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march 11 2015 \ newsweekly - € 0,75 \ rEad morE at www.flandErstoday.Eu currEnt affairs \ P2

Politics \ P4

Neighbourly agreemeNts

Flanders signs a co-operation agreement with the Netherlands on key issues such as radicalisation, airspace and embassies \4

BusinEss \ P6

innovation \ P7

miracles of the micro-world

A Flemish biologist has made his 300th discovery of a new species of diatom, one of the world’s tiniest – and most beautiful – creatures \7

Art on the fringe

Education \ P9

art & living \ P10

flaNders iN PolaNd

The Polish city of Gdan´sk launches Flanders Week, a festival celebrating the historical ties between the two regions \ 11

leuven arts centre stuK is marking 37.5 rebellious years tom Peeters more articles by Tom \ flanderstoday.eu

You have to be a bit obstinate to celebrate your 37-and-ahalf birthday. “It’s in the DNA of STUK,” says Marleen Brock, who for her PhD examined the history of the Leuven arts centre, right from its start in 1977. The resulting book and exhibition display the sheer tenacity and stubborn independence of the cultural hotspot.

t may seem a bit unusual to invite a student from the Dutch city of Nijmegen to dive into the arts archives to tell the story of STUK, a leading Flemish arts centre. But that’s precisely what Marleen Brock’s PhD supervisor at the University of Leuven’s department of cultural history asked her to do. The result is a book available this month from STUK.

“I didn’t know anything about the Flemish arts scene,” Brock admits. And her unprejudiced view worked to her advantage. As an outsider, she was primarily struck by the passion of the people working for STUK, the arts centre that grew from a small student initiative to the prominent art house it is now. “In the first few years there was hardly any budget,” she says. “The university paid one and a half employees. The other staff members were in special employment programmes or worked as volunteers or during their civic service. When there was a bit of money, it was first used to cover operating costs and artists; the wages of the staff came last.” Flemish theatre director Guy Cassiers told Brock how he produced his play De cementen tuin (The Cement

Garden) in 1984 with only 50,000 Belgian francs (€1,250). “There was no budget to cover travel costs from Antwerp to Leuven, so his production team slept in the room where they were making the show,” Brock says. “Since the scenes had to be played in a darkened environment, they slept during the day and worked through the night, in the converted chemistry lab of the Arenberg Institute.” Those were the days when STUK was still ’t Stuc (an abbreviation for Student Centre) and closely involved with the left-wing student movement. “At the end of the 1970s, the need for an arts building was voiced first by the university’s Culture Council,” says Brock. “But it was only when a building on the social sciences campus continued on page 5

\ cUrrenT aFFaIrs

Oosterweel works by 2017 Project to close antwerp ring split into five parts, as opposition continues alan hope Follow alan on Twitter \ @alanhopeFT

orks on the Oosterweel connection in Antwerp – a system of roads and tunnels intended to close the Antwerp Ring and ease traffic congestion – will begin in 2017, minister-president Geert Bourgeois and public works minister Ben Weyts have announced. The project will be split into five parts, which will be contracted separately: works on the left bank of the Scheldt, or Linkeroever; a tunnel under the Scheldt; the Oosterweel interchange; a tunnel under the Albert Canal; and an interchange with the Ring. The cost of the entire project is €3 billion, according to Rudi Thomaes, chair of BAM, the project’s management company. The most expensive works are associated with the tunnel and the demolition of the viaduct near the Sportpaleis in Merksem, which together will cost about €1.75 billion. Preparatory works can begin this year, Weyts said. “We can now proceed in the knowledge that each day of delay will cost €1 million,” Weyts said at a press conference

Antwerp takes new direction in city branding Antwerp is unique, according to the city’s new marketing slogan, which is just one word: Atypisch (Atypical). The new marketing campaign to sell the port city to the outside world was launched last week by mayor Bart De Wever. “Antwerp’s city marketing in recent years has made the people of Antwerp proud of their city once more,” the campaign folder reads. “Now the city council wants to promote Antwerp’s qualities beyond the city limits.” Four themes are central to the campaign, which also includes a new website: the city on the river; an innovative knowledge city; a creative city; and a metropolis on a human scale. The word atypisch borrows the initial A which has been the badge of Antwerp for some time, and the campaign, devised by advertisers Duval Guillaume, will try to turn it into a profile that identifies the city to the rest of the world. “Studies show that Antwerp is often not widely known but that visitors often go away impressed,” De Wever said. “The A logo has given Antwerp back its pride and now is the time to turn and face the outside world.” \ AH

Bart De wever, annemie Turtelboom, Geert Bourgeois and Ben weyts announce the definitive start of antwerp’s long-awaited Oosterweel project

VRT says farewell to radio and TV veterans Two veteran presenters with Flemish public broadcaster VRT died during the weekend of 28 February. Urbaan De Becker was known as “the velvet voice of the radio”. He spent time at telecommunications authority RTT, the social aid agency OCMW and the ministry of economic affairs before landing at the BRT, as VRT was then known. For many years, he was an editor, political reporter and host of the current affairs programme Actueel on Radio 1, which went out twice daily. In the 1990s, he became editor in chief of the radio news service, retiring in 1996. He died at the age of 74. Emiel Goelen (pictured) worked on many TV programmes, but was best-known for

the consumer magazines Op de koop toe, which was heavily influenced by the BBC’s That’s Life and which ran from the 1970s to the 1990s. He then moved to entertainment programmes, including Zeg eens euh, a version of BBC Radio’s Just a Minute, in which players have to speak without hesitation or repetition. The game show was produced by Hans Bourlon and Gert Verhulst, who went on to start the mega entertainment corporation Studio 100. In 1997, Goelen’s TV career came to an abrupt end when it was alleged he had accepted gifts from companies in return for good reviews on his consumer programme. The allegations were never

proven, and he remained on staff, although he never appeared on-screen again. Last year he revealed that he had been suffering from the degenerative disease ALS for six years. He died at the age of 65. \ AH

Suspect in Delhaize acid attack arrested in Paris The man suspected of carrying out an attack on a cleaning person at a Delhaize supermarket in Antwerp last month has been arrested in France. The Dutch national is accused of throwing acid in the cleaner’s face, causing severe burns. The attack happened three months after the man began a campaign to extort money from the supermarket chain. Police were working with Delhaize, but each time the supermarket made an

14,276

more people are self-employed in Belgium in 2014 than in 2013, in all, according to figures from the social security service RSVZ, bringing the total to more than 1,015,000

last week with Bourgeois as well as Antwerp mayor Bart De Wever and Flanders’ budget minister, Annemie Turtelboom. The government hopes to receive partial funding for the project from the EU’s fund for strategic investments, Bourgeois said. At the same time, a €250 million contribution from the city of Antwerp will no longer be required. The money will instead be used to finance a feasibility study for the enclosure of the Ring, in answer to activist groups such as Ringland and stRaten-generaal, which are concerned about the health and nuisance aspects associated with the project. According to Manu Claeys, spokesperson for stRaten-generaal, detailed plans for a number of crucial aspects of the project still have to be presented. “All the most important decisions remain to be taken, including the compilation of an environmental impact report and the granting of building permits,” he said. “During the obligatory public enquiry, it will become clear to the people of Antwerp what the concrete impact will be for the entire route.”

appointment to hand over the money, the man failed to turn up. Police were able to capture images of the man, taken at bank machines. Accordingtoreports,themanwasstopped on Thursday night by French traffic police for a routine check in the Paris area. Officers became suspicious at the number of credit cards in the man’s car. According to VTM, evidence linking the man, who is about 40 years old, to the attack was also

found in the car. Brussels investigators are now in Paris. If they are satisfied the man in custody is the alleged attacker, a procedure will be started to have him extradited to Belgium. Lastweek,thevictimoftheattack,52-yearold Marina Tijssen, was revived from an induced coma. Doctors are confident they have been able to save her sight, but she is likely to be permanently scarred. \ AH

33%

claimed by 170 Ford workers in a legalactioninTongerenincompensation for many years of doing work suitable for an employee status rather than a labour status

reduction in the number of deaths by firearms in Belgium after 2006, when tough new gun laws came into force, according to the Flemish Peace Institute

9.8%

in interest paid last year by the government of Flanders for late payment of invoices, 25% higher than 2013

pay deficit for women in Belgium, according to figures released by the EU’s statistical office. In the EU as a whole women are paid 16.4% less than men

march 11, 2015

weeK iN brief The separate girls’ and boys’ sections of primary school SintJozef in Genk, Limburg, will be joined together next September. Sint-Jozef is the last school in Flanders where boys and girls are segregated. According to the Catholic education network, separated education is in principle not allowed anymore. The train drivers’ union ASTB has issued a strike notice for 31 March and 1 April, in protest at what it calls the “incoherent premium system for train drivers”. The union also demands a review of salary levels. The union will hold a sit-in at Brussels South Station on 18 March, blocking tracks for 20 minutes three times between 13.00 and 16.00. If no progress is made in talks, the 48-hour strike will begin at 3.00 on 31 March. The Brussels-Capital Region has approved a proposal to cut the number of collections of the white bag of household rubbish from twice to once a week. The plan has angered unions representing workers, who argue that the public will not conform. A petition against the cut has gathered more than 5,000 signatures. Laanan also promised the introduction of a new orange bag for organic waste, to be picked up once a week. Collections of the yellow bag for paper and the blue bag for PMD increase from twice a month to weekly. AcourtinAntwerphassentenced a man to 10 years in prison for the death of an 18-year-old woman in an exorcism ceremony in 2009. The parents of Layla Hachichi, who called on the services of the “faith healer” were each sentenced to five years suspended. An autopsy found the woman had died as a result of burns caused by a caustic substance such as drain cleaner used in the ceremony. Hachichi was apparently suffering from an eating disorder.

face of flaNders Colruyt has announced that shoppers will soon be able to pay using a smartphone app. The app, SEQR, is already in use in most stores in Antwerp province, as well as Dreamland, Dreambaby and online. The app is available for Apple, Android and Windows phones. The choice of Zeebrugge as a major transhipment area for Russian liquid natural gas will strengthen the port’s international position, managing director Joachim Coens said. Last week Fluxys signed a 20-year contract with Yamal LNG in Russia for the use of its LNG terminal, which will make Zeebrugge a key link in the Northern European chain and double the amount of LNG passing through the port. The contract is worth €50 million a year to Fluxys. The new car park planned for Brussels’ Marollen district will be located adjacent to the existing parking area in front of the Brusselse Haard blocks of flats behind the Brigittines cultural centre, Brussels City council has decided. The new car park replaces one planned for under the Vossenplein flea market, which was cancelled after a public protest. Meanwhile, opponents of three other planned new car parks in the city centre were due to protest at a council meeting as Flanders Today went to press. A law introduced in 2007 to outlaw discrimination in the workplace has been used only once since being passed, the federal parliament’s social affairs committee heard. The law forbids discrimination on the grounds of race, ethnic origin and skin colour. The figure shows that discrimination in the workplace is not being challenged or punished in the courts, said committee chair Vincent Van Quickenborne.

