25 Jul '19

What’s on: Remnants of war and a wild family weekend

Summary

A remarkable private collection of traces of the Second World War is on show at the coast, there’s experimental film from around the world, and a crazy kids festival takes over the Meise botanical gardens

Children play on inflatables in a paddling pool
 

From liberation to collection

As the country marks the 75th anniversary of Belgium’s liberation from German forces, the Atlantic Wall Museum in Ostend exhibits a remarkable collection of traces left behind by the war. These 3,000 objects were collected by André Hast, a man from Bruges, who gathered anything he could find relating to the war. When he died in 2009, the Raversyde provincial domain took on the collection and preserved it just as it had been in Hast’s private museum.

The objects themselves can be found in the Atlantikwall visitor centre; the man behind the collection gets pride of place in a photo exhibition at the Raversyde Scenic Park, alongside the stories of other devoted collectors who gathered a diverse and moving range of deserted traces of the war. Until 11 November, Raversyde, Nieuwpoortsesteenweg 636, Ostend

Visite

In the mood for some experimental cinema? Check out Visite, a collage of political, experimental and documentary film curated twice a year by the collective De Imagerie. A series of invited filmmakers share their documentary or politically inspired work alongside a showing of a film that means something to them, introducing artists from near and far to a new audience. The programme opens with a screening and talk by South African Bianca Baldi; throughout the festival, local groups will be dishing up homemade vegetarian meals. 1-9 August, Het Bos, Antwerp

Wonder Weekend

Get your tickets now for Wonder Weekend: three days of fun and games at the Meise botanical gardens. Look out for lost kangaroos, dive into the swimming pool, race on crazy bikes, help create a giant flower carpet, or wander the 1km barefoot path. There’s live music and animations, songs to sing along with, books that come to life, acrobatic displays and a magic show.  Camping tickets are sold out but there’s still time to snap up day passes. 15-17 August, Nieuwelaan 38, Meise

Photo courtesy Wonder Weekend

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