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A matter of identity

flanders is marking 40 years since it first began protecting its rich and varied industrial heritage toon lambrechts More articles by toon \ flanderstoday.eu

Back in 1975, the first industrial heritage site in Flanders was granted protected status. It was followed shortly by the formation of a Flemish association with preservation of this important social history at its heart. Four decades later, in the European Year of Industrial and Technical Heritage, an exhibition celebrates Flanders’ remarkable buildings, machinery and stories.

he idea that old factories and industrial sites deserve protection has only recently gained ground, with the first industrial building given protected status just 40 years ago. Over the intervening four decades, numerous

such sites in Flanders have been preserved and given a new direction – an important step when you consider that this heritage tells a story that has fundamentally changed our society. “I come from Hasselt,” says Adriaan Linters, a former social historian and president of the Flemish Association for Industrial Archaeology (VVIA). “In the early 1970s, there were plans to demolish the city’s old jenever distillery, with the aim of building apartments there. “With a group of young academics, we successfully campaigned to protect the site: In 1975 the distillery was awarded the status of monument and became the first industrial building to be officially protected. Later it

became the Jenever Museum, which is now a major tourist attraction for the city, but at the time, the city council was raving mad at us. The concept of industrial heritage had yet to be invented.” Forty years later, things are different. E-Faith, the European federation of organisations engaged in industrial heritage, declared 2015 the European Year of Industrial and Technical Heritage. In Flanders, an exhibition has been set up, while the annual Open Monument Day will revolve around industrial heritage. As an organisation fighting for the preservation of industrial heritage, VVIA dates back to a few years after the first protection was granted and came into existence out continued on page 5

\ CuRRent aFFaIRs

Revival of midwifery should lead to fewer Caesarean sections flemish organisation of midwives aims to increase awareness of their role alan Hope Follow alan on twitter \ @alanHopeFt

he Flemish Organisation of Midwives (VLOV) is to begin a campaign to raise awareness of the role of midwives in improving women’s health outcomes. The campaign comes as it was revealed that the rate of Caesarean sections in Belgium went up from 19.8% to 21% last year, far above the World Health Organisation’s target of 10-15%. According to research published in The Lancet, the intervention of midwives in birth situations is associated with a reduction in complications and mortality in mothers and babies, in fewer premature births, better psychosocial results and fewer surgical interventions like C-sections. “Midwives are there to guide the family and support them during the whole reproductive period,” says Joke Muyldermans, chair of VLOV. “My wish is for every woman to have

access to safe care,” says Katelijne De Koster of the Federal Council for Midwifery. “That she be supported by qualified midwives who can empower her, give her confidence, accompany and guide her.” According to the figures, 59% of C-sections in Flanders are arranged in advance, and 15% of doctors carry out the procedure – which has risks for mother and child – at the request of the mother, even though there may be no medical reason to do so. “Most pregnant women in this country go straight to a gynaecologist, although a midwife has an enormous amount to offer,” said Muyldermans. “A midwife looks beyond the medical aspect alone, offering help for mother, baby and family.” © Courtesy VlOV

Up to 20 years for 30 accused in terrorism trial

Delhaize begins selling “ugly veggies”

A court in Brussels has handed out sentences of up to 20 years in a case involving 30 people accused of belonging to a terrorist group. The main suspect, Khalid Z, carried out dozens of thefts to finance the group. He was sentenced to 12 years. “Khalid Z is the archetype of the insurgent, cynical mentor who was responsible for infecting the youth in an entire neighbourhood,” the court said. A woman accused of helping recruit members to fight in Syria, Fatima A, was sentenced to eight years. Two of her sons got 20 years and a third eight years. “Fatima A poisoned her surroundings with her extreme Islamist ideol-

Delhaize supermarkets are to begin selling boxes of “ugly vegetables” in an effort to tackle food waste. Ugly vegetables are those that do not correspond to modern requirements of regularity of shape, size or colour but which nevertheless meet the supermarket’s quality and freshness standards, Delhaize spokesperson Roel Dekelver said. In a pilot project lasting 14 weeks and involving 16 stores, Delhaize will sell ugly vegetables in 2.5kg boxes for a flat price of €3.99. The case contains a selection of vegetables according to the market of the

ogy,” the court said in its ruling. “Like Khalid Z she acted as a mentor, carrying out crimes to finance trips to Syria.” The man thought to be behind the terrorist attack in Verviers in January, Abdelhamid A, was sentenced in his absence to 20 years. In August last year he kidnapped his younger brother and took him to join jihadist forces in Syria. His whereabouts are unknown. Two sisters, Sarah and Soumaya K, were acquitted of terrorist charges. They were arrested in December on the Turkey-Syria border, but the court accepted they had not taken part in terrorist activities. \ AH

day, all grown in Belgium. The supermarkets involved include stores in Brussels, Bruges, Wilrijk, Sint-Niklaas, Mechelen, Eeklo, Overijse and Wezembeek. “Delhaize has been fighting food waste for years, not just by giving away unsold products but also by ensuring that vegetables that may not look perfect still find their way to the consumer,” Dekelver said. “Every year a third of food produced is not consumed. A large proportion of malformed vegetables don’t get used in the conventional food chain. We want to do something about that.” \ AH

Euthanasia carried out for 1 in 3 for psychological suffering

Brussels to spend €33m on pedestrian zone

Of 100 patients who filed a demand for euthanasia on the basis of unbearable psychological suffering between October 2007 and 2011, 35 died after euthanasia was carried out. That was shown by a study of six Belgian doctors and scientists, published in the British Medical Journal. Euthanasia because of unbearable psychological suffering is only allowed under very strict conditions in Belgium. It can only be carried out if there is no likelihood of sustainable improvement and no effective therapy. Ninety of the 100 patients in the study had previously been diagnosed with more than one psychiatric disorder. About half suffered from

The new pedestrian zone in central Brussels is to receive €33 million in investment in the coming years, the city council, Beliris and the Brussels Capital Region have announced. Beliris, the federal funding organ for the capital, will spend €20 million on the redesign of Anspachlaan and the squares at De Brouckère, Beurs and Fontainas. Anspachlaan will be laid out mainly in the limestone known in Belgium as blue stone. Where the underground permits, there will also be trees planted and “pocket parks” installed. The boulevard will be divided into three

depression and/or personality disorders, and 12 were diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome after an additional examination. The demands of 48 of the 100 patients were accepted, and carried out in 35 cases. Eight people said the approval of their request was psychologically reassuring enough to postpone the euthanasia. Two patients killed themselves, two cancelled under pressure from family and one was taken to a penitentiary institution. Of the other 52, 38 cancelled their request before the end of the procedure. For eight, the procedure is continuing. Four patients killed themselves, one died after palliative sedation and one died from their disorder. \ Andy Furniere

along its length, one reserved for cyclists and pedestrians passing through and two outer lanes for slower-moving pedestrians, terraces and games. Bins will be equipped with wi-fi to send a signal when they are full and must be emptied. Brussels region’s mobility division will contribute €7 million to the renovation of pre-metro stations De Brouckère, Beurs and Anneessens. Brussels-City will contribute €6 million for an artwork to stand on De Brouckèreplein. Permits will be applied for at the end of this month. The works will begin with utilities and are due to be completed by 2018. \ AH

1,380,000

40%

6,680 cyclists in Brussels called on the services in 2014 of the four Cyclo repair shops at North, Central, South and Luxembourg stations and the central workshop in Vlaamsesteenweg. Cyclo also rents out ordinary and folding bikes and runs repair workshops

of Belgium’s more than 8,000 roseringed parakeets live in the Brussels region, according to a census carried out by the public and organised by Natuurpunt. One avenue of trees in Elisabethpark in Koekelberg is home to 4,230 birds

visitors to this year’s Gentse Feesten, 65,000 more than last year. Police gave out 949 administrative fines, the fire service was called out 72 times and the Red Cross treated 1,160 people. The city cleansing department hauled away 382,410kg of rubbish

open police investigations in Mechelen received important assistance from the city’s 80 security cameras with automatic number plate recognition. The cases included a spate of bicycle thefts, a hit-and-run and a theft by fake policemen

of patients in hospitals in Brussels come from outside the region, according to the Observatory for Health and Welfare. Two out of three of those come from the municipalities in the periphery; about 1% come from outside of Belgium

august 5, 2015

WeeK in brieF A work to rule on Monday by security personnel at Brussels Airport caused few problems, with passengers having been warned to turn up earlier than usual for flights. Unions are protesting at the introduction of automatic security doors for passengers travelling within the EU. The doors are not manned by security staff, and last month two men made it as far as boarding a flight to Rome without a valid ticket. Unions said they have reports of 50 incidents since March. Rail authority NMBS is to examine how to carry out in the short term the long-awaited renovations to the station in Vilvoorde, after the city threatened court action. Last year the rail infrastructure company Infrabel announced a budget of €20 million and a timetable for works, which were shelved in November for budgetary reasons. “For the first time in this whole episode I’m cautiously optimistic,” Vilvoorde mayor Hans Bonte said. “But I will remain vigilant. I hope things can now move ahead, so a judicial solution is not required.” Police in Brussels have broken up a studio for the manufacture of false identity documents. Terrorism investigators from the federal judicial police arrived at an address in Vestingstraat looking for a suspect. The man was not present; instead police found a studio equipped with scanners and photocopiers, capable of making high-quality fake ID documents. The studio is not suspected of terrorist links and the investigation has been handed over to the division of the Brussels prosecutor’s office that deals with human trafficking. Several medicines are about to become cheaper and the newest will be more quickly available to patients, under an agreement signed by Belgian public health minister Maggie De Block and

FAce oF FlAnders pharmaceutical sector umbrella organisations pharma.be and FeBelGen. It’s estimated that medication will become €24 million cheaper this year as a result. Remgeld, the out-of-pocket contribution for medical services and medicine, will be limited to €5; currently this can amount to €11. New medication will also be available at least two months earlier than is the case now. People in Sint-Martens-Latem in East Flanders have the highest average life expectancy in Flanders at 84.2 years, according to a study by the University of Leuven and the Free University of Brussels (ULB). The lowest in Flanders is in Drogenbos, Flemish Brabant, at 77.7 years. The researchers based their figures on incomes – SintMartens-Latem is one of the most expensive municipalities in the country to buy property – access to health care and level of education, as well as ages at death. Three out of five successful applications for arts subsidies receive no cash because there is not enough to go around, culture minister Sven Gatz has admitted. In the most recent subsidy round, a total of 280 applications were submitted. The committee that advises Gatz approved 129 requests, but only 50 received a subsidy – 29 organisations shared €1 million and 21 artists received €300,000 in total. “You can only give away money you have,” a spokesperson for Gatz said. The Brussels region’s cleaning department is aiming to employ more women. Net Brussel has asked the Brussels employment agency Actiris to draw up a campaign to fill 50 new jobs by the end of the year, with an emphasis on female candidates. It has also invested in infrastructure at depots, including showers and toilets to accommodate more women. The department employs 2,400 people, but less than 1% of operational staff are women.