Flanders’ compensation fund for forests is not working, forestry conservation organisation Bos+ has claimed. Any time a developer cuts down trees, it must either plant the same area of new trees elsewhere or pay into a fund. According to the organisation, Flanders still has a deficit of 1,300 hectares of forest compared to when the fund was set up and between 100 and 200 hectares disappear every year. Last year the fund had €9 million, enough for 35 hectares of new forest. But only 11 hectares were added because municipalities are not responding to calls for reforestation projects. A house in Antwerp described as “an ode to the 19th-century city” has won this year’s Belgian Building award for residential buildings. The house in Haringrodestraat has a foundation of only 50 square metres and was renovated by Vermeiren De Coster architects. The award for a non-residential building went to the sports hall of the Royal Athenaeum in Brussels, which is integrated into its leafy surroundings. The international award went to Studio Associato Bernardo Secchi Paola Viganò of Milan, which was responsible for Park Spoor Noord and the new Theaterplein in Antwerp, as well as the cemetery and renovated Grote Markt in Kortrijk. Businesses around Brussels Fish Market have welcomed the arrival of containers that will shortly take over Pantsertroepensquare as the Brussels entry in the VTM programme Mijn Pop-uprestaurant! (My Pop-Up Restaurant). Brussels, which won last year’s contest with a pop-up located on Muntplein, will be joined by restaurants in Aalst, Antwerp, Hasselt and Ostend. The series begins on 17 March.

explained. The first condition sounds easy enough, though, despite those Euro coins having been with us now for 15 years, the lack of an actual kop (head) can still cause confusion for those more, shall we say, advanced in life experience. “Heads or tails is the most democratic sport in the world,” Scheire went on. “It makes no difference if you’re clever, sporty, talented or experienced; in a game of heads or tails everyone has the same chance of winning.” Fancy your chances, whatever they may be? Turn up at the Florahal-

Queen Mathilde was on crutches following a skiing accident when she appeared last week to present the Womed Award for women in enterprise to Gratienne Sioncke, CEO of BORGInsole of Rotselaar, Flemish Brabant. The prize is awarded annually by Unizo, the organisation that represents the self-employed, and Markant, the organisation for women in business. Coincidentally, Sioncke is familiar with people who are having problems walking: BORGInsole makes custom insoles for shoes. Along with a production facility, it also has a podiatric centre where it carries out analyses of the needs of patients, from children to top athletes. Sioncke first studied to be a midwife, graduating in 1990. Four years later she decided to follow another dream and became a teacher at the Arteveld University College in Ghent. She then began a course in medical social sciences at Ghent University before becoming a senior researcher at Vlerick Business School. Her work there led to management research and counselling within health-care organisations, as well as taking part in international congresses and publishing a number of journal articles. Together with her husband, podiatrist Paul Borgloons, she

launched BORGInsole in 2007. The prize jury praised Sioncke for her drive and ambition. In just eight years, her company has become an authoritative voice in the sector in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. “One in three entrepreneurs in Flanders is a woman,” said Lieve Droogmans, chair of Markant. “The Womed award gives a human face to the success stories of business life of and for women who help boost the Flemish economy. This award should inspire and motivate other women to become entrepreneurs.” Sioncke was one of three nominees. The others were Nadine Hubert, CEO of logistics company New Custom Service in Vilvoorde, Flemish Brabant, and Hilde Rutten of BergHOFF in Beringen, Limburg, which designs and manufactures kitchenware. The award for the most promising young talent went to Joundi Naziha, who runs two day-care centres in Berchem, employing 14 child-minders to look after about 100 toddlers. Finally, the Women Award Zuid for entrepreneurs from the southern hemisphere went to Carmen Chito and her company Super Mezcla of Ecuador, which produces biomass based on the droppings of guinea pigs. \ Alan Hope

flanders today, a weekly English-language newspaper, is an initiative of the flemish region and is financially supported by the flemish authorities.

offside armchair athletes

If you’re the sporting type but not terribly fit, this could be the event for you. On 14 March, the city of Aalst in East Flanders, best known for its outrageous carnival, will play host to the Belgian Championships of Kop of Munt, or what we know in English as Heads or Tails. The event is being organised by the TV programme De Schuur van Scheire, and it’s open to anyone. “The only thing that’s required is that you know the difference between heads and tails and can say one of those words out loud when the referee asks you to choose,” presenter Lieven Scheire

gratienne sioncke

The logo and the name Flanders Today belong to the Flemish Region (Benelux Beeldmerk nr 815.088). The editorial team of Flanders Today has full editorial autonomy regarding the content of the newspaper and is responsible for all content, as stipulated in the agreement between Corelio Publishing and the Flemish authorities.

len in Aalst. The competition will be head to head: one coin will be tossed and two competitors call. The winner goes through to the next round, and the loser drops out, and so on to the final, which will take place in the studios during the recording of De Schuur van Scheire. \ AH \ http://deschuurvanscheire.een.be.

Editor Lisa Bradshaw dEPuty Editor Sally Tipper contriButing Editor Alan Hope suB Editor Linda A Thompson agEnda Robyn Boyle, Georgio Valentino art dirEctor Paul Van Dooren PrEPrEss Corelio AdPro contriButors Daan Bauwens, Rebecca Benoot, Derek Blyth, Leo Cendrowicz, Katy Desmond, Andy Furniere, Diana Goodwin, Julie Kavanagh, Catherine Kosters, Toon Lambrechts, Katrien Lindemans, Ian Mundell, Anja Otte, Tom Peeters, Daniel Shamaun, Senne Starckx, Christophe Verbiest, Débora Votquenne, Denzil Walton gEnEral managEr Hans De Loore PuBlishEr Corelio Publishing NV

Editorial addrEss Gossetlaan 30 - 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden tel 02 373 99 09 editorial@flanderstoday.eu suBscriPtions tel 03 560 17 49 subscriptions@flanderstoday.eu or order online at www.flanderstoday.eu advErtising 02 373 83 57 advertising@flanderstoday.eu vErantwoordElijKE uitgEvEr Hans De Loore

\ POlITIcs

5th columN ch-ch-changes

It is one thing to promise change, it is much harder to actually make it happen. This is the lesson that N-VA, the largest party in the federal government, is learning the hard way. N-VA has always blamed French-speaking socialists PS for standing in the way of measures long overdue, especially in social and economic areas, but even with the socialists absent from both the federal and Flemish governments, change is proving difficult. The discussion about early retirement is, as one commentator called it, an uncomfortable reality check for N-VA. In the past, letting go of workers from the age of 50, or even younger, was often the solution for ailing companies. As a result, the inactivity stats are very high for older workers. To keep the social security system affordable, Belgium’s generous early retirement system must be reformed. In the words of Open VLD party president Gwendolyn Rutten: “Fifty-five is not old.” In theory, everyone agrees on this. In practice, this is a matter for the Group of Ten to consider. The Group of Ten is made up of representatives from employers organisations and unions on matters such as wage increases. Negotiations in the Group of Ten can be pretty tough and don’t always end with results, but when an agreement is reached, the federal government usually accepts it and turns it into policy. Not so with the Group of Ten decision on early retirement. Both employers and unions rejected the idea of “activating” early retirees. Employers are not ready to hire this age group, while unions, in the absence of job opportunities, consider the measure mere pestering. In a rare move, the federal government did not accept this. N-VA feels particularly uneasy about the Group of Ten. Sure there is a tradition of co-operation between employers, workers and the government, but the current federal government feels it represents yet another interest group: future generations, who will have to foot the bill. In the past, Open VLD has tried to resist the informal power of institutions like the Group of Ten (“who elected them anyway?”), but that, too, proved to be in vain. A government compromise that speaks of “active, passive and adapted availability” on the job market may be a way for every party involved to save face. But is it the radical change N-VA had hoped for? \ Anja Otte

Belgium and Netherlands to co-operate on terrorism, airspace

leaders of neighbouring countries sign agreement on four main issues alan hope more articles by alan \ flanderstoday.eu

he Belgian and Dutch governments have pledged to strengthen the ties that bind the two as neighbours, with cross-border co-operation on a number of issues, including fire-fighting, radicalisation and terrorism, airspace and embassies. Representatives of the two governments met last Wednesday in The Hague and signed agreements on four main issues. From mid-2017, the countries will take turns in patrolling the joint airspace of the Benelux, using fighter planes to react to any terrorist threat coming from civilian aircraft. Luxembourg, the third member of the Benelux union, has no fighter fleet, but the ambassador to The Hague co-signed the agreement all the same. Protection against a threat from military aircraft is handled at Nato level. Interior ministers for the two countries agreed on a plan to co-operate on the use of fire-fight-

Belgian prime minister charles michel (left) and his Dutch counterpart mark rutte in The hague last week

ing helicopters in severe fires such as occurred when the Kalmthout heath caught fire in May of 2011. Dutch helicopters joined in to fight the blaze. In the future, the Netherlands will provide all material and personnel; Belgium will be

required to reimburse only the real costs of the operation. From the middle of next year, the two countries will share the use of the offices of the Belgian embassy in Kinshasa. They also pledged to increase co-operation in the areas of energy and taxation. Belgium and the Netherlands are already leaders in the European policy to fight radicalisation of young people, and the two governments pledged to work closely together on the issue. Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte took the opportunity to congratulate Belgian prime minister Charles Michel on the success of the operation to break up a terrorist cell in Verviers in January, in which two suspected terrorists were killed. “This was one of the most successful preventive operations of the last quarter,” Rutte said, calling it “a top performance”.

Government of Flanders looks into car-sharing with the public

Government strikes deal to keep older workers in employment

The Flemish minister in charge of administration, Liesbeth Homans, has announced that she wants government departments to look into ways of sharing their fleets of company cars with the public. She was responding in parliament to a question tabled by Joris Vandenbroucke of the Flemish socialists. “It’s a win-win situation,” Vandenbroucke said. “On the one hand, local authorities can claw back some of the funds they have invested in their vehicle fleet, and on the other hand it encourages a form of sustainable transport that is also extremely cost-effective.” Several Flemish cities have already launched pilot projects, including

The federal government has reached agreement on its plans to keep older workers in employment and to phase out the country’s early retirement system. The new policy means that in future, older workers who are unemployed or who take early retirement will have to be available for work. They will also be expected to follow training courses to prepare themselves for the job market. SP.A president Bruno Tobback said he supported the policy but stressed that the government had to create jobs and persuade companies to take on people over the age of 50. At present, unemployed older people were highly unlikely to be offered a job, he said. Kristof Calvo of Groen (pictured)

Antwerp, Deinze, De Panne and Diksmuide. But Vandenbroucke wants the minister to consider expanding the scheme to cover the government’s fleet of 3,915 cars. “We have already met with Cambio,” Homans said. “We discussed various options, including the costs involved in implementing the scheme, which were considerable.” The minister said she was now looking for a suitable candidate to carry out a pilot project in one of the region’s provincial capitals. “No one has come forward yet, but I’m sure they will eventually,” she said.

