4 themes

Contemporary China

The focal point of this section is The State of Things: Brussels/Beijing, at the Centre for Fine Arts. The world-known artists AI Weiwei and Luc Tuymans designed this exhibition in collaboration with FAN Di’An, director of the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC) and Philippe Pirotte, director of the Kunsthalle Bern.

An art walk will be set up again in the centre of Brussels and the exhibition Chinese Gardens will be the very first exhibition of the new Square.

Contemporary art is also presented in other Belgian museums. Collaborations have been set up between the Shanghai Art Museum and the FotoMuseum in Antwerp, between the Zendai Museum in Shanghai and the S.M.A.K. in Ghent and between e-arts Shanghaï and Courtrai’s BUDA and Stedelijk Broelmuseum.

Finally, a series of exhibitions about contemporary female artists, architecture and photography will complete this section devoted to contemporary art exhbitions.

Contemporary China is also well-represented in the music and performing arts programme. LIN Zhaohua, pioneer of avant-garde Chinese theatre will be given centre stage at the National Theatre in Brussels, which will also stage the contemporary opera production Chinese Heroines, a Trilogy.

Traditional and experimental theatre will be reconciled through the superb performances of Living Memories – One Man Opera’s. In a different genre, but equally riveting, is the multimedia performance Hua-Yen Sutra. Mind as a Skilful painter of the company ZUNI Icosahedron from Hong Kong, that places the Buddhist ritual in a contemporary theatrical context.

This section will be completed by new pieces by the Guangdong Modern Dance Company, the Beijing Modern Dance Company and Living Dance Studio.

Contemporary pop, rock and electronic music from the Chinese urban centers are the focus of the Chinese Music Festival in the Vooruit in Gent. Other partners will also welcome these enfants terribles in their programme. Contemporary classical music also has an important place. Top musicians like LIU Suola, GONG Linna and the Nieuw Ensemble will surprise the public with a daring mix of contemporary compositions and experimental performances.