The Flemish Centre for Adoption has invited adoptive parents to take part in a brainstorming exercise to help shape new adoption rules. The new rules approved by the Flemish parliament in June mean changes to the procedure for adoption at home and between countries, and the centre wants to make the procedure as simple and effective as possible. \ adoptie@kindengezin.be

Shops and other businesses are not allowed to use information gathered from wi-fi offered to customers, the privacy commission has ruled. Customers may not be aware the shop is using wi-fi tracking, but the commission said information alone is not sufficient: people must have the chance to opt out of being tracked and must opt in to allow the business to send adverts via wi-fi. Investigators at Doel nuclear power station in Beveren, East Flanders, have brought in a lie detector to interview workers in an investigation into an act of sabotage in August last year. The generator was shut down for months after 90,000 litres of oil was released into the steam turbine. Some 40 employees were in the vicinity at the time and will be re-interviewed. The results of a polygraph test are not admissible in Belgian court as evidence, but investigators hope it will point to more concrete evidence. A 21-year-old man responsible for the hit-and-run accident that killed Brusselnieuws journalist Eric Vancoppenolle has been charged by the prosecutor in Colorado with vehicular homicide, driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident. Vancoppenolle, a popular reporter responsible for the series Humans of Brussels, was on holiday in the US when the accident happened in Westminster, Denver.

oFFside so near and yet so far No one could deny it was a valiant effort, and if it failed, it failed on a technicality. Francis Reubens, a keen swimmer from Knokke-Heist, wanted to swim the length of the Flemish coast, from De Panne to Knokke, a total of 67km. So far his personal best is Breskens to Heist, a 22km swim that took 3h22. This attempt would be tougher. By law you can’t swim in the harbours of Nieuwpoort, Ostend, Blankenberge or Zeebrugge, so he would have to get in a boat for those stretches, with the risks of seizing up that brings. The tide changes every six hours,

and the ebb currents off our coast are too dangerous for swimming, so he would have to stop and rest for six hours in the middle, hoping he’d be able to finish in the six hours of flow that followed. He left De Panne at midnight, accompanied by a support canoe

will tura He reached the age of 75 on Sunday, which should be long enough for even the pensions minister, but although he’s officially retiring, nobody really believes he’s giving it up. Will Tura has been too much of a singer for too long to think about quitting now. Will Tura was born Arthur Achiel Albert Blanckaert in Veurne, West Flanders, in August 1940, and showed an aptitude for music from an early age, receiving his first booking at the age of nine as Tuurke Blanckaert the Yodelling Cowboy. At 15 he was employed as a guitarist in a dance orchestra. He signed a record contract in 1957 recording covers of American hits, and became Will Tura two years later on his 18th birthday. His producer to this day is the son of his original producer, Jacques Kluger. His biggest hit came in 1962 – Eenzaam zonder jou (Lonely Without You) – and the song was voted the biggest Flemish hit of all time 30 years later. For a solo artist, and particularly one working in such a small market – it was 1980 before he

had a hit in the Netherlands – his discography is voluminous, more than 100 albums and 120 singles, including Christmas songs, gospel, a tribute to Elvis, symphony orchestra accompaniment, covers and compilations. Everything, it seems, except a return to cowboy yodelling. Beloved as he is to the whole of Flanders, he has a special place in the heart of birthplace Veurne, where a sports park is named after him, and where last weekend 8,000 fans gathered for a special birthday concert – 5,000 on the main Grote Markt and 3,000 more in front of a giant screen. On an ordinary day, Veurne has a population of only 11,000 people. No wonder they call him the Emperor of Flemish Song, although King Albert could do no more in 2001 than give him a knighthood. Tura brought King Filip to tears at the funeral of Queen Fabiola last year, where he repeated his performance of the song Hoop doet leven (Hope Brings Life), which he had sung at the funeral of her husband, Boudewijn, in 1993. \ Alan Hope

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

and a bailiff in a boat. In Ostend he had to come ashore having swallowed too much water. After a rest he was back in the water, but was still nauseous. He made it all the way to Zeebrugge but had to give up shortly after, having reached Heist. They’re calling that a failure, but we’d like to point out that Heist is a sub-municipality of Knokke-Heist, meaning Reubens reached his goal after all, for all but the most pedantic of sticklers. So congratulations to him, and congratulations to the Virunga National Park in the DRC, which benefits from the sponsorship of the attempt.

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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 Mediahuis AdPro contriButors Rebecca Benoot, Bartosz Brzezi´nski, 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 Mediahuis 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 agreement

For months, the federal government had bickered about a tax shift: taxing labour less and capital, consumption and pollution more. An agreement seemed unattainable, with the Christian-democrats CD&V strongly in favour while N-VA and Open VLD were all about vetoing the tax shift, fearing it might become a tax lift. So when prime minister Charles Michel (MR) retreated with his vice-prime ministers for a long weekend in Val Duchesse castle, hoping to find an agreement on both a tight budget and a tax shift, it looked like mission impossible. Still, he pulled it off. At 5.44 in the morning, Michel sent out the same one-word tweet that had broken the news about a European deal with Greece: Agreement. At the press conference that followed, there were smiling faces all around. One person at the table felt very uncomfortable, though: vice-prime minister Kris Peeters (CD&V). Yes, the tax shift he’d demanded had materialised, worth no less than €7.2 billion. Lower incomes in particular will benefit, with some predicting up to €100 extra in monthly net wages. This will be compensated by higher taxes on electricity, diesel, alcohol and sugary drinks (known as the fat tax). A speculation tax will also be introduced, on fast trading market bonds. However, there will be no sign of a tax on capital (gains). To most people, that was what the tax shift was all about: letting capitals contribute more, to lower labour costs. This Peeters was unable to achieve, faced with a united front of N-VA and Open VLD. Between them, they rejected all Peeters’ suggestions – dubbed the “horror list” or worse. They even threatened to take on unemployment benefits, which is unacceptable to the Christian-democrats. Peeters has not lived up to the expectations he had created. So instead of basking in the glory of an agreement, including a tax shift, Peeters is now besieged from all sides. With his coalition partners, he’s gained a reputation for being unreliable. The small employers of Unizo have said they don’t believe this tax shift will result in more jobs, while the unions and mutualities have lambasted the agreement. CD&V’s grass-roots supporters are mostly disappointed. In these circumstances, the outcome of the negotiations could have been far worse, Peeters says. But for his party and his own political future, this seems the worst possible outcome. \ Anja Otte

Johan Vande Lanotte to leave national politics socialist politician will focus on his role as mayor of ostend alan Hope More articles by alan \ flanderstoday.eu

ohan Vande Lanotte, socialist politician, former party chairman and former deputy prime minister, has announced his departure from national politics after a career that dates back to the 1980s. “In 1988 I started as head of the cabinet of Louis Tobback,” he said at the weekend. “We’re now nearly 28 years on. That’s enough.” Vande Lanotte (pictured) recently took over as mayor in his home town of Ostend. “I can’t be mayor and at the same time completely fulfil my parliamentary mandate,” he said. “I’ll carry on in the chamber, but I certainly won’t stay until the following elections.” The timetable, he said, had already been discussed with new party chairman John Crombez, who is also from Ostend. He will leave parliament at the end of next year at the latest. Vande Lanotte was born in Poperinge and studied in Antwerp and Brussels before taking a doctorate in law at Ghent University. He was teach-

ing law in Brussels when he became head of the private office of Tobback, then interior minister, who has also since withdrawn from the national scene to be mayor of Leuven. VandeLanotte’spoliticalcareerhasseenhimserve three times as deputy prime minister and once as party chair. He has also held ministerial posts at interior, administrative affairs and budget, as well as economy, North Sea and consumer affairs – his last post before the 2014 election, when the socialists were ousted from government. “We’re coming out of the government, we have to adapt to opposition work, and we’ve just elected a new chair,” he told De Standaard at the weekend. “That takes time, and it’s normal that I continue to play a role in the parliament during the transition. But if I say that we need to be ready in the autumn of 2016, then I have to be consistent and make room for new people.” He will continue to chair the European socialist party’s energy work group, but his focus now

will be on the city hall of Ostend. “In the municipal elections of 2018 I’ll be the mayoral candidate again,” he said.

