that aims to open the eyes to daily life without a place to call your own. Featuring films, exhibitions, performances, workshops, games and debates in 15 Brussels addresses, from the intimate Maison du Livre to the prestigious Théâtre National Wallonie-Bruxelles, l’Immense argues that Belgium too can be like Finland, the only European country where homelessness is scheduled to be wiped out by 2027. 13-23 March, various Brussels locations

Fans of contemporary design will be heading to Collectible, a fair that showcases some of the very best 21st century creativity. The 8th edition in the modernist Vanderborght building brings together designers, galleries, collectors and enthusiasts from Belgium and beyond. It serves as a platform for promoting talent and careful curation guarantees the quality of pieces on show. 13-16 March, Espace Vanderborght, Rue de L’Ecuyer 50

Book now Passa Porta Festival For its 10th anniversary edition, the major literary event invites over 100 authors and artists to 22 cultural hotspots across the city. One of the headliners is best-selling British author Jeanette Winterson who opens the programme with a talk on her work and the festival’s theme this year: Ghosts. Other writers speaking in English are Sandro Veronesi, David Nicholls, Paul Murray, Philipp Oehmke, Solvej Balle (Passa Porta's writer in residence in March), Karim Kattan, Andriy Lyubka, Charlie Porter, Merethe Lindstrøm, Eduardo Halfón and Tash Aw, among others. 28-30 March, multiple venues arounds the city

OUTSIDE BRUSSELS

The second edition of the Belgium Auto Show fills Flanders Expo in Ghent this weekend. The newly-branded event shows off special vehicles such as hypercars and supercars in a 70,000m2 space. In addition to a focus on new car models and local and regional dealers, an outdoor ‘action arena’ is designed to thrill with rally car demonstrations, stunts and drift shows. 6-9 March, Maaltekouter 1, Ghent

The annual carnival ceremony the Great Fire of Bouge boasts links to pagan and Christian rites: the burning effigy of a winter man atop the roaring fire traditionally ushering in spring. After months building the giant bonfire on the hilltop on the outskirts of Namur, it will be set ablaze in a symbolic lighting ceremony accompanied by folklore processions, singing and dancing and fireworks. Six other bonfires in other strategic locations overlooking the Meuse valley will also be lit in sequence. As with any carnival fun, there’s no shortage of snacks, refreshments and atmosphere. 9 March from 18.00, Rue de L’Institut, Bouge (Namur)

Four new exhibitions at Antwerp’s photography museum FOMU include the first major retrospective in Belgium of the influential female photographer Lee Miller. It offers fresh insight into her pioneering work as a war reporter. The exhibition is accompanied by shows by Dutch visual artist and filmmaker Katja Mater, Iranian-Belgian artist Mashid Mohadjerin and new work by Brussels-based Congolese artist Chrystel Mukeba. Until 8 June (Lee Miller in Print), Waalsekaai 47, Antwerp

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

Photos: (main image) Made in Asia 2024; Foire du Livre 2024 Bryan De Preter; Jeanette Winterson ©Sam Churchill; ©LeeMillerArchives Fire Masks London England 1941