On 10 June 2026, the Brussels Region is celebrating World Art Nouveau Day (WAND).
Created in 2013, this international event aims to showcase and raise awareness of this unique heritage. Coordinated from Brussels by the Réseau Art Nouveau Network (RANN), the day brings together European cities and cultural institutions around a common theme each year. Celebrations include exhibitions, guided tours, workshops, lectures and online content for all audiences.
In 2026, Art Nouveau is putting the spotlight on women
Following the 2025 edition dedicated to colour, the 2026 edition focuses on “Women of Art Nouveau”. The aim here is not to present women as emblematic images of the movement – a muse or flower-woman with flowing hair – but to highlight the many women who have contributed to shaping Art Nouveau from the inside out. As artists, craftswomen and illustrators, as well as patrons, commissioners and collectors, they've played an essential role in the development and dissemination of this artistic movement.
The theme also celebrates contemporary female architects, restorers and designers who are helping to preserve and promote Art Nouveau heritage.
From the Maison Losseau in Mons to Aveiro in Portugal, including Oradea in Romania and Lviv in Ukraine, RANN member cities invite you to discover stories, works and places where the traces left by women on Art Nouveau continue to be unveiled.
Revisit "Daughters" online
As part of the Art Nouveau Year 2023, Urban had already contributed to highlighting female artists by supporting the "Daughters" project. First displayed at Halles Saint-Géry, then at LAB·AN x Hôtel van Eetvelde, the collection is now accessible online thanks to the Brussels inventory of movable heritage. The exhibition also continues to live on in the public space: its panels are still visible on the walls of the platforms at Hôtel des Monnaies metro station!
Spearheaded by photographer and artistic director Barbara Salomé Felgenhauer, architect Léone Drapeaud, graphic designer Céline Boveroux and floral scenographer Ellea Cartier, the project aims to raise the profile of unjustly forgotten female artists of the Art Nouveau movement. The work creates a dialogue between past and present by connecting eight female Art Nouveau artists with eight contemporary female artists practising the same mediums: textile, silk painting, sculpture, engraving, etc.
Interview: Barbara Van der Wee, in the wake of Victor Horta
The theme of women, in the spotlight on World Art Nouveau Day, was a great opportunity for LAB·AN x Hôtel van Eetvelde to hear from Barbara Van der Wee, through an interview broadcast on social networks. A renowned Brussels architect, she has established herself as a key figure in the restoration of Victor Horta's work.
One of her very first projects was the restoration of the Hôtel van Eetvelde, which she directed from 1988 onwards, before returning for the campaigns carried out in the early 2020s. She was also responsible for the restoration of the Horta Museum, the Hôtel Winssinger, the nursery school in the Marolles district and the façade of the Solvay House.
With her practice founded in 2006, Barbara Van der Wee Architects – Studio for architecture & conservation, the architect strives to preserve the authenticity of the master's creations through in-depth preparatory studies and the thoughtful integration of contemporary techniques.
How to restore your Art Nouveau stained glass and sgraffito
Do you own an Art Nouveau building featuring stained glass or sgraffito? To help you preserve these iconic elements of Brussels' heritage, Urban, in partnership with Homegrade and with technical support from The Good Com, has produced two short videos devoted to their maintenance and restoration.
Art nouveau stained glass and sgraffito are fragile decorations that require special care to stand the test of time without losing their brilliance. In these short videos, aimed at a broad audience, restorers Camille Meslay and Saskia Lupini share their practical tips and recommendations for maintaining and restoring them while preserving their authenticity.
Designed to be widely distributed, including on the international stage, this initiative highlights best practices in preserving Art Nouveau heritage. It is part of the "Art Nouveau as a New EUtopia" project, led by members of RANN and supported by the Creative Europe programme.
- Preserving Brussels' Art Nouveau stained glass: video + information
- Preserving Brussels' Art Nouveau sgraffito: video + information
Aubecq facade brought back to life in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe
Save the date for the back-to-school season: take part in guided tours revealing the monumental façade of one of Victor Horta's masterpieces from a unique and up-close perspective.
Reconstructed horizontally on Constructiv's premises in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, this façade is that of Hôtel Aubecq, built in 1902 on Avenue Louise and demolished in 1950.
After the demolition, some 600 stones salvaged from the façade embarked on a long journey, travelling six times from wasteland sites to warehouses. After becoming the property of the Brussels Region in 2001, they were cleaned and digitised in 3D before being temporarily presented to the public in 2011.
Listed as movable cultural heritage in 2014, the Aubecq façade is now regaining a level of visibility worthy of the heritage it embodies.
The initiative is part of an innovative public-private partnership between Urban and Constructiv, which is developing a training centre for construction and heritage professions in Berchem-Sainte-Agathe. The installation of the façade on the premises of this centre serves two purposes: making the remains of this major work accessible to the general public, while at the same time serving as a teaching aid for future construction and restoration professionals. In the longer term, there are plans to either completely or partially reassemble the façade on site.
