Art & History Sunday – Inuit. Impressions of the Canadian Far North (2/6)

On the occasion of the exhibition Inuit – Impressions of the Canadian Far North, the Art & History Museum presents a series of six lectures exploring the themes addressed in the exhibition.

Fêtes hivernales hier et aujourd’hui chez les Inuit canadiens

Guy Bordin, ethnologist and filmmaker specialising in Inuit culture
Lecture in French

Decades after their conversion to Christianity, the Christmas season remains the most important annual celebration for the Canadian Inuit. Due to the length of the winter festivities and the succession of nights filled with dancing and games, they echo the pattern of numerous pre-Christian festivals, although the context and meanings, the dance forms, and the songs differ greatly. On the other hand, it is also clear that Christmas today bears little resemblance to what it was in the early days of Christianization, when it marked a profound break with what the Inuit had previously experienced.

This lecture will focus on how current Inuit end-of-year celebrations are part of a long process in which continuity and transformation link the winter festivals of the present with those of the past.

Practical information

  • Venue: Conference room at the Art & History Museum
  • Admission: The lecture is accessible with an admission ticket to the exhibition or the permanent collections.

Discover more

08.11.2026 – A&H Sunday (1/6)
Valse des esprits et métamorphoses : les sources de la résilience du chamanisme des Inuit du Nunavut (Canada), by Frédéric Laugrand.

10.01.2027 – A&H Sunday (3/6)
Habiter l’Arctique : architecture et identité inuit au Canada, by Esther Descamps-Goyet.

14.02.2027 – A&H Sunday (4/6)
Les mots de l’art inuit, by Marc-Antoine Mahieu.

14.03.2027 – A&H Sunday (5/6)
« Nous n’avons qu’eux pour vivre » : la place des animaux dans la culture inuit, hier et aujourd’hui, by Vladimir Randa.

11.04.2027 – A&H Sunday (6/6)
Des productions des premiers habitants de l’Arctique à l’art inuit contemporain, by Maryse Saraux.

Any questions?

Email us at public@kmkg-mrah.be.

With the support of the Friends of the RMAH.