\ Derek Blyth

said companies should not be allowed to discriminate against older people. “A lot of job applications from older workers are never answered,” he said. “The government has to tackle this problem of age discrimination.” The coalition parties N-VA and CD&V said they had introduced measures to create new jobs, such as cutting labour costs. \ DB

Volunteer organisations awarded medals of honour Four organisations that depend largely on volunteers for their work have been awarded a medal of honour by the Flemish parliament: Chiro Brussel, representing youth, the National Orchard Foundation, representing the environment, the Centre for Suicide Prevention, representing the care sector and the non-profit Meters en Peters representing integration. Last week was Week of the Volunteer in Flanders, and the awards were meant to stress the importance of volunteer work and to motivate all of the region’s volunteers. The parliament’s medal of honour traditionally recognises a group that represents some aspect of the parliament’s work. In the past, the

medal has gone to recipients in the visual arts, literature, science and social work, either in Flanders or elsewhere in the world. This year’s choice was “the volun-

teer” in general. “They are the living proof of solidarity and humanitarian work for the society,” the parliament said in a statement. Chiro is a scouting organisation, and Chiro Brussels includes 11 Chiro groups with some 1,000 children and young people under the guidance of 130 leaders. “They demonstrate that children and young people also love to live life to the full in their bilingual and multicultural city,” the statement said. The National Orchard Foundation works to protect the living heritage of traditional and heirloom fruit varieties, thus ensuring the protection of the landscape and the robust character of Flanders’ fruit-growing industry.

The Centre for Suicide Prevention launched in 1979, with its free phone line 1813, run by trained volunteers 24 hours a day. The centre, the statement said, “shows that volunteer work in the care sector is essential in closing the gap with a particular target group”. Meters en Peters (Godmothers and Godfathers) in Schilde, Antwerp province, is made up of Dutch language tutors who help young newcomers with integration (pictured) and to find their way in local schools. The group has about 100 volunteers. The representatives of the four organisations have been invited to receive their medals from parliament chair Jan Peumans in a ceremony at a later date. \ AH

\ cOVer sTOry

march 11, 2015

Art on the fringe

dutch student reveals eventful history of leuven’s “outsider” venue

www.stuK.BE

continued from page 1

became vacant that the academic authorities decided to finance renovation – which basically meant putting a wall in the middle dividing it into a performance room and a bar.” It would become the favourite spot of Leuven’s cultural crowd until 2002, when it moved to its current home, a landmark neoGothic building between Naamsestraat and Schapenstraat. In the meantime, Klapstuk gave the cultural hotspot a broader appeal. What started in 1978 as a multimedia “happening” co-produced by the local branch of the Festival of Flanders, programming experimental performance arts and minimal music, would eventually be revamped into an independent biennial contemporary dance festival. “For their first edition in 1983, they booked the leading American avant-garde choreographer Merce Cunningham,” says Brock. “International names enabled them to slowly break out of the student world.”

Academic circles were always a bit suspicious of ‘that leftist gang’ The relationship between the university and the arts centre has always been a difficult one, she says. “Both sides were happy that the students were getting an extra-curricular education, but the university never really rewarded the arts centre financially. Academic circles were always a bit suspicious of ‘that leftist gang’.” Some rectors were supportive, while others “didn’t take them very seriously,” says Brock. The fact that the arts centre asserted an autonomous position didn’t help the situation. Instead of “corny repertory theatre,” the centre programmed experimental dance, theatre and movies. “This unconventional course was often interpreted as arrogant and elitist,” Brock explains. “They claimed a place the university could not offer them.” So when the government of Flanders offered to subsidise them on a structural level, they didn’t think twice. As it became an official arts centre in 1993, staff were encouraged to widen its scope. But instead of getting bigger, the team opted to mainly support theatre-makers and focus on the process of art production, not on reaching an audience. Then, explains Brock, “an internal crisis and negative advice by the Culture Commission of the Flemish authorities threatened to cancel their subsidy, which caused panic and led to the dismissal of the whole team”. Artistic director An-Marie Lambrechts has trod the opposite path. Starting in 1997, she showed far more ambition, explains Brock. “She went to the mayor, socialist Louis Tobback, to plead for a collaboration with the city theatre Stadsschouwburg, resulting in Dubbelspel, a festival giving theatre companies the opportunity to play in both a small

The team behind sTUk in 1977 (above); a poster for sTUk’s grand opening (right)

and a big venue.” The timing was just right. The policy of the new culture minister, Bert Anciaux, focused on lowering the thresholds of cultural participation, while the province of Brabant had just been split; Leuven had become the capital of Flemish Brabant, with Tobback as a combative mayor, and city renewal and marketing were high on his agenda. “Tobback was a believer in the cultural appeal of his home town,” says Brock. “Almost immediately the plan of moving the whole arts centre out of the social sciences campus to the stately Arenberg site became very concrete.” With financial support from the city and the province, renewed interest from the university and a final investment by the government of Flanders, a renovation project by architect Willem Jan Neutelings was funded. “Rumour has it the decision was only made after Tobback, slamming his fist on the table, said: ‘If Bruges gets its Concertgebouw, we get our arts centre.’” Just before moving to the new building, the name Stuc was changed to STUK. Scale models by Neutelings still showed the original name, but the ‘K’ of the now defunct but beloved Klapstuk festival was

integrated in the name. Of course, stuk also means broken or out of order, keeping a reference to the obstinate, avantgarde nature of the centre. The introduction of a new building and a wider range of disciplines such as rock music, visual arts and cinema attracted bigger audiences: Visitor numbers increased from 40,000 in 2000 (in the old building) to 70,000 in 2003 (in the new building). Since the start of the new millennium, the cultural landscape has changed, not least in Leuven. STUK used to be the only art house in town; now it is one of many. There’s not only the city’s own 30CC programme; over the last 15 years, new spaces for visual arts (M Museum), music (Het Depot) and theatre (OPEK) have emerged. They have all had an influence on the disciplines presented at STUK, which has been forced to reshape and seek out niches once again. Starting from the new season in September, STUK will present itself as a House for Dance, Image and Sound, emphasising the convergence between these three fields. “Contemporary dance has difficulties in other cities and arts centres,” says Brock, “so STUK will be embracing the breakthrough discipline with even more passion. And instead

of encompassing all visual arts and music, it’s more relevant to focus on media art and experimental sounds.” These three disciplines are also not limited by language and occur in an international context, so the arts centre has decided to do all its communication in both Dutch and English. “I didn’t only want to show how STUK has changed, but also how its context has changed, on a local, national and international level,” says Brock. “Looking at the past, people tend to get nostalgic, but I don’t think that’s a good idea. I often hear people saying ‘In the 1980s, there was nothing, but everything was possible’, and it’s partly correct. But the development of the arts centres changed the whole context and make comparisons with the past pointless. “That said, I don’t think STUK needs to worry: They always got away with it – throwing away the old stuff, taking risks and doing something completely new.” STUK, een geschiedenis 1977-2015 (STUK, a History, in Dutch) is on sale at STUK from 21 March

watchiNg aNd heariNg 37.5 years go by

socialist mayor louis Tobback with a model of the proposed new centre, which opened in 2002

With a spate of books and birthdays for Beursschouwburg, Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Vooruit, AB and Behoud De Begeerte, there’s been a lot of reflection in the Flemish arts field lately. On a slowly turning mobile, connected to the ceiling of the STUK exhibition room, hang 37.5 objects, all witnesses of a past that’s slowly passing by once more. Among them are a dress from the Brussels-based American dancer and choreographer Meg Stuart and meaningful items selected by artists such as Jan Fabre and Wim Vandekeybus, whose timeless performances are part of a “memory lane” series. All items have audio fragments of, well… 37.5 seconds. A video montage includes archive frag-

ments that are exactly 37.5 seconds long, and you can pick out one of the 100 songs available on a jukebox — from The Cure through jazz and minimal music to indietronics — and dance to it on an improvised dance floor. Wait, 100 songs? “37.5 songs were way too few, and, let’s be honest, it’s a gimmick with an expiry date,” says curator Marleen Brock. “I might as well admit that these 37.5 years were just random,” she laughs. “They had to wait until my PhD was finished.” The free exhibition Was het nu ’t Stuc, STUC of STUK? opens on 21 March and is followed by a party

\ BUsIness

weeK iN busiNess apparel Van de Velde

The Aalst-based lingerie manufacturer has written off its €31.4 million investment in the US Intimacy lingerie chain, seven years after initiating its partnership with the company.

Beverages champagne

Belgians are the world’s biggest drinkers of Champagne per capita after the French. The country guzzled almost 10 million bottles last year, 2.3% more than in 2013.

Distribution amP

The French Lagardère media group is seeking a buyer for its Brussels-based press distribution and newsstand operator AMP. The marginally profitable company, which handles almost 90% of the distribution of print media in Belgium, also owns the Press Shop chain of stores.

energy elia

The Brussels-based electricity transport and network operator has signed a joint venture agreement with the UK National Grid company to set up the first electricity interconnection linking the Belgian and British networks. Elia is expected to invest up to €2.3 billion in the project over the next four years.

rail siemens

National railway operator NMBS has been forced to delay the introduction of its new double-decker coaches until 2019 because German manufacturer Siemens is legally contesting the €3 billion contract won by its competitor, Alstom-Bombardier. The new rail cars had been expected to start operating from 2017.

retail Veritas

The fabric and accessories chain, based in Kontich, Antwerp province, has been sold to the Luxembourg-based Indufin investment group for an unspecified amount. The company, launched more than a century ago, operates more than 120 outlets in Belgium and has plans to open up to 80 more stores over the next five years.

Telecoms Base

The country’s third largest telecommunications operator has been put on the market by its owner, the Dutch KPN group, with an asking price of €1 billion. Potential buyers are said to include Mechelenbased media group Telenet, owned by the US Liberty global company, and the French Altice group.

Companies unite to create world force in fruit and veg

merger of flemish concerns would see annual sales of €3.7 billion alan hope more articles by alan \ flanderstoday.eu

hree Flemish companies have begun talks on merging aspects of their businesses in what would be a new world leader on the market of fruit and vegetables. Greenyard Foods is a Ghent-based company listed on the stock exchange and active in frozen and preserved fruit and vegetables, with production facilities also in France, the UK, Poland and Hungary. Univeg from Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Antwerp province, specialises in fresh fruit and vegetables and is present in 27 countries, employing more than 4,000 people in total. Peatinvest, meanwhile, also from Ghent, is active in the horticultural sector in four countries, supplying substrates for professional growers and hobbyists. The three already have one thing in common: the main shareholder is Hein Deprez, a West

Flemish entrepreneur who started out growing mushrooms and whose businesses now turn over €3.3 billion a year. The companies together, according to a statement by Greenyard, would have combined sales

of €3.7 billion annually. Univeg alone delivers 10,000 pallets of fresh fruit and vegetables to 19 out of 20 of the largest supermarket chains in Europe, according to the company. “Creating a combined group offering fresh, frozen and canned fruit and vegetables would be beneficial to growers, consumers, retailers, employees and shareholders,” Deprez said in a statement. “We believe societal trends call for a more holistic view on the consumption of produce.” The companies said no decision had yet been reached on the structure of a future collaboration. Talks have been scheduled on valuation, and a joint strategic roadmap is being developed. On the Brussels stock exchange, Greenyard shares rose 15% on news of the possible merger.

