Architecture in Flanders and Brussels has come of age and is now firmly positioned on the international stage. Architectural competitions play a crucial role in this success story. The exhibitions Coming of Age, Architectural Competitions in Flanders and Brussels and Open Call, 20 Years of Public Architectureshed light on 40 years of competition. Unique archival material introduces you to the iconic entries and the mechanisms behind the most high-profile competitions.

Both exhibitions open on 26 November in De Singel, with an opening programme involving lectures, book presentations and more.

"Coming of Age looks back on some of the most striking architecture competitions that have helped shape architectural policy. The retrospective brings extremely topical questions to the fore, such as internationalisation, the public debate, participation, and the position of young architects."

– Sofie De Caigny, director Flanders Architecture Institute and curator Coming of Age

Despite the pandemic many people have visited the exhibition in the Belgian pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale. In Composite Presence curator Bovenbouw Architectuur shows a model landscape with 50 reference projects that represent the contemporary city in Flanders and Brussels in all its complexity. The exhibition has reached it's final week.

For those who didn't get the chance to go to Venice: in Autumn 2022 Composite Presence will be on showcase in Z33, House of Contemporary Art in Hasselt (BE).

The Lecture series Urban Grace, organized by the Politecnico of Milano in Italy, addresses questions on sustainable architecture. On Monday 22 November Dirk Somers of Bovenbouw Architectuur will talk about his contribution to the Venice Architecture Biennale.

When entering the arts centre De Singel, you can't miss it. In Portrait of a Landscape, a 36 meter long video installation with a total of around 2700 film fragments, the Belgian-Swiss artist Pierre-Philippe Hofmann presents the essence of the Swiss landscape in a most unique way.

On 20 en 25 November Hofmann will give a personal view on his work during a guided tour.