Brussels is leaning Renaissance and mystical. The hunger for something older, slower, and ceremonial is reshaping the city’s cultural agenda.
For example with the Polyphonic Masters at KBR Museum reopening, the capital taps into 15th-century aesthetics and rituals — and it's not alone.
Fashion houses are quietly swapping minimalism for brocades. Galleries are doubling down on “sacred ambiance.” Think candles, chants, and a lot of “meaningful pauses.”
Why? In a hyper-digital, noisy world, Brussels is positioning itself as Europe’s escape hatch into transcendence.
Watch This Space: Expect to see more crossovers between churches-as-concert-halls, gothic interiors in design exhibitions, and yes, more Renaissance soundtracks at unlikely venues.
Less modernism, more reflection. Less noise, more structure. And in this cultural weather, the 15th century suddenly sounds less like history — and more like a vintage trend waiting to be welcomed back.
Renaissance Rising — Why the old is suddenly new
It started slowly with the aesthetic: brocade and mitres popped up on the runways, quickly delving into myriads of theological thoughts.
A few weeks ago only, it went global with the mystifing funeral of Pope Francis making headlines not just for its political drama, attendees, or to simply and rightfully celebrate the man himself, but for its optics — black smoke, Latin chants, cloistered rituals. Suddenly, the 15th century did not seem that distant.
This precise global interest in the pope’s death and the conclave reveals something primal — and enduring — about the human psyche.
Beneath the theological and geopolitical readings lies a deeper constellation of needs: the craving for meaning, the longing to belong, and a fascination with a form of power that is hidden, ritualized, and ancient.
Even in an age of increasing secularism, faith — or its symbolic architectures — still organizes emotion. And the art world has not been blind to the trend.
From Rome to Brussels
Cultural critics are calling it a “sacred moment in secular times.” Across Brussels, galleries, fashion houses, and film retrospectives have begun to re-engage with the textures, rituals, and tonalities of pre-modern Europe.
One concrete example to illustrate my thought? A few steps into the center of town, and as close as six centuries ago, behind the doors of the KBR Museum on Mont des Arts, we can find the mystical Polyphonic Masters.
The term refers to a cluster of Franco-Flemish composers from the 15th and 16th centuries — think Josquin des Prez, Johannes Ockeghem, and Orlande de Lassus, many of whom trained or worked in what is now Belgium.
These weren’t local baroque tinkerers; they were the rockstars of the Renaissance, shaping sacred and secular music from Bruges to the Spanish court. Think of them as the Renaissance’s Hans Zimmer, but writing for cathedrals instead of blockbusters.
Look — we get it. Renaissance choral music isn’t exactly topping playlists or first-choice Sunday stroll plans. But it is far from dusty. It's immersive. It swells. It breathes.
The structure forces you to listen, to wait. It’s the opposite of streaming culture: no skipping, no shuffle, just surrender; living in the present, oddly calming and unsurprisingly grounding. It is slow on purpose. And in 2025, that’s a radical artistic stance – if not a precious gift.
In an age of hyper-individualism and constant noise, this exhibition gently but insistently proposes an alternative: the quiet ecstasy of harmony. A world where multiplicity doesn’t mean chaos, but design. Where being one voice among many isn’t erasure — it’s liberation.
One thus must wonder… Has the art world began to slow down, is it downshifting — trading velocity for reverence, and spectacle for the sacred?
SCENE & BE SEEN: Who’s Moving Belgium's Art World Right Now?
The faces, places, and events where the art world is quietly (or not-so-quietly) gathering:
Villa Empain's "Mystic Minimalism" soirée: A private view mixing minimalist installations with mystical performance art. Translation: Jean from that one concept store will definitely be there.
Return to Center at Rossicontemporary: In her exhibition Oraura (Lore Vanelslande) presents drawings inspired by Sacred Geometry, exploring universal forms and patterns that transcend the physical world. Her work seeks to illustrate the connection between the abstract and the spiritual.
Ceci n’est pas un Vernissage: Rumor has it Hôtel de Mérode is hosting a low-key invite-only gathering for creatives who love to pretend they hate gatherings. No selfies, but yes, they’ll all be scanning who else made the cut.
Ritual & Repetition – BOZAR (Upcoming, Fall 2025)
An exploration of sacred and secular rituals in contemporary art, featuring works from Anish Kapoor to Berlinde De Bruyckere. Installations, performances, and likely some incantations.
The Gaze of the Past – Xavier Hufkens Gallery (May–July 2025)
A group show investigating how contemporary artists reinterpret historical European portraiture and iconography.
Bart Van Dijck at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp: A multidisciplinary artist and researcher, Van Dijck investigates how rituals can be created within a visual art practice.
His projects, such as Înterzone, aim to function as transition rituals, creating liminal spaces where shared experiences are fostered through participatory art. He draws inspiration from animism, shamanism, folklore, and contemporary subcultures
Urban Ritual: This participatory project, directed by choreographer Einat Tuchman, invites residents of Schaerbeek to engage in workshops culminating in a contemporary ceremony.
The performances incorporate traditional music styles from North and West Africa, emphasizing connection beyond words, customs, and culture.
Offbeat: Keep an eye on the underground. Les Ateliers Mommen is rumored to be planning an irreverent take on relics of saints. Expect irony and incense.
