Talking Belgium #1: The Cultural Scene in Eupen

Belgium is a small country with a surprisingly complex setup: multiple governments, cultures and languages come together and make it a diverse, interesting place to be. In the three-part article series 'Talking Belgium', DutchCulture looks at the three language areas in Belgium: East Belgium (German-speaking), Wallonia (French-speaking), and Flanders (Dutch-speaking). In preparation for the articles, our advisor Astrid Mörk visited cultural places in Eupen, Liège and Leuven, and talked to several cultural professionals experienced in working in the different language areas.

I receive surprised looks when I tell my colleagues and friends that my plan is to visit the German-speaking community in Belgium. East Belgium (Ost-Belgien) can be considered relatively overlooked internationally. Many people are not aware that German is an official language in Belgium. East Belgium officially belongs to the Walloon region, is home to around 79.000 inhabitants and even has its own government. It is embedded in a pretty, forested landscape between the Ardennes and the Eifel, right at the border of the Netherlands and Germany. My curiosity to learn more about the cultural scene in East Belgium makes me hop on the train from Amsterdam to Eupen to speak to Frank-Thorsten Moll, director of IKOB Museum for Contemporary Art, and Judith Thelen, programmer for Circus, Dance and Theatre at the Alter Schlachthof. I am impressed how much the region has much to offer culturally, from hosting a variety of festivals to curating progressive art exhibitions. Below I share three cultural spots/initiatives in Eupen with you, all worth a visit – and possibly future partners for cultural collaborations.

A visit to Eupen’s contemporary art museum could easily be combined with a tanning appointment. The IKOB shares its home with a somewhat unusual neighbour, a solarium, and is located opposite the town’s supermarket Carrefour. What seems part of a rather unspectacular town in the eastern corner of Belgium, turns out to be an art museum with international allure. IKOB is also part of Very Contemporary, the network of contemporary art venues in the Meuse-Rhine Euregion. The museum is the perfect example that contemporary art spaces in the very corners of the periphery should not be overlooked. As Moll puts it, "Every art piece displayed in the heart of the art world once hung in the periphery."

Currently on show is a well-composed exhibition showcasing feminist artworks created by 11 artists, curated by Brenda Guesnet and Frank-Thorsten Moll. Among the international works, visitors can also find The Plantiarchy by the Netherlands-based artists Bernice Nauta and G.C. Heemskerk, who applied for IKOB’s open call earlier this year. In fact, IKOB is the first to hand out a Feminist Art Prize every three years, putting artists and makers based in Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands in the spotlight. Rather than bragging about wokeness, the museum uses its space to explore the various forms and meanings of feminism in society through the lens of art.

The next open call for the Feminist Art Prize opens in 2028. In the meantime, the exhibition IKOB – Feminist Art Prize 2025 can be visited until 24 August 2025, alongside other upcoming exhibitions with local and international artists.

The Alter Schlachthof is a former slaughterhouse that has been converted into a cultural centre. It was built in 1903 and is located slightly outside the city centre of Eupen. Since 1993, it has been managed by the cultural association Chudoscnik Sunergia, serving as a hub for cultural activities in the region, and offering a mixture of local, regional, and international programming.

The beautiful and extremely spacious complex of 2.000 m², built in a Prussian industrial style, gives plenty of opportunities for cultural events. The hallway can be transformed into an art exhibition space; the Kühlraum, once used to keep the meat cool, functions as a space for readings; and music, dance, theatre, and circus performances find their home in one of the other spaces in the gigantic complex. The programme of the Alter Schlachthof varies incredibly, supporting the local cultural scene as well as offering a stage for emerging and internationally renowned artists and performers. From jazz concerts to rave parties, the programme speaks to a wide range of audiences and attracts not only people from the region but also from the neighbouring countries, Germany and the Netherlands. Next to the ongoing programme, several festivals are hosted by and in the Alter Schlachthof, including a music festival in May (Eupen Musik Marathon), a street theatre festival (HAASte Töne!?) and world music festival in August, and after-work DJ sets (FEIERabend) on the terrace in the courtyard.

The Alter Schlachthof could be interesting for makers from all kinds of disciplines looking for a stage to perform or a place to experiment, using one of the mysterious spaces of the former slaughterhouse.

Meakusma organises concerts, club nights, workshops, and a festival in Eupen and its surroundings, in addition to running a record label, a magazine, and coordinating the community radio station called Studio Néau. Sounds hip and happening? It is! Meakusma Festival is internationally known among connoisseurs of experimental music. It takes places at the above-mentioned Alter Schlachthof and other locations in and around the town, where visitors can enjoy avant-garde music, installations, DJ sets, and sound art – often in intimate settings. Several Netherlands-based makers have been programmed at previous editions, including DJ upsammy, and interdisciplinary artists Mark IJzerman and Sébastien Robert.

The next (weekend) edition of Meakusma Festival takes place at the end of August in Sankt Vith. In 2026, the next full edition is planned – a good one to keep in mind for musicians and makers, as well as all the other sound lovers among us.