Homans plans to roll out €1 meals all over Flanders

Proposal for second month of paid sick leave dropped

Flemish poverty minister Liesbeth Homans is to roll out her €1 meals plan, which started in Antwerp, across the rest of the region. The government has issued a call for project ideas under its action plan to fight poverty for 2015-2019. Homans set up a €1 meal plan when she was chair of the municipal social aid agency in Antwerp in 2013. It meant families on low incomes could eat in social restaurants in the city for only €1. She raised the idea of extending the plan in May this year, stressing that it would not be restricted to the main towns and cities. “It’s not just about providing an inexpensive, warm and healthy meal,” Homans said. “This is also a way of reaching out to people and families living in poverty, to bring them a total package of support. In the social restaurants, we’ll be able to put them in contact with a wide network of

Critics of the government’s budget and tax-shift plans have claimed the failure to follow through on a promise to give employees a second month of paid sick leave is a “gift for employers”. The pledge was made by federal labour minister Kris Peeters in April last year. From 2016, he said, anyone taking sick leave would be eligible for two months’ absence paid by the employer, instead of only one as at present (or two weeks in the case of anyone classed as a “worker”). Employers’ representatives warned that the measure would saddle them with enormous extra costs. But Peeters pointed out that the measure was part of the agreement reached with unions in the new government accord. However, when the government presented its budget at the end of last month, there was no sign of a second paid sick month. “The guaranteed wage will not be coming,” Peeters’ office was quoted as saying. “The two months of guaranteed pay was one of the only bright notes for workers in the government accord,” said a spokesperson for ACV, the Christian trade union. “After the competitiveness pact, the skipping of indexation and the tax shift, employers have won yet again.” The disappearance of the sick-pay measure is “certainly not a gift for employers”, according to Bart Buysse, director-general of the Federation of Belgian Enterprise, which represents employers. “A substantial increase in salary costs of more than €800 million has been avoided for employers in general, and more particularly for employers in labour-intensive sectors,” he said. \ AH

organisations offering, for example, support with housework. They will also have the opportunity to broaden their own social network.” The government is inviting project ideas from local authorities and non-profits working in the field, to be submitted by 30 September. The €1 rate applies to children up to and including the age of 12; adults and older children must be offered meals at a social rate. “As the Flemish government, we will subsidise the meals,” Homans said. “The organisation must provide the infrastructure itself.” \ AH

€1.85 million heritage grant for vagrants’ colony in Merksplas Flemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois, whose portfolio includes heritage affairs, has announced two major grants for heritage projects. The municipality of Merksplas in Antwerp province and the nonprofit organisation Kempens Landschap receive €1.85 million for the restoration of the former vagrants’ colony (pictured), which was set up in 1824 before the state of Belgium was established. Vagrants – men without work or any visible means of support – were sentenced to serve time in the colony, working on the farm or in workshops, until they had earned

enough money to be released. The colony was in fact an open prison and the law on vagrancy was only repealed in 1993. The grant is for the fifth phase in the renovation of the colony, which is spread over a wide area adjoining Merksplas prison. The site, as well as similar sites in Wortel and in the Netherlands, are candidates for inclusion in Unesco’s register of world heritage. Elsewhere, Bourgeois announced a grant of €1.03 million for the Basilica of Our Lady in Tongeren in Limburg, which is also in its fifth phase of renovation. The 13th-century

church is already listed by Unesco by virtue of its carillon tower. This phase of the renovation involves work on the crypt, which will be turned into a museum. The archaeological site under the church has turned out to be one of the most important sites in the

Benelux for Roman murals, medieval burial places and the remains of seven prior churches, the oldest of which dates back to the fourth century. Meanwhile, non-profit Demurenspreken (The Walls Speak), set up to protect historic painted adverts on the walls of buildings, is to launch a crowdfunding action to restore their most famous project: the 1938 advert for electric cookers featuring Olive Oyl, girlfriend of Popeye. The painting is by Jan Stroobants and dates back to 1938. \ AH

\ COVeR stORy

august 5, 2015

A matter of identity

distillery, power station and mines among sites preserved thanks to heritage movement vvia.BE

continued from page 1

of necessity. In the early 1970s, there was a national association that organised an exhibition on industrial heritage, which was a huge success, just like an appeal to the public to identify key sites in their neighbourhoods. But when culture came under the authority of Flanders after the first state reform in 1970, the national association dissolved without a successor. “It was an untenable situation,” says Linters, “so we founded the VVIA ourselves.” The passion was inspired by England, he explains. “Almost everyone who was involved at the beginning gained inspiration there. England was much more advanced when it came to protecting industrial heritage, while here the idea was still laughed at. The English approach, which relies heavily on associations and volunteers and less on the government, creates a strong dynamic. Later, we realised we couldn’t apply this approach in Flanders, as the legislation and the mentality here are different.”

You were almost declared insane if you talked about the importance of industrial heritage Flanders has many examples of industrial sites that have been protected successfully and for which another purpose has been found. The Zuiderpershuis in Antwerp, for example, was once a power station and is now a cultural centre. Interesting things are being developed on former mining sites in Limburg, though a lot of the old buildings were demolished after the mines were closed. It seems that the value of industrial heritage has finally taken root in the minds of developers and planners. That was different in the early years of the VVIA, Linters recalls. “You were almost declared insane if you talked about the importance of industrial heritage. It was pioneering work we did.” It seems easy to formulate a definition of what industrial heritage is all about. Old factories, right? But it’s not that simple. “In the early years there was some confusion about what we were talking about,” says Linters. “The British defined it as everything related to the Industrial Revolution, while the East Germans at that time saw it as the history of the proletariat culture. “Later, a common definition of industrial heritage was agreed on, namely the material relics of the industrial period. That’s much more than just factories. For example, workers’ housing can be industrial heritage. And it’s about more than just buildings and machinery; the social implications are important. In practice, the premise is very pragmatic: What do we have left to preserve?” Yet the struggle to ensure that the importance of industrial heritage is recognised isn’t over yet. Often the question arises why old factories should be protected, while no

top, antwerp’s dry dock; above left, leuven’s thermotechnic Institute; above right, antwerp’s Petroleum Zuid industrial park; cover, Herisem paper mill in alsemberg

one would ask the same about a medieval castle, for example. “Industrial heritage is essentially a question of identity,” Linters explains. “To take Hasselt again as an example, when we enforced the protection of the distillery in 1975 we received a lot of angry responses. Today the Jenever Museum is the pride of the city, and the identity of Hasselt is largely built on its past as jenever producing city. A campaign like Hasselt, City of Taste is built on this heritage.” But the current approach also involves some problems, he warns. Too often, heritage is seen as something for tourists, with purely commercial motives. “Often policymakers tend to forget that local people have to be involved in the first place, otherwise you only have an empty box,” he says. “The industrial past is painted too rosily, because tourists prefer a nice story. Take the mining sites. I went underground when they were still in operation, and that was a living hell. How you sell such a story to the public is a big challenge. We pick certain elements of our history, often just the things that appeal to us. But at Ironbridge in England, for example, visitors are also taken to the cemetery to show them how short the life expectancy of workers was in the early days of the Industrial Revolution.” Another sore point for Linters is that there is too little attention paid in Flanders to examples from abroad. “The heritage sector is

far too unaware of what’s happening in the countries around us. This is unfortunate, especially since many industries previously intertwined over the borders. “Take the flax industry. Flax production extended over all the Atlantic coast, with the region around Kortrijk its heartland. But today, the story of flax is only told from a local perspective, which leaves out a lot of the historical facts. Our limited vision keeps us from learning from experiences from abroad. And that’s unfortunate, because to preserve heritage for the future, a new approach will be required.”

Industrial heritage may be a thing of the past, but at the same time it’s a matter that’s constantly evolving, he says. “We’re working on a project on nuclear heritage,” Linters explains. “The BR 1 reactor in Mol, Antwerp province, is the oldest civilian reactor on the European mainland and the International Nuclear Society has put it on the list as a historic nuclear landmark. But there is no precedent, no knowledge of how to deal with something as new as nuclear heritage.”

FoUr decAdes oF strUggle To celebrate the European Year of Industrial and Technical Heritage, the VVIA has set up an exhibition on 40 years of industrial heritage in Flanders. It tells the story of four decades of struggle for the protection of old factories, mills, breweries and other relics of the history of our daily labour and highlights the role played by citizens and associations in the conservation of these monuments. The exhibition is travelling around Flanders and will be on display at some very symbolic locations. It opened during Flanders Week in a building at the former Lenin shipyards in the Polish port of Gdansk, the site where

the Solidarnosc union was formed. The building, a valuable industrial heritage site, has been repurposed as the Wyspa Institute of Art. The exhibition’s Flanders debut was at the Jenever Museum in Hasselt, formerly the Stellingwerff-Theunissen distillery. In 1975, the building was given the status of a monument, making it Flanders’ first protected industrial building. Currently, the exhibition can be seen in De Snoek malthouse and brewery in Alveringem, West Flanders, and then in Londerzeel’s library and Baasrode’s Maritime Museum.

\ BusIness

WeeK in bUsiness Biotech ablynx The Ghent-based biotechnology company is to extend its co-operation with the American Merck & Co, known in Europe as MSD. The original agreement from February 2014 covered five specific nanobodies – a type of antibody – for possible use in immunotherapy for cancer patients. The new agreement covers another 12 nanobody candidates over the next four years, with funding of €13 million.

Chemicals solvay

The Brussels-based chemicals giant has announced the takeover of Cytec of New Jersey at a cost of €5 billion, the company said. Cytec specialises in chemicals for the mining industry as well as the aerospace and automobile industries, and employs 4,600 people worldwide. The deal will call on Solvay to go to its shareholders to raise €1.5 billion in new capital.

Finance Microstart

Microstart, which offers microcredit of €500 to €15,000 to entrepreneurs who have trouble financing their ideas in the traditional way, has made its 1,000th loan, to a startup. Since its beginnings in Belgium, the Brussels-based credit institution has loaned €10 million to fledgling businesses. The 1,000th loan went to a social grocery in SintAgatha-Berchem, Brussels.

Horeca wasbar

The cafe and laundrette that started in Ghent before spreading to Antwerp and Kortrijk has been sold by its founders to Top Brands, the company behind the Pizza Hut chain. Founders Dries Henau and Yuri Vandenbogaerde will retain a minority share and continue to work to grow the brand in other towns.

technology neoscores

The Antwerp start-up, which specialises in creating digital versions of orchestral scores, has received €2 million in venture capital funding. The money will allow neoScores – voted second last year among the world’s most promising start-ups – to develop as an online market for musicians and music publishers.

telecoms telenet

The telecoms company has said it will not compensate clients who suffered a loss of internet connection for an hour on 26 July. The outage in the Ghent and Antwerp area was caused by a technical problem in Ghent. Telenet said there was no human error and the problem was rapidly fixed, so it will not be paying compensation.

