Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union

On 20 and 21 September 2010 Departement CJSM (the Department of Culture, Youth, Sport and Media) will hold a European public libraries conference in the Flemish Parliament in Brussels. The congress is being organised as part of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. It will build on the results of its predecessor, ECEI09.

A pioneer in the Youth Information sector, Infor Jeunes Bruxelles Nord Ouest has spent four decades bringing pluralist information to various young audiences. Infor Jeunes Laeken is on the periphery of what has been agreed shall be called the "poor crescent" of Brussels. Among the large majority of young people, and particularly those from working class backgrounds, Europe tends to be reduced to a single currency and a commonplace repeated a thousand times "Brussels, capital of Europe". And that's about all.

The Section for "Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society" (TEN) of the European Economic Social Committee (EESC) is organising a large-scale public event on the theme of urban mobility. This event is intended to be interactive, fun and educational in order to achieve the maximum possible participation by the general public. It will be spread over four days and will take place on Place Flagey, a popular public area, which is also symbolic of the changes going on in terms of organisation of space in Brussels.

In 2010, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) is inviting visual artist Jan Vanriet (1948, Antwerp) to design a grand itinerary through the galleries of the Old and Modern Masters in the museum.

Lively and complex, the work of Philippe Herbet is the fruit of a quest begun long ago by this artist from Liège. He unveils his colour photographs here, which were taken in Belarus. With its poetic and elegant form, his work immerses us in his journeys filled with beautiful objects, unusual monuments, and strange and disturbing women. Inspired by both literature and photography, he pairs his photographs with texts from his postcards.

Installation consisting of 200 monuments in the gardens of the Château des Langues in Hamois.

This summer, Africa explodes in colours and life to celebrate 50 years of independence in Congo and 16 other African countries. A festival with the finest in theatre arts and dedicated creators. The fascinating GEO-graphics exhibition constitutes the first part of a new vision of our relationship with Africa. All the festival artists are then encouraged to come join the discussion and the engagement for this visionary Africa during their 48 hours in Brussels.

In connection with Belgium’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Belgian State Archives will be organising an exhibition about the establishment of the European Institutions in Brussels. The Belgian State Archives (including the Archive of the Royal Palace) itself has various rich archive stocks that illustrate this subject and is also undertaking complementary research in other archive bodies and documentation centres.

When the design world moves into to the power station, something must be afoot! 20 designers agreed to play the game, to reveal the mysterious and hazardous journey from creative idea to finished object, a design object intended for mass production to improve our lives; this conversation oscillates between art and technology, it is a constant - and sometimes strained - dialogue between the designer and the constraints of industrial manufacture. 

The permanent exhibition "The ikob Collection – in progress" adapts its content in tandem with temporary exhibitions. To create additional dialogue between the different exhibitions, the curator Francis Feidler chooses a selection of works from the museum’s collection.

Photography exhibition with Alice Smeets (B), Willy Filz (B), Christian Roosen (B), Geneviève Biwer (L) & Thomas Brenner (D).

Take part in a fun adventure quest through Brussels' European district, complete with a prize-winning contest, a version for kids (also with prize-winning contest) and a photo competition.

Throughout the Belgian Presidency of the EU, the Brussels-Capital Region will be offering tours of discovery in the canal area (guided, with a reservation, or unaccompanied) of projects cofinanced by the European Union.

Artists' portraits is a collection started by the SmartBe Foundation. The Foundation decided to put together a collection of contemporary works of art in connection with the artist's portrait, a theme close to the mission and objectives of SMartBe.

The “SOS Planet” exhibition is set to be the biggest exhibition ever created on the topic of climate change.

The new opera from Belgian composer Philippe Boesmans, based on the eponymous work by Witold Gombrowicz, has its Belgian premiere one year after it was written for the Opéra National de Paris.

Astonishing and original group, which brings together mentally disabled musicians and independent musicians… On the initiative of the La Hesse CEC, an association working for the promotion of the artistic skills of mentally disabled people with the Inuti (Stockholm) and Remi (France) associations. Brass, voices, percussion, guitars, machines… "The Choolers" is a remarkable musical mixture, the secret of which is the artistic and human collaboration between mentally disabled people and amateur and professional musicians from various European countries.

Brussels enjoys a unique position as the capital of Europe. However, we have noticed that only a small number of young people in Brussels are aware of what this European presence means for Brussels and what repercussions it will have. That is why, on the occasion of the Belgian presidency, the Brussels-Europe Liaison Office has proposed an exceptional project to the schools: a rally in the European quarter for all students in the final two years of secondary school, with the aim of informing them about 'Europe in Brussels' in a fun atmosphere.

Take space – Give space – Make space in the Brussels canal zone, Festival Kanal first edition will: examine the challenges, opportunities and problems of the Brussels canal zone via art and cultural projects, act as a lever to steer various social, economic and urban development processes in a specific direction, be a celebration for many people, a positive signal, a contribution towards creating a better image at many levels and create six sustainable art projects in public spaces by 2016.

As the first meal of the day, breakfast has taken very different forms since ancient times. Whether it’s bread and wine, a bowl of rice, a full English or a Continental breakfast, our morning habits reflect our cultural identity; while we forge them as children, it’s still a genuine melting pot of influences, some of them remote. 
With the help of genuine artefacts, displayed in a surprising and impressive way, the visitor will travel around both Europe and the world. Interaction and amusement are scheduled from the time you jump out of bed!

Every five years, Bruges is the setting for a major cultural city festival. This time creative people from the area and artists from Central Europe are taking over the city. For about four months 'Brugge Centraal' will draw people to an intense and varied selection of concerts, films, stage shows and exhibitions. The programme balances East and West, past and present, confrontation and harmony. The modern art trail 'Luc Tuymans: A Vision of Central Europe' and the historic exhibition 'Van Eyck to Dürer' are the stars of this major event.

The René Magritte Museum, situated in the painter’s house in Jette, is putting on an exhibition devoted to Belgian abstract art to coincide with the centenary of non-representational art in Europe (1910-2010). Around 40 masterpieces give a fine overview of representatives of this movement in Belgium, from the 1920s to the present day. Activities organised on the fringes of the exhibition will emphasise the exciting cross-fertilisation between these artists and other European countries.

The 20th century saw the production of the first postcard, providing us with a set of photographs of Brussels.

An exhibition composed of photographs and films produced by students in Brussels, France, Austria, Poland and Spain who, thanks to the European CULTURE Programme, went off and discovered the ancient palace of Brussels, as well as châteaux in Versailles, Chambord, Schönbrunn, Wilanow and Madrid. A useful discovery-tour tool will be provided for visitors to hone their appreciation of the materials and building techniques of the archaeological site and the Royal Palace.