What’s on this week: 6-12 October

Europalia opens with flagship exhibition The Avant-Garde in Georgia (1900-1936) at Bozar. The biennial arts festival’s major focus on a largely overlooked chapter in modern art in Europe is a revelation. Capital Tbilisi witnessed a flourishing artistic scene during this turbulent period that was to end dramatically with purges by the Stalin’s regime. Artists combined Georgian traditions, such as polyphony, with Eastern and Western art practices, with the movement extending to theatre, poetry and film. The exhibition is accompanied by a programme of activities, including tours, performances and workshops. Until 14 January, Bozar, Rue Ravenstein 23

Bodies can be bruised, dislocated, loving, absent – see it all at Some Body Strange, an exhibition taking place during Brussels Drawing Week. You might also choose a guided tour at Art et Marges, followed by a workshop to learn to draw the colourful, mysterious worlds of Adalberto Colarelli. Master drawing leaves and trees at Van Buuren Museum and Gardens or attend Art on Paper, an international fair where more than 60 galleries offer up both old and new drawings for sale. Among the many exhibitions, workshops and tours, Brussels Drawing Week also includes talks and performances. Until 8 October, across Brussels

The Brussels Biennale of Eclectic Architecture showcases the capital’s lesser-known architectural heritage in the second edition of this open-door event. Over the upcoming two weekends, numerous multilingual tours and activities highlight the ‘golden age’ of the eclectic movement (1840-1914) that emerged after Belgium’s independence as a nation. It was characterised by a free and creative style that brought together art, history and innovation. Explore northern quarters (Schaerbeek, Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, Laeken and the area north of the Pentagon) during the first weekend. Reservation recommended. 7 to 15 October, across Brussels

Artonov is an interdisciplinary festival, but that doesn’t mean you have to run from one place to another to see dance, concerts, installations and architecture. Each performance mashes these together, as a circus takes to the Ravenstein Gallery, the Maison Hannon hosts Japanese sound artist Tomoko Sauvage and the Blan Foundation turns into a movie studio, enveloping visitors in dance and film. That’s just a few options of this wonderful event that introduces you to all sorts of interiors, showing them in a whole new light. 7-15 October, across Brussels

Want to see street art? Multimedia? Or pop in and out of artists’ studios? Choose from various art trails offered during Parcours d’Artistes Ixellois, a completely free mix of exhibitions, workshops, concerts, conferences and performances in the university district. Whatever you pick, don’t miss the massive group exhibition in the Volta, Brussels’ old power station. 12-15 October, across Ixelles

Join in the festive weekend celebrating the 30th anniversary of Beliris, the capital’s federal building authority. Everyone is invited to take part in a fun and varied programme in six zones around the city. Activities include a concert in a swimming pool, an aquatic Ninja Warrior obstacle course and an introduction to tightrope walking. The family-friendly event is designed to show off the institution’s projects that aim to showcase Brussels as an international capital.  7 & 8 October, multiple locations around the city

Music, debate and experimentation await at Nuits Sonores & European Lab Brussels. Bozar’s annual event brings together a strong electronic music festival (the Nuits part) with a series of debates (the Lab part), which is this year devoted to how cultural institutions and independent media can support each other. An urban music trail takes you in and out of various venues for local and international electronic music and performances. Check out the line-up programmed by Richie Hawtin and HAAi that takes over three of Bozar’s spaces, turning the magnificent Salle Henry Le Boeuf into a dance floor. 12-15 October, across Brussels

The 125th anniversary of the extraordinary scientific expedition aboard the Belgica – the first to winter in Antarctica – is a perfect opportunity for the King Baudouin Foundation to explore the climate crisis at BELvue Museum. Looking for… The End of the World is a celebration of the pioneering trip led by Belgian naval officer Adrien de Gerlache and his international crew with photos, objects, specimens and atmospheric sounds conveying the hardship of being entrapped for months on end in the ice. Today, the ice is melting as air and sea temperatures rise so the aim of the free exhibition is to encourage individuals to make sustainable choices. Until 4 February, BELvue Museum, Place des Palais 7

Sustainable village Be-Here gathers a variety of producers and creators at the Brussels Artisan Markets (BAM) on Saturday. Located near Tour & Taxis, it sells original and locally-sourced jewellery, illustrations, textiles, decoration and cosmetics. The village’s regular stores are also open for the occasion with plenty of tempting food and drink offerings. Little ones will be entertained by a bunch of fun activities. 7 October 12.00-18.00, Rue Dieudonné Lefèvre (Laeken)

The International Study Group invites Sara Van Zandycke to offer a playful presentation for technophobes. Understanding ever- evolving Technology and its place in our lives will help decipher smartphones, tablets and navigating digital administration. 9 October 10.30 (doors open 10.00), Château Malou, Allée Pierre Levie 2 (Woluwe-Saint-Lambert)

Book now Writers Festival of Belgium The second edition of this literary festival invites writers for a series of author talks and workshops plus screenings, book sales and a nature and poetry walk. Themed, Love, Music and Politics, it celebrates the written word at the heart of Europe. The event is also a festive affair with children’s entertainment and evening music. Check out the programme for the full line-up of events. 13-15 October, Press Club Brussels, Rue Froissart 95 (Etterbeek)

OUTSIDE BRUSSELS

It’s Film Fest Gent’s 50th anniversary, and that calls for something special. Home to the World Soundtrack Awards, the festival paired 25 composers with 25 filmmakers to create 25 short films that will be shown ahead of the features. There is also a classics programme that looks back on highlights screened over the last five decades, such as Robert Altman’s Short Cuts and Jane Campions’ Bright Star. Also among the 100+ features are concerts, talks in the festival café and a Twin Peaks themed closing party. 10-21 October, across Ghent

Even if you don’t need anything for your garden or don’t even have one, there’s much to recommend Beervelde Garden Days at the exquisite Beervelde Castle and Park in East Flanders. The grounds are worth visiting anytime, and the special event includes live music, local products, workshops and kids’ activities. This year the long weekend is all bathed in a Scottish theme, so expect plenty of bagpipes, traditional dancing and whisky tasting. 6-8 October, Beervelde-Dorp 75, Lochristi

For the first time, Mons Memorial Museum presents an exhibition by a contemporary local artist, Didier Mahieu. The title of the show, La Laine et l’eau, references the material of soldiers’ uniforms that would become dangerously waterlogged when they disembarked by the sea. For the museum dedicated to the daily lives of soldiers and civilians during two world wars, the artist’s work is also relevant as he explores the notion of memory in his sculpture, paintings and installation. A new sculpture by Mahieu has simultaneously been inaugurated at the roundabout of the nearby Saint-Symphorien military cemetery. Until 14 April, Boulevard Dolez 51, Mons

Discover more upcoming events at The Bulletin's events page.

Photos: (main image) Europalia: Niko Pirosmani, Banquet des quatre citadins, Musée National de Géorgie, Musée des Beaux-arts; ©Art on Paper; Hotel Campioni ©explore.brussels 5; Artonov ©DYOD; Nuits Sonores Brussels ©Brice ROBERT; Belgica @ BELvue; IGS pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3823542; Film Fest Gent ©Ghent Tourism; Mons Memorial Museum peinture à l'huile sur bois. Photos : Alain Breyer