Brussels celebrates its fifth edition of Journées du Matrimoine this weekend, highlighting the contribution of women to Belgian heritage through a series of free events including guided tours, workshops and conferences.
Inspired by Paris' first Journées du Matrimoine in 2015, this weekend's activities are organised by the non-profit organisation L’architecture qui dégenre.
It will be followed by an official Saison Matrimoine that lasts from November 2023 to June 2024, which brings an additional thirty events to the celebration of Belgian women's achievements: guided tours, workshops, exhibitions, screenings and more. The events cover topics such as women’s property rights and participation in various professions and trades throughout history.
Whereas patrimoine is the male term for "heritage," matrimoine is, appropriately, the female equivalent that has long been ignored by history: women's architectural, sculptural, urban and social heritage.
The Journées du Matrimoine are "a response to the complex erasure of women and minorities throughout history and in the public space." Special regard will also be paid to current female contributions to artistic, political and feminist spheres.
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"Our aim is to transmit, archive, care for and celebrate our heritage, but also to reach out to institutions and associations," one of the event's organisers, Apolline Vranken, told La Capitale. "The challenge is to show them that there is still a long way to go, both in terms of the symbolic aspect of highlighting this heritage, and from a material point of view in terms of the preservation and restoration of these works."
All events are free but registration is mandatory; visitors can book their tickets through Eventbrite. Most events during Saison Matrimoine are scheduled for Sunday afternoons.
