RADAR

A visual dictionary of Keith Haring

THE HARING CODE

Keith Haring developed a unique visual language in his art. Some of his symbols like the barking dog and the radiant baby became legendary, but what do they actually mean? Find out below how to decode five of his symbols, and look for the others in the exhibition itself, until 19 April!

ORIENTAL ATMOSPHERE WITH ROMINA LISCHKA

Romina Lischka is undoubtedly one of the most beloved viola da gamba players of the moment. Thanks to her intelligent and delicate playing, this Viennese musician had the opportunity to share the stage with the Collegium Vocale Gent and the Ricercar Consort at an early age. Meanwhile, she has also made a name for herself as a soloist, Dhrupad interpreter and artistic director of her Hathor Consort. In 2019-2020, BOZAR devotes a portrait to this passionate musical jack of all trades. BOZAR talked to her about Dhrupad Fantasia.

FREEDOM THROUGH ART

Between 28 February and 1 March, Afropolitan Festival 2020 invites artists to pay homage to their heroes and heroines. With only an instrument, a voice, or a pen, these heroes armed themselves against power, oppression or other ills of their time. Who were these artistic activists from the previous century? 

Two brothers, two destinies

One is a trumpeter, the other a saxophonist. One cannot imagine jazz without swing, the other willingly ventures to the boundaries of style. Brothers Wynton and Branford Marsalis each follow their own path. In February and March, we will host them successively for two series of exceptional concerts.

A Legend Turns 50!

Zaïko Langa Langa are more than a band, they’re a Congolese cultural legend. Charismatic frontman Jossart Nyoka Longo brings the whole gang to the Centre for Fine Arts on Feburary 29 for an epic birthday celebration. Here are some of the things that make them exceptional:

PORTRAIT DUSAPIN 3 INSTRUMENTAL GEMS

Following his glorious opera Macbeth Underworld at La Monnaie, composer Pascal Dusapin remains a focal point of the season. In February, visitors will be delighted by three of his most stunning instrumental pieces… including a Belgian premiere.

Edition 2 descends on the Horta Hall

NEW AFRICAN WAVE POP-UP

February has come round again, so BOZAR is preparing for three days of art, creativity and the Afropolitan spirit. The theme of this year's Afropolitan Festival is Heroes and Heroines. A three-day event filled with art, dance, music and cinema, and you can go home with your own little souvenir of African identity. The NAW Pop-Up promises a range of design and fashion collectives from the African continent or diaspora, bringing anything from socks with African prints to exciting herbs and spices. Here is a glimpse of what's on offer.

Keith Haring and the NY club scene

The Art of the Party

When Keith Haring arrived in New York at the end of the 1970s it was a very different place from what it is today. The decade had been extremely volatile economically and the city was pretty much bankrupt. The millionaires still swanned around Central Park uptown but downtown neighbourhoods like the East Village were derelict , dangerous and undesirable. Cheap rents made it a magnet for the young, the liberal and the artistic, and Keith Haring and his friends ticked al of those boxes:

(re)discover Bach from all angles

Bach For More

Don’t expect protestant piety or a churchlike atmosphere when the iconoclasts of La Fura dels Baus take on a Bach cantata. For their production Free Bach 212, one of the highlights of our Bach Heritage festival, the world famous theatre collective add flamenco, electronics, and giant cows.

Beethoven Around The World

To celebrate the Beethoven Year, the prestigious Quatuor Ébène quartet have undertaken the enormous challenge of touring the world with Beethoven's sixteen quartets. They will be performing in Brussels on 25 January.    

Keith Haring The Activist

Keith Haring was an artist who took to the streets. He handed out pamphlets, put up posters, drew in subways and painted on walls in an optimistic battle against those in power. He invested the same unbridled energy in his political and social activism as he did in his art. Quite the ride from paperboy in conservative Kutztown to celebrated artist-activist in NYC.

This was 2019

In the past year we shared some amazing moments with you in our concert halls, exhibition spaces, movie theater, or out and about in the streets. Time to look back at 2019, when BOZAR was a place where…

How to make the most of it in 2020

THE BOZAR GIFT CARD

Concert, film, exhibition, theatre – everything is possible with the BOZAR GIFT CARD. This selection of events is merely the festive tip of the immense gift iceberg.

Avi Avital is ready to shake things up

Avi Avital is undisputably one of the greatest mandolin players of our time. This season the charismatic Israeli Grammy winner will visit BOZAR three times, which gives him the opportunity to present a panoramic overview of his art. We met up with him at the Centre for Fine Arts to give us a preview.

GET TO KNOW KEITH HARING IN 5 FACTS

The visual legacy of American artist Keith Haring mirrors the zeitgeist of a decade and that of a continent. His cartoon-like characters, vivid colours and barking dogs became world famous, but there is more than meets the eye. He satirised national and international politics, he enlivened the eighties party scene and he carried the national – and a personal – fight against AIDS, which he ultimately lost in 1990. BOZAR looks back on the eventful life and work of the American legend in a major retrospective. Here's a sneak peek in five facts.  

George Enescu: ode to melody

George Enescu (1881-1955) was without a doubt the greatest Romanian composer of the 20th century. Don't freak out if his name doesn't immediately ring a bell though, unfortunately he is still unknown to a large audience. BOZAR tries to fix that by highlighting his work during EUROPALIA ROMANIA.