Farmers protest as government promises continued support Boerenbond calls for public help to get decent prices from supermarkets alan Hope More articles by alan \ flanderstoday.eu

he independent farmers union ABS said it was satisfied with the results of last week’s day of action in protest at the low prices farmers receive for milk and pig meat. “The actions went well,” said union chairman Hendrik Vandamme. “At certain locations the protesters occupied the motorway, because they wanted to do more than simply hand out leaflets, but the disruption was limited thanks to co-operation from the federal traffic police.” The union said it was now ready to talk with federal agriculture minister Willy Borsus, and planned no further action for the moment. “We want to give talks a chance,” Vandamme said. During the action, the two main unions, ABS and Boerenbond, met with smaller organisations to form a common Agrofront. Meanwhile, Boerenbond said it would campaign to recruit the public to its cause of obtaining a fair price from supermarket chains. “For every litre of milk they sell, the farmer loses seven cents,” explained Boerenbond president Piet Vanthemsche on VRT radio. Pig farmers lose €15 to €20 per animal. “A number of businesses are in real difficulty,” he said. “They’re no longer making money.” The main reason for the problems

Farmers in ypres during last week’s action

arising now is the Russian boycott of some EU agricultural products imposed a year ago, which has had a severe effect on agriculture in Flanders. The region produces the majority of the country’s output in products such as fruit and pork. Boerenbond would like to see supermarkets pay more for the milk they buy from dairy farmers: an increase of 10c for a one-litre carton of milk would make dairy farming viable again. The unions joined together to deliver their demands to federal agriculture minister Willy Borsus. “The agricultural organisations have worked together to analyse the extremely difficult situation faced by the various sectors of

agriculture and horticulture in the country,” the Agrofront said in a statement. “We share a great concern over the profitability and even survival of family farms in the short and longer term. The aim remains the fixing of a price that covers costs and labour,” they said. Meanwhile, Flemish minister for agriculture Joke Schauvliege announced a package of measures to help support farmers while the Russian boycott of agricultural products continues into its second year. The boycott has caused a fall in exports, leading to surplus production at home and pressure on prices. The measures include €3 million in emergency support for meat producers, as well as a

contribution for dairy farmers and a programme to promote Flemish dairy produce in Asia. Schauvliege said she would put further measures to her colleagues after the summer recess. Earlier in the week, the Flemish Milk Board (FMB), a co-operative of milk producers, threatened to implement road-blocks similar to those used by French farmers, if their demand for a minimum price for milk that covered their costs was not met. French dairy farmers obtained a price increase of 4c a litre as a result of their actions. Vanthemsche did not support such action. “The readiness to take action is strong among a section of our farmers,” he said. “They’re having a hard time while the rest of the country goes on holiday. I understand their frustration, but I think there’s a way of engaging society effectively without causing major disruption. I want customers to ask in the supermarket whether the farmer got a fair price for his milk. Let the people put pressure on the supermarkets. The supermarkets set the prices, so that’s who we have to deal with.” According to a poll of more than 2,500 people in Het Nieuwsblad, more than 80% of the public would be prepared to pay 10c more for their milk to ensure a fair price for farmers.

Vlaams-Brusselse Media to save €1.5 million over three years Vlaams-Brusselse Media (VBM), the non-profit that groups radio station FM Brussel, TV Brussel, newspaper Brussel Deze Week, brusselnieuws. be and cultural diary Agenda, has announced a plan to cut spending by €500,000 a year for the coming three years. The announcement made to staff comes as part of a restructuring plan demanded by Flemish minister Sven Gatz and Brussels minister Pascal Smet last month. Then, the VBM board announced the closure of FM Brussel, which led to a public outcry. Gatz and Smet intervened and the closure was put on hold and a working group set up to come up

with a new strategy. CEO Michel Tubbax was dismissed, as was Anne Brumagne, editor of Brussel Deze Week. She remains out of the job, despite calls for her reinstatement. The savings now announced come, VBM says, because of falling advertising revenue, along with the failure of the regions to increase VBM’s subsidy in line with inflation, despite an increase in costs. The working group has until mid-October to lay out the exact details of the plan. The savings, according to journalist and socialist union representative Eric Laureys, are 10 times higher than those imposed by the government

of Flanders: they had asked for 0.5% cuts, which on a budget of €10 million amounts to €50,000. “We’ll be interested to see how they explain this,” Laureys said. “Translated into jobs, this means the loss of 10 to 30 full-time jobs. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” The company has not made it clear if redundancies will be required. “There is an enormous amount of talent and energy in VBM,” said Sofie Ostyn of the Christian trade union. “That’s why it’s so baffling that the board continues to refuse to enter into talks. Management is playing games with the trust of the staff.” \ AH

Flemish newspapers sell more thanks to digital subscriptions Most Flemish papers have recorded increased sales figures in the last 12 months, mainly as a result of the increase in the sale of digital subscriptions, according to figures from the Centre for Information on the Media. De Standaard saw its paid circulation go up from 99,591 to 101,423 a day, with one in 10 sales now a digital copy. De Morgen went from 53,369 to 53,771, and De Tijd from 39,758 to 40,278, with one in four sales digital. Het Nieuwsblad and Het Laatste Nieuws saw sales fall slightly. Het Belang Van Limburg saw the biggest growth,

of 2.2% in the last year. Editor Ivo Vandekerckhove laid out the reasons for his paper’s success: “a belief in your own identity, a focus on Limburg and Limburgers, more depth and attention to Limburg topics within a Flemish and a European context”. The paper’s growth is almost entirely due to digital sales, in particular for tablet readers. “With a digital paper we’re able to offer the reader a progressive version of the classic paper, tailormade for their device,” Vandekerckhove said. “But the paper version remains important.” \ AH

\ InnOVatIOn

august 5, 2015

Dreaming big

WeeK in innovAtion scientists suppress spread of breast cancer

Platform aims to give leuven a silicon valley glow andy furniere More articles by andy \ flanderstoday.eu

lEuvEnmindgatE.BE

ith its new economic development platform, the City of Leuven is thinking global and acting local. Launched last month, Leuven Mindgate will showcase the world-class innovations that local health, technology and creative companies have pioneered, as well as encouraging cross-pollination between the three sectors. The platform brings together a host of companies and knowledge centres in the city. Partners include the University of Leuven, University Hospital Leuven and nanotechnology research centre imec, with the latter two investing a combined €2 billion in the project. Other partners include Flemish life sciences research institute VIB, Flanders’ digital research centre iMinds and local companies like ThromboGenics, Materialise and LayerWise. The City of Leuven, the driving force behind the project, invested €500,000 in the platform’s launch. Economy alderman Mohamed Ridouani was the brains behind the initiative. The idea came to him, he explains, during a visit to the Swedish city of Malmö. “The City of Malmö overwhelmed us with a spectacular presentation of their progress in different domains,” says Ridouani. “When it was our turn to present the state of affairs in Leuven, we only had a few PowerPoint slides. Our progress is absolutely not inferior to that of cities like Malmö, but we don’t promote it enough.” Ridouani became convinced that something needed to change if Leuven wanted a fighting chance in the fierce international competition for funding, top scientists

leuven alderman Mohamed Ridouani speaking at the leuven Mindgate press launch

and investors. Enter Leuven Mindgate. In addition to promoting local innovative companies, Leuven Mindgate also aims to increase co-operation between the three sectors it focuses on. Researchers might help tech companies finetune their products, while creatives might help companies brand their products.

tors at Leuven’s science parks will be expanded, while a new incubator will be built to help architects, designers and communication specialists, among others, with the first steps toward starting their own businesses. This new incubator for creative businesses will set up shop at the Vaartkom, the city’s creative heart. This is where former Stella Artois

With a collaborative approach, Leuven can truly become a world-class player “Materialise’s 3D printing technology can be very useful for artists, for example” says Ridouani. “With a collaborative approach, Leuven can truly become a world-class player.” The partners also aim to help start-up companies spread their wings. To that end, the incuba-

brewery De Hoorn now houses communication company Boondoggle as well as an incubator for gaming and digital entertainment initiatives. “It has to be known that Leuven is not just a knowledge hub but also a place where that knowledge is applied by entrepreneurs,”

Ridouani explains. “We have to change the reputation of Leuven from the stiff Oxford of Flanders to that of the region’s sparkling San Francisco.” In two years, Leuven Mindgate will get its own building, in the heart of the city, which will organise and host congresses as well as receiving potential investors and international visitors. It will also house the International Centre, which will be the main contact point for local expats, offering them the information they need to integrate in Leuven and Flanders. The International School of Leuven, in the neighbouring municipality of Heverlee, will also move in. “Leuven already has an international dimension, but we have to cherish it more,” Ridouani says. Meanwhile, the city is also gearing up for the opening of the Health House at Arenberg science park at the end of the year. This will be an interactive, hands-on science and technology centre like Technopolis in Mechelen, but mainly targeted at an older audience. At just 700 square metres, the new centre may be small, but the founders have big ambitions. They aim to give national and international researchers, students, investors and tourists a taste of the newest technological breakthroughs in different health-care fields. Its star attraction will be an interactive 3D simulation of conditions in a hospital operating theatre. “There will be a permanent exhibition in the Health House but it will also offer personalised group visits,” says Ridouani. “A tour might demonstrate the latest progress of Leuven’s researchers on the topic of diabetes, for example, if that’s what visitors are interested in.”

