Cultural ideas for Belgium in December

In case you want a cultural escape from the Christmas shopping, I thought I’d share a few ideas of exhibitions, music theatre and dance happening in Belgium at the moment and about which I’ve recently written articles.

Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker has put together this year’s December Dance festival in Bruges. There’s at least one contemporary dance performance showing each day, and the programme includes choreography by William Forsythe, Trisha Brown and Jérôme Bel. (December Dance - Bruges - Until Dec. 13).

Interview with De Keersmaeker on the Bruges festival: http://www.flanderstoday.eu/content/twelve-days-dance

The photography exhibition Controverses is, as its name suggests, all about controversial images. The headline-grabbing one is that of a naked, 10 year-old Brooke Shields – yes, the one that was removed from the Tate Modern in London after a visit by the Metropolitan police’s obscenity squad. Most of the photos on display caused an outcry of one sort or another, a few changed history. (Controverses – Botanique, Brussels – Extended until Jan. 3).

More about Brooke Shields, the Kissing Nun and other photos: http://www.flanderstoday.eu/content/scandals-and-other-policymakers

The latest creation by the Antwerp-based company Muziektheater Transparant is A New Requiem. Taking Mozart’s Requiem as its inspiration, the work includes a contemporary literary, musical and artistic response to the old music. The work is a classic example of the company’s music theatre, which as its name suggests combines words and music. Tip: make sure your Dutch is up to scratch or else you might find it difficult to follow the spoken text, though you can still enjoy the song and music. (A New Requiem – Across Belgium and the Netherlands - Until April 5, 2010).

Interview with Muziektheater Transparant director Guy Coolen: http://www.flanderstoday.eu/content/song-mad-director

I have to admit that I hadn’t heard of the Hungarian artist Lajos Vajda before I researched this article, but it turns out I’m not the only one as the Antwerp exhibition is the first-ever retrospective of his work in western Europe. Most of his works – paintings, drawings, collages, photomontages - are from the 1930s and influences of Paul Klee, Marc Chagall and Max Ernst can all be found. (In the Footsteps of Bartok: Lajos Vajda and Hungarian Surrealism - KMSKA, Antwerp - until January 17.)

A taster of what the exhibition has to offer: http://www.flanderstoday.eu/content/ordering-chaos

(Copyright for pictures, from top to bottom: ©Herman Sorgeloos; ©Oliviero-Toscani; Drawn by Roger Raveel; ©Panther and Lily, 1930-33, PMMI Ferenczy Museum, Szentendre)