What to do this summer?

HOLIDAY AGENDA WHAT TO DO THIS SUMMER? BRUSSELS AND ENVIRONS In partnership with the Wallonia-Brussels Tourism Promotion Office www.belgique-tourisme.be BRUSSELS EUROPEAN FILM FESTIVAL 01/07 to 10/07 Exclusively focused on European first and second works, across all genres, the European Film Festival is the undisputed springboard for young filmmakers from the 45 countries of the Council of Europe. After exploring in 2004 English decadence, irreverent Belgian humour, hilarious Danish cannibals, French transsexuals, intellectual Spanish directors, and almost silent Italian cinema, 2005 undoubtedly promises to be another striking edition. The Flagey studios host the event with their renowned meticulous care. Flagey, 1000 Brussels. Tel. 02/533 34 20 - www.fffb.be JOMMEKE'S WORLD TOUR - THE JUBILEE OF A YOUNG COMIC BOOK HERO 14/06 to 18/09 Flemish comic book authors are the champions of popular comics. 50 years ago, Jef Nys created a young hero with straw-like hair: Jommeke. Day after day, year after year, the readers of the newspaper Het Volk follow his adventures around the globe with delight and passion. Most often accompanied by loyal friends, this brave boy cannot resist the call of adventure. No matter whether the story takes place in Africa, Australia, Antarctica, or the Americas... Jommeke always comes through! The exhibition presented by the Belgian Comic Strip Center takes its visitors, both young and old, around the world with this young globetrotter, thus celebrating his fifty years of adventures. Belgian Comic Strip Center, 1000 Brussels - Tel.: 02/219 19 80 18 films in original version, bilingual subtitles - 7,000-watt projector, 312 m2 giant screen. Stereo FM sound on 88.8 MHz. Great! Via your car radio - 300 cars allowed, max. height: 1.85m. Fridays and Saturdays. No presales - Doors open at 8:00 PM. Esplanade du Cinquantenaire, 1000 Brussels. Tel.: 02/346 59 49 - www.dedi.be BRUXELLES LES BAINS 22/07 to 21/08 The tropics in Brussels: you couldn't make it up, yet it looks surprisingly like it. Third edition of this beach set along the canal right in the heart of the capital, expanding its attractions year after year. Fine sand, coconut trees, football pitch and pétanque strip, salsa bar, DJs and concerts, activities and water jets: the spicy ingredients of this sun-filled festival risk sooner or later spilling over into other seasons, or even other locations. Who knows, by 2020 might we be talking about a Brussels Malibu? Associated activities: Port du livre de Bruxelles - Quai Béco, every Sunday; Le Ric's Art Boat - Quai des Péniches; Brussels by Water: 7 cruises from 1 August to 31 August (www.scal-disnet.be). 31/08: Crazy Beach. Tel.: 02/279 50 27 www.bruxelleslesbains.be SALOME Starting 14/07 For the 19th consecutive year, DELF Diffusion presents a major outdoor show staged within Villers-la-Ville Abbey. This summer, Oscar Wilde's dramatic work: "Salome", directed by Richard Kalisz. A dense play on the themes of passion and desire, in which the characters of Herod, Herodias, and Salome engage in violent and dramatic power struggles surrounding a victim: the prophet Yokanaan (John the Baptist). This itinerant production moves across the site of Villers Abbey and gathers a large cast of 20 actors. The summer theatrical shows created by DELF Diffusion in 1987 enjoy growing success each year. An average of 25 to 30,000 spectators attend this major theatrical event. Booking essential. 1495 Villers-la-Ville - Tel.: 070/22 43 04 MINI-EUROPE BY NIGHT 15/07 to 14/08 Join in every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for the magical spectacle of a thousand and one lights. The play of light and shadow illuminates the gardens, caresses the façades, and enhances the rich details of the scale models. Come experience a deeply romantic atmosphere and discover the other side of Mini-Europe. Mini-Europe "By Night": a unique ambiance you will find nowhere else. New Salsa dance, 9:00 PM; live concert with the group Chamaquiando, 10:30 PM; Latin sound and light fireworks display, 10:50 PM; Latin musical atmosphere until 1:00 AM. Mini-Europe (Brupark), 1020 Laeken. Tel.: 02/478 05 50 - www.minieurope.com BASE DRIVE-IN MOVIES 22/07 to 26/08 BELGIUM IN 1830 Until 