Brussels Bound

1. BOZAR

Fig 2. William Kentridge in BOZAR | photo: Yannick Sas

1. BOZAR

BOZAR, Victor Horta’s Palace of Fine Arts, is one of Brussels’ leading cultural institutions, bringing exhibitions, music, film and performance together under one roof. The building itself, with its staircases, galleries and unexpected sightlines, is worth a visit in its own right. This autumn, there is an added reason to go: William Kentridge fills the galleries with I am not me, the horse is not mine, a survey spanning more than four decades of drawing, film, sculpture, installation, theatre and opera. His work moves effortlessly between disciplines, and between personal memory and political history. On view through 7 March 2027.

2. BOUCHE

Fig 3. Matcha coffee at Bouche

You never have to go far for serious coffee in Brussels, but Bouche remains a favourite. High ceilings, rounded walls and a calm interior make it an easy place to linger. There are now several locations, including the original café on Rue de Namur and a second address in the European Quarter.

3. PROSE STUDIO

Naamsestraat 6

Fig 4. Vintage and concept store Prose Studio | photo: Sarah Knigge

Naamsestraat 6

Prose Studio brings together vintage and new pieces in a way that feels more like a wardrobe than a shop. Think carefully selected designer pieces, lesser-known European labels and young independent designers, alongside perfume and accessories. The edit is small enough to remain personal and is constantly changing.

4. FILIGRANES

Waterloolaan 25

Fig 5. The window display at Filigranes | photo: Sarah Knigge

Waterloolaan 25

A Brussels classic for book lovers. In 2025, Filigranes moved from Avenue des Arts to a new home in Mayfair on Boulevard de Waterloo, where more than 150,000 books are spread across four floors. Literature, art, photography, architecture, children’s books, comics and international titles sit side by side, with plenty of room to wander. And just as before, it remains difficult to pass the window without stepping inside.

5. Bar Magritte

Fig 6. Bar Magritte, Hotel Amigo

5. Bar Magritte

Vruntstraat 1

You might find yourself tasting smoky notes while drinking from a pipe (‘ceci n’est pas…?’), or encountering pear in three different textures. In the spirit of René Magritte, Bar Magritte delights in wrong-footing you. The bar at Hotel Amigo is entirely dedicated to the Surrealist, with a cocktail menu by master mixologist Salvatore Calabrese, inspired by both Magritte’s iconic work and the classics of his era.

2. Saint-Martin Bookshop

Vlaamsesteenweg 114

Fig 7. Saint-Martin Bookshop, book by Sol LeWitt, made for the exhibition Wall Drawings, 1984

Vlaamsesteenweg 114

For lovers of paper and hoarders of art books, Saint-Martin is a wonderful place to lose time. The bookshop occupies Maison Martin Margiela’s former Brussels premises and still carries something of its radical spirit. The rooms are filled with an exceptional selection of books on art, photography, fashion, architecture and design, alongside rare catalogues, back issues of iconic magazines, special editions and small-run artists’ books. The real treasures are upstairs.

3. Maniera

Fig 8. Anouck Morlon, Ravioli One-Seater / Blanket, 2025/2026

3. Maniera

Hôtel Danckaert, Rue Meyerbeer 33

We first came across Galerie Maniera through its collaboration with Bijoy Jain of Studio Mumbai, and have been following it ever since. The gallery invites artists and architects to design furniture and objects, often working precisely at the intersection of art, architecture and use. After collaborations with, among others, the revolutionary architect Junya Ishigami – perhaps best known to you for Art Biotop, his improbable water garden featured on the cover of See All This #22 — the gallery now presents RAVIOLI by Anouck Morlon, who creates soft, almost sculptural objects from pleated and padded textiles.

