What’s on this week: 24 to 30 January

More than 130 leading galleries from 16 countries present some of their most exquisite works at Belgium’s prestigious art fair BRAFA. Celebrating its 70th anniversary, the annual event at Brussels Expo succeeds in maintaining a fine balance between tradition and modernity in displaying works from numerous eras. With Brussels honouring the centenary of the Art Deco movement in 2025, visitors can expect a plethora of interwar style among the many paintings, sculpture, furniture, jewellery and objects on display. Guest of honour is Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos. Daily art talks take place at the stand of the King Baudouin Foundation. 26 January to 2 February, Place de la Belgique 1 (Laeken)

From A Partir d’Elle at the A Foundation to Zones at Wiels, this year’s PhotoBrussels Festival, with exhibitions at some 46 galleries, promises to be a big hit for any photography or art lover. Talks, films, guided tours, even coffee mornings feature in this exciting month-long programme that takes place at established venues like ISELP and Hangar, as well as at lesser-known gems like the Tiny Gallery, Studio Baxton, Chez Olivia and Nathalie Obadia Gzleriev(pictured: Barbarella, Slab City (USA). Until 23 February (some exhibitions carry on longer), multiple locations

‘Sacred motherhood’ my father used to say if I did something that might displease mine. The idea of mothers as a source of reverence, love and wisdom is not new. A Partir d’Elle. Des artistes et leur mère investigates the way 16 artists, from Roland Barthes to Ilene Segalove, see their mother - via films and writing as well as through photographs. The exhibition – part of the PhotoBrussels Festival – also explores what image can take her place when the mother tends to disappear – Paul Graham, Pier Paolo Pasolini – or has already departed – Lebohang Kganye, Sophie Calle and Rebekka Deubner. Until 18 May, A Foundation, Avenue Van Volxem 304 (Forest)

AImagine - Photography and generative images is Hangar’s main opening exhibition for 2025 as part of the PhotoBrussels Festival. It aims to “meet the challenge of a dialogue between tradition and innovation, and explore the image’s future”. Some 17 artists from Martinique’s Jordan Beal to Russia’s Alexey Yurenev were asked to “revisit and reimagine historical events, characters or situations through image generation”. This imaginative “journey between real and virtual, past and present” is accompanied (until 9 March) by Brazilian artist Claudia Jaguaribe’s Vivarium – a show highlighting our relationship with nature in an era marked by anthropocentrism (pictured). Until 15 June, Place du Châtelain 18 (Ixelles)

“What is happening under the earth? When we listen to what is going on beneath the surface, what kind of sounds come to us? This unusual premise is the starting point of this year’s sound festival La Semaine du Son. Themed Sub Terra, the 15th edition explores magnetic fields and layers of life and history under our feet. There are all kinds of great activities on the programme, from concerts, performances and exhibitions to sound installations, workshops and film screenings. All events free upon reservation. The Flanders/Wallonia edition follows next week from 3 to 9 February. 26 January to 2 February, across Brussels

The country’s home-grown musical talent is showcased in the fifth edition of the Belgian Music Week. Both francophone and Dutch-speaking radio stations, music clubs and venues host live events in Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia throughout the week. 27 January to 2 February, multiple locations across the country

From Alep to Brussels tells Hayat’s story – a woman from the Dom (a minority community discriminated against in Syria) from her birth in Syria to her exile in Belgium. The 10 illustrations displayed at Schaerbeek’s Maison des femmes highlight the important role women play in the family and in society, often in the shadows. Several stories were mixed together to create Hayat’s character, so the anonymity of the women who agreed to confide in her creators, Anaële Hermans and Manal Halil, would be preserved. A writing workshop will also be held as part of the exhibition. 24 January to 21 February, Rue Josaphat 253 (Schaerbeek)

