On April 13th, several museums in Flanders and Brussels will once again host a variety of activities as part of Slow Art Day, an annual tradition aimed at encouraging a deeper

appreciation of art.

Through practices such as mindfulness, visual thinking strategies, creative assignments, or yoga, Slow Art Day encourages participants to spend more time engaging with artworks. "The experiences people gather on this day are also enriching for all other days to come," says Katrijn D'hamers of Faro, the Flemish support center for cultural heritage.

Slow Art Day is not confined to a local scale but is part of an international movement. This year, over 160 museums and venues from 24 countries are participating under the theme "The closer you look, the more you see," as stated on the global initiative's website.

In Belgium, approximately ten museums and several churches in Flanders and Brussels are participating, including the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA), the S.M.A.K. in Ghent, and the Brussels Bozar. The program includes guided sessions with museum staff, drawing activities, art interpretation through poetry, and interactive interviews. Photo by Paul Hermans, Wikimedia commons.