Bozar, the contemporary art space in Brussels, presents two parallel exhibitions exploring fundamental aspects of the human experience: When We See Us: A Century of Black Figuration in Painting (until August 10, 2025) is the most comprehensive exhibition to date on Black self-representation in painting. Originally organized by Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town and reimagined for Bozar, it features over 150 works by 120 artists from Africa and its diaspora. Inspired by Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us, the exhibition shifts the narrative from trauma to joy as a form of resistance and self-expression. It is structured around six themes—including everyday life, spirituality, and triumph—and incorporates a soundscape by Neo Muyanga, architectural design by Wolff Architects, and a historical timeline contextualizing Black artistic and intellectual movements.

“The exhibition refuses to put pain and injustice at the forefront and instead reminds us that the Black experience can also be seen through the lens of joy.” Koyo Kouoh and Tandazani Dhlakama, curators of When We See Us.

Berlinde De Bruyckere: Khorós (until August 31, 2025) marks the Belgian artist’s first major solo exhibition in Brussels. Known for her evocative sculptural language, De Bruyckere explores themes of corporeality, decay, and transformation. As part of Bozar’s Conversation Pieces series, her works engage in dialogue with historical and contemporary figures such as Lucas Cranach the Elder, Pier Paolo Pasolini, and Patti Smith. Inspired by the Greek chorus, the exhibition reflects on collective human experiences, intertwining mythology, religious iconography, and Renaissance influences with contemporary visual culture.

“A traditional retrospective was never the plan for Bozar. Instead I chose to focus on dialogues with those who have shaped my work, my vocabulary: distinct and unique voices from different eras that somehow all ask the same universal questions.” Berlinde De Bruyckere said.

De Bruyckere’s practice is marked by an ongoing engagement with classical mythology, religious iconography and Renaissance painting recontextualised within contemporary visual culture. Her works resonate with the precarious state of bodies—human, animal, vegetal—both intimate and collective, exposing their vulnerabilities while evoking a form of resilience embedded in decay.