Q&A

gEZondEgEmEEntE.BE

Bruno Buytaert oversees Liever Actiever, a government initiative to encourage people to lead healthier lives, day in, day out. How did the idea for Liever Actiever come about? It is part of the Flemish action plan to get people to move more and eat more healthily. We wanted to develop a project that would make adults more active, for at least 30 minutes a day. Not necessarily by doing sports or exercise, but through activities they can repeat every day. We launched a call to action for local organisations to come up with ideas and received more than 120 entries. A jury selected 41 projects. What kind of projects are we talking about? Liever Actiever reaches out to everybody, including the elderly

and disadvantaged people. That’s why we chose organisations that have a strong local network. Activities range from gardening together to organised bike rides. Many of the local networks chose to focus on the importance of taking 10,000 steps a day; there are information and exercise sessions aimed at preventing falls and much more. All the organisers received financial help as well as coaching to keep participants motivated. How has Liever Actiever done so far? We often join local activities to follow up on how everybody’s doing. We get a lot of positive feedback, mainly from people saying

they didn’t realise how much of a sedentary life they were leading. They also love the social aspect of moving in a group.

The project runs until October. What will happen after that? All the projects will be evaluated. For some of them, such as the 10,000 steps, we already know they’ve had a positive result. We’ll review new activities such as gardening and see if we can use them in the future. Of course, we’d like the local organisations to continue their efforts after October – this time with local financing and follow-up, possibly as part of Gezonde Gemeente (Healthy District), a charter most Flemish municipalities have signed. It signals their commitment to developing long-term health policies. \ Interview by Katrien Linde-

mans

A team of scientists at Flemish life sciences research institute VIB and the University of Leuven, led by Professor Peter Carmeliet, have demonstrated that reducing the expression of the cellular PHD2 oxygen sensor impedes the spread of breast cancers to other parts of the body. Breast cancer is the second biggest cause of cancer death among women, mainly because of this spread, known as metastasis, for which there is currently no efficient therapy. The new study also showed that, contrary to earlier notions, genetically blocking PHD2 expression does not promote tumour growth and is therefore a safe therapeutic approach.

PaperPulse makes paper interactive Researchers from Flanders’ digital research centre iMinds and Hasselt University have developed a tool to change the way we deal with paper. With PaperPulse, users can create interactive apps by enriching paper with electronics, without the need for programming skills. PaperPulse can create posters that react to music, interactive business cards and intelligent city maps. In future, it may lead to printed magazines with integrated features, for example. The tool integrates more than 20 components, including buttons, sliders, LED lamps and microphones.

Patient fitted with mini-pacemaker Heart specialists at the University of Leuven have implanted the world’s smallest pacemaker in a patient. The mini-pacemaker, about the size of the top of a little finger, was implanted in the patient’s groin via a catheter. The 81-year-old is recovering well. A pacemaker, which stimulates the heart, is traditionally implanted via surgery under the skin near the shoulder. From the device, wires go to the heart and give out electric impulses. The new pacemaker is 10 times smaller, wireless and implanted in a simpler way. With the catheter, the mini-pacemaker is brought to the ventricle via a blood vessel in the groin, after which the device is attached directly to the heart via small barbs. Doctors believe the technique reduces the risk of complications. \ AF

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\ eDuCatIOn

august 5, 2015

Byte-size training

WeeK in edUcAtion

start-up’s hands-on classes aim to get kids enthusiastic about coding andy furniere More articles by andy \ flanderstoday.eu

codEfEvEr.BE

lemish start-up CodeFever, based in Nevele, East Flanders, has launched a series of classes teaching seven- to 12-year-olds essential programming skills as they take the first steps towards building their own app or website. It was the son of CodeFever founder Katelijne Duerinck who sparked the initiative about a year ago. “He told me he wanted to become a hacker, which I approved of, as long as he had a good purpose in mind, like protecting banks,” she explains. Her son went on to take part in programming activities run by the non-profit organisation CoderDojo, but after a while he wanted to expand what he was learning. “I started looking for more in-depth activities, with my sister Kristien,” says Duerinck. “As we didn’t find anything suitable, we decided to start an initiative ourselves, with the help of two ICT specialists.” In September, CodeFever begins its first series of programming lessons for children, in Aalst, Bruges, Ghent, Kortrijk and Zaventem. During this first level series, consisting of 10 90-minute lessons on Saturday mornings, children will acquire basic knowledge of coding – programming for beginners. Classes are made up of 20 children of similar ages. Children from the second to fourth year in primary school, dubbed the “Bitwits” in CodeFever lingo, follow lessons together. Older children from the fifth and sixth year, the “CodeKraks”, get lessons at a slightly higher tempo. The lessons take place at locations where all necessary technology is available, like university

Future programmers take part in a CodeFever bootcamp in kortrijk

colleges, and children don’t need to bring their own laptop. Three coaches will lead each session. “The head coach will be an ICT specialist, trained by us to work with children,” says Duerinck. “The two assisting coaches might be teacher-training or ICT students.” At the first level, children will work with the basic programming language Scratch and learn how algorithms work. “To create an algorithm, you have to think of a step-by-step strategy,” says Duerinck. Among the tasks children will be set are devising the different steps necessary to get out of a game labyrinth or to make an imaginary chocolate milk drink. For about a third of the lesson time, children will work away from the computer. “It’s essential that they learn how to think in a structured way, by writing necessary

steps on scraps of paper, for example,” Duerinck explains. In the subsequent series of 10 lessons, children will spend more time on the computer, getting to know different programming languages and the techniques needed to create games, websites and apps. Programming a robot is another possibility. In February, the first five locations will provide a new series of firstlevel lessons and the first level two sessions. CodeFever will then also be launched in five more cities: Antwerp, Genk, Hasselt, Leuven and Mechelen. One semester of 10 lessons costs €240, and after every lesson, parents will receive an email explaining their child’s progress. CodeFever doesn’t receive funding from the Flemish government, but was helped to set up by an expert

from the Innovation Centre of East Flanders – a government-funded contact point that advises companies on innovation topics. CodeFever also received the Stem Academy quality label, making it part of the Flemish network of organisations that arrange afterschool activities based on science and technology. Duerinck hopes the government will now put more focus on integrating programming into the regular school curriculum, as in the UK, where children often receive lessons in programming from the age of five. “We need to prepare our children for the job market of the future, which will require extensive digital skills,” she says. “From an early age, children should become digital ‘creators’ instead of just ‘consumers’.”

Researchers at Ghent University (UGent) and the University of California in Berkeley have developed technology to extract carbon dioxide (CO2) from exhaust gases. They focused on carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), which captures exhaust gases from power plants and stores them underground. It helps reduce the emission of CO2 in the atmosphere, but is expensive. The new technique uses nano-porous materials, which have pores not much bigger than CO2 molecules, and act as a “sponge”. When there is contact with exhaust gases, this sponge only absorbs CO2. In conventional CCS, the sponge is then heated to remove the CO2. This requires a lot of energy and is expensive. With the new method, the sponge is submerged in water, which removes the CO2. The water is then removed by bringing the sponge into contact with the hot exhaust gases.

no newcomer tax for non-eu students

At the request of Flemish education minister Hilde Crevits, the Belgian government has decided to exempt international students and researchers with a scholarship from paying the “newcomers tax” – an extra fee for receiving a residence permit. In March, state secretary for migration Theo Francken suggested charging students from outside the EU a tax of about €160. The University of Leuven was among those against the decision, and the measure has now been cancelled. The decision is in line with the policy of encouraging international student mobility.

study allowance applications digitised

Q&A Melissa Quispe Zúñiga has a Master’s degree in human ecology from the Free University of Brussels (VUB). For her investigation into the management of mangrove forests in Malaysia, she recently won the university’s Millennium Development Goals Award.

propose better conditions for the local people, without affecting the forest or the charcoal and pole production.

What was your research about? In general, it was about sustainable development and the use of natural resources in local communities. With my promoter at the VUB I investigated the socioeconomic and ecological aspects of tropical mangrove ecosystems, to propose better management and use of natural resources while considering the economic needs of local people.

Are you happy with the award? Yes, I’m really happy with it. I must say that my promoter, professor Farid Dahdouh-Guebas of the VUB, was convinced that our research was a strong candidate for the award – because we worked with local people who were looking for a better life.

What’s the link with the UN’s Millennium Development Goals? Our research was strongly linked to the goals, because we were consid-

“sponge” extracts CO2 from exhaust gases

ering the reduction or eradication of poverty, ensuring environmental sustainability and promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women. Communities in Matang – the mangrove forest reserve in Malaysia where I did my research – use mangrove wood for charcoal and producing poles, activities that provide the main income for their daily living. We analysed the relationships between all the stakeholders, from the economic needs and situations of workers to the availability of wood and the productivity of the mangrove forest. That way, we were able to

Your roots are in Peru, but you’re currently working in Bonn, Germany, is that right? Yes, indeed. For the next three years I’ll be working on my PhD at the university of Bonn’s Centre for Development Research. I’ll try to keep focused on my research into

sustainability issues in developing countries. Luckily, in our research group there’s the chance to do field work in Peru, so I might be able to go home sooner than I thought.

