Search - the low countries

At the age of 75, Flemish roots rocker Roland Van Campenhout still plays in the sandpit.

When it comes to language, Belgium has a complex history. That is beautifully illustrated by the position of French-language literature written at the end of the 19th century by Flemings.

Remarkable conclusions from the very first global study of the preservation of Dutch language, culture and identity.

Flemish and Dutch people have a totally different relationship with their language. Editor-in-chief Luc Devoldere explains why.

The Flemish government has proposed severe cuts in arts funding over the next few years. In 2011, the cultural sector in the Netherlands was forced to make do with a budget cut of about 200 million euro. What can the Flemish artists learn f...

For centuries, the Dutch language in Belgium had to pave the way for French. And yet, editor-in-chief Luc Devoldere, a Fleming, wouldn’t miss French for the world.

Have you ever heard of “suburban Flemish” and “Polderdutch”? Editor-in-chief Luc Devoldere about the tension between dying dialects, weird "in-between-languages" and overpowering standard languages.

Luc Devoldere rejects the existence of a bond between language and ethnicity – or Blut und Boden. Instead, he suggests the term ‘territory’.

The Museum of Natural Sciences in Brussels is a must-see for every single person who cherishes our planet.

Writer Aster Berkhof has passed away. For a long time, he was one of the most read authors in Flanders. What should we remember of his oeuvre?

Editor-in-chief Luc Devoldere takes the start of the Multatuli year as an opportunity to explore the author’s legacy.

This year, the Month of Philosophy in Belgium and the Netherlands is dedicated to the concept of truth.

When it comes to Dutch, editor-in-chief Luc Devoldere states that it is not clear who determines which language norms to respect and which rules to adhere to.

Exactly 500 years ago, Charles V was crowned Holy Roman Emperor, much to his French rival Francis I’s chagrin.

The refurbished Groeninge Museum encourages us to slow down with the intimate exhibition ‘Van Eyck in Bruges’.

On 31 March 2020, we celebrated Marga Minco’s 100th birthday. Her oeuvre is an incessant attempt to come to terms with the war past by constantly creating new literary variants of it.

Sixty-something Flemish and Dutch artists come up with a response to the current public health crisis. Their inspiration? Paul van Ostaijen’s famous poetry collection 'Bezette Stad'.

In his call to remain alert to a new anti-Semitism, Dutch writer Arnon Grunberg referred to the Holocaust during National Remembrance Day. According to Hind Fraihi, he shouldn't have done that.

According to editor-in-chief Luc Devoldere, literature does not provide knowledge, let alone truth. Still, literature can make people better.

The Amsterdam house where Jewish writer Etty Hillesum wrote her famous diary during WWII is in danger of being demolished. Philippe Noble, who translated her work into French, tells us why the writings she left behind are still as powerful ...

Anyone who wants to understand the linguistic complexity of Belgium must be aware of the language border, declared in 1963, that divides the country into two big regions.

Editor-in-chief Luc Devoldere bids his readers farewell.

Which image or object would you choose to capture the Low Countries?

At the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium became the worlds best football team by winning gold after a controversial match against Czechoslovakia.

Tratsaert will succeed Luc Devoldere as editor-in-chief and managing director of Flemish-Dutch cultural institution Ons Erfdeel vzw.

Agatha Christie’s iconic detective is probably modelled after a real-life Belgian policeman.

The GUM does not set out to display a number of scientific truths but wants to demonstrate how doubt and beauty are part of the scientific process.

Flemish and Dutch right-wing extremists mostly convene in online environments. However, it is clear the Flemish-Dutch front formation intends to develop into much more than an army of keyboard warriors.

It is with deep regret and profound sadness that we inform you that Ons Erfdeel vzw former deputy editor-in-chief, Frits Niessen, has passed away.

The socialist anthem 'The Internationale' was composed by a Belgian who had worked in French factories as a child.

Latin is often denounced for being elitist, but people tend to forget that, before, anyone had to master it as a second language. Therefore, not a single European nation could feel disadvantaged by Latin.

Emperor Charles V embodied the complex linguistic situation in the Low Countries.

16th century humanist Jan van Gorp believed that Dutch was the only language that originated directly from the Proto-Human language and was still very similar to it.

Milo Rau and his theater company NTGent adapted the Greek tragedy The Oresteia. Editor-in-chief Luc Devoldere left the performance with mixed feelings.

Klaus Verscheure is known as director of many Flemish television series. Lately he is making a name for himself as a visual artist.

Welcome to the surreal worlds of the Antwerp-based artist with Portuguese roots, whose characters’ hair blows with the wind.

Flanders has been synonymous with bicycle racing for many years, but is cycling truly ‘ours’, as one popular Flemish newspaper keeps claiming?

From Nazi Germany to the current refugee crisis: Hind Fraihi argues antisemites have always found ways to blame the Jews.

Discover the ‘TraumA’-inspired creations by thirteen artists and architects. Until 24 October 2021.

What are those Low Countries actually that we are always talking about? Editor-in-chief Luc Devoldere explains.

Works of art along the motorway: the cross of Fabre, chaos and a cyclops.

The Low Countries are the only area in the world where nearly every city and most large towns are home to a carillon.

Jos De Gruyter and Harald Thys converted the Belgian Pavilion into a folk museum that spotlights humankind.

Reflecting on Leonardo da Vinci’s death, 500 years ago, Luc Devoldere makes a few comments on the notion of the uomo universale.

Jeroen Olyslaegers unravels the mystery of the most significant Renaissance painter of both Flanders and the Netherlands.

What's at stake on Sunday? Political scientist Herwig Reynaert is looking ahead.

The festival season has barely started, but, already, the Ghent artist with Caribbean roots seems to be making her mark this year.

Studying Dutch abroad signifies considerable economic and cultural added value. But are the Dutch and Flemish politicians truly aware of this untapped potential?

When did the first texts written in Dutch date from?

This Dutch theatre company prepares young people for art, beauty and consolation.

One hundred years ago, the treaty that would finally end World War I was signed in Versailles. A frustrating experience for war-battered Belgium.

The Netherlands celebrates extensively that women are allowed to vote there since 1919. Yet the struggle is far from over.

Interest in the work of Flemish woodcut artist Frans Masereel has increased substantially in the US and the UK. Masereel biographer Joris van Parys knows how that came about.

Where once there was a checkpoint in France, the slogan 'Let us be ungovernable' can be read along the border. Luc Devoldere wonders what the graffiti artists mean by this.

Nine youngsters from the Low Countries created poetic films based on their favourite Dutch-language poem.

At the beginning of September 1944, 75 years ago, the first allied forces entered Belgium to liberate the country from the German occupier.

The Battle of Arnhem famously ended in failure for the Allied forces. On the contrary, for the German troops, the clash meant a final major military victory.

Through collaborations with a wide variety of artists Robbrecht & Daem have managed to develop their own specific voice in which the history of architecture resounds in a most poetic way.

Just going by today’s headlines, the end of Western democracy seems imminent. However, is a crisis not the essence of a democracy?

Editor-in-chief Luc Devoldere considers himself a language romanticist. 'A romanticist will consider language as the spine of one’s identity.'

In his playful works Kasper Bosmans investigates histories of traditions and objects creating new narratives to offer a critical view on cultural and political relics.

Why do we call the language we speak today 'Dutch'?

Confronted with challenging societal, historical and ethical questions, many museums are trying to redefine their role. MSK Director Manfred Sellink makes some proposals.

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