What’s on this week: 4-10 October

Attention Instagramers: All sorts of cute and quirky backgrounds are waiting for your camera at Smile Safari. You wander through and pose yourself – or your family or your group of friends willing and unwilling – amid scenes that, thanks to optical illusion, look all 3D in your photo. Artists and designers have created pink palm trees, rainbows, thrones, angel wings and more. 2 October to 30 November, Tour & Taxis, Avenue du Port 86

There are 184 nationalities gathered together in Brussels, and 54 of them are African. The Bruxelles/Africapitales festival examines and celebrates this cosmopolitan hybrid with a mix of performances, music, exhibitions, street theatre, markets and DJ sets. 4-24 October, Halles de Schaerbeek, Rue de la Constitution 20

Obsessions – we all have them. But where is the line between keen intrigue and compulsive madness? The Mima Museum presents the work of more than 20 mainly Belgian artists who may or may not have crossed that line. Can we tell just by looking? Until 5 January, Mima, Quai du Hainaut 39 (Molenbeek)

We all know who Alan Turing is now, but British authorities kept his life and his code-breaking contributions, which helped defeat the Germans in the Second World War, a secret for as long as they could. Turing was gay, and not only was that illegal, it was seen as a mental illness. Theatre National presents Codebreakers by French stage director Vladimir Steyaert, which explores the lives – from a 16th-century Dominican friar to Turing to Chelsea Manning – of people who made society-altering contributions and paid for it with their freedom, or their lives. (In French with English surtitles) 8-16 October, Theatre National, Blvd Émile Jacqmain 111

English Comedy Brussels presents Irish comic Andrew Ryan, performing in Brussels for the first time. His cheeky, friendly demeanour has made him a favourite stand-up act across the UK, and he’s not above poking a wee bit of fun at his countrymen – to great effect. Antwerp comic Manu Moreau opens and threatens to steal the show with his droll stories of life as a mixed-raced Belgian. 7 October 20.00, Théâtre Marni, Rue de Vergnies 25 (Ixelles)

“I am convinced that we will succeed if we merely claim what seems impossible.” While this sentiment could apply to all kinds of disciplines, Walter Gropius was referring to modernist architecture. He founded the famous Bauhaus school exactly 100 years ago, an anniversary the Artonov Festival in Brussels is not passing up. Dedicated to Art Nouveau, this fifth edition of the festival keeps the Bauhaus aesthetic – the marrying of art and architecture – in mind. A varied programme includes music, theatre, dance and exhibitions. 7-13 October, across Brussels

Brussels artists France Dubois and Tamar Kasparian mix photography and illustration to create a universe in which women’s bodies merge with the organic world. Whether they’re meant to portray originating from or being swallowed up by the earth, the portraits that make up Anatomia are intimate and somewhat melancholy. The venue of the Boondael Chapel lends to the atmosphere of this unique exhibition. 3-20 October, Boondael Chapel, Square du Vieux Tilleul 10 (Ixelles)

The American Theatre Company turns 50 this year, so the expat troupe is celebrating with a revival of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The 1962 play by Edward Albee was the first production the ATC ever put on. The classic piece about an older couple playing head games with a younger couple – and with each other – is a sharp examination of reality, delusion and deception. 8-12 October 19.30, Petit Théâtre Mercelis, Rue Mercelis 13 (Ixelles)

For 13 years, the Accessible Art Fair has been bringing together potential buyers with not only artworks but the artists who created them. Canadian expat Stephanie Manasseh founded the event not long after she landed in Brussels, when she realised that many people were interested in art but put off by the idea of visiting a lot of galleries. The annual event – which recently expanded into New York – has become a favourite for those looking for original art at affordable prices. All participating artists are on site to discuss their works with the public and answer any questions. 10-13 October, Bozar, Rue Ravenstein 23

For several years, the world has had a preoccupation with the Nordic countries, from their politics to their nature to their culture and TV. Bozar’s first Nordic Festival brings together music, film and theatre to try to find that common thread that keeps us enthralled with our neighbours to the north. 10-20 October, Rue Ravenstein 23

OUTSIDE BRUSSELS

See 40 years of evolution in the work of Belgian painter Luis Salazar unfold before your eyes in a retrospective exhibition at the exquisite La Boverie. Bold, colourful geometrical patterns give way to lyrical abstractions that capture the imagination. Until 20 October, Parc de la Boverie, Liege

Belgium’s largest film festival does not take place in Brussels but in Ghent. More than 100 features, a wealth of special guests, panel talks, concerts of film music and the World Soundtrack Awards all make up Film Fest Gent. There is a special focus on Spanish and Catalan cinema, a groovy festival café and opening and closing night parties. 8-18 October, across Ghent