Happy National Day, Belgium!

Seen at: rue du Musée, 1000 Brussels

Photography: "The Crooked Path" - Jeff Wall at Bozar

Jeff Wall @ Bozar

Looking for something to do during this rainy weather? Grab the opportunity and  discover Canadian contemporary photographer Jeff Wall. The Bozar Fine Arts Centre in Brussels shows an exceptional exhibition of the artist's work, who is especially known for his  large-format photographs displayed in light boxes. Doesn't ring a bell? Might be that you have seen some of Jeff Wall's pictures in your music collection - Sonic Youth as well as Iggy Pop used his photographs for album covers.

The show "The Crooked Path" displays 25 of Jeff Wall's works from the 1970s to today which the artist selected  himself. But it is not just an ordinary retrospective: some 130 works of Wall's favorite artists are integrated in the exhibition. The goal: to focus on Wall's rich creative process and make visible the relationships with and influences by other pieces of art - be it literature, cinema, paintings or photography, from Rainer Werner Fassbinder to Marcel Duchamps. And this is exactly what makes the exhibition so fascinating.  It  vividly reveals one of the most striking aspects of Wall's work: his references to the history of art and more particularly to classical painting.

So stop whining about the weather, grab an umbrella and prepare to be captivated by the haunting work of one of the great photographers of our time!

The Thinker by Jeff Wall (1986)

Bozar Centre for Fine Arts

Entrance rue Ravenstein 23, 1000 Brussels

27.5.2011-11.9. 2011

Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm

Thursday, 10 am to 9 pm

Tickets: 8 Euros

Happy Easter, Brussels!

Did you know there are four little falcons growing up in a Brussels church tower? Since 2004 the St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral is home to peregrine falcons. They are not exactly Easter biddies, but just as cute!

You can follow the development of those adorable little creatures yourself - the city has installed a live camera. Check out what the birds are up to here.

For more information visit the website of the Falcon Observation Post: Falcons for everyone.

Without Words

Seen at: Rue Joseph Stevens, Brussels

Welcoming Spring

Forêt de Soignes

You are tired of the city smog and want to enjoy the first signs of spring in greener surroundings? Forêt de Soignes, the green lung of Brussels, is the perfect place for that. Which other city has a forest so close to the city center?  So hop on your bike, take Tram 44 in the direction of Tervuren or the metro to Hermann-Debroux station. The beautiful woodlands and lakes are definitely worth it.

Without Words

Seen at: Rue du Prévôt, Ixelles

Welcome to FEAR AND LOATHING IN BRUSSELS!

As probably every person outside Belgium I thought Brussels was boring and not much more than EU Politics, rainy weather, those omnipresent chocolates, granny laces and Manneken Pis. Until I met some "real Belgians" (yes, they do exist!) and discovered that the real picture was far from what I had had in mind.

Fear and Loathing in Brussels wants you to discover the hidden, the new, the cool, the hype, the fun, the stylish, the crazy, the surprising, the real Brussels - those diamonds that make this city worth living in.

For all Bruxellois, new arrivals, passers-by and everyone who loves the Belgian capital. Be wild!