Foundation Against Cancer Brussels taxi drivers block calls for ban on tanning salons traffic in protest The Foundation Against Cancer has called on the government to ban tanning salons, after a report revealed that there is virtually no official scrutiny of the sector. Tanning salon operators described the call as “drastic”. According to figures from the economy ministry requested by MP Els Van Hoof (CD&V), the number of inspections of tanning salons has halved over the last three years. In the 58 inspections that took place last year, only three salons were found to be operating in line with regulations. The rules in force cover matters such as the intensity of UV lamps, the maintenance of lamps and filters, the quality of eye protection and the exclusion of minors and people with Type 1 skin – pale, fair and freckled, who never tan and always burn. “Nobody knows at the moment exactly how many salons there are,” Van Hoof said and called for a system of mandatory registration. The Foundation Against Cancer went one step further. Skin cancer specialist Brigitte Boonen, who works with the foundation, spoke on VRT radio about why a ban is needed. First, she said, the evidence that sunbeds can cause cancer is “overwhelming”. Belgium is among the leaders in Europe of sunbed use. “Even if the regulations were being followed, which is not the case, the radiation from a sunbed would be equivalent to a factor 12,” said Boonen. Even at that low level, medical advice is to use sunscreen. The majority of cancer cases are caused by exposure to the sun, not sunbeds, argued Marc Debecker of tanning consultancy Vlaamse Zonneconsulenten. To call for a ban is “to take an elephant gun to shoot a gnat,” he said. Sunbeds are not in themselves dangerous, although excessive use of them can be, he said. Federal consumer affairs minister Kris Peeters said he had met with both sides and assured them that the sector is being continually monitored. “Breaches of the rules will not be tolerated if it involves health risks,” he said. \ AH

About 1,000 taxi drivers demonstrated in Brussels against mobility minister Pascal Smet’s new taxi plan, which opens the door to the legalisation of Uber. The caravan of taxis drove from North Station to the Schuman area, blocking traffic along the way. The gathering included taxis from elsewhere in Belgium, as well as some from other countries where Uber is also considered a threat. When Uber, which bills itself as a ride-sharing service, arrived in Brussels, it was immediately declared illegal by Smet’s predecessor, Brigitte Grouwels. She had Uber cars seized by police for operating in the capital while not conforming to the regulations required of official taxis. Smet’s new plan would allow Uber to operate under strict conditions. Drivers would have to register and pay taxes and would only be allowed to work for Uber as a side-job. Tariffs, which at present can change according to the time of day and the level of demand, would have to be transparent.

Uber cars would not have access to bus lanes or taxi ranks. Smet also promised taxi drivers group purchases, organised by the region, of cars, fuel, insurance and credit card readers, to help reduce costs for the sector. He said he would review the current limit of 1,300 on the number of official licences in circulation. Following the demonstration, two of Brussels’ official taxi associations filed a complaint against Smet. Both ATB and Taxis United claim that the mobility minister is in breach of a decision taken in 2007 – before the arrival of Uber – by the Brussels-Capital Region on taxi services and car hire. \ AH

Alpro to invest €80 million and create 250 jobs Ghent-based food company Alpro is investing €80 million this year in growing its production of plantbased drinks and other vegetarian food products. The company will invest 80% of the total in Belgium – about €64 million. It will also take on 250 new employees, 200 of them in Belgium. The investment will see the arrival of eight new production lines, five of them in Wevelgem, bringing the total to 26. The other three will be at its plant at Kettering in

the UK. Production of almond and hazelnut milk drinks, currently produced elsewhere under contract, will be brought in-house. “Where before, Alpro was a brand for people with health issues, such as high cholesterol or the effects of menopause, these days we have become a brand for people who want to lead a healthy lifestyle,” said CEO Bernard Deryckere. “Plant-based is healthier than animal-based and better for the environment.”

Alpro has spent €75 million since it extended its production of soyabased drinks and introduced its almond and hazelnut lines, taking on 200 new staff. The company now employs 910 people, 80% of them in Belgium. By the end of the year, total staff will have risen to 1,160. Alpro had a turnover last year of €410 million. In related news, Flemish dredging company Jan De Nul has said it is looking for engineers, technicians, construction workers and electro-

mechanics as it announced the launch of a new multi-purpose ship built in Croatia. And security firm Securitas is launching a campaign to hire 140 staff over the age of 50. The company currently employs over50s in one-third of its positions in Belgium; it says it prizes them for their “maturity and alertness”. Ten of their agents are older than 70. \ AH

\ InnOVaTIOn

march 11, 2015

All creatures weird and small

flemish scientist leads the field in the exotic world of diatoms senne starckx more articles by senne \ flanderstoday.eu

Biologist Bart Van de Vijver is just back from a journey to the South Pole. In spite of a series of setbacks, he managed to collect specimens of some of the most beautiful living things on Earth.

f you take a drop of water from the sea, a river or even a shallow pond and put it under a microscope, there’s a good chance you’ll be stunned by what you see. A glimpse into this micro-world feels like entering a wonder-room from the Renaissance: All the most bizarre and complex forms and shapes are there. It’s like you’re immersed in a parallel world governed by mathematics and geometry. All these forms and shapes are pure nature. They are the external skeletons of diatoms, one of the most common algae and the base of nearly every aqueous ecosystem in the world. The skeletons are made of silica (glass) and are composed of two parts. And because every diatom species has its own particular skeleton shape, often decorated with an additional geometrical pattern, these micro-organisms are among the most diverse creatures on the planet. And there are a lot of them. Scientists have counted more than 50,000 diatom species – and they estimate that another 100,000 are waiting to be discovered. Most of them are no larger than a 10th of a millimetre, but altogether their total weight equals that of all the fish and sea animals that eat them every day. Diatoms live on carbon dioxide and sunlight, which they use to synthesise organic compounds. Although they’re rarely talked about, diatoms are – just like the rainforests on land – the green lungs of the Earth. Some biologists devote their lives to the science of diatoms. They can spend weeks on end looking for interesting species, often in the most remote (and untouched) corners of the world. One of them is Bart Van de Vijver, who collaborates with the Botanic Garden in Meise, just outside Brussels. A few weeks ago, Van de Vijver discovered and described his 300th species, a feat that made the headlines. He named it Halamphora ausloosiana after Gert Ausloos, his friend and colleague who died suddenly last year. Like three-quarters of the species Van de Vijver has discovered, H ausloosiana comes from the waters around the South Pole. He is one of the lucky people who get to do fieldwork in one of the most untouched places on Earth: the Antarctic. In January, he took part in a Span-

weeK iN iNNovatioN Vito launches seismic study in limburg

The Flemish Institute for Technical Research (Vito) and energy research park EnergyVille have begun a study to determine whether a sustainable energy supply on the basis of geothermal energy is possible in central Limburg. For two weeks, specially equipped trucks from the German company DMT are carrying out measurements in the region. The study will examine the possibility of pumping warm water from a depth of between two and three kilometres. This process should lead to the generation of electricity and would help to heat buildings. Such geothermal energy systems are already being used in the Netherlands and Germany.

One in 10 newborns overweight

Bart Van de Vijver and colleague kate kopalová (above) at work in the antarctic studying and collecting diatoms (below)

ish expedition, aiming to stay for two weeks on Deception Island, one of the safest harbours in Antarctica. Curious about Van de Vijver’s experience, we got in touch with him just after his boat moored in Ushuaia – the gateway to the Antarctic in the southern tip of Argentina. It turns out the trip didn’t go entirely as planned: To begin with,

alive and dead. The dead skeletons we use to study the different species morphologically; the living organisms we try to bring home safely, where we grow them in our laboratory so we can study their genetic diversity.” The Antarctic is the perfect place to do all this because there’s so little human influence there, unlike in environments closer to

Working with diatoms is a daily source of joy and admiration bad weather kept them at the airport at Punta Arenas in Chile. “It took us three attempts to land at the Chilean base on Antarctica,” he says, “and, once we were there, the Chilean navy held us on a boat for three more days, for various logistical reasons. So when we finally reached Deception Island, there were only three days left. I had to cram my planned schedule of nine fieldwork days into only three.” Once they were in, the weather continued to hinder them. “My Czech colleague, Kate Kopalová, and I had to work amid strong winds and lashing rain.” The general question that scientists like Van de Vijver are trying to answer is what diatoms actually are. And are they found literally everywhere, as many scientists believe? Or do they have a specific range of distribution, just like macro-organisms such as plants and animals? “By collecting material from different islands with a more or less untouched ecosystem,” says Van de Vijver, “we hope to learn more about their distribution. We collect material that’s both

home. “When we learn something about the distribution of diatoms, we have to be sure that it’s entirely natural,” Van de Vijver explains. That’s not possible, he continues, “in the neighbourhood of, for example, the port of Antwerp. Seagoing vessels carry tons of ballast water by which marine diatom species are distributed around the world. So when you find something unusual in the water of the Scheldt, you can’t be sure if it originated there. I once found a species in the port whose closest relatives are normally only found in the Indian Ocean.” The diatom’s skeletons have weird and wonderful shapes and patterns, but scientists don’t really know for what purpose. “I don’t have a clue,” Van de Vijver admits. “Every day I’m stunned by the incredible variety of shapes, forms and patterns that they possess. For the shapes, however, I can make a guess. All plankton needs to be very buoyant, so they require some necessary structures. Some epiphyte species – species that live on water plants – look like little curved knots. So they can attach themselves easily

to reed canes.” It’s the additional patterns that most skeletons are decorated with that make them look like little jewels, he says. “I suppose there’s some mathematics in it, as fractals are found in many more forms in the biological world. Thanks to these patterns, working with diatoms is a daily source of joy and admiration.” The island where Van de Vijver has been working has a natural harbour formed by the caldera of a sleeping volcano. It looks like it would be a magnificent holiday destination, I point out, if temperatures were a bit higher. And it seems others think the same, to the detriment of scientists hoping to make use of its pristine environment. “When I was doing fieldwork near an old whaling station, I saw a tourist boat that dropped a hundred tourists, many of them elderly, on land,” Van de Vijver recalls. “They started to swarm around like bees, and then I heard a whistle. They all put on their bathing suits to go swimming in the water, which is pleasantly warm due to volcanic activity. “We, on the other hand, need a permit for every move we make on the island. We have to disinfect our material and ensure that everything we carry is ‘seed-free’. But these hordes of rich people can bring all their bacteria and viruses to the island. Tourism in the Antarctic really needs to be better regulated.”

Nearly one in 10 (9.5%) babies born in Flanders exceeds a healthy weight, according to a study by the University of Leuven. If a baby weighs more than four kilograms at birth, its birth weight is too high in comparison with the average weight. A newborn Flemish girl weighs on average 3.35kg and a boy 3.45kg. The researchers looked at data from the Study Centre for Perinatal Epidemiology, which has statistics that go back to 1999, when only 8% of babies were born overweight. Women with a body mass index of 30 or more have an increased chance of having an overweight baby. Excessive weight gain during pregnancy can also lead to larger babies, as can the mother’s diet and genetic factors from either the mother’s or father’s side. It can cause problems during the birth and means an increased risk of obesity at a later stage.

Government to tighten up cyber security The Flemish minister for administration, Liesbeth Homans, has launched a plan to tighten up digital security in government departments. She has based the policy on a recent internal audit of digital security, which showed that departments were strong on security in certain areas, but there were still weaknesses that could be exploited by cyber criminals. The report made several recommendations, including the introduction of a government digital security strategy and a digital safety awareness campaign aimed at all Flemish civil servants.

