The face of a woman found beneath layers of paint in “La cinquième saison” (1943) could be that of the Surrealist artist’s wife, Georgette Magritte.
Belgium
Belgian Collector Sues Son Over Fatal Shooting of His Wife
Arts Patron Myriam Ullens was shot outside her home in Belgium by her stepson, Nicolas Ullens, who cited an ongoing dispute over the family’s inheritance structure.
Hobbyist With Metal Detector Discovers Enigmatic Roman Artifact
The 1,600-year-old fragment was part of a dodecahedron, a mysterious object that experts believe may have been linked to the occult.
Psychiatrists in Brussels Can Now “Prescribe” Museum Visits to Patients
The six-month pilot program will evaluate the impact of art and cultural institutions on mental health and well-being.
Not Your Grandmother’s Doilies: New Exhibition Explores the History of Lace
Across five locations in Antwerp, the ModeMuseum shows how the delicate, weblike fabric became a staple of art, craft, fashion, and commerce.
When Stranger Fictions Reveal More Prescient Truths
In eschewing claims to an unmediated reality, Synonyms reveals truths about French society often masked by reality itself, while Young Ahmed obscures crucial systemic injustices in Belgium under the guise of realism.
A Visit to Belgium’s Wondrous Art Nouveau Museum
Victor Horta, like many architects at the turn of the century, wanted to eliminate the distinction between major and minor arts by creating immersive environments.
Patrons Wore Blackface and Colonial-Era Costumes to Party at AfricaMuseum
Images emerging on social media showed partygoers dressed in pith helmets and blackface at the museum. The colonial-era museum apologized for the event, admitting a “lapse in judgment.”
As Belgium Reopens Africa Museum, DR Congo Demands Restitution of Artifacts
Belgium’s occupation of what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo is one of the most brutal chapters of colonial history. Now, the African country is asking for its artifacts and artworks back from Europe.
The Belgian Town Where the Mentally Ill Are Part of the Community
The treatment of mental illness has often involved removing patients from society and placing them in their own institutions.
Explore a Surreal Performance Parody of Google Street View
Over the course of six weeks and with a cast of hundreds, a Belgian theater company seized control of over six miles of streets in the city of Mons to stage surreal spectacles including flying kayakers, crowds of angels, and a taxidermy deer transforming into a donkey.
World Press Photo Strips First Prize Winner for “Misleading Information”
Last Wednesday, World Press Photo (WPP) officially stripped photojournalist Giovanni Troilo of the First Prize in Contemporary Issues awarded to him in February for the 10-photo series The Dark Heart of Europe.