the low countries

From Rubens to Reels: What Art Teaches Us About Social Media

🎨 𝐑𝐮𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤. 📱 📕 In his book 𝐼𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒, art historian 𝐊𝐨𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐚𝐚𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐤𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐞 draws bold lines between classical art and our image-saturated digital lives.
www.the-low-countries.com/article/from...

Uncovering Amsterdam’s Queer Histories - the low countries

So much of our past has been told through a narrow lens. The stories of 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧, 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐆𝐁𝐓𝐐+ communities are too often left out. Elyzabeth Gorman is on a mission to change that. In this compelling 𝐩𝐨𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭 episode, she takes us deep into the 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬.

Pub Owner Bet Van Beeren Created a Safe Haven in Gay Capital Amsterdam - the low countries

🏳️‍🌈 Meet 𝐁𝐞𝐭 𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧: the fearless pub owner who turned Amsterdam’s Café 't Mandje into a beacon of acceptance and joy for outsiders, artists, and the 𝐋𝐆𝐁𝐓𝐐+ 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲—long before it was safe to do so. 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲! 🏳️‍🌈

Decolonising the AfricaMuseum - the low countries

🎧 New on TLC Radio: 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐌𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐮𝐦 From colonial showcase to critical reflection, Bart Ouvry, Managing Director of the AfricaMuseum, talks about the challenges of transforming a troubled legacy.
#Decolonisation #AfricaMuseum #Podcast www.the-low-countries.com/article/deco...

The Curse of Dutch

"You're Dutch?!" A simple question with a complicated answer.
After 9 years in Belgium, journalist Anouk van Kampen still finds that the shared language is the very thing keeping her at arm’s length in Flanders.

Jan Terlouw, Former Dutch Deputy Prime Minister and Acclaimed Author, Passed Away

Jan Terlouw, the Dutch physicist, politician, and beloved author, has died at the age of 93. He was a towering figure in Dutch public life, known for his rare combination of scientific expertise, political leadership, and literary achievement.

Artist Hans Op de Beeck Brings his Dark Disney World to Antwerp Museum - the low countries

In 𝑁𝑜𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝐽𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑦, his solo exhibition at Antwerp’s Royal Museum of Fine Arts (Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen), Hans Op de Beeck takes the viewer on a fictional, night-time journey balanced on a knife edge between dream and reality.

Willem Writs, a Driving Force of Dutch Culture in 18th-Century Amsterdam

❌❌❌ 𝐀𝐦𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝟕𝟓𝟎, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧!

🎭 We find ourselves in the 𝟏𝟖𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐲, when the Netherlands’ first cultural entrepreneurs, like 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐖𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐬, influenced by the new 𝐄𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 ideals, established numerous cultural and scientific societies.

Antonio Lopes Suasso: Migrant, Expat and Knowledge Worker in a Global City

❌❌❌ 𝐀𝐦𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝟕𝟓𝟎, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧!

We find ourselves in the company of the prominent Portuguese merchant and banker, 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐨 𝐋𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐮𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐨, who shaped Amsterdam’s 𝟏𝟕𝐭𝐡-𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐉𝐞𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 while navigating his roles as an expat and global knowledge worker.

Dirk Van OS, Antwerp Native in the Dutch East India Company

❌❌❌ 𝐀𝐦𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝟕𝟓𝟎, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧!

We find ourselves in the 𝟏𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐲, when 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐤 𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐎𝐬 was a key figure in Amsterdam’s rise, co-founding the 𝐃𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 and spearheading the 𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐚𝐤𝐞 drainage, helping shape the Dutch Republic’s economic expansion.

The History of the Second World War Must Not Become a Safe Past - the low countries Remembrance has replaced history as the dominant way of working through our feelings about the Second World War.

𝟖𝟎 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐖𝐈𝐈 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞
Today marks 80 years since the end of WWII in Europe. As historian Nico Wouters wrote, we must be cautious: the “duty to remember” should not become a comforting illusion. The war’s legacy still divides and defines Belgium and the Netherlands in complex ways.

The Tulip: the Myth, the Mania and the Man - the low countries We dig up the bulbs of the past, trim the stems of historical myth and emerge with a lustrous vase of understanding as to where the tulip came from, how it came into vogue in the Dutch Republic and wh...

In Holland, Michigan, Tulip Time Festival has started. This ten-day event celebrates the town’s Dutch heritage with over six million tulips blooming throughout the city.

#miholland #tuliptime #tulipseason #tulips

Learn more about this fascinating flower in this podcast 👇🏽 shorturl.at/sssXY

Intimate Hacking: Lisa Vereertbrugghen Is Bringing Gabber Culture Into the Dance World

👟 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟎𝐛𝐩𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲? 💃
Choreographer 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐚 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐧 takes gabber out of the club and into the theatre—turning a subculture of shaved heads, Air Max and furious hacking into a vulnerable dance experience.
www.the-low-countries.com/article/lisa...

Reyersz & Dirckz, International Merchants in an Expanding City

❌❌❌ 𝐀𝐦𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝟕𝟓𝟎, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞’𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧! In our series 𝐸𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝐴𝑚𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑑𝑎𝑚, we dive into the soul of the Dutch-speaking world’s cultural capital.
🌐 We start in the 𝟏𝟓𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐲, when Amsterdam transformed from a modest city into a major international trading hub.
#Amsterdam

Judith Wilkinson’s Choice: Lieke Marsman and Roelof ten Napel - the low countries

Which translated book by a Flemish or Dutch author should everyone read? And, which book deserves an English translation? 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐧 highlights the work of poets @liekemarsman.bsky.social and @roeloftennapel.bsky.social.

