Brussels has plenty of Art Nouveau buildings, furniture and artworks. The Brussels government will dedicate 2023 to Art Nouveau, when this art movement celebrates its 130th anniversary. For 12 months, urban.brussels, visit.brussels and their partners among which Cinquantenaire2030 will organise numerous national and international events. The commissioner of Art Nouveau Year, Paul Dujardin, has been in charge of involving all stakeholders over the past months, which resulted in a rich and varied program.
“Brussels is the Art Nouveau capital. We are going to highlight that both in the coming months and in the long term. Next year, many events will be organised and many buildings will open to the public. As many people as possible should have the opportunity to visit these monuments. The people from Brussels have every right to be proud of their heritage,” explains Brussels State Secretary for Urbanism and Heritage Pascal Smet.
“The program also looks beyond 2023. Indeed, the project will develop long-term common and transversal opportunities for all sectors and stakeholders. The intention is to go beyond the classic Art Nouveau approach. Therefore, the program will highlight specific themes, call for debate and explore recent themes, such as contemporary social issues (sustainability, inclusion, innovation, etc.),” explains Paul Dujardin, the commissioner of Art Nouveau Year.
A rich, accessible and inclusive program has been developed. It will highlight important heritage elements through a renewed and amplified museum offer, numerous large-scale exhibitions, festive events, guided tours, conferences, publications and international partnerships.
The Brussels cultural partners will take a lot of structural initiatives in 2023, focusing on Brussels’ dynamism and creativity as Art Nouveau capital. For example, buildings will be opened to the public and there will be site visits, temporary exhibitions, conferences, publications, revaluations of art professions and city tours. Initiatives for greater inclusiveness and accessibility will receive special attention. The aim is to reach a local, national and international target audience as wide and diverse as possible.
At the Art & History Museum, an exhibition will be dedicated to the iconic Stoclet Palace of Viennese architect Josef Hoffmann. A 3D digital representation of some of its rooms will not only enliven them, but also boost research into this UNESCO World Heritage Site.
With artnouveau2023.brussels, a dedicated website was developed that, among other things, attractively bundles the full program and cultural offer of 2023.