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\ eDUcaTIOn

march 11, 2015

A 48-hour rush

weeK iN educatioN master’s fee raised for non-europeans

solvay Business game gives European students a leg-up Bartosz Brzezinski more articles by Bartosz \ flanderstoday.eu

www.solvayBusinEssgamE.com

ast year’s winners designed a proposal that was implemented into a marketing strategy by the national rail authority. One participant now works for the largest consulting company in the world, only months after finishing his studies. Think students don’t have what it takes to make it in the real world of business? The organisers of Solvay Business Game beg to differ. The Solvay Business Game (SBG) will return to Brussels for a twoday contest at the Sheraton Airport Hotel this week. Now in its eighth year, SBG claims to be the largest student-organised business game in Europe, with over 1,600 applicants and 400 qualifying participants in Master’s and final-year Bachelor’s programmes from 52 European universities. The competition was first created by students from the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management in 2007. It is split into six challenges organised by corporate partners like Unilever, BDO, Electrabel and Baume & Mercier. The first challenge took place online last November. The 1,600 participating students, put in pairs, had but a few hours to complete their assigned task and send their solutions to the judges. One of last year’s proposals turned out to be so good, rail authority NMBS decided to use it in its own marketing strategy. “The NMBS was just about to kick off its Bluebike scheme,” explains Dorian Kronenwerth, spokesperson for SBG and a former participant. “The task for the students was to develop a strategy of how to better

Teams of students take a stab at real business challenges this week in Brussels

promote the brand and make the bikes more attractive. And the winners actually then worked together with the railway to merge their strategies.”

challenges that test their marketing, strategic decision-making and negotiation skills. In the last leg of the competition, the eloquence challenge, the best-

Students get to know companies through real exercises instead of another corporate presentation Students who qualified via the online challenge in the autumn advancetonextweek’sfinal,hosted by consulting firm McKinsey & Company, the competition’s main partner for the past four years. The students, randomly divided into teams of six, are asked to complete

performing students of the previous challenges have to debate a topic on stage in front of all the other participants, professors, guests and the media. The panel of judges includes Bruno van Pottelsberghe, dean of the Solvay school, Hakima

Darhmouch, a local TV presenter, Stéphane Rosenblatt, director of commercial broadcaster RTL-TVI, and Brussels-based entrepreneur Bruno Wattenbergh. According to Kronenwerth, the purpose of the competition is to expose students to the reality of the business world and to give them a concrete set of skills they can use when applying for jobs. “The idea is to give students the practical side of things, to make it a stepping stone into the professional world, to equip them with skills, to give them the opportunity to experience different sectors of the industry and to let them see which ones could be of particular interest to them,” he says. For Nicolas Maelfait, a Bachelor’s finalist in last year’s edition, the event was an invaluable learning experience. “During that weekend, I learned more about team dynamics, how to give good presentations, how to negotiate and how to address the clients’ needs than in three years at university,” he says. “The increased ability to think clearly under pressure will hopefully help me when I start job interviews in the near future.” For another 2014 winner, Romain Hup, who now works for McKinsey & Company, the event is all about networking. “While students have plenty of opportunities to meet potential recruiters on campus or during events organised directly by the companies, the dynamics at SBG are totally different,” he says. “Students get to know companies through real exercises instead of another corporate presentation.”

Student tutoring schemes worried about contributions Since 1 January, student tutors in Flanders have to pay the government social contributions of up to €75 every quarter. Student organisations StudAnt and Sagio – representing tutors in Antwerp and Leuven respectively – have issued warnings that the measure will put many students off tutoring and are likely to increase undocumented work. StudAnt and Sagio were both founded by students in higher education. Both non-profit organisations bring students from secondary and higher education who have difficulties studying into contact with fellow students willing to offer help. The tutors provide assistance with particular courses or help students develop more efficient study habits. In the past, student tutors were exempted from paying social contributions when they earned less than €1,408 a year. “Our students never earn more,” StudAnt and Sagio said in a joint statement. “We try to provide all students interested in tutoring with hours, so we distribute the lesson hours among as many students as possible.” The organisations claim that many of their

members do not want to give up what little they earn. “They are never sure if we’ll have lessons for them, so they don’t know if or when they

We offer a strong alternative to expensive tutoring organisations are going to earn money,” they stated. “Furthermore, some students find it difficult to pay the contributions.” Student tutors at StudAnt and Sagio earn between €15 and €18 per hour, depending on the distance they have to travel and the level of assistance offered. “Our tutors, however, are doing it mostly to help other students, to review courses them-

selves, to acquire didactic skills, to work in a team and to learn to explain difficult issues in an accessible way,” the organisations said. They added that fair remuneration was important because students spend a lot of time on tutoring assignments and have to pay for their own transportation and course materials. According to StudAnt and Sagio, student tutors are highly valued by their mentees because they can relate to the lives of the students. “Our service guarantees quality, flexibility, a personal approach and affordability,” the nonprofits said in the statement. “We offer a strong alternative to expensive tutoring organisations.” The organisations stated that if the legislation is not revised to meet the concerns of student tutors, they may need to cease their operations. Flemish education minister Hilde Crevits has already promised to look into the matter, together with Acerta, the social insurance fund that handles both organisations’ social security contributions. \ Andy Furniere

The enrolment fee that students from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) have to pay to start a Master’s degree will increase at some Flemish universities next academic year, reports Veto, the University of Leuven’s (KU Leuven) student newspaper. “The growing group of non-EEA students needs special assistance,” said Jan Raeymaekers, head of educational organisation at KU Leuven. “That’s why a few of our faculties are raising the registration fee.” Antwerp and Hasselt are also raising their enrolment fees for these students. The Free University of Brussels plans no change, and Ghent University will decide in the coming weeks.

University colleges want to raise the bar Flemish university colleges want to oblige first-year students to achieve a minimum of 60% of the total study points rather than the current 50%. The University Colleges’ Council (Vlhora) hopes this will lead to a change in mentality among first-years that encourages them to work harder from the start of their studies. Students who don’t achieve 60% could receive study guidance or even be refused the right to register for the same discipline. Four out of 10 first-year students in Flanders’ higher education institutions do not achieve 60% of study points, according to figures provided by education minister Hilde Crevits.

record “secondchance” diplomas Young people in Flanders are increasingly getting their secondary education diplomas through the Tweedekansonderwijs, or secondchance education, system. In five years, the number of students in the system has doubled – from 4,006 in the academic year 2009-2010 to 8,617 in 2013-2014. The figures come from the region’s education minister, requested by MP Elisabeth Meuleman of Groen. De Standaard said the increase was due to the increased number of secondchance education centres in recent years. Those centres have also recently worked more closely with the Flemish employment agency VDAB, which has expanded the scope of the system. \ AF

\ lIVInG

weeK iN activities creativa Brussels Belgium’s biggest fair for crafts, hobbies and creative pursuits, including painting, ceramics, sewing, cake decorating and scrapbooking. Workshops for kids and adults. 12-15 March, 10.0018.00; Brussels Expo, Belgiëplein 1; €11 www.brussels.creativa.eu

carnival in hasselt Miss Carnival? Well, get yourself to Hasselt this weekend because there the festivities take place halfway through Lent. Children’s Parade and Crazy Pub Crawl on Saturday, International Parade and festivities on Sunday. 13-15 March; Hasselt city centre; free \ www.uitinhasselt.be

messing with the marollen A guided tour of the Marollen neighbourhood of Brussels, focusing on social history and urban renewal. Includes the Justice Palace, Brigittinen Chapel and SintPieter Hospital. Reserve via website. 14 March, 13.30-17.00; Justice Palace, Poelaertplein, Brussels; €11 \ www.brukselbinnenstebuiten.be/

youth Book week Humour is the theme this year for Flanders’ festival celebrating children’s literature, organised in co-operation with schools, libraries, bookstores and publishers. See website for complete programme. 14-29 March, across Flanders \ www.jeugdboekenweek.be

Traditional sword Dance The tradition of sword dancing in Flanders goes back hundreds of years. Since 1970, the group Lange Wapper has been recreating this ceremonial dance every year in Antwerp, accompanied by drums, pipes and flutes. 15 March, repeating performances between 8.40 and 13.30; Handschoenenmarkt and Grote Markt, Antwerp; free \ www.visitantwerpen.be

Bringing history into the future flemish wood carver recreates relics stolen from English abbey denzil walton more articles by Denzil \ flanderstoday.eu

little over a year ago, the Benedictine Abbey of St Michael’s in Farnborough, England, received some visitors. Every year, thousands of people come to see this magnificent 19th-century abbey. But these particular visitors weren’t your typical heritage lovers; they didn’t queue up and pay their £3 for the one-hour guided tour. Instead, they broke into the abbey under cover of darkness, entered the crypt and stole historic framed prayers in French and Latin from the tomb of Prince Louis, son of Napoleon III (and nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte). Prince Napoléon Eugène Louis Jean Joseph Bonaparte was the only child of Emperor Napoleon III of France. He died aged 23 while fighting for the British Army under Lord Chelmsford in the Zulu War in South Africa. When his body was retrieved from the battlefield, a number of handwritten prayers were found in his wallet. These were returned to his mother, Empress Eugénie, who had them engraved and mounted on intricately carved wooden frames. The works were placed in the family’s crypt in Farnborough Abbey. Until their theft last February, they were used regularly by monks during mass. Despite the efforts of local police and an international appeal among antique dealers, the prayer frames have not been retrieved, so thoughts turned to their replacement. “The frames were made by an unknown wood carver in incredible detail. Finding someone to make exact replicas was always going to be a difficult task,” abbot Cuthbert Brogan told local reporters.