And Then There Were Three: Belgium’s Race for the 2030 European Capital of Culture

The next few months will be exciting for 𝐋𝐞𝐮𝐯𝐞𝐧, 𝐌𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐫, as the three Belgian cities contend for the title of 𝟐𝟎𝟑𝟎 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.

Anne Brumagne finds out what each city has to offer to convince the jury. 👇🏼

'Jew', a Loaded Word

🗣️ What do 𝐃𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 reveal about centuries of 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐦?
🕎 𝐄𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 dives deep into history, language, and prejudice in his latest book ‘𝐽𝑒𝑤’, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛 ℎ𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑑.
📖 An 𝐞𝐲𝐞-𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 on how words shape and reflect society.
#𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 #𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 #𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐦

Artist-Activist Frans Wuytack: ‘Art Makes People Want to Live in Reality'

🔥 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐥, 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐭 —𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐖𝐮𝐲𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤 celebrated his ninetieth birthday.
✊ He has spent decades 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝! From the shipyards of Flanders to the slums of Venezuela, his hands have shaped both sculptures and revolutions.✨
#artandactivism #PersonaNonGrata #revolutionofhands

Frances Welling: Incendiary - the low countries

𝟏𝟖 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬, guided by Vlaams-Nederlands Huis deBuren, drew inspiration from 17th-century paintings at the @mauritshuis.bsky.social in The Hague.

𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 looked at the repainted hand on 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥 𝐑𝐮𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐬’ 𝑂𝑙𝑑 𝑊𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐵𝑜𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝐶𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑙𝑒𝑠, and wrote a poem about family ties.

From Balboa to Bolívar: the South American Dreams of King Leopold III - the low countries

𝐀 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞. What was Belgium’s former 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐈𝐈𝐈 looking for on his expedition in 1956? Discover the untold story of his South American dreams, written by historian @peterdaerden.bsky.social.

📚𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥? ✨
✨ Linguist @martenvandermeulen.bsky.social believes one of the most underrated techniques is 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫—when done right, it turns a children’s book into a real page-turner.
👉🏼https://bit.ly/420cCxd

From Stigma to Social Security: Belgium’s Historic Shift on Sex Work

💋Belgium made history by introducing a world-first law granting 𝐬𝐞𝐱 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬.⚖️💼
Historian @elwinhofman.bsky.social traces how 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 have evolved over the centuries—from lustful sinner to victim, and now to recognized professional. 💋

To Preserve the Concrete: Architectural Enthusiasts Map Dutch Brutalism - the low countries

🏗️ 𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦 is back in the spotlight! Thanks to 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕—with 𝗢𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿-𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘆 in the lead—this bold architectural style is gaining new fans, also in the Netherlands.
In their book 𝐵𝑟𝑢𝑢𝑡, five enthusiasts showcase 100 striking Dutch buildings.💥🏢
#brutalism #architecture #concretebeauty

Students Translate Raoul de Jong’s Essay ‘Boto Banja’ - the low countries

Students from The University of Sheffield and @ucl.ac.uk (London) embarked on a collaborative project to translate an excerpt from the essay '𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐚𝐧𝐣𝐚' by the Dutch-Surinamese author 𝐑𝐚𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐝𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐧𝐠. Here’s the result.
www.the-low-countries.com/article/raou...

Mei-Yun Boswinkel: It’s the Little Things - the low countries

𝟏𝟖 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬, guided by deBuren, drew inspiration from 17th-century paintings at the @mauritshuis.bsky.social in The Hague.

𝐌𝐞𝐢-𝐲𝐮𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐬𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐥 wrote a short story, inspired by 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑔 𝑀𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 by 𝐆𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐭 𝐃𝐨𝐮, in which a painter creates his own version of reality.

‘𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑛𝑜𝑤’

Filmmaker Johan Van Der Keuken Shows Social Commitment Through an Experimental Lens

Until 28 February, @cinematek.bsky.social in Brussels invites you to explore the remarkable work of the prolific but underexposed Dutch filmmaker 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐊𝐞𝐮𝐤𝐞𝐧 (1938-2001).

From Spoken Word to Slam Poetry: Performance Poetry Is Everywhere

🎤 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞! 🎤
🔥 From spoken word to slam, poets are pushing boundaries, turning live stages into powerful spaces for expression.
Check out this 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬.🔥
#spokenword #slampoetry #PoetryOnStage

From the First Witch to Rubens: Kilkenny’s Flemish Roots

Did you know? 𝐊𝐢𝐥𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝! 🇮🇪🇧🇪 Since the 12th century, the Flemish have shaped this medieval gem. Their influence turned Kilkenny into a powerhouse of trade and craftsmanship.💡🏰
www.the-low-countries.com/article/from...

‘Crackling Skulls’ by Roger Van de Velde: Frescos From an Asylum - the low countries The much-acclaimed collection of short stories by the legendary Flemish author has been published in English for the first time.

100 years ago, cult writer 𝐑𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐕𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐞 𝐕𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐞 was born. On this occasion, @pelckmansbe.bsky.social reissues his collection of short stories 𝐺𝑎𝑙𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑎𝑠, in which he introduces us to the strange 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Van de Velde himself spent 8 years in prison due to 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

When Artificial Intelligence Tells Lies

Imagine finding your novel on a "Top 5" list—only to realize the description isn’t even remotely about your book. That’s exactly what happened to Dutch author @thomashvv.bsky.social when 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒑𝒆𝒓’𝒔 𝑩𝒂𝒛𝒂𝒂𝒓 trusted 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐆𝐏𝐓 to summarize his work.