31/07 The Royal Library undoubtedly holds the richest collection of silver and bronze medals struck to perpetuate the memory of the main milestones in Belgian history. On the occasion of the 175th anniversary, it wishes to showcase these curiosities. In addition to medals and decorations, this exhibition also displays prints, portraits, and busts, some of which have never been shown before (Charles Rogier, Leopold I and his wife). Through objects evoking the spirit of the era, including a fragment of the liberty tree erected in front of the Royal Palace, these pieces recount the unfolding of the Belgian Revolution from 1829 to 1839. Royal Library of Belgium, Mont des Arts, 1000 Brussels. Tel.: 02/519 53 11 - www.kbr.be THE INDUSTRY OF REFINEMENT LACE IN THE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES All summer long The Royal Museums present the artistic and socio-economic aspects of lace in the 19th and 20th centuries. This exhibition draws particular attention to child labour, without which the masterpieces on display could not have been crafted, women's home-based work, the invention of machine-made lace, the transition from an "industry" to a "craft", and finally lace in the creations of major contemporary fashion designers. Royal Museum of Art and History, Parc du Cinquantenaire, 1000 Brussels. Tel.: 02/741 72 11 - www.kmkg-mrah.be IMARI - THE PORCELAIN OF THE SHOGUNS AND EUROPEAN SOVEREIGNS 1610-1760 All summer long For the first time in Europe, an exhibition illustrates the golden age of Japanese porcelain—the first one hundred and fifty years of its history, exclusively set in the Arita region (Kyushu Island). Sourced from Japanese and European collections, the hundred selected works, each more remarkable than the last, open up unexpected perspectives on a supposedly familiar subject. The exhibition offers a comprehensive panorama of Japanese production and reveals its diversity. Royal Museums of Art and History. 1000 Brussels Tel.: 02/741 72 15 ALIEN-HIBERNATOR All summer long Based on archival documents, texts, and numerous photographs, the exhibition takes visitors on a journey into an extraordinary universe. Sixteen alien specimens, preserved in hibernation, are exceptionally displayed to the public. Visitors experience a gripping adventure combining dread, the fantastic, and the unusual. The visit is complemented by a biographical approach to HR Giger, creator of "ALIEN" for the cinema, as well as a retrospective of his films and a display of figurines. Musée d'Art Fantastique, 1060 Saint-Gilles Tel.: 0475/41 29 18 - www.alien-expo.be PHANTOMS / AVANT-GARDE 1957-1980 24/06 to 21/08 This exhibition showcases the importance of the Phantoms group, a major hub for literary and pictorial avant-gardes on both national and international levels, bringing together figures such as Samuel Beckett, Jorge Luis Borges, Alain Jouffroy, Jean Dubuffet, Marcel Broodthaers, Serge Vandercam, and Lucio Fontana. Hôtel de Ville, 1000 Brussels Tel.: 02/279 64 35-45 ART NOUVEAU AND DESIGN (1830-1958) 25/05 to 01/12 As part of the 175th anniversary of Belgium's independence, the Royal Museums of Art and History in Brussels are staging a major exhibition presenting an overview of the evolution of decorative arts from the 19th to the 20th century, in tribute to the creativity of Belgian artists in interior design. Around 250 works of exceptional quality are displayed, mainly sourced from Belgian collections. A large portion of the tour is dedicated to Art Nouveau, which flourished prodigiously amid an era of great prosperity and under the influence of celebrated designers such as Horta, Van de Velde, Serrurier-Bovy, and Wolfers. Royal Museums of Art and History, Parc du Cinquantenaire, 1000 Brussels. Guided tours available upon booking at 02/741 72 15 (French) www.kmkg-mrah.be BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH - 175 YEARS OF EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCES IN BELGIUM 16/05 to 14/08 A chronological tour guides you through the history of the three institutes of the Space Pole and the Planetarium, from the dawn of Earth and Universe sciences to the dedicated areas of the institutes. From earthquakes and the sun to the stars, such is the journey offered by the observatory area; the meteorology area lets you understand how weather forecasting works, and finally, the aeronomy area immerses you in the atmosphere of Earth, planets, and comets. You can then attend a planetarium session and discover its new show: Venus and the image hunters... 