Translated by Deepl
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130 years after the inauguration of the Hotel Tassel, the founding work of the Art Nouveau movement in Belgium, the city of Brussels is launching Art Nouveau Brussels 2023, an exceptional programme of visits, conferences and events to celebrate this international artistic movement all year round!
Home to the architect Victor Horta, one of the most famous representatives of the Art Nouveau movement in terms of architecture, the city of Brussels is home to an important heritage of this artistic movement from the turn of the 20th centuryème . Nearly a thousand buildings in Brussels are listed as belonging to the movement, and there are magnificent facades throughout the city.
While fries, beer and chocolate have become symbols of Belgium in the minds of people around the world, Brussels’ status as the cradle and unofficial capital of Art Nouveau remains less well known to the public. This is what the Belgian capital intends to change in the new year 2023. From now until the end of December, Art Nouveau Brussels 2023 is putting the spotlight on Art Nouveau through an exceptional programme.
At a time of good resolutions, the Brussels region seems to have set itself the objective of celebrating its Art Nouveau heritage and at the same time turning it into a strong tourist incentive. After three difficult years, the Brussels tourism sector is just about back to pre-Covid levels of visits and occupancy. The year 2023 is not chosen at random, however, as it marks 130 years since the inauguration of the Tassel Hotel. This mansion, built in 1893 by Victor Horta and located in the Châtelain district, is widely regarded as the first true Art Nouveau building in the world.
What is the programme?
Throughout the year, the Brussels region will be alive with conferences, visits, exhibitions and festivals all dedicated to Art Nouveau. The complete list of events is already available online. Among the highlights, the Halles Saint-Géry will host an exhibition dedicated to Art Nouveau posters from the end of January, the weekend of 25 and 26 March will be the weekend of a Fair of Art Nouveau and Art Deco objects, the ULB Faculty of Architecture will organise an Art Nouveau Summer School at the end of June, and the Belgian Comic Strip Centre will present an Art Nouveau and Comic Strip exhibition in late October.
Regular events on the Brussels cultural agenda, such as the Brussels Art Fair (BRAFA) and the Brussels Bright Festival in February, will also feature Art Nouveau. Finally, buildings that are sometimes unprecedented will open their doors for free, guided and/or interactive visits. This is the case, for example, with the magnificent Hôtel Van Eetvelde, a UNESCO heritage site that is normally closed to the public. Other tours through the city will also be organised, both on foot and by bike.
Self-guided tours with the Art Nouveau Pass
In addition to its official programme, Art Nouveau Brussels 2023 offers a very interesting Art Nouveau Pass to discover some of the most emblematic Art Nouveau buildings in the city of Brussels. A €19 pass, valid for six months, allows you to visit three of the six sites, including the Musical Instruments Museum, the Horta Museum, the Belgian Comic Strip Centre, the Cauchie House, the Autrique House and the Wolfers Frères jewellery shop.
A second package, for an additional €10, allows you to visit two of the six places mentioned and to access the Hotel Solvay, an architectural jewel built by Horta on Avenue Louise and recently reopened to the public. Both packages also entitle the holder to discounts on guided tours and in the Maison Autrique shop. As you can see, it will be difficult to escape Art Nouveau in Brussels in 2023, and that is certainly for the best!
