Culture beat – February 12

Few holidays can boast a kitsch factor as high as Valentine’s Day, which makes Neo Retro Agency the ideal party planner. The anything-but-subtle events team has risen to the occasion, putting on a host of very Valentine events across Belgium throughout the week. On the big day itself the Agency is in Brussels with Burlesque Follies, a vintage dance party for couples and singles. DJs spin torch songs, exotica, cocktail jazz and early rock and roll. There are also live burlesque performances by Ghent’s Retronettes and London’s Banbury Cross. Party-goers have their chance to shine too. The most extravagantly dressed win the Glamorous Lovers Contest.

Philippe Berthet may have been born a Frenchman but the illustrator has earned the privilege to be mistaken for a Belgian. After all, Berthet trained in Brussels and trades in Belgium’s favourite medium: the comic strip. Berthet’s latest graphic novel Perico is out now and, by way of celebration, Galerie Champaka is exhibiting the artist’s work. You’ll see Berthet’s signature pin-up girls as well as scenes from Perico, set in 1950s Havana, Miami and Los Angeles.

Art meets after-work drinks at the Bar du Matin’s new weekly event Photomatic. Every Wednesday Brussels DJ and man-about-town C. Croco curates a veritable mini-festival of photography, film projection and the odd installation. He himself supplies the soundtrack.

Another weekly event has been around a whole lot longer. The Concerts de Midi series has afforded Brussels a much-needed break from the daily grind since its inception in 1948. The classical concerts are performed at lunchtime by musicians from Belgium and abroad. The series is still going strong after over two thousand concerts by hundreds of artists. Next week’s programme features the viola-piano duo of Leo De Neve and Jozef De Beenhouwer, who perform works by César Franck, Robert Schumann and Rebecca Clarke.

Museum Night Fever is back and bigger than ever. Twenty-four museums are participating in the eight edition of this popular after-hours culture crawl. The concept: Brussels’ hallowed cultural institutions team up with young artists to offer performances, exhibitions, workshops and installations that are anything but business as usual. The obvious contemporary hotspots are on board, of course, as are several unlikely venues such as the Museum of Natural Sciences, Autoworld and the European Parliament’s official information centre the Parlamentarium.

Although the VisitBrussels Awards ceremony is well over a month away, now is the time to cast your online vote. The event celebrate the most innovative and successful tourism initiatives of 2013. This year’s categories include Most Noted Exhibition and Best Gastronomic Concept. Candidates are judged according to originality, accessibility and sustainability. When the public poll closes on February 23, your vote will narrow each field down to three nominees. The final round of voting is entrusted to a jury of industry professionals who will crown the winners at the official award ceremony on March 27.