Brussels and Everyday Surrealism

Surrealism on every corner

A Strange Story

The city of Brussels has inevitably been undergoing a metamorphosis as if in a painting by Magritte, where new urban perspectives are generating different perceptions of reality. This is what gives Brussels its unique, deft mix of cosy warmth and extravaganza. So if you feel like delving into a dreamlike imagery, don't miss the Mesmerising Magritte.

Brussels is first and foremost surreal

The city is famous for its popular quips and extravagant buildings, such as the Atomium or the LAW COURTS. It is a strikingly beautiful capital to be explored in no hurry. Let yourself be carried along Brussels’ twisting alleys that were home to eccentric artists in the 1920s.

Contemporary Magritte

Real life is depicted in his paintings but structured on unconventional parameters: he altered scales and perturbed the hierarchy, qualities and function of the various elements in his pictures, which speak to the unconscious whith a touch of irony that is typical of contemporary Brussels. 

A new museum entirely dedicated to Magritte has just opened: the Magritte Museum, with five thematic floors assembling his works, texts, interviews, photos and letters.

A pioneer

James-Sydney Ensor used his native town, Oostende, for inspiration, but Brussels was soon to become his second home. In "Christ's Entry Into Brussels" he proves to be a pitiless observer with a very bitter irony. His vivid imagination is troubling and inspired by bizarre facets of Brussels. Ensor was undoubtedly a forerunner of Surrealism.