Few reach the level of woodcarving skills possesed by limburger Patrick Damiaens

After making some initial enquiries, Brogan stumbled upon the website of Patrick Damiaens, an ornamental woodcarver in Maaseik, Limburg. “After seeing pictures of what he is capable of – in particular the highly detailed and delicate floral designs – we knew we had found someone capable of equalling, or maybe even exceeding, the work of the original craftsman.” Following discussions about the project, the job was awarded to Damiaens. “It was a great honour to be asked to carve replicas of these beautiful prayer frames,” he tells me. “I was also very excited about the challenge involved, as the level

of intricacy and detail in the originals is exceptional. For much of

the time, I will be carving under a powerful magnifying glass.” Damiaens is always looking for jobs that push his technical skills to the limit and even force him to develop new skills, he says. He will spend some time in museums in Paris acquainting himself with original carvings done in the very ornate Napoleon III-style. This includes detailed acanthus leaves, small satyrs and the emblems of the emperor. The original prayer frames were made of walnut, as will be the replacements. “Walnut is ideal for this type of job, thanks to its very fine grain,” he explains. Damiaens has sent cuts of French walnut to a furniture maker, which will make the frames and pass them onto Damiaens to carve. The largest of the three measures 60 x 80 centimetres. Damiaens has photographs of the originals, from which he’ll make technical illustrations before he sets to carving. When the prayer frames are completed, he hopes to travel to Farnborough for their official unveiling next year.

who is PatricK damiaeNs? • •

• • • •

The only full-time ornamental wood carver in Flanders Studied furniture-making at Sint-Jansberg College in Maaseik for six years and ornamental wood carving at the Don Bosco Institute in Liège for four years Works in close co-operation with a staircase maker, two cabinet makers, a panel-builder and a furniture restorer Has customers throughout the world Has been awarded this year’s Ereteken van de Arbeid (Belgian Gold Honour Badge of Labour). This recognition of his skill is awarded by the Koninklijk Instituut der Eliten van de Arbeid (Royal Institute of the Elites of Labour) Does not own a mobile phone, has flown only once and has never visited England

bite foodie events It’s the start of the season for festival-goers and revelry-seekers of all kinds, with people slowly rising out of hibernation to attend an everincreasing number of events across the region. From now through the summer months, there will be no chance to twiddle your thumbs, especially for the foodies among us. A few highlights this month include Kerk Food Festival and Sunday Foodcamp, both in Ghent, and Leuven’s Amuse-Gueuze.

care Day

The first edition of Kerk Food Festival last year was an immediate success, which is hardly surprising with a concept like Food Trucks and Cocktails. This year, the organisers have booked 16 trucks to fill the spacious covered hall, ranging from the Dutch Weed Burger, with its 100% vegan “healthy fast superfood”, to Epicurus with its artisanal organic ice cream. Add in the free entrance, quality DJs and entertainment for the little ones, and you couldn’t ask for a more perfect family outing. 20 March, 17.00-23.00; 21-22 March, 11.00-23.00; Kerkstraat 24, Ghent \ www.tinyurl.com/kerkfoodfest

Open House at hospitals and health-care centres across Flanders. Guided tours, demonstrations, kids’ activities, info sessions. See website for participating institutions in your area. 15 March; across Flanders; free \ www.dagvandezorg.be

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www.PatricKdamiaEns.BE

Beyond the monumental gateway of Ghent’s beautifully renovated Old Fish Market lies an inner courtyard just begging to be used for something like Sunday Foodcamp. This new event kicks off on 22 March and continues through mid-October, featuring a different caterer or food truck every Sunday. Enjoy fine wine and finger food from the friendly chaps over at mobile wine bar and food truck Le Van Rouge, for example, or

lick your fingers clean after a tasty grilled meal prepared by the Korean barbecue chefs at Mokja. 22 March to 11 October, 18.30-22.30, Oude Vismijn, Sint-Veerleplein 5, Ghent

\www.tinyurl.com/sundayfoodcamp

The idea for food-pairing event Amuse-Gueuze (pictured) was born of a love for two very Flemish creations: gueuze beer and fine food, both prepared by passionate people with respect for nature. And so the exclusive event was launched, a five-course meal featuring pure, authentic dishes served with lambic and gueuze beers, those wonderfully tart, spontaneously fermented brews that are so unique to the Flemish region. This third edition will take place in Leuven, but places are limited, with just four seats left at the time of writing. But never despair, the organiser assures me there will be a fourth edition of Amuse-Gueuze come autumn. 12-14 March, 19.00, Het Land aan de Overkant, Léon Schreursvest 85, Leuven \ Robyn Boyle \ www.amusegueuze.com

march 11, 2015

Rumours put to rest

stam museum responds to doubts around masterpiece with tell-all exhibition tom Peeters more articles by Tom \ flanderstoday.eu

www.stamgEnt.BE

“P

anoramic View of Ghent”, realised by an unknown painter and dated 1534, has long been considered the oldest painted view of the capital of East Flanders. It was also one of the few original 16th-century cityscapes of Ghent that survived the passage of time. “Panoramic View” was also considered to have great historic significance because the painting shows what the city looked like before Emperor Charles V had major urban works carried out. No wonder the government of Flanders decided to recognise the painting as a masterpiece in 2009. In recent years, however, a number of scholars have called the painting’s 15th-century date into question. One historian even claimed that it might just as well be a romanticised copy created much later, in the 19th century. So SMAK sent the piece off to the Brussels-based Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (IRPA-KIK), which did an in-depth study and has now revealed these claims and doubts to be unfounded. Case 1534: A Masterpiece Under Investigation, an exhibition on view at the Ghent city museum STAM, explains what the scientists uncovered and why they’re so sure the painting (pictured) is not a fraud. The exhibition reveals that the painting was named and dated from the inscription in the frame: “Ganda Gallie Belgice Civitas Maxima 1534” (Ghent Largest City of Gallia Belgica). Most city portraits realised in the 16th century showed a similar tendency to boast the praises of the cities they depicted. “We’re

researchers confirm that “Panoramic View of Ghent” is the real deal

talking about an era in which city portraits became an independent genre and no longer served as a background for religious scenes,” explains co-curator Wout De Vuyst. “In fact, these paintermapmakers were the predecessors of the first cartographers, who would later skip perspective and stick to a top view.” But back to Case 1534. How can we be sure the painting was realised that year, when the latest available records of it go back until just 1728? It was at that time kept

in the city’s Sint-Pieters Abbey and served as evidence in a trial between the City of Ghent and the bishop. How do we know with absolutely certainty that “Panoramic View” is not in fact a copy? The exhibition reveals that the proof is in the painting. For their Case 1534 investigation, the IRPAKIK researchers used photographic techniques that allowed them to see a work’s individual layers. They found that the painting was clearly executed in two stages: first, the painter sketched

his outlines and only later filled in the details. “It is remarkable how detailed it is and how many corrections were made to the first drawing,” says De Vuyst. “The changes the artist continuously made, together with his fluency and artistic signature, indicate it is an original work.” Adds fellow curator Jeannine Baldewijns: “Comparisons with

until 24 may

other city portraits of the same era don’t show any anomalies. Also, the black painted edges with nail holes are characteristic of 15thand 16th-century canvas paintings.” Cross-sections of samples the researchers took from the paint layers showed pigments that were typical for the time. The presence of blue azurite, a mineral imported from Hungary, is especially intriguing. “By the end of the 16th century, it would disappear from the Western European market, since the Turks occupied Hungary,” says De Vuyst. Though he admits that it’s impossible to be sure of the exact date, he notes that “all evidence indicates that the city portrait was painted between 1530 and 1540”. But there were other discoveries, too. “We were often surprised by the results of interdisciplinary research,” says De Vuyst. “A specialist in waterways pointed out a relatively large river vessel on the Ketelvaart. It confirms recent archaeological discoveries, indicating that the Scheldt was originally far wider at the present-day Walloon Krook. Only later was more land claimed from the river by filling it up with the waste of nearby tanneries.” Putting all the pieces of the puzzle together, through different disciplines, makes this kind of research complex “but all the more intriguing,” says De Vuyst. “An ivorytower mentality about your discipline will not get you anywhere here.”

sTam

Godshuizenlaan 2, Ghent

Flanders Week in Gdan´sk celebrates links with Poland

Remains of citadel found under Antwerp museum

The Polish seaport city of Gdan´sk is hosting “Flanders Week in Gdan´sk later this month to highlight the links between Flanders and Poland. The week of events from 14 to 21 March is being organised by various Flemish and Polish organisations to celebrate trading and cultural links that go back to the Middle Ages. The festival marks the opening of the new Shakespeare Theatre in Gdan´sk, which stands on the site of a wooden building constructed in the 17th century by the Van den Blocke family from Mechelen. Originally a fencing school, the building was later used by travelling English theatre companies, leading to it being called the Shakespeare Thea-

Experts have identified remains of the 16th-century citadel known as Zuidkasteel, or South Castle, under the Royal Museum for Fine Arts in Antwerp (KMSKA), Flemish science magazine Eos reports. The remains are from the main wall of the citadel and were discovered during digging works related to the renovation of the museum. Researchers also found remains of the barracks of the South Castle and of a bunker structure from where soldiers could fire their guns. The citadel was built on the order of King Philip II and the Duke of Alba to help control the rebellious city of Antwerp. It served as the base for Spanish soldiers who, in

www.flandErswEEKgdansK.Eu

tre. Gdan´sk (pictured) was part of the Hanseatic League merchant confederation, which dominated trade agreements along the coast of Northern Europe from the 14th to 17th centuries. This paved the way for much trade between the regions as well as urban and architectural influences.

The week will focus on themes such as maritime co-operation, urban planning and heritage conservation. Events include a photo exhibition of green space in Ghent and Mechelen, a screening of the film The Broken Circle Breakdown and a concert by the Frank Vaganée trio. Several prominent Flemish leaders are travelling to Gdan´sk to attend events, including minister-president Geert Bourgeois, Ghent mayor Daniël Termont and Mechelen mayor Bart Somers. The city of Ghent, which already has strong links with Gdan´sk, is playing a key role in the programme. Mechelen is also closely involved because of the Van den Blocke family link. \ Derek

Blyth

a map of 17th-century antwerp, with the imposing citadel on the left side

1576, pillaged the city – the historical event known as the Spanish Fury. The imposing construction occupied almost the entire south quarter of the city. The citadel was demolished in the 19th century, and KMSKA was built on the spot. \ Andy Furniere

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Flamenco in Flanders

guitarist myrddin is ploughing a lonely musical furrow christophe verbiest more articles by christophe \ flanderstoday.eu

www.myrddinmusic.com

The son of a Flemish folk icon, singer-songwriter Myrddin is following in the footsteps of a musical family as he releases his fifth album, in a genre that’s something of a niche in Flanders.

ometimes a musician needs only one name. You have to admit that operating under the name Myrddin is much more mysterious and intriguing than “Myrddin De Cauter”. And so the youngest son of Flemish folk icon Koen De Cauter dropped his surname when he released his first album 15 years ago at the age of 21. Since then, Myrddin, who tours Flanders this month, has been one of the region’s most interesting flamenco guitarists and composers, injecting the genre with folk and jazz. “I grew up in a family where music was omnipresent,” he says. “Not only flamenco, but also classical, jazz, Hungarian and Romanian music.” Myrddin – “Merlin” in Welsh, and the name of a mythical Welsh prophet – grew up in a very musical environment. His father is a singer and multi-instrumentalist and his three older siblings all play music, too. “I wasn’t really interested until I started playing the

But it was six strings that changed his world and guided Myrddin to flamenco. “It happened very naturally,” he says. “One day I tried something on my father’s guitar, and I asked him if he could teach me flamenco. “‘You don’t know

If I didn’t write my own music, I wouldn’t be playing. Music has to be personal guitar,” he says. But even before he picked up the guitar, Myrddin played the clarinet. It’s a childhood instrument, but he still plays it sometimes “during concerts, mostly when I play with the family band”.

what you’re getting into,’ he told me, but he taught me the basics. I mastered them pretty easily and was immediately obsessed with the music. “It’s not easy to put into words what attracts me to flamenco, but