Students eligible for a study allowance will automatically receive a filled-in file from the government, in the same way that tax declarations are already pre-filled. Flemish minister of home affairs Liesbeth Homans is investing €1 million in digitising the study allowance application procedure, De Morgen reports. Every year, about 100 students only receive their allowance in the middle of the school year, even though they have to pay for all school materials months before. The new system, which should be ready by 2018, should resolve these issues and avoid complaints. \ AF

\ Interview by Senne Starckx

\ lIVIng

WeeK in Activities

north sea torchlight ceremony

This annual tribute to the lifeguards and other water safety personnel on the Flemish coast features torchbearers who land on the beach and process with burning torches to the fire and laser light show at the Casino, ending with fireworks around 22.00. 9 August, 21.00; Epernayplein and Zeedijk, Middelkerke; free \ toerismemiddelkerke.be

wwI memorial weekend The Battle of the Silver Helmets took place on 14 August, 1914. On Saturday, there will be a guided walk to a historic farm, a memorial park and Belgian military cemetery, ending with coffee and cake. Festival with free bus tours of the battlefield, children’s activities, live music and BBQ on Sunday. 8 & 9 August; Museum of the Battle of the Silver Helmets, Rotem 14, Halen (Limburg); €12 for guided tour, free admission to festival on Sunday \ slagderzilverenhelmen.be

world Dance Festival Fortieth edition of this annual festival featuring local and international folkloric dance troupes. Guest artists from Colombia, Indonesia, Burundi, Bulgaria and Russia. Evening performances on 6, 7, 11 and 12 August. Free outdoor performances Saturday and Sunday on the main square. 5-12 August; Edegem (Antwerp); free-€15 \ wdfe.be

trammelant Once a year, the coastal village of De Haan is transformed into a Belle Epoque holiday resort for a day. Costumed interpreters perform scenes of daily life, plus classic cars and vintage bikes, live music and more. 8 August, 10.0022.00; De Haan town centre; free \ visitdehaan.be

Fietseling Choose between four routes of 20, 40, 60 and 100km, each starting in five participating cities in the HagelandZuiderkempen region. Live music and entertainment at each starting point: Aarschot, Diest, Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, Begijnendijk and Herselt. 9 August, 7.00-18.00; various locations (Flemish Brabant); €4 \ fietseling.org

\ 10

One woman and her dog

flemish shepherd breathes life into old practice, and moorland toon lambrechts More articles by toon \ flanderstoday.eu

natuurkuddE.com

“L

ook, this is what it should be like.” Leen Ricour kneels and points to the ground. “Heath and ling [a heather variety], interspersed with flowering sundew.” This carnivorous plant, unsightly yet beautiful, has become rare in Flanders. A bit later, we spot a lizard scampering away. The rare plants and animals here demonstrate what a unique piece of nature this stretch of moorland is, next to the former military airfield in Ursel, East Flanders. The sheep that lie a little bit further, panting in the shade on this hot summer day, have a lot to do with this. Between April and November, Ricour herds her sheep on these moors and the adjacent Drongengoedbos nature reserve. Their grazing has been critical to the conservation of these moorlands. “If there were no sheep grazing here, this area would develop into a grassland or forest,” Ricour explains. “Those young birch saplings over there for example would soon dominate the landscape.” Ten years ago, the spruce forest here was cut down and the soil scraped to restore the ancient moorland. Luckily, there were enough old seeds that the heath could grow again, Ricour explains. “But heather is a cultural landscape; sheep are part of it. And so is a shepherd.” During our conversation, a couple of sheep have strayed from the herd. Ricour explains that they’re new and not yet accustomed to being herded into a flock. She shouts a few commands to sheepdogs Loetje and Mimi, who spring into action. In no time, they bring the sheep into the fold. Ricour trained the dogs herself

when she first took up shepherding six years ago. “In the beginning, I knew nothing. In Flanders, there are no shepherd training courses like there are in France and the Netherlands,” she explains. “But I learned to manage a flock quite well.” The dogs nudge the herd to get moving again and, after a short walk, we arrive at a stretch of land overgrown with grass. Here and there, birch saplings have sprouted up. The sheep will have their work cut out. The calmness in the heather next to the woods is almost overwhelming. Surely it must be hard to spend eight or nine hours alone here every day, with only the sheep, dogs and silence for company? “Absolutely not,” says Ricour. “I never get bored here. I study the plants

and animals that I find on my way. That should be something you find interesting; otherwise this isn’t the job for you. As a child, I was crazy about animals and nature, and this passion has stayed over the years.” Ricour has set up a conservation project she calls Natuurkudde. The project has a contract with Flemish government agency Natuur en Bos (Nature and Woodlands) to manage this nature reserve, but that gives her little certainty, as these conservation contracts are regularly reviewed. And managing a flock with some 200 sheep is no easy feat. “People tend to have a very romantic image of a shepherd. Walking with the sheep, sitting under a tree... The reality is different,” she says. “Shepherds in Flanders, and there are very few of them, have

bite a community bakery for Brussels Vol-au-vent, an organisation that works with culinary heritage, wants to build a community bakery in Brussels, a place where bread will bring people of different backgrounds and cultures together. According to the organisers, if there’s one thing different food cultures know and appreciate around the world, it’s the smell of freshly baked bread. “Bread is a basic in the vast majority of food cultures,” says Hilde Brepoels, co-ordinator at the Brussels-based non-profit Vol-au-vent and the brains behind the project for the La Fourna community bakery. “There are an incredible number of bread recipes, and in the kitchen you can do a lot with bread.” Pointing out that Brussels is a very diverse city, she explains that they want to value the culinary knowledge of people from different cultural backgrounds with their project. “Integration in a neighbourhood is not always easy, but it works

the Vol-au-vent team in their Brussels offices, with Hilde Brepoels on the far left

when you bring people together around simple basic things,” she says. “I know from experience that projects based on food are very good at creating contacts with others.” Though Vol-au-vent has launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund its project, the community

to live from their work in nature conservation.” Pointing out that the meat and wool of sheep yield very little money today, she says: “It’s a pity these things have lost their value. And the cultural and historical importance of sheep farming for certain types of landscapes is barely recognised.” Conservation isn’t Natuurkudde’s only activity: Ricour also offers educational walks in which individuals or groups can join her and the sheep. “Not with the intention of walking for miles but at the rhythm of the sheep – following the pace of the herd,” she explains. “If the sheep, like now, lie down to ruminate, then so be it. You should always respect the natural order of eating and resting as a shepherd.”

volauvEnt.nEt

bakery remains in the ideas phase for now. If the organisers meet their fundraising goal, La Fourna will probably set up shop somewhere in the Bockstael area in the Brussels district of Laken. “Our intention is to create a place where people can come to bake bread and follow workshops,” Brepoels explains. “Another aim is to give to people out of work some kind of training to share their culinary knowledge. That knowledge is abundant in Brussels, and we want to offer a place where it can be shared.” It’s not yet clear how La Fourna will be outfitted exactly, but one thing is certain, the organisers say. “It should be an open and accessible place, a place where people can meet. The Bockstael district really needs a space where different cultures and walks of life can be bridged. And what could work better than a bakery where the smell of freshly baked bread invites you to step inside?” \ Toon Lambrechts

august 5, 2015

A painful separation

in a new series on flanders’ secrets, we visit limburg, where battles were bloody toon lambrechts More articles by toon \ flanderstoday.eu

t’s 1830. Trouble is brewing in the south of the then United Kingdom of the Netherlands. The people of what will later become Belgium are dissatisfied with the policies of King William I. In August, riots erupt and the Dutch monarch struggles to repress them. A month later, a full-blown insurgency breaks out, leading Belgium to declare its independence from the northern Netherlands on October 4. Strangely enough, the old border posts (pictured) along the Meuse river, which runs through both countries, are dated 1843. That’s because the exact border between the Netherlands and Belgium was long a source of contention, in Limburg especially. Only in 1843 was the question finally settled. During the turbulent days of the Belgian revolution, Limburg largely sided with the Belgian insurgents. King William hit back in 1831 with the Tiendaagse Veldtocht (the Ten Days’ Campaign). After he reconquered large swaths of Limburg, all seemed lost; that is, until France offered to help. This interference from France alarmed England, which called for a truce between the warring parties. The king ultimately relented and pulled back his troops from Limburg. The Treaty of London, which was signed after the 1831 ceasefire, gave north Limburg back to the Netherlands. But King William l didn’t accept the terms of the agreement until 1839, so northern Limburg effectively remained in Belgian hands for eight years. Four years later, the Treaty of Maastricht established the exact frontier between Belgium and the Netherlands. Since then, the Meuse has acted as a natural border between north and south Limburg. Locals, many of whom saw the Meuse as their region’s lifeline, abhorred this crude splitting of Limburg in two. Unrest persisted in the north for several years. One of the stipulations of the 1831 treaty was that residents could switch to the Limburg of their choice, something that 3,000 people ended up doing over the next few years. Later, after the First World War, Belgium made one more – unsuccessful – attempt to claim Dutch Limburg back. Today, strict borders between the countries are fading and the erstwhile markers of the division between northern and southern Limburg are only just visible among the

these border posts along the Meuse river in limburg offer a reminder of limburg’s painful split in two

vegetation along the Meuse. Still, the separation of Limburg across two is regularly commemorated in cultural events on both sides of the river. Lafelt is one of the small, inconspicuous church towns in southern Limburg. The landscape in this arid part of the Haspengouw region is one of endless fields. But just outside Lafelt, somewhat hidden between a grove of trees along the roadside, a two-metre high Irish cross looms over the quiet landscape. The cross commemorates an unusually bloody battle that was fought here on 2 July, 1747. The battle of Lafelt was fought as part of the War of the Austrian Succession (or King George’s War) between 1740 and 1748, which pitted the European powers against

each other over the question of who would succeed Maria Theresa as the head of the house of Habsburg. In Flanders, then a part of the Southern Netherlands, the French fought against the Austrians. The battle in the fields of Lafelt revolved not around control of the sleepy town itself, but of Maastricht, a few kilometres away. The French, assisted by an Irish regiment, wanted to take Maastricht so they could build a bridgehead to the rest of the region, while the Irish hoped that a British defeat would also lead to an independent Ireland. On the other side were the Austrians, aided by English and Dutch troops. It was a terrible fight. At one point, the Irish managed to break through enemy lines, only to be shot down by artillery troops. Some

5,000 soldiers are estimated to have died that day, although some historians believe the real number is much higher. Though the French won the battle at the end of the day, they only succeeded in conquering Maastricht a year later – a few months before a peace treaty was signed. The Irish sacrifice didn’t pay off either, since the Treaty of Aixla-Chapelle signed later made no mention of an independent Ireland. Today, the only physical reminder of that bloodbath is the towering Irish Cross at Lafelt. On 21 June, 1964, the Irish ambassador to Belgium inaugurated the monument, which was financed by the Cork City Choral Society. A fitting tribute to the Irish who lost their lives on Flemish soil.