4. Xavier Hufkens

44 rue Van Eyck, 6 rue St-Georges en 107 rue St-Georges

Fig 9. A detail of Tatiana Trouvé’s L’Inventario at Xavier Hufkens gallery in Brussels | photo: Sarah Knigge

44 rue Van Eyck, 6 rue St-Georges en 107 rue St-Georges

With three locations in Brussels, Xavier Hufkens is one of Europe’s most prominent galleries. At its St-Georges space, The Auxiliaries by Tatiana Trouvé is now on view, her first solo exhibition in Brussels. Sculptures, drawings and installations move between memory, material, movement and transformation; objects seem to be constantly shifting in meaning and form. On view through 31 October 2026.

From 19 November, the gallery will present a major exhibition by Lesley Vance, featuring new paintings and works on paper in which fluid forms, luminous colour and improvisation are held in constant balance. It is her largest exhibition with the gallery to date, and her most substantial presentation in Europe.

5. Art Nouveau

Fig 10. Hortamusem, All Over: A Dazzling Display of Patterns, 1910-1945, Brussels

5. Art Nouveau

various locations across Brussels

With nearly a thousand Art Nouveau houses, Brussels is a place of pilgrimage for admirers of the exuberant architecture of around 1900. Among the unmissable addresses are Hôtel Solvay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; Maison Hannon; the Cauchie House, home and studio of artists Paul Cauchie and Caroline Voet; Hôtel Max Hallet; and, of course, the house and studio of architect Victor Horta.

6. Wiels

Van Volxemlaan 354

Fig 11. Portia Zvavahera, Ndirikukutsvagaindirimugomo, 2024

Van Volxemlaan 354

Housed in a former brewery in Forest, WIELS is one of Brussels’ leading centres for contemporary art, with exhibitions by international artists, new commissions and an artist residency programme.

From 31 October, the work of Zimbabwean artist Portia Zvavahera will be on view. Her large-scale paintings are inhabited by figures, dreamscapes and ghostly beings from a world suspended between memory, faith and imagination. Zvavahera weaves personal experience together with Christian traditions and the spirituality of Zimbabwe’s Shona culture. The exhibition brings early paintings into dialogue with dreamscapes and recent ceramics. On view through 28 February 2027.

7. Brussels Fairs

Fig 12. Spazio Viruly during COLLECTIBLE Brussel | photo: Pim Top

7. Brussels Fairs

Place de la Belgique 1

Three Brussels fairs to put in your diary for 2027: BRAFA, from 24 to 31 January; COLLECTIBLE, from 11 to 14 March; and Art Brussels, from 15 to 18 April. BRAFA is the place for an eclectic mix of art and exceptional objects, from Old Masters and antiques to modern and contemporary work. COLLECTIBLE is devoted entirely to contemporary collectible design, with a strong focus on new and limited-edition pieces. Art Brussels brings together international galleries, established names, emerging talent and new discoveries.

8. La Verrière

Waterloolaan 50, 1000 Brussel

Waterloolaan 50, 1000 Brussel

La Verrière is the Brussels exhibition space of the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès, where curator Joël Riff invites artists to create new work specifically for the space. This autumn, it presents Elle/Terre/Chaude by the French artist duo Île/Mer/Froid, their first solo exhibition in Belgium. Sculpture, ceramics, wood and textiles fill the space in a layered installation in which material, craft and landscape come together. For more than a decade, the duo have quite literally worked four-handedly: one begins, the other continues. On view through 14 November 2026.

For coffee, La Fabrique is just a little further down the road.

9. KANAL – Centre Pompidou

Atelier Kanal, A Friday night in May, Kanal, Square Sainctelette | © Sergison Bates archite

9. KANAL – Centre Pompidou

Sainctelettesquare 21

On 28 November 2026, KANAL will finally open its doors in the former Citroën garage by the canal. The new museum for modern and contemporary art and architecture launches with ten exhibitions, ranging from collection displays to site-specific installations.

One of the highlights is A truly immense journey, bringing together a century of art from the Centre Pompidou collection – from Lygia Clark, Sonia Delaunay and Giacometti to contemporary artists including Sammy Baloji, Edith Dekyndt and Hana Miletić. Also on view are NO SHOW, featuring twenty Brussels-based artists, and An infinite woman, which explores colonial representation and the ways artists of African descent engage with its legacy.