With We The Bacteria, the Flanders Architecture Institute is bringing the world of microorganisms to Antwerp. Following a successful run at the Milano Triennale, the exhibition by curators and architectural historians Beatriz Colomina and Mark Wigley is now being staged in Flanders, enriched with local case studies. The exhibition invites visitors to view the built environment from a surprisingly new perspective and to rethink our relationship with the microbial world.

The opening night is now fully booked. From 30 September, you are welcome to visit the exhibition at DE SINGEL in Antwerp. Discover the extensive public programme, featuring a family Sunday, in-depth talks and an audio tour.

EcoLogicStudio (London, UK) and Bento (Brussels, BE) will be in conversation at DE SINGEL on 15 October, discussing architecture, ecology and microbial life forms. EcoLogicStudio explores the intersection between architecture and biotechnology. In their installations, algae, fungi and microbial cultures are cultivated as active components of architectural environments. Bento Architecture approaches similar issues from a different material and territorial perspective. The practice experiments with raw earth, locally sourced timber and mycelium, whilst simultaneously challenging the extractive supply chains through which architecture is traditionally produced.

During the panel discussion, they will explore how biotic design practices can contribute to a new relationship between the built environment and living systems.

On the occasion of the Oslo Architecture Triennale the Flanders Architecture Institute organised a study trip to Norway from 17 to 19 September. Together with our partners and a select group of architects, we visited the triennial and five projects, all of which had ‘adaptive re-use’ as their common theme. With the support of the General Representation of Flanders in the Nordic Countries, an exchange of knowledge also took place between the Flemish Government Architect, Veronique Claessens, and various city architects from Norway.

On 8 October, VAi at DE SINGEL will host Ways of Seeing, an installation where you can explore three photographic collections by Georges Baines, Christian Kieckens, and Lou Jansen from the VAi collection in new ways. On opening night, five contemporary designers will share their own visual archives. Come and see how our ways of looking are always influenced by perspective.

To mark the 100th anniversary of his birth, the Dhondt-Dhaenens Museum (MDD), the Juliaan Lampens vzw and the Flanders Architecture Institute are putting the renowned architect Juliaan Lampens in the spotlight. On 5 November 2026, a symposium will be held at MDD, followed by an exhibition running from 29 November 2026 to 14 March 2027. During this period, guided tours to the Van Wassenhove House will also be organised.

On Thursday 17 December 2026, VAi is organising its annual research day at De Singel in Antwerp. Titled Under Pressure, it takes you back to the 1980s. What can we learn from the fault lines of that era, which bear striking similarities to today? We’ll be sharing the programme and the registration form via our channels in September. Make a note of 17 December in your diary now if you’d like to attend.

Architecture from Flanders is once again receiving international recognition. Several Belgian projects have been shortlisted for the 2026 Erich Mendelsohn Award for Brick Architecture, reaffirming the quality and relevance of contemporary architectural practice in Flanders.