50 Weekends in Flanders: Hike in the Flemish vineyards tinyurl.com/50wEEkEnds

Flanders Today has launched an e-book with ideas for how to spend a year’s worth of weekends. Visit the link above to get your free copy of 50 Weekends in Flanders. We’ll also print one of our suggestions every week here, too. Several small vineyards have taken root in the past few years on the gentle slopes of Flemish Brabant and Limburg. The growers plant hardy vines that produce small volumes of red and white wines. You can explore some of the vineyards on walking trails and taste

tors’ centre in the village of Wezemaal. The route takes you up the slopes of the Wijngaardberg where a long wall was built in the 19th century to protect the vines in winter from the icy north wind. Along the way, you pass old quarries, picnic spots and viewpoints. \ toerismevlaamsbrabant.be

a glass of the local wine along the way. WIJNGAARDBERG One of the best vineyard walks begins at the Hageland wine visi-

HORST CASTLE The ancient stone tower at Horst is a good place to start a hike through the Houwaart vineyard to the east (pictured). Maurice Wuyts has planted a tiny vineyard

that produces white, red and rosé wines, as well as a sparkling wine. You can drink a glass in a cafe in the former Horst Castle stables.

\ hetwagenhuis.be

CHARTREUZENBERG Starting in the village of Holsbeek, an attractive hiking trail takes you through woods and sunken lanes. Along the way, you pass the Chartreuzenberg where the Goemans family planted more than 1,000 hardy vines in 2003. It started as a hobby, but they now sell their organic white and red wines, and

even produce a sparkling variety.

\ chartreuzenberg.be

HOUWAART The village of Houwaart is the centre of a wine-growing region that produces some decent white and red wine. A walking trail leads from the village square to the slopes where the vines grow. It continues through the villages of Tielt and Keerbeek before returning to Houwaart. \ Derek Blyth \ toerismevlaamsbrabant.be

\ 11

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august 5, 2015

To show and not to show

two museums look at lili dujourie’s vast oeuvre, all in one ian mundell More articles by Ian \ flanderstoday.eu

muZEE.BE

Lili Dujourie’s solo exhibition at the Flemish museums Mu.Zee and SMAK isn’t your typical retrospective. By forsaking any chronological principle and bringing the work together, the curators succeed in both offering new readings of her work and creating an intriguing conversation between the different periods of her career.

kind of natural order. “It has to do with leaves, with hands and so on,” she explains. “But it’s also a very banal thing. When you walk in the woods, you have all these leaves that no one looks at, but there’s a whole life in them and it returns every year. So it’s also about taking the banality out of the banal.” Unlike most other facets of Dujourie’s career, these clay works can only be seen at Mu.Zee rather than at both locations. Meanwhile, the most critically admired piece from her steel period – “Amerikaans Imperialisme” (American Imperialism) – is missing altogether, as is the Hommage à series of videos. Shot in the early 1970s, these are still considered pioneering feminist statements on the female figure in art history. “They are very well known, and I wanted to tell another story about my work,” Dujourie says of the decision not to include the two landmark pieces. Martin Germann, curator of the exhibition at SMAK, gives a more involved reason. “A crucial part of the work is to show and also not to show. It’s in the method,” he says. “The missing is a little bit the baseline of this exhibition. The idea is to create fragments rather totalities. And that’s also why it’s not a retrospective.”

smak.BE

olds in Time is exactly the right title for Lili Dujourie’s solo exhibition at SMAK, Ghent’s museum for contemporary art, and at Mu.Zee in Ostend. On the one hand, it evokes the folded fabrics and other materials that are recurring motifs in her work. On the other, it describes the desire to fold the chronology of the Flemish artist’s 50-year career, so that pieces made decades apart appear side by side. “It’s about putting old work and new work together, to have another reading of the work,” Dujourie explains. She adds that this is the first time in her career that she’s attempted such a contrast. “That was quite a challenge, because you don’t know if it will work or not. Also, I haven’t seen some of these works for 30 years.” But standing with the artist in SMAK’s large exhibition hall, the conversation between the different periods of her career seems natural. On the walls are sculptural works from the 1980s, made up of theatrically draped velvet and other fabrics. These were inspired by the robes and hangings of Renaissance and Baroque paintings, and it’s easy to see absent figures in their gathers and billows. These shapes are echoed in the Maelstrom series of small sculptures in the middle of the room. Dating from 2009-10, these papier mache swirls and eddies were fashioned out of newspaper fragments – a

Ballade, linum

the show brings together Dujourie works that have never been exhibited together

commentary on the overwhelming digital age. “It has to do with all the information that we now have, from all over the world,” Dujourie says. “People don’t know what to do with it any more; it’s too much. We don’t know where we’re going. We’re in the middle of a storm.” Another elegant juxtaposition takes place in an adjacent room. On the wall hangs a large, 1983 photograph of a nude woman, lying on a couch draped in vivid red velvet. Opposite stands “De ochtend die avond zal zijn” (The Morning That Will be the Evening, 1993), two black metal benches draped with austere white cloth. The contrast is even greater when you realise that the apparently soft folds are, in fact, made out of hard white plaster. Folds in Time is one exhibition divided between two museums. Visit just one of them and you’ll get a feeling for Dujourie’s themes and the range of her work. Visit both, and you start to see all sorts of subtle variations within and between different periods in her work. Dujourie was born in Roeselare, West Flanders, in 1941. She studied in Brussels, following a course in painting during the day and another in sculpture in the evening. She often jokes that this was because she couldn’t choose between them, but out of this experience arose a lifelong interest in exploring the boundary between the two

forms. Her early work, for example, involved steel plates, often leant against walls like paintings, revealing and concealing fields of colour on the wall’s surface. After steel abstraction in the 1960s, she moved on to video art, photography and paper collage in the 1970s, then worked with velvet and with marble in the 1980s, plaster in the 1990s and, finally, wire, clay and papier mache after 2000. “At a certain point, I’ve done what I want, and that’s enough,” she says of these changes. “Otherwise you repeat yourself, and that’s boring.” It’s also clear that she relishes the technical challenges involved, for instance working out a way to express the lightness of velvet floating on air when each piece is built around an iron frame. “Sometimes my studio is a laboratory,” she says. “I want to have this or that, so I have to research how it can be done.” Often this involves working against accepted practice. For instance, rather than building up her clay sculptures from tiny pieces of the material, she worked backwards from blocks, cutting it as thickly as she could while still being able to fire it. “You don’t do that,” she says with a smile. With titles such as “Memoires van de handen” (Memories of the Hands) and “Initialen der Stilte” (Initials of Silence), these works are reminiscent of leaves or flakes of tree bark, arranged in piles or lines that also suggest a

I wanted to tell another story about my work For Germann, breaking up the chronology is the more interesting choice. “These series were always perceived as monoliths, and never as something that was connected,” he says. “No one would ever have thought of bringing the steel sculptures together with the velvet pieces, and here you can do that. There is no separation, and I think that is new.”

until 4 october Mu.Zee, Romestraat 11, Ostend sMak, Jan Hoetplein 1, ghent

more visUAl Arts this WeeK frank maieu: une vie d’artriste

Picturex

Frank Maieu’s dioramas explore the frustrations and anxieties of his life as an artist, combining humour at his own expense with clever trompe l’oeil effects and artistic in-jokes. His cradle-to-grave production Une vie d’artriste is on show at De Zwarte Panter gallery in Antwerp, along with related smaller work. Think Robert Crumb in 3D. Until 6 September, De Zwarte Panter, Hoogstraat 70-74, Antwerp

Phone company Proximus is one of Belgium’s most significant corporate art collectors and it has invested a significant amount of money in contemporary photography. A broad selection from its photography collection is now on view at Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, near Deurle,EastFlanders.Biginternationalnames include Andreas Gursky, Robert Mapplethorpe, Thomas Struth and Saul Leiter. Belgium features with work by Ana Torfs and Jan De Cock. Until 4 October, Museum DhondtDhaenens, Museumlaan 14, Deurle

\ dezwartepanter.com

\ museumdd.be

from the collection: sol lewitt With Sol LeWitt’s wall drawings what you get is a certificate saying that if you follow certain instructions, then the result is the art he intended. SMAK in Ghent has the paperwork for “Wall Drawing No.36”, and has now redrawn it for the first time since the museum opened in 1999. Executed on a massive scale, the result is both overwhelming and strangely ephemeral. It remains in place until February, accompanied by short exhibitions of similar conceptual art, beginning with work by

French conceptual artist Daniel Buren. Until 14 February, SMAK, Jan Hoetplein 1, Ghent \ smak.be

\ 13

\ aRts

WeeK in Arts & cUltUre Matthias schoenaerts among stars honoured by France

Matthias Schoenaerts, the Antwerp actor currently wowing Hollywood, has been made a Knight in the Order of French Arts and Letters, French culture minister Fleur Pellerin has announced. The award goes to outstanding literary or artistic creation “in France and in the world”. Schoenaerts won a César – the French Oscar – in 2013 as best rising talent. Paul Dujardin, director-general of Bozar in Brussels, was also knighted, as was Bénédicte Selfslagh, chair of the Flanders-Brussels branch of Icomos, the international committee for sites and monuments. Tongeren-born composer Philippe Boesmans was named Commander of the Order, the highest level available and held at one time or another by the likes of TS Eliot, Audrey Hepburn, Bob Dylan and Ray Bradbury.

