What’s on(line) this week: Weird art and Europe Day

The Xavier Hufkens gallery in Ixelles has though of a more creative way to share art with you than the ubiquitous virtual tour of its premises – it’s hosting movies about artists it represents. New this week is Chaorismatic, a look into the bizarre world of Montreal artist David Altmejd, wildly popular among collectors of the more morbid variety for his preoccupation with body horror inspired by mythology, cinema and science fiction. A new documentary goes up every couple of weeks and is available to view for a limited time. Films are generally in English or have English subtitles.

The coronavirus isn’t stopping Europe Day from happening. It’s online is all, bringing the best of the EU to your living room. Take a virtual trip around the world with concerts, chats with ambassadors, an EU quiz and world monuments lit up in EU colours. Some of the events are live, but much of it is up already. 9 May

The popular Pint of Science talks in English, where you drink beer while wrapping your head around scientific concepts and studies brought down to your … ahem … level, has gone online. Couch of Science sees a local scientist talking all about her or his speciality. The next one, on 7 May at 18.30, finds geologist Koen Van Noten linking human activity – and even the lockdown – with earthquakes and other seismic activity. You can interact with the Pint of Science team during the stream. And catch it while it happens because they aren’t available later. BYOB. 7 May 18.30

Cinematek’s Ciné-concert programme continues through May, with Belgian pianists Hughes Maréchal and Stéphane Orlando accompanying silent short films. The offer is diverse, sometimes requiring dramatic chords, other times quick strokes of the high notes for comic effect. The concerts – set to a film or group of films – live-streams every Thursday at 15.00 on Facebook and are available to view later as well.

Livestreaming has become the norm in the arts and entertainment sectors, but if you feel you’re not getting enough personal attention, you need Artists Calling. An initiative of Muziekpubliek, it arranges for an actual artist to call you up on the phone. You’ll get a musician, who will play you a song, or a poet, who will read you a poem. You can chat with them, too, for up to 30 minutes. How cool is that? Choose between French or Dutch and register now.

Photos, from top: Courtesy Xavier Hufkens, ©Kerry Brown, courtesy Cinematek