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What's on this week: 17-23 March

21:59 15/03/2017
Classical concert by musicians from Syria and the Saint Patrick’s Day parade. Here's our pick for the week

Ghent’s renowned theatre company Ontroerend Goed celebrates its 15th anniversary with The Infinite Trilogy, in English three days in a row. First, presented with the Sydney Theatre Company, is The History of Everything, based partially on Richard Dawkins' work and covering everything from now back to the big bang. Next there is, presented with Spectra, Are We not Drawn Onward to New Era which like its title is a palindrome and the spectator will see it forwards and backwards. And finally there is World Without Us, a cautionary tale. Reviewed as "groundbreaking, beautiful, unmissable" here is a unique chance to see this powerful trilogy.
21-23 March, KVS, Quai aux Pierres de Taille 7, Brussels

Saint Patrick’s Day is upon us, and that can only mean one thing: a grand parade. Brussels’ annual procession, organised by the Irish in Europe Association, has become a local tradition among expats and natives alike. This year’s parade is led by the Brussels Caledonian Corneymusers pipe band and boasts delegations from loads of cultural and sports organisations. An Irish breakfast precedes the event at the Old Oak pub. For those who want to celebrate on the day itself, the association also hosts a lunchtime concert by vocalist Keith Paton and pianist Dénes Dosztán on 17 March at wine bar Gourmand.
19 March, 13.00, Parc du Cinquantenaire, Brussels

Scores of art galleries will converge on Mechelen this weekend for the latest edition of the Eurantica Fine Art Fair, the eclectic, contemporary showcase of historical paintings, modern art, jewellery, antique furniture and vintage design. Read more about the festival and download our e-book here…
18-26 March, Nekkerhal, Mechelen

The Klara Festival is in full swing. This year’s edition of the classical and new music festival celebrates composition and performance as intercultural dialogue. The programme’s centrepiece is Salaam Syria, featuring the Belgian debut of the Syrian Expat Philharmonic Orchestra. The ensemble, made up of Syrian musicians displaced by civil war, joins the National Orchestra of Belgium to perform classic works by European giants Giacomo Puccini and Pablo Casals as well as contemporary works by Syrian composers Suad Bushnaq, Dia Succari and Kareem Roustom. The concert also serves as a commemoration of last year’s terrorist attacks in Brussels. Read more about the festival here…
21 March, 20.30, Bozar, Brussels

Are you a professional photographer, a dedicated amateur or just someone who loves Brussels? Participate in this fun event, shooting pictures throughout the city on various themes. At the end of the day, the jury will pick the best shots on the basis of creativity, not technical merit, and award prizes.
18 March 10.00-18.00, Muntpunt, Brussels; €8

The Brussels district of Molenbeek doesn’t get the most positive coverage in the international media. Get to know the real neighbourhood with a guide, who will explain its industrial past and show you how migration is building its future. Registration required via the website. (In English)
19 March 14.00-17.30, meet at Metro station Comte de Flandre; €10

If you’re crazy about cars, then you’ll want to be in Anderlecht for HOW Tuning Day, a celebration of tuner cars – regular cars modified for speed and looks. There’s a red carpet drive-by, prizes for Best in Show, live music, shopping, food and more.
19 March 9.00-17.00, Drève Olympique 15, Brussels; €5

The Art of Listening is a series of talks featuring musicologists, philosophers, artists, psychologists and neuroscientists, who take turns exploring what it means to listen and how we listen. (Two in English, one in French).
Until 18 May 12.30-13.30, Muntpunt, Brussels

Enjoy pop, jazz and gospel music by the vocal group Euphony, featuring pianist Anne Wolf, with proceeds going to Refugees Are Not Alone to help fund integration efforts.
18 March 20.00-22.00, Hotel Communale, Avenue Paul Hymans 2, Brussels

The Odyssey is known for its length. The title of Homer’s magnum opus has even entered the pop lexicon as shorthand for any extended journey. KVS director Michael De Cock has embraced this fact in his marathon 24-hour stage production of the ancient epic poem. Although the text is adapted to metered but colloquial Dutch, De Cock’s Odysseus, A Wanderer Comes Home makes no concessions to brevity. It stars a tag-team cast of 24 actors as protagonist Odysseus, whose journey home from the Trojan War is frustrated by obstacles of every stripe. (In Dutch, no surtitles)
24 March, 19.00, KVS, Brussels

Former Squeeze keyboardist and current BBC TV host Jools Holland ends his European tour with a bang in Brussels, alongside his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra.
18 March 20.00, Ancienne Belgique, Boulevard Anspach 110, Brussels

From its origin in 2002 when it was limited to vintage design of the 1950s to the 1980s, the Brussels Design Market is now the biggest vintage design market in Europe and covers the entire 20th century with Scandinavian, Belgian, French, Italian and American furniture, ceramic and glass objects, collector pieces and plastic, metal, wooden and bakelite accessories. The market takes place twice a year, in March and September. Taking place in two of Tour et Taxis' sheds, one shed is given over to formal exhibitor booths, the other shed is more of a jumble sale atmosphere. New this year will be an auction on Saturday and a variety of food trucks will provide nourishment. Though there is an entry fee, by registering on www.designmarket.be you can get a free ticket (one per email address).
18-19 March, Tour et Taxis, Brussels

Borrowing the idea from Brandon Stanton's very followed Humans of New York, Experience Brussels has created Humans of Brussels in the BIP until 17 September. As part of MIXITY Brussels 2017, the exhibition exposes photos of Brussels' inhabitants, workers and tourists along with anecdotes and testimonials from those photographed about their lives in this city of 183 nationalities. The exhibition is spread over three rooms each with its own theme, the main room being an open "archive" in which the spectator browses through a set of cards on which the participants appear with their personal stories.

The Beursschouwberg (Flemish) and Les Brigittines (Francophone) are creating an "artistic identity swap" in which they will be presenting shows in each other's locations. Jan Martens' The Common People, a series of duets and an installation cast with 48 citizens of Brussels (not professional performers), will play in both locations. But beyond the exchange of institutions, there is BXLSWAP, a game with prizes, in which the general public is invited to swap. To swap what? Well, that depends on each individual's commitment: You can swap a book, a newspaper subscription, or if you're more ambitious, swap jobs for a certain period, or your house, car or lover. The greatest swappers will win a weekend in either Paris or Amsterdam.

The Bauhaus #itsalldesign, organised by the celebrated Vitra Design Museum is the new temporary exhibition at the Art & Design Atomium Museum (ADAM). It gives a complete overview of design during the Bauhaus period. The exhibition encompasses a multiplicity of rare, in some cases never-before-seen exhibits from the fields of design, architecture, art, film and photography. Rather than just being seen as a historical movement, the show underlines the sometimes surprising current relevance of the legendary cultural institution. Bauhaus artists and designers featured in the exhibition include Marianne Brandt, Marcel Breuer, Lyonel Feininger, Walter Gropius, Wassily Kandinsky and many more. Contemporary participants include the works of Olaf Nicolai, Adrian Sauer, Enzo Mari, Lord Norman Foster, Opendesk, Konstantin Grcic, Hella Jongerius, Alberto Meda and Jerszy Seymour.
Until 11 June, ADAM, Brussels

Written by Georgio Valentino, Diana Goodwin, Richard Harris, Hannah Haynes, Paul McNally