… and More
Matrimony Days
On 26, 27 and 28 September, the 7th edition of the Matrimonium Days will take place throughout Brussels and at the Bruegel Cultural Centre, the event’s home base.
'Matrimony' refers to a tangible or intangible asset of historic or artistic significance passed down by women.
Every year, the Matrimony Days offer about thirty free activities, including lectures, workshops, guided tours and activities for all ages.
The 7th edition of the Matrimonium Days (organised since 2019) shines a spotlight on women who have never stepped out of the shadows: lacemakers, workers, archivists, curators, artists erased from history books… In short, all those women who have shaped our heritage without ever being recognised for it. Highlights of this edition include a special programme dedicated to the Art Deco Year, the exceptional public opening of two private houses, inclusive events with bilingual activities and LSFB interpreters, as well as family-friendly activities.
Registration opens on 1 September via www.matrimonydays.be
Friday 26 September from 6 p.m.: opening drink at the Bruegel Cultural Centre
Organisation: L'architecture qui dégenre
Folklorissimo
Brussels Folklore Festival
→ 20 – 21 September from 12 pm to 8 pm – Grand-Place 1000 Brussels
The Folklore Festival (under the name Folklorissimo) offers a wide range of activities to immerse yourself in Brussels’ and international heritage, in the area around the Grand-Place and at the Manneken-Pis statue. On the programme: dance performances, entertainment, a participatory choir, a parade of giants, brass bands, a barrel organ, a folkloric race, crossbow shooting (on Saturday), …
On site: drinks and culinary specialties to enjoy.
Commissioned by urban.brussels, the non-profit Palais de Charles Quint will put the spotlight on intangible cultural heritage, folklore and Brussels traditions, which can be discovered around the Grand-Place, in several municipalities of the Region during the Heritage Days, and all year round.
More Info: https://www.brussels.be/folklorissimo
Conference Stoclet - 1911 – Restitution
Special screening of the digital reconstruction of the Stoclet Palace
As part of the Heritage Days, urban.brussels and the municipality of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre are joining forces to screen the digital reconstruction of the Stoclet Palace in the auditorium of the municipality’s cultural centre, on Sunday, September 21st from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
This reconstruction is the result of a collaboration between urban.brussels and the ULB – Faculty of Architecture La Cambre Horta. It allows viewers to explore the interior of the Stoclet Palace, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009 and remains little known to the general public.
Prior to this special screening, four guests will present their work related to the palace, each offering a unique perspective:
- Isabelle Leroy: art historian and UNESCO correspondent – responsible for the application for the UNESCO World Heritage listing;
- Guy Conde-Reis: architect and architectural historian – curator of the exhibition “Stoclet 1911 Restitution”;
- David Lo Buglio: researcher at the La Cambre Faculty of Architecture – director of the digital reconstruction project;
- Stephan Goldrajch: contemporary artist.
Sunday, September 21st at 8:00 PM at the auditorium of W:Halll (Cultural Centre of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre), 93 Avenue Charles Thielemans.
Free admission, registration required via the online form: www.woluwe1150.be/stoclet
Art Deco and art nouveau: convergence and divergence
→ 20 September 2025 to March 2026, LAB•AN - Hotel van Eetvelde
The main artistic movements of the early 20th century, Art Nouveau and Art Deco, although stylistically opposed, both reflected their era and had a major influence on modern art. What do they have in common and how can they be differentiated? This exhibition, unveiled by LAB-AN, goes back to basics and presents these two art movements through the prism of both immovable and movable heritage.
Established for Art Nouveau Year 2023, LAB·AN showcases Art Nouveau, providing a modern take on this Belgian, Brussels, and international heritage and its diverse themes. It is located in the van Eetvelde building, one of Victor Horta’s most beautiful creations, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Art Deco 1925 >< Fashion 2025
→ 27 May 2025 to 16 November 2025, Halles Saint-Géry
Art Deco 1925 >< Mode 2025 offers a reinterpretation of Art Deco through the prism of 10 Brussels designers.
Echoing the images and magazines of the period, which showcased the creativity of dressmakers between the wars, each designer will present their contemporary interpretation of the movement’s codes through a fashion silhouette.
With the participation of: Théo Auquière, Natacha Cadonici, Madeleine De Mey, Dawit Felichie Ketema, You Huize, Conni Kaminski, Jessie Lecomte, Jean-Paul Lespagnard, Romain Lopez Alvarez, and Julie Menuge.
Production: Halles Saint-Géry
Coordination: Mode-in.Brussels.
Scenography: ArchiStory, Cristina Marchi, Dominique Hambÿe.
Graphic design: Dominique Hambÿe.
Video: Mendori Films, Maxime Baldewyns.
Art deco Into the Wild
→ 12 July 2025 to 12 November 2025, Halles Saint-Géry
This summer only, remarkable examples of Brussels’ Art Deco travel beyond the city. They set up on the pack ice, climb trees in the jungle, or wander off into the prairies. Faced with these wild or lush surroundings, the nature of their architecture undergoes a change.
By using this visual distortion, Gaspard Giersé is suggesting looking at them from a different angle. Taken out of their urban setting and cut off from their time period, the buildings reveal something else – their visual power, their individuality - and their vulnerability.
Into the Wild is a visual journey with no guide book, in which the strict rules of Art Deco collide with imaginary and surreal settings. Images with a whiff of escape, which show that the buildings have another story to tell, far from their urban setting.
Visual artist and art historian, Gaspard Giersé explores what cities reveal about us. He gained recognition through Les Visites de mon Voisin, a page where he unveils Brussels and its architecture with a free tone and striking visuals. His work subverts, layers, and delights in challenging the way we look at the past.
Urban Zoom Schools
→ 27 June 2025 to 28 September 2025, Halles Saint-Géry
Among Urban’s many awareness-raising initiatives, the Urban Zoom Schools photo competition (formerly known as the “Expérience photographique internationale des Monuments” – EPIM, in English International photographic monument experiment) has become increasingly popular with Brussels schools over the years.
This project, which is open to all secondary schools in Brussels, invites pupils to take a fresh look at their city. Aim? Exploring urban heritage, architecture, public spaces, etc., and capturing them in images. Through their photos, young people share how they see Brussels: ancient monuments, modern buildings, sculptures, parks, squares, secret alleyways, street furniture or a wink to local folklore.
Seventeen schools took part in the 2024-2025 edition and sent in nearly 900 photographs. The jury had a hard time choosing from such a wide range of perspectives, but the result is well worth the effort.
Urban invites you to come and see the 20 selected entries as the cream of the crop during the exhibition under the awnings of the Halles Saint-Géry, from 27 June to 28 September 2025.