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Voices and Views

Christophe Slagmuylder's editorial

Culture permeates all aspects of society. Art can be transformative. I’m convinced that an art house can have a lasting impact on the world beyond its own walls. Bozar is revitalized by subtle tensions and the interactions between divergent viewpoints that can engage in constructive dialogue. This polyphonic approach is a source of enrichment. It is also the most effective antidote to polarization. 

The exhibition When We See Us features a wealth of paintings and explores how, for a century, successive generations of Pan-African artists have perceived themselves. Non-African narratives, which often focus on violence and trauma or betray an overtly exoticizing gaze, are not part of the work. Instead, the exhibition highlights a completely different energy: resilience and the inherent joy of being black. Our second show of the season, which is dedicated to Berlinde De Bruyckere’s subtle sculptural oeuvre, forms a contrast to the predominantly vibrant and exuberant paintings. For De Bruyckere, the exhibition is an opportunity to engage in a conversation with the work of artists from various disciplines who have inspired her. 

  The arts fill every corner of Bozar, bringing people together and creating unforgettable moments. As part of our Staging the Concert series, we invite choreographer Alexander Vantournhout and artist Sammy Baloji to reimagine the concert experience in dialogue with our iconic, almost 100-year-old building. On Sundays, during the Concert Croissant, you can literally sit on the stage of our impressive concert hall alongside an ensemble of young musicians. And on the last Thursday of each month, the Palace doors swing open for our monthly nocturne, where several performative interventions come together for lively exchanges. The Bozar Arcade is our go-to destination for video games, while the refurbished ground-floor concert hall reverberates with electronic music. Furthermore, the Horta Hall is the setting for a series of monthly performances. It is in this majestic central space that, from this summer onwards, a monumental art installation, conceived in response to the architecture, will open to the public. 

It is in our halls that you will run into Sammy Baloji, Herzog and de Meuron, Rokhaya Diallo, Kiyémis and Lilian Thuram, Lander Gyselinck, Caroline Lamarche, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Klaus Mäkelä, Mariza, Wynton Marsalis, aja monet, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Peter Sellars, Leïla Slimani, Davóne Tines, Olga Tokarczuk, Sammy Baloji, Lander Gyselinck, amongst others. 

We look forward to crossing paths with you at this lively intersection of encounter and creation!