1020 Laeken (BXL), Planetarium. Tel.: 02/474 70 60 - www.planetarium.be LOGOGRAMS - WORKS BY CHRISTIAN DOTREMONT All summer long Founder of Cobra, an artistic movement advocating interdisciplinarity and spontaneity, Christian Dotremont was a writer, poet, and ultimately the artist who invented logograms— strange paintings in the form of words. This magnificent exhibition pays tribute to him by presenting the extensive collection of Pierre Alechinsky, Dotremont's friend and a renowned artist in his own right. Musée d'Ixelles, 1050 Ixelles. Tel.: 02/515 64 22 - www.musee-ixelles.be FROM ENSOR TO BOSCH All summer long The three main art and history museums of Flanders—the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, the Groeninge Museum in Bruges, and the Museum of Fine Arts Ghent—jointly manage an impressive heritage. They are invited to present a rich selection at the Palais des Beaux- Arts in Brussels through an exhibition. The masterpieces from these three great collections illustrate the origins and development of public art collections in Flanders. In this way, the three museums also offer a representative overview of visual arts in Flanders from the 14th to the 20th century. Palais des Beaux-Arts, 1000 Brussels. Tel: 02/507 84 44 - www.bozar.be HORSE PARADE 2005 All summer long Remember, they dotted the city's beautiful avenues and squares in 2003. Who? The cows of Art on Cows. The ones that transformed the city, for the span of a summer, into a giant artistic pasture. For the 175th anniversary, it is now the horses' turn to make a majestic entry into the capital. Draft horses, rearing steeds, or miniature horses, Brussels once again has the pleasure of welcoming a most colourful display, with no limits on creativity. After cows in tutus, Magritte-style, or covered in turf, one can always expect the wildest creations. Artists, to your paintbrushes! Tel: 02/373 92 04 - www.horseparade.be LE PORT DU LIVRE: SECOND-HAND BOOK MARKET All summer long Every Sunday, a major gathering of second-hand booksellers in a welcoming, beautifully appointed setting: Quai Béco, along the Willebroek Canal. From 30 to over 200 exhibitors: professional booksellers, specialist bookshops, book restorers, fine binders, papermakers, book-related antique dealers, etc. Light refreshments, storytellers, reading activities for children, theatre, actors, poets. The project aims to develop the curiosity that leads readers to hold the physical book in their hands, a curiosity sparked by the performance of actors, poets, or street artists. Ample public transport, parking (Avenue du Port). Several activities revolve around this event: Rimbaud Strolls aboard the Fonderie boat with readings aloud of Rimbaud's texts and letters, meetings with an author aboard the Fonderie's boat "La Gueuse", outdoor theatre, screening of the film "Broken April", and discussions between directors, producers, screenwriters, and the public. Quai Béco, 1000 Brussels Tel: 02/218 13 08 - www.leportdulivre.be ROLLER PARADE 2005 All summer long Once again this year, the Belgium Roller Parade invites you to strap on your skates for an evening and take part in its now-traditional tours through the heart of Belgium's most beautiful cities. In the event of rain or risk of rain, the tour is automatically cancelled. A 2- hour night-time rollerblade tour to rediscover Brussels (except in case of rain!). Leave your cars behind and lace up your skates. From the Palais de Justice to the Boitsfort hippodrome, the broad boulevards of Brussels are strictly reserved for you. 10 km accessible to all and 10 km for thrill-seekers, accompanied by several thousand fellow skaters on wheels: an outing radiating good cheer and friendliness. It finishes with a citywide party right in the centre of town, sometimes late into the night. 1000 Brussels and several Walloon cities www.belgiumrollers.com NAMUR FLAVOURS OF THE WALLOON REGION - CRAFT MARKET 02/07 Ideally located in a tourist spot