Agenda: 16-23 October
What's on in Flanders this week: music, theatre and jenever.
CONCERT: Bent Van Looy
Now, the local-boy-done-good is back in Flanders to present the new set to the audience that first propelled Das Pop to local stardom. Falkner is still on board, too. Not only does he play in Van Looy’s backing band but – a solo artist in his own right – he’s also the night’s opening act. The Ancienne Belgique venue and Brussels mobility minister Bruno De Lille have partnered to encourage concertgoers to leave their gas-guzzlers at home: Cyclists receive half-price tickets and a snazzy, free fluorescent safety vest at the door.
17 October, 20.00 │ Ancienne Belgique, Brussels
www.abconcerts.be
THEATRE: 12 Angry Men
Brussels’ American Theatre Company (shouldn’t that be “Theater”, then?) stages the classic drama about the tense hours between crime and punishment. A jury of 12 deliberate over the future of a young man accused of murder, and their arguments reveal the deep philosophical tensions that run just under the surface of contemporary American society. Originally written for television by screenwriter Reginald Rose, 12 Angry Menbecame an institution after it was adapted for the silver screen in 1957. The ATC has become something of an institution in Brussels too. Since 1969, the award-winning, non-profit community theatre company has been putting on twice-yearly productions in the capital, all the while relying solely on volunteers.
22-26 October, 20.00 │ Bozar, Brussels
www.bozar.be
VISUAL ARTS: M.K. Čiurlionis: Dreaming of Lithuania
In celebration of the Lithuanian Presidency of the European Council, Ghent’s Museum of Fine Arts showcases the work of one of that country’s pioneering modern artists. Fin-de-siècle painter and composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis combined his twin trades in a unique way. The concept of synaesthesia was nothing particularly new at the time, of course. Baudelaire had already tasted sounds and heard colours decades earlier, inspiring Čiurlionis’ contemporaries in Western Europe to do the same. But these were mostly amateurs; Čiurlionis was the real thing, not just a visionary but a formally trained technician who was able to tinker with the nuts and bolts of his chosen media, to fuse sound and vision. Appropriately, portions of the exhibition are accompanied by Čiurlionis’ musical compositions.
Until 15 December │ Museum of Fine Arts, Ghent
www.mskgent.be
EVENT: Jenever Festival
Belgium is rightly famous for its national beverage but the international success of Belgian beer has long obscured the country’s other alcoholic speciality. Jenever has a long history, a broad public and an even stronger kick than a hearty Tripel brew. But Hasselt hasn’t forgotten its favourite spirit. The capital of Limburg province is home to the National Jenever Museum and puts on this city-wide festival every year. Hasselt comes alive with music, street theatre, markets, exhibitions, food (where else can you learn to make jenever pâté?) and, of course, drink. Lots of drink. There’s even a fountain that spews locally distilled jenever. Best of all, the festival is free. Even the Jenever Museum is waiving its entry fees for the weekend. Cheers.
19 & 20 October │ Across Hasselt
www.jeneverfeesten.be
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