Dog lovers and photo enthusiasts alike will be enchanted by Wittockiana’s new exhibition Matou et les Chiens. This is the first stage of the Verso-Recto project, a collaboration between the museum and acclaimed Belgian photographer Vincen Beeckman. Using the archives of Marc (Matou), an emblematic figure of Wolu Sports Park, Beeckman depicts fragments of everyday life in Woluwe Park featuring the dogs Matou meets there on his walks. The show also features unpublished photographs by Beeckman, comic strip artist Dominique Jacqmain’s creations and ENSAV La Cambre students’ works. Until 2 March, Rue du Bemel 23 (Woluwe-Saint-Pierre)

The Lunar New Year is the most important holiday in Chinese culture, which is why Bozar is staging The Grand Chinese New Year Concert in the Year of the Snake. Performed by the China Conservatory of Music Traditional Orchestra, it features highly-acclaimed musicians who will introduce the audience to an extensive repertoire of traditional music stretching back 3,000 years. 29 January, 20.00 Rue Ravenstein 23

OUTSIDE BRUSSELS

After a global tour that started in Belgium and visited cities such as New York, Singapore, London and Milan, the Van Gogh: The Immersive Experience now opens its doors for the first time in Wallonia, in Liège’s Église Saint-Pholien. The sensory show invites visitors to explore the history of the famous Dutch painter and rediscover his most important works through digital art and virtual reality. From 30 January, Rue Saint-Pholien 9, Liège

After its runaway success last year, the city of Mons once again stages the only festival of lights in Wallonia. The free 3km trail Mons en lumières: Entre terre et ciel celebrates the relationship between nature and the universe for an exclusive eight-night run. It’s been created by guest Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata, who is a wizard at making impressive installations out of natural materials. The itinerary also features local artists and businesses. 30 January to 2 February & 7-9 February 18.30-midnight, Mons city centre

Revisit some of the sporting, cultural and political highlights of 2024 via Namur’s annual press photographers’ retrospective. Seven local photo journalists show some of their best shots from last year, including folklore festivities, sport highlights, mud baths and more. Presenting their work and telling their stories at the free exhibition are Jacques Duchateau, Bruno Fahy, Mathieu Golinvaux, Vincent Lorent, Florent Marot, Jean-Pol Sedran and John Thys. Photography students from Namur’s Institut Félicien Rops join them with a display of images of local events. Until 16 February, Galerie Beffroi, Rue du Beffroi 13, Namur

The Ostend Film Festival celebrates cinema from Belgian but also new international films, especially if Belgians are in front of or behind the camera. The festival opens with a premiere screening of Jan Roosens and Raf Roosens’ feature Comeback, which takes spectators on a deep dive into the world of techno beats. It closes with erotic thriller Motel Destino in the presence of Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz, among other titles. The festival screens more than 120 shorts and features, including the highly-anticipated musical biography of Bob Dylan, A Complete Unknown. 31 January to 8 February, Kinepolis and other venues in Ostend

Book now: Looking ahead to Saint Valentine’s, romance is in the air thanks to Antwerp’s Date night at the ZOO. Observe how animals have their own forms of relationships and courting customs during these intimate nights out among the sleeping animals. Special stories about courtship of the animals come to life for four evenings through word, music and dance. The atmospheric walk takes about one-and-a-half hours and includes a glass of bubbly or alcohol-free cocktail. It’s destined for singles as well as couples with speed dating sessions laid on. 13-16 February, Koningin Astridplein 20-26, Antwerp 

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

Photos: (main image) BRAFA 2024; Dinalva by Claudia Jaguaribe; Barbarella, Slab City (USA) ©Laura Henno, courtesy of the artist and the Galerie Nathalie Obadia Paris/Brussels; ©Por um Fio [Par un Fil] courtesy the artist; Aifoon Geluidsdrager ©Femke den Hollander; Neige Parc DeWoluwe1954-1955 Vincent Beekman; Van Gogh ©Experience Hub; Le reve des luciolesc LDA Production Romain Tardy; Photo affiche © Mathieu Golinvaux / L'Avenir