Walk With Us: Art of Colonization in Brussels

What can the streets, monuments and neighbourhoods of Brussels tell us about Belgium's
colonial history — and about the African presence that has shaped the city?

This two-hour guided walk invites participants to explore Brussels through a different lens,
connecting colonial history, public memory, African and diasporic presence, and contemporary debates around representation and decolonisation.

Starting at the Cinquantenaire, we will examine how Belgium represented its national and
colonial ambitions through monumental architecture and public space. From there, we will
continue towards the Royal Quarter, exploring the relationship between power, memory and
the narratives embedded in the city. The walk will then take us towards Matonge, one of Brussels' most emblematic African diasporic neighbourhoods. Moving from monumental representations of colonial power to spaces shaped by African presence, migration, culture and everyday life allows us to consider another question: who gets remembered in the city, and how do communities create their own spaces of belonging?

Our guide is Anne Wespi Mpoma, art historian, curator and founder of AfroBrusselsCity.  She approaches the tour as an interactive experience, so there will be plenty of room for discussion and questions from the group.

To find more info on the tour check out https://wetsi.gallery/afrobrusselscity-walks/ , which presents the decolonial tours and their approach.

Ticket price:  €15 (you'll be charged $17.75 in dollars at the link below.)

WHEN

Saturday, September 12, 2026 at 10:50 AM Brussels Time

WHERE

Merode Entrance to Parc du Cinquantenaire
Adajent to Intersection of Avenue de Tervuren and Avenue des Celtes (Merode Metro Station)
Brussels (Etterbeek) 1040
Belgium
Google map and directions

CONTACT

Martin Skea
[email protected]