As 2025 marks the centenary of the creation of Art Deco, Brussels is officially putting the Capital Region's rich history of the artistic movement in the spotlight.
Exhibitions, conferences, guided tours and openings of normally closed buildings, Heritage Days, Banad, Art Deco Pass, and much more will allow everyone to immerse themselves in the splendour and decadence of the so-called 'Roaring Twenties', the inter-war decade famous for its music and fashion.
"During this thematic year, we will be introducing Brussels residents and visitors to the origins of this artistic movement, how it characterised our society in the 1920s and 1930s, and how Art Deco continues to define the landscape of our city today," said Brussels State Secretary for Urban Planning and Heritage Ans Persoons.
Roaring Twenties
As Brussels streets are brimming with Art Deco treasures waiting to be discovered, numerous guided tour associations will offer a rich and varied programme throughout 2025.
The programme will also offer a unique opportunity to discover several iconic but less well-known buildings that will be open to the public year-round, such as the Flagey Building, Bozar and UGC de Brouckère with its Eldorado cinema hall, for example.
Most of these buildings, and many more, will also open their doors for the Brussels Art Nouveau Art Deco Festival (BANAD Festival) from March 15 to 30. The 2025 programme will be 90% dedicated to Art Deco buildings, featuring numerous never-before-seen locations!
Finally, the Heritage Days will align with the theme "Art Deco - Roaring Twenties, Crashing Thirties" offering a free programme of tours and discoveries showcasing this style throughout the Brussels-Capital Region.
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L'Archiduc. Credit: visit.brussels - Marin Driguez - 2022
Credit: www.admirable-facade.brussels
Some of these venues will be accessible via the 'Art Nouveau Pass' – which is evolving to become the 'Art Nouveau–Art Deco Pass' and, in addition to the nine Art Nouveau venues on this combined ticket, will now include several Art Deco venues in the capital.
"Throughout 2025, Urban’s ambition is to revisit Art Deco through the lens of urban planning, architecture, sociology and humanity," said Sarah Lagrillière, Urban’s Deputy Director General. "We want to highlight the civic issues that Art Deco addressed in the 1920s and 1930s, which echo the challenges that we face today."
Many cultural and museum partners are staging 14 expositions this year on varying subjects, sometimes accompanied by a programme of guided tours or workshops for young and old.
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The UGC cinema. Credit: visit.brussels
Credit: urban.brussels
Villa Empain
With the "Echoes of Art Deco" exhibition, it is inviting visitors to explore the iconic architecture of Villa Empain, a paragon of Art Deco with a tumultuous history. The exhibition offers an immersive experience into the lifestyle of the Roaring Twenties.
Marinus Centre
A selection of over 100 opaline glass creations from the collection of Philippe Decelle, an engineer and visual artist, will be featured in the "Opalescents" exhibition.
Van Buuren Museum and Gardens
This exhibition will spotlight interwar sculptures set against the backdrop of the museum's enchanting gardens, offering visitors a unique immersive experience.
Autrique House
Autrique House is organising 'Art Deco 2025, posters and magazines': an exhibition on the evolution of society in the interwar period through posters and magazine covers.
Autrique House. Credit: Johan Jacobs
Belvue Museum
'ART DECO. The style of a society in the throes of change' examines the shift from Art Nouveau to Art Deco and the social changes of the time – showcasing pieces from the King Baudouin Foundation collections.
The Design Museum Brussels
This exhibition will feature an archive collection received in 2024 from the estate of René Baucher and Sylvie Feron, known for their projects in furniture, lighting, textiles, and interior decoration.
Halles Saint-Géry
The Halles of Saint-Géry will be dedicating their entire 2025 programme to Art Deco, featuring three major exhibitions ('Art Deco cinemas in Brussels', 'On the Art Deco Table Menu' and 'Fashion and Art Deco: contemporary resonances') and a diverse lineup of events.
These will include partner exhibitions, celebrations of intangible heritage (such as gastronomy), conferences, explorations of Art Deco beyond Belgium, and more. Accessibility will be a key focus, with free exhibitions, occasional guided tours, and guaranteed wheelchair accessibility.
Art & History Museum
The Art & History Museum is also planning to inaugurate two permanent exhibition rooms in 2025, dedicated to its Art Nouveau and Art Deco collections.
Villa Empain, curated by the Boghossian foundation. Credit: Belga
Beyond the city centre
"The emblematic Art Deco architectural style can be found in many of the capital's landmark monuments, such as BOZAR and the Koekelberg Basilica," said Patrick Bontinck, CEO of Visit.brussels. "As well as adding to the appeal of our destination, the Year of Art Deco offers a varied programme: original guided tours, glimpses of the lifestyle of the period during events and an exploration of Brussels at its most beautiful."
The initiative will play a key role for visitors, whether they come from Brussels, Belgium or elsewhere – offering them a new way of (re)discovering the capital. As it will highlight the architectural richness of many of Brussels' districts beyond just the city centre, it will also contribute to decentralisation while boosting the impact of tourism.
Additionally, several conferences will also introduce the public to specific aspects of Art Deco through a series of themed conferences. The BRAFA Art Fair will host an Art Deco BRAFA Talk, urban.brussels will organise an Art Deco-themed Urban Lunch in January, and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg – in collaboration with the Luxembourg National Museum of History and Art (MNAH) – will host a conference on Art Deco in Luxembourg.
Credit: visit.brussels - Sophie Voituron - 2019
A selection of other museum partners, including BELvue, the Museum of Fashion & Lace and the Pierre Majerus Belgian Stained Glass Centre, will also stage Art Deco-themed conferences.
Meanwhile, the Brussels Art Deco Society is programming a year of meetings, debates, and lectures on Art Deco, in collaboration with Belgian and international experts, and in partnership with key Art Deco landmarks.
On top of that, Brussels' green spaces will also be taking part in the festivities: the cemeteries of the City of Brussels will be participating in the Printemps des Cimetières, and CIVA will be hosting its annual Garden Tales festival, which encourages the public to (re)discover Belle Époque green spaces.
In parallel, the Classes du Patrimoine will be partnering with Van Buuren Museum & Gardens to organise activities for schools. Several museums will be adapting their programming to make exhibitions accessible to young audiences and families.
