aja monet is our festival artist
The American poet aja monet blends jazz and poetry in a dreamlike, surreal, and activist context. Nominated for a Grammy Award, she has made a mark in the world of poetry with her poetry collections and her upcoming book, Florida Water. We’ll celebrate all this during a Sofa Session on Friday, a Meet the Writer event on Saturday, and her concert alongside ESINAM on Sunday. From start to finish, it’s aja monet. What more could you want?
- Bozar All Over the P(a)lace
The Palace of Fine Arts is still recovering from last year's edition, but once again we are getting ready for a nocturne dedicated to Afropolitan. This multidisciplinary event will open the festival with DJ sets, performances and film screenings. The collective Som-m-e Of Us is given carte blanche this year.
© Marin Driguez
© Marin Driguez
Yannick Sas
© Marin Driguez
© Marin Driguez
Yannick Sas
Tribute to Dieudonné Mwezé Ngangura
Dieudonné Mwezé Ngangura was a pivotal figure in the early days of filmmaking in Africa and is today one of the greatest talents in that emerging scene. Bozar is devoting a Close-up to him and is screening, among other films, La Vie Est Belle, his first feature film that became a great success in Sub-Saharan Africa. And also Pièces d'identité, set in Brussels, which won numerous awards.
Double bill for music lovers
On the second day of the festival, not one but two performances are scheduled in Terarken. Brussels-based singer STACE, an up-and-coming talent from the neo-soul scene, will present her latest EP. The composer with Martinian roots goes full for positivity through sunny, ultra-contemplative melodies. Kolinga is the music project of French-Congolese Rébecca M'Boungou. The lyrics, in French, Lingala or English, reflect her diverse heritage, as does her music, which brings together influences from soul, jazz, rumba and hip-hop.
Martha Da'ro at the When We See Us exhibition © Bozar
Martha Da'ro at the When We See Us exhibition © Bozar
Esiri Erheriene-Essi, The Birthday Party, 2021, Courtesy of Jorge M. Pérez Collection, Miami © Esiri Erheriene-Essi and Galerie Ron Mandos
Zandile Tshabalala, Two Reclining Women, 2020, Courtesy of the Maduna Collection © Zandile Tshabalala Studio
Tiffany Alfonseca, Espero que ya le dijiste a tu madre de nosotras, 2020, © Tiffany Alfonseca
Martha Da'ro at the When We See Us exhibition © Bozar
Martha Da'ro at the When We See Us exhibition © Bozar
Esiri Erheriene-Essi, The Birthday Party, 2021, Courtesy of Jorge M. Pérez Collection, Miami © Esiri Erheriene-Essi and Galerie Ron Mandos
Zandile Tshabalala, Two Reclining Women, 2020, Courtesy of the Maduna Collection © Zandile Tshabalala Studio
Tiffany Alfonseca, Espero que ya le dijiste a tu madre de nosotras, 2020, © Tiffany Alfonseca
Discover When We See Us
The exhibition When We See Us opened 7 February and celebrates a century of black figuration in painting. The central question: How have artists from Africa and its vast diaspora depicted daily life over the past century? 120 artists offer an answer. If you want to visit our latest expo with kids, you can grab the Kids' Guide or book a tour for kids.