I certainly like the physical aspect of playing it. And it’s a genre that gives you the chance to be very creative. From the beginning I’ve been writing my own music. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be playing. Music has to be personal.” And, he adds, referring to the modern flamenco master who died last year: “What’s the use of imitating Paco de Lucía?” Flamenco is, to put it mildly, not the most thriving music genre in Flanders. “Sometimes I do feel a bit lonely,” Myrddin admits. “Luckily I have my own music. If I were only an accompanist, I would move to Spain, because flamenco isn’t really alive here.” And did he ever think about going to live there? “Until a few years ago I did, but it isn’t my priority anymore. Maybe because I write my own music. But anyway, I regularly work with Spanish musi-

cians.” Sometimes he has gigs in Spain, too, “but they’re not always very fond of foreigners who perform their music”. In the 1990s, Koen De Cauter recorded two albums with songs based on poems by the 19th-century Flemish poet Guido Gezelle. For his new album, Rosa de papel (Paper Rose), Myrddin transformed the poet’s “Mijn hert is als een blomgewas” (My Heart Is Like a Flower) into a song, sung by his father. It’s not the first time he’s used poetry as inspiration: On his 2005 release Novar, Myrddin had folk music legend Wannes Van de Velde singing Gezelle’s “Dien avond en die rooze” (The Evening and the Rose).

from 12 march

“All my life I’ve been crazy about Gezelle’s poems,” says Myrddin. “I find it very special that his Flemish poetry can work in a completely differentmusicalcontext.Onpaper it might look like a mismatch, but it isn’t. And no, it never occurred to me to translate it.” Another of Myrddin’s heroes on the new album is the French chansonnier George Brassens. “He isn’t the world’s greatest guitar player, but the man has created amazing melodies. I love transposing music I love to another realm.” Two other songs on Rosa de papel are based on poems by the Spanish author Federico García Lorca. “I don’t always fully understand what he’s talking about, but that’s not important. I chose those poems partly because I like how the words sound.” Rosa de papel wasn’t recorded in a regular studio, but in the house of Myrddin’s in-laws. “I don’t like to work in a recording studio,” he says. “The sound of the guitar depends strongly on the room in which you play it. That goes for all instruments, but the guitar is a very fragile instrument.” And they deliberately ignored studio norms. “We recorded live and normally you would put the percussionist, for instance, in a separate room. But that wasn’t possible. Still, it didn’t cause us any problems.” This is Myrddin’s fourth album in 15 years. “It’s difficult music to play and compose, so I like to take my time,” he says. But he’s always looking for new songs. “After a few years I start to get the itch again, and I feel the desire to record a new album.” The countdown to 2020 can start now.

across Flanders

music reviews illuminine

daan

antwerp gipsyska orkestra

#1 • Zeal

The Mess • PIAS

Kilo Gipsyska • Music & Words

From unyielding noise rock to dreamy ambient: It might be a giant step for mankind, but it’s just one small step for Kevin Imbrechts. This musician from Leuven is a member of rock band Mosquito, but his first solo outing as Illuminine – the name refers to a song by Thurston Moore – is much more intimate. The nine pensive instrumental tracks and five interludes are ambient soundscapes woven around the musician’s intricate guitar playing. On stage, Illuminine has been upgraded to a nine-piece ensemble: a contemporary chamber orchestra that submerges the listener in melancholy moods.

At the end of last year, Daan released Total, a career-spanning box set containing 170 songs. Out of the blue, he’s following it up with the new album The Mess. As an explanation: It’s mostly a reworking of previously released songs as a trio (with cellist Jean-François Assy and Isolde Lasoen on drums, percussion and trumpet). He did the same thing five years ago on his album Simple. Yet The Mess doesn’t feel like easy repetition; on the new outing, the threesome sound much more extroverted than Daan alone. And when they strip down the songs, like in piano ballad “The Player”, they really strike a chord.

Combining Central European gypsy music and Jamaican ska might have sounded like a weird combination when the Antwerp Gipsyska Orkestra was founded 12 years ago. But with Kilo Gipsyska, they prove for the third time that the mix is much more than a gimmick. The most important change compared to the older releases is the language: much more English, much less Romani. But Kilo Gipsyska is still filled to the brim with swinging party music. And recently they got one of the greatest honours a band can dream of: enthusiasts in Kosovo formed a cover band.

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weeK iN arts & culture Peter Terrin nominated for libris Prize

Peter Terrin is the only Flemish author among the six nominations for the Libris Literature Prize, one of the most prestigious prizes for Dutch-language letters. The annual award, worth €50,000, honours the best novel of the previous year. Terrin is nominated for his book Monte Carlo, the story of a British Formula 1 mechanic who saves a spectator – a famous American actress – from a fiery death. His own injuries sustained in the heroic endeavour and the lack of recognition from anyone involved sends him into a downward spiral of anger and resentment. Flanders Today named Monte Carlo one of 2014’s five best novels. Libris will announce the winner on 11 May.

screen Flanders awards €1.43 million to film projects Screen Flanders, the government’s film support agency, has announced funding of €1.43 million for seven audiovisual projects. They include the comedy FC De Kampioenen 2, to be directed by Jan Verheyen, Say Something Funny by Nic Balthazar and Kebab Royal by Jessica Woodworth and Peter Brosens. The funding comes from the agency’s third call for projects in 2014. For 2015, Screen Flanders has €305 million to spend in two funding rounds.

Tapir born at antwerp Zoo

A baby Malayan tapir was born at Antwerp Zoo last week, the first baby for tapir couple Nakal and Kamal. After a 13-month gestation period, the baby (pictured) was born without complications, the zoo said in a statement. It’s the sixth tapir born at the zoo, which is a success story: Four out of five species of tapir, including the Malayan, are endangered, and they do not mate easily in captivity.

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In a space in-between

Performatik festival brings two disparate worlds closer together georgio valentino more articles by Georgio \ flanderstoday.eu

www.KaaithEatEr.BE

o the uninitiated, “performance art” seems a rather vague category, a taxonomical catch-all for any experience that is endured in an artistic context but doesn’t quite qualify as “theatre” or “dance”—usually because it’s too weird or too boring. The cognoscenti, on the other hand, consider it the cutting edge of contemporary art. Borrowing at will from the entire spectrum of artistic disciplines as well as everyday life, the performance artist is said to short-circuit conventional categories and revolutionise artistic practice. The truth lies somewhere in between. With roots in early 20th-century Futurism and Dadaism, performance art came into its own in the 1970s with the pioneering work of Serbia-born, US-based Marina Abramovic', who explored the audience’s real-time relation to the performer and the performer’s relation to her own body. These conceptual concerns would finally work their way into the DNA of contemporary theatre at large. “Performance art has influenced theatre so much in recent decades that there are no longer any strict boundaries between them,” says Katleen Van Langendonck. So it’s only natural that Performatik was born at Brussels’ Kaaitheater in 2009. Each biennial edition uses performance art to explore a different aspect of contemporary creation for an entire fortnight. This fourth edition tackles the relationship between theatre and the visual arts. “These are two very separate worlds,” says Van Langendonck, the festival’s curator. “Each has its own rhythm, its own codes, its own venues, its own audiences, its own support structures and

Icelandic dancer Bára sigfúsdóttir collaborates with both a visual artist and a musician in The lover at Performatik

its own artists. There are obstacles to be overcome, of course, but we have so much to learn from one another.” As one of the capital’s landmark performance venues, Kaaitheater reached out to its visual arts counterparts to organise a kind of exchange programme centred on live performance. Among the 10 institutions who answered the call were fine arts centre Bozar, contemporary arts centre Wiels, literary hub Passa Porta and experimental music laboratory Q-O2, as well as art and antiques gallery Don Verboven Exquisite Objects. Two dozen performances (many of them free) are spread out across these partner venues. At the heart of the programme are two ambitious works, or rather “transpositions” from performance to visual arts and vice versa. Seminal

Flemish choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s Work/Travail/Arbeid begins in familiar territory with a dance piece, namely her 2013 production Vortex Temporum. But instead of presenting it on stage in front of a seated audience who experience the performance linearly from start to finish, the work is parcelled out in an exhibition to be seen piecemeal by spectators who can come and go at will. This continuous presentation is hosted by Wiels. Joëlle Tuerlinckx’s That’s It! cuts the other way. The Brussels-born artist takes her extensive archive of visual works and puts it on stage in the form of a multidisciplinary pantomime with live soundtrack provided by musician Christoph Fink. When That’s It! was first staged last year at Leuven’s STUK and London’s Tate Gallery, it was but two hours in length. The Performatik version adds more than three hours to the total running time. Since performance art is inherently conceptual, the Performatik programme also includes no less than 10 conversation salons. “We have never put on so many of these,” Van Langendonck says. “It’s a bit of an experiment in itself. But the concepts are just as important as the performances.” A reminder that there is method in all this madness.

18-29 march kaaitheater and other venues in Brussels

History of art as hate propaganda in Turnhout exhibition Here is an exhibition you are not meant to enjoy. De andere verbeeld/ Verbeeld gevaar (The Other Imagined/Imagined Danger) sets out to explore the way the “other” was depicted in Low Countries religious art between 1450 and 1750. In other words, three centuries of propaganda and prejudice directed at Jews, Africans, Turks and other groups despised by the Christians of the time. The period chosen also covers the Reformation and Counter Reformation, when Catholics and Protestants waged doctrinal war against one another, and the exhibition includes images produced in that conflict as well. The result is an uncomfortable suggestion that all these groups are equal, that Christians have been victimised just as much as Jews and Africans. In this sense, the exhibition is not just about propaganda; it is propaganda. The educational part of the exhibition has toured Flanders for the past year and makes its final stop at the Begijnhof church in Turnhout, Antwerp province. It consists of a series of advertising panels, the

sort usually built into bus shelters where they scroll through different posters. Here each panel is devoted to a particular target group – Jews, Blacks, Turks, Heretics and Catholics – with reproductions of three paintings that attack them in some way. This method of presentation emphasises that this is art with an ideology to sell, although the visual quality of the reproductions suffers. Even so, it is possible to see that some of this propaganda reached high aesthetic standards. Take “Synagoga” (pictured) by the Master of the Legend of Saint Ursula, a beautiful, if derogatory, personification of the Jewish religion, painted for a convent in Bruges. The most striking image, however, recounts a scene from the Miracle of the Holy Sacrament, an anti-Semitic tale of Jews who stole consecrated bread, only to find it bled when they cut into it. The painting, by Jakob van Helmont, has been slashed, revealing the wooden supports beneath. This brings home the physical violence that so often accompanied the prejudice on show, although how the painting came to be damaged is not explained.

