Brussels’ contemporary art laboratory inside a landmark 1930s brewery — experimental, international and proudly unlike a conventional museum.
- Major temporary contemporary-art exhibitions
- Emerging and internationally established artists
- New commissions and site-specific work
- Installation, film, sound and interdisciplinary practice
- Artist-residency activity
- The former Wielemans-Ceuppens brewery
- Original copper brewing vats
- Panoramic views over Brussels
Check the exhibition programme before you go. At WIELS, the current show matters enormously — and the first Wednesday of each month includes a nocturne programme.
Don’t miss
The Brewing Hall and rooftop panorama — they reveal the building’s industrial past and give WIELS an identity far beyond the white cube.
Nearby route ideas
Contemporary Brussels South
WIELS → BRASS → Forest/Vorst neighbourhood
The most geographically coherent route: contemporary art, reused industrial architecture and a less touristy side of Brussels.
WIELS + Brussels Contemporary
WIELS → contemporary galleries around Saint-Gilles → city-centre gallery programme
A strong half-day for visitors interested in Brussels’ independent and commercial contemporary-art scene.
Art + Architecture Brussels
WIELS → Forest/Vorst Art Deco and industrial heritage → Victor Horta-related architecture in Saint-Gilles
Especially good for travellers who want contemporary art together with Brussels’ architectural identity.
Slow Artlovers route
WIELS exhibition → café → rooftop / building → walk through Forest or Saint-Gilles → one smaller gallery.
This is the route I would prioritise over trying to cross Brussels for three major institutions in one afternoon.
About the venue
About
WIELS Brussels is one of Belgium’s leading contemporary art centres, located in a landmark former brewery in Forest/Vorst. Opened in 2007, WIELS is not a conventional museum with a permanent collection but a programme-driven institution dedicated to temporary exhibitions, new artistic production, international residencies, performances, talks and public programmes. Its home, the former Wielemans brewery building designed by Adrien Blomme in 1930, retains original industrial features including its monumental brewing hall and copper vats, while a rooftop terrace offers panoramic views across Brussels. For contemporary-art travellers, WIELS is one of the most important places to experience the city’s experimental and international cultural identity. Its constantly changing exhibition programme makes it especially worth checking before each visit.
Worth the trip
Because WIELS is one of Brussels’ strongest places for ambitious contemporary art that is still being debated, produced and tested. Add the former brewery architecture and rooftop panorama, and the location becomes part of the experience.
© Google WIELS Brussels