www.BEgijnhofmusEum.BE

The second part of the exhibition is particular to Turnhout. In the Begijnhof Museum, alongside the church, a number of artworks and artefacts that fit the theme have been selected from its collection. The finest is perhaps a painting of Christ being mocked by Jews and Turks on his way to the cross, by Frans Francken the Younger. There is also an attractive polychrome statue of St Catherine of Alexandria, treading the Roman Emperor Maxentius underfoot. The only barb against the home team is a set of playing cards satirising the Pope. Perhaps the oddest point in the exhibition again involves the Miracle of the Holy Sacrament, with variations of the tale taken from a 1770 book and a 1905 children’s paper. These are displayed in a room which otherwise documents how the begijnen used to bake sacramental bread. Quite what message we are meant to draw from this unnerving juxtaposition is not clear. \ Ian Mundell

until 5 april Begijnhof church and museum Begijnhof 56, Turnhout

\ aGenDa

march 11, 2015

And we’re jamming

STUFF. 18 march to 18 april

or nearly three years, five hipsters played every first Thursday of the month at the Ghent cocktail bar White Cat, blending jazz, soul, pop, hip hop and electronics into one funky collage. After using their improvisational skills on tracks from other jazz cats, they’re now releasing their first studio album with original stuff. (Yes, it’s a pun. Ha ha.) Even if their eponymous debut isn’t provoking the same energy as their sweaty late-night gigs, it’s still a groovy instrumental trip to get hooked on. There’s the nod to the late master: The band

coNcert Brussels Hommage à Brel Intime: Flemish performance artist Filip Jordens pays tribute to Jacques Brel with searing renditions of the late Belgian musician’s work. 15 March, 15.00-23.00, De Markten, Oude Graanmarkt 5

across Flanders and Brussels www.stuffisthEBandnamE.com

name STUFF. refers to the opening track from Miles In The Sky, the 1968 album on which Miles Davis experiments with new horizons and sounds, inventing his own “fusion”. For this more contemporary outfit, young jazz drummer Lander Gyselinck selected a mix of Antwerp and Ghent musicians with various musical backgrounds. Being so flexible at taking on each other’s roles, a genre-crossing mashup is guaranteed. Early feedback is heart-warming. The band (pictured) just made their UK debut in The Old Blue Last in East London, and the BBC

\ www.demarkten.be

has picked up the new track “Event Horizon”. As a result, invitations for festivals abroad are coming in. “We just want to play as much as possible,” says keyboard player Joris Caluwaerts, who’s also touring with Lady Linn, Magnus and The Go Find, and names time management as one of the band’s

biggest challenges. Another one is getting used to the daylight. “Most of our past gigs were scheduled in between DJs, so they all started after midnight,” says Caluwaerts. The upcoming release concerts will also be an exception to that. \ Tom Peeters

festival

heritage

stop in manila

family history day

12-15 march Antwerp arts centre deSingel launches a new international initiative with this dance festival. No, the capital of the Philippines isn’t particularly known for its dance scene. In fact, the sprawling post-colonial metropolis, which has recently found itself in the path of several catastrophic tropical storms, has invested little

desingel, antwerp www.dEsingEl.BE

in the arts. But a small, passionate community has been inspired by international artists to forge a distinctlyFilipinobrandofcontemporary dance. deSingel invites several of the city’s artists to introduce themselves to a Belgian audience. The Manila programme will be followed in the autumn with Stop in Jakarta. \ Georgio Valentino

14-15 march

Felix archief, antwerp

The genealogists at Familiekunde Vlaanderen have been researching family science for a full 50 years, and they’re marking the occasion with a special weekend, half business and half pleasure. The first day is dedicated to the organisation’s 50th annual conference, this one on the subject of First World War refugees. The lecturers are

www.familiEKundE-vlaandErEn.BE

experts in the field, and anyone interested in genealogy is welcome to attend. The second day is a celebration with presentations, workshops and panel discussions geared toward the general public. An exhibition on genealogy and heritage spans the entire weekend. \ GV

Tuur Florizoone & Didier Laloy: Belgian accordion duo, increasingly well known for their distinctive blend of jazz, classical and world music. 15 March, 11.00-12.00, Handelsbeurs, Kouter 29 \ www.handelsbeurs.be

classical Brussels Klara Festival 2015: Annual festival of classical and new music featuring a diverse programme, from midday concerts and operas to gala evenings and contemporary experiments. Until 21 March, across Brussels \ www.klarafestival.be

visual arts Ghent Characteristic Faces: On Hawk Noses and Chipmunk Cheeks: Various works illustrating the intriguing but problematic history of appearance and aesthetics and the role they play in psychiatry, criminology and public opinion. 14 March to 21 September, Museum Dr Guislain, Jozef Guislainstraat 43 \ www.museumdrguislain.be

film antwerp & Ghent

family st Patrick’s day Parade 15 march, 13.00 Perhaps it’s emigrant nostalgia, but the Irish diaspora tends to celebrate the feast day of the Emerald Isle’s patron saint with even more ado than the residents of the country itself. The annual New York City parade is notorious for its hard-drinking hedonism. Our own Brussels get-together is a more

Jubelpark, Brussels www.mEEtuP.com/irish-in-EuroPE

restrained affair, a family-friendly afternoon of Irish fellowship and tradition. You need not be Irish to participate, of course, but there is a strict dress code: green, green, green. The parade is organised by the Irish in Europe Association and led by the Brussels Caledonian Corneymusers pipe band. \ GV

sPecial eveNt

European Blues challenge 12-14 march For the fifth year running, the European Blues Association is claiming American roots music for the Old World. The European Blues Challenge is an epic battle of the bands, a self-styled Eurovision of the Blues. Previous editions were held in Berlin, Toulouse and Riga, and now it’s Brussels’ turn. Groups

ancienne Belgique, Brussels www.BrussElsBluEs.Eu

from 20 European countries strum it out over three days for the championship title. Winners will also be invited to perform at some of Europe’s biggest blues festivals. Among the opening night festivities is a special performance by local group Fred and the Healers (pictured). \ GV

Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour: The popular Canadian festival of films about mountain sports passes through Flanders on its world tour, with screenings that highlight everything from remote landscapes to adrenaline-packed extreme sports. 16 March 20.00, De Bijloke, Jozef Kluyskensstraat 2, Ghent; 17 March 20.00, De Roma, Turnhoutsebaan 286, Antwerp \ www.banff.be

family lombardsijde (middelkerke) Donkey Cavalcade: 56th annual procession of donkeys from one coastal village to another, in honour of the local tradition of farmers bringing their produce to market by donkey. 15 March 14.30, from Westende to Lombardsijde \ www.ordevandeezel.be

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march 11, 2015

Talking Dutch don’t mess with Blankenberge

Andrew Stroehlein @astroehlein Finally back home in warm & sunny Brussels. New York, I love you dearly, but you got to shake off that deep freeze...

derek Blyth more articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu

lemish TV host Tom Waes likes to trek around the world looking for adventures – Kamperen tussen de wilde beren, of een trektocht bij -50 graden Celsius – Camping among wild bears or hiking in temperatures of minus 50 degrees Celsius, according to De Morgen. Waes has just set off on his second world tour, with visits planned to exotic destinations like North Korea, Spitsbergen and Panama. Wanneer Tom Waes op reis gaat, mag het wat meer zijn dan een weekje all-in aan de Turkse Riviera – When Tom Waes goes on holiday, it’s more than just a week all-in on the Turkish Riviera, the paper explains. But it looks like the intrepid traveller is going to have to spend a couple of nights in the beach town of Blankenberge if he survives the grizzly bears and the frostbite. In his first broadcast of Reizen Waes – Travelling Waes, he visited the Albanian beach resort of Dürres (pictured). “Het is hier juist hetzelfde als in Blankenberge” – “It’s just like Blankenberge here,” he said to camera. “Het is gewoon afschuwelijk” – It is simply disgusting. Blankenberge was not amused. Blankenberge kwaad op Tom Waes voor Albanese grap – Blankenberge angry at Tom Waes for Albanian joke, read the headline in De Standaard. “Waes moet zijn research beter doen, want zijn clichébeeld klopt niet” – “Waes needs to do better research because his stereotyped image isn’t true,” insisted the beach town’s mayor Patrick De Klerck. The town councillors were so incensed that they discussed the programme at their next meeting. “We zullen Tom Waes uitnodigen om hier een dagje door

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Marcello Arrambide @Wanderingtradr Stunning view from my lunch in Ghent: http://ow.ly/JCmLV Loved the waterways #Belgium #travel

Usher Raymond IV @Usher Antwerp was on fire tonight #URXTOUR

te komen brengen” – “We’re going to invite Tom Waes to come here and spend a day,” said the tourism alderman, Philip Konings. “Het kan hier druk zijn, maar het is geen lelijke, chaotische boel” – “It can get busy here, but it’s not an ugly, chaotic mess.” Waes was not available for comment. He was heading off to his next destination. So De Morgen sent a reporter to check out Blankenberge. She met Ann Hooft of the tourist office. “We worstelen al jaren met ons imago” – “We have been struggling for years with our image,” Hooft told the journalist. “Het problem is alleen dat je heel moelijk van een slecht imago af geraakt” – “The problem is that it’s very difficult to shake off a bad image.” No one denies that the beach can get crowded, she said. But wie iets verder zou gaan, zou zien dat we ook andere troeven in huis hebben – Anyone who looks a little bit further will discover that we have other treasures. Zoals de prachtige haven of de hippe beach bars – Like the beautiful harbour and the hip beach bars. Waes will discover all this when he visits – unless a grizzly bear gets him first.

Tweet us your thoughts @FlandersToday

Poll

a. I’m very worried about how things are changing and think the government needs to act

58% b. Privacy concerns don’t bother me because I’m very careful about what I put online in the first place

25% c. Times have changed, and if you participate in social media, which is voluntary and free, you have to accept the conditions

17% multinational corporation, which says it will work with the EU on its terms and conditions. A large minority of you reckon you’re prudent enough online not to need any special protection from the evils of social media, and more than one in 10 of you consider the use of your data as part of the deal.

\ next week's question:

Most of you, however, aren’t buying that. While terms and conditions may be relatively benign today, who’s to say they’ll remain so? The governments of Europe would like to keep Facebook on a short leash, and so would most of you.

The Foundation Against Cancer wants tanning salons to be banned because a majority of them fail inspection, ignoring cancer risks. What do you think? Log on to the Flanders Today website at www.flanderstoday.eu and click on VOTE!

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In response to: Dramatic fall in applications for Belgian nationality Max Berre I’m ABSOLUTELY DREADING having to deal with this citizenship stuff later this year.

Anouk Touched by Antwerp I felt the love. Thank you! X

In response to: More Flemish actors launching international careers than ever before Lily Ozorai So handsome our Matthias !!!

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the last word

are you concerned about facebook’s breaches of privacy according to Eu law, including using your profile photo in ad campaigns?

Belgium has been proactive in Europe in taking on one of the internet’s biggest players: Facebook. The social media site’s new conditions aren’t transparent enough and in fact violate EU regulations, Bart Tommelein, secretary of state for privacy issues, has told us. Tommelein has met with the

voices of flaNders today

tough talk

“We are all ready to return to our countries and inflict great damage. While you sleep, there are brothers hiding everywhere, waiting for the order to strike.” Tarik Jadaoun, a Belgian fighting in Syria, interviewed on French TV

lost in space

“Our count is not a scientifically based experiment. But the large number of free places shows that it’s absolutely illogical to want to build four new car parks.”

Hannes Nolf, one of the opponents of Brussels City’s plans to build new car parks, counted 2,600 free spaces in existing car parks last Thursday at lunchtime

out for the count

“If I have to choose between a male and a female artist of equal worth, then I tend to go for the woman. Simply because they are under-represented, and I want to serve half of my public.”

Pukkelpop organiser Chokri Mahassine, whose 2014 festival featured 36 female acts and 218 male

Born to run

“We’re not house plants that have to stay indoors all day. We want to get out and about.” Mil Coenen and Sylvain Lucas of Beringen, Limburg, have launched the scootmobiel club for disabled users of electric scooters

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