Royal Museum for art and History names temporary director Alexandra De Poorter has been named the new temporary director of the Royal Museum for Art and History in Brussels’ Jubelpark, federal science minister Elke Sleurs has announced. De Poorter, an archaeologist by training who has worked at the museum for almost 30 years, replaces Eric Gubel, who was criticised for allowing projects to be delayed, to the point where the Inbev Baillet Latour Foundation was considering asking for the return of a €1.6 million grant. \ kmkg-mrah.be

Record number of visitors to Dries Van noten show The exhibition devoted to Dries Van Noten in Antwerp’s ModeMuseum, which closed recently, attracted a record 96,731 visitors, making it the most popular fashion exhibition ever held in Belgium, the museum said. The show, called Inspirations, looked at the designer’s creative process and influences, rather than the work itself. Originally designed for the decorative arts museum in Paris, the exhibition was reworked by Van Noten – one of the original Antwerp Six – to reflect his roots in Antwerp. The museum remains closed until 3 September, when it will open with a new show, Footprint, looking at some of the most influential shoe designs in fashion history. \ momu.be

\ 14

All grown up

alternative music festival Pukkelpop celebrates 30th birthday tom Peeters More articles by tom \ flanderstoday.eu

PukkElPoP.BE

he name of Flanders’ most important alternative music festival – in English: Pimple Pop – was invented by the organiser’s wife. Reasoning that all young people have pimples, whatever their nationality or colour, she anticipated what the adolescent visitors to the new festival would have in common. At first everyone made fun of the name, but Pukkelpop would become a household name long before it reached its own adolescence. Now that even its 20s are over, the organisers have invited acclaimed Ghent DJ duo Stephen and David Dewaele for a special Radio Soulwax opening party, an ideal start to highlight the festival’s eclectic, mash-up character. “Back in 1985, Pukkelpop really wanted to offer an alternative to the mainstream music that was dominating the charts,” organiser Chokri Mahassine says about these early days. As a result, it attracted a niche rock audience. Now it displays a much broader palette, from the dangerous electronic noise of Hudson Mohawke to the festive electro-reggae party of Major Lazer; from the confessional post-metal of Amenra to the sing-along nu-metal rap-rock of Linkin Park, mirroring the wide spectrum of contemporary youth culture while reaching more visitors than ever. According to Mahassine, this strange mix of bands has been there right from the start. “In 1985, Ostrogoth, a hard rock band, were opening and we had industrial sounds from Front 242, while English new wave icon Anne Clark was headlining. We wanted to programme all these styles right away.” Call it the

bird’s-eye perspective of Pukkelpop over the music scene. Initiated by Leopoldsburg’s Humanistische Jongeren (Humanistic Youth), the first edition took place at Excelsior Heppen football club, 20km north of the current location in the village of Kiewit, near Hasselt. Only seven bands played, on one stage, for 3,000 visitors. Mahassine recalls it was all very ideological. “We weren’t Chiro [a popular Flemish Christian youth movement] or boy scouts, we didn’t march behind a flag. We organised adventurous activities, such as a bike trip in the south of France, and also concerts. At a certain point we were organising so many gigs that we started to think about a festival. Festivalcatraz in the nearby village of Zonhoven had given us an example, but there was also Breekend in Bree, and Seaside.” Soon Pukkelpop would overrule them all. “By combining a lot of small bands, all capable of attracting a small audience, we created a

bigger audience, from all over the country,” he explains. “The breakthrough came in the early 1990s, when grunge launched alternative music from a marginalised position into the mainstream. In 1991 we had Nirvana performing before they released their ground-breaking album Nevermind.” As a result, the size of the festival increased drastically, from one stage, nine bands and 30,000 visitors (in 1992) to three stages, 33 bands and 47,000 visitors (in 1994). To celebrate its 10th anniversary in 1995, the festival became a two-day event and reached a peak in visitor numbers at 60,000. The number of stages kept increasing to cope with the curiosity of its audience and the divergence between styles and genres, something that was typical of the 1990s. Pukkelpop gave birth to a Boiler Room for DJs and while the biggest

19-22 august

names were still lined up on the Main Stage, other stages were created for lesser-known and more experimental acts, such as the Club and the Chateau (later Castellum). In 2001, the festival became a threeday event, reaching an attendance peak of 115,000. In 2005, Pukkelpop celebrated its 20th birthday with 137,000 people. The 25th anniversary in 2010 was the first edition to sell out. Then, a year later, in the evening of 18 August, 2011 a devastating storm hit the festival site. Severe winds knocked down massive tents and other structures, killing five people and wounding many others. The festival was cancelled before it had even really begun, and organisers went into survival mode, deciding to reimburse visitors by giving food and drink vouchers over the next three years. There was criticism, but even more support, leading to an extremely successful 2012 edition: More than 200 bands, among them Foo Fighters, the band that should have headlined the year before, played for 189,000 visitors over three days. In 2013 and 2014 the festival sold out again, reaching its maximum of 66,000 visitors every day. This anniversary edition, for which only a few day and weekend tickets are still on sale, includes past favourites, such as Underworld, The Offspring, Limp Bizkit and the – for the occasion – reunited Evil Superstars. Check out Shamir, Strand of Oaks, Curtis Harding and Kate Tempest if you want to discover new talent.

Festival site

Kempensesteenweg, Kiewit

Poster boy Laurent Durieux relives the classics Brussels-based illustrator Laurent Durieux (1970) is a wanted man, mainly in the US, home of the movie industry that features so prominently in his poster art. For 20 years, Durieux lent his pen to advertising, designing logos and campaigns that followed the whims and wishes of his commissioners. Until some five years ago, that is, when the 1950s-style science-fiction drawings he’d been making on the side caught the attention of American illustrative art professionals. He was invited to make his own version of Charles M Schulz’s comic strip Peanuts, and a publisher of poster art that works with the major Hollywood film studios approached him to join their team of illustrators. Since then, Durieux has focused almost exclusively

on the American market, making limited-edition movie posters that sell out in minutes, or cover art for cinephile DVD distributor The

Criterion Collection. With his twin brother, Jack, providing the typography, Durieux creates new posters for classics such as Metropolis, The Birds, The Godfather and Jaws (pictured). The fans like it, as do the directors: Steven Spielberg bought a set of posters of his film Jaws, and Durieux’s website proudly displays a quote from Francis Ford Coppola, director of the Godfather trilogy: “The images, which are stunningly executed, express ideas and themes of the movies he has chosen in new terms. They communicate much without words, and stand alongside the wonderful tradition of illustrative art.” Durieux’s retro-futuristic style fares well with nostalgic-minded movie fans, and is a welcome

warandE.BE

departure from the often bland posters currently trying to grab our attention in cinemas and at bus-stops. It’s no surprise, then, that he’s been invited to take on new films as well. On the occasion of the 2013 Oscars, he designed a new poster for The Master, directed by one of his fetish filmmakers, PT Anderson. Durieux’s show at De Warande, in Turnhout, kicked off as part of the biannual Stripfestival held there in mid-June. Lauded as one of the highlights of Flanders’ oldest and biggest comic book festival, the free retrospective collects five years’ worth of poster art that redoes film history, in different but familiar tones. \ Bjorn Gabriels Until 16 August, De Warande, Warandestraat 42, Turnhout

\ agenDa

august 5, 2015

To infinity and beyond

concert

Gateway to Space until 25 october

Bruges Monopole: Flemish indierock band showcase their catchy tunes at Bruges’ new live-music bar. The Ostendbased quartet have been honing their sound at clubs and festivals since forming in 2009. 8 August, 19.00, The Reflex, Predikherenstraat 35

Paleis 2, Brussels expo EXPo-sPacE.BE

he exhibition Gateway to Space launches you on an odyssey from the age of spacetechnology pioneers via the “Race to Space” between the Soviet Union and the US during the Cold War to the possibility of space tourism. The base of this mission is Paleis 2 at Brussels Expo, near the Atomium. Gateway to Space is a travelling exhibition with about 100 objects from Nasa and the US Space & Rocket Center, brought for the first time to Belgium by Brussels-based entertainment company Fire-Starter. American astronaut Charlie Duke, the 10th man to set foot on the moon, was at the opening ceremony on 18 July. The exhibition doesn’t just highlight the success of American astronauts, but tells the wider story of space exploration from the beginning of the 20th century. Among the objects on display is a replica of a

primitive “rocket cart” designed by German engineer Wernher von Braun in his youth. But most of the items are more high-tech: space suits, replicas of rockets and space capsules, a moon buggy and astronaut food. You can also handle a stone from the moon’s surface. A video shows a triumphant ceremony for Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin, who was the first human to travel into outer space in 1961, and there’s footage of the American flag being planted on the moon in 1969, another famous moment in history. The exhibition also relates how a new spirit of co-operation after the Cold War led to the establishment of the International Space Station, while a model of the Dream Chaser spaceplane, now in development, hints at the possibility of space tourism in the near future. There also are a lot of interactive exhibits. In a

\ monopole-music.be

FestivAl Brussels

tilted replica of the Russian space station Mir, you can experience the orientation problems astronauts are faced with in space, and in a series of simulators, visitors can see how landing a space shuttle and zero gravity feels. \ Andy Furniere

concert

clAssicAl

Emmanuele gattuso

midis-minimes

10 august, 21.00

Chaff, Brussels

until 28 august

The capital’s corporate concert venues are closed for the summer and the big music festivals are mostly rural affairs. In these times we city dwellers have to go underground for our culture. Every Monday night a small cafe called Chaff, overlooking the popular Vossenplein flea market, hosts alternative rock and electronic bands from around the world. Its next offering is Emmanuele Gattuso. The solo Italian artist creates a wall of sound with just one guitar and an array of effects pedals. His current tour takes him through Germany, France and Belgium. \ Georgio Valentino

The 29th edition of MidisMinimes continues a unique tradition of short but sweet classical concerts at – when else? – midday. The Royal Conservatory hosts daily performances by international ensembles. Each day of the week has its own theme, from potpourri Mondays to baroque Wednesdays to contemporary Fridays. The party starts at 12.15 sharp and lasts roughly 40 minutes; it’s the perfect lunchtime entertainment. This week, French oboist Céline Moinet (pictured), accompanied by German pianist Florian Uhlig, interprets Schumann and other 19th-century composers. \ GV

mUsic FestivAl

FestivAl

nostalgie Beach festival 9 august, 12.00

Park ’t Paelsteenveld, Bredene nostalgiEBEacHfEstival.BE

\ classissimo.com

Bruges

Royal Conservatory, Brussels midis-minimEs.BE

MA Festival: This long-lived early music festival celebrates music composed before 1600 with performances by internationally acclaimed musicians. Closing weekend features an afternoon bike ride and epic concert. Until 9 August, Concertgebouw, ’t Zand 34 \ mafestival.be

Ostend Theater Aan Zee: Ostend’s annual theatre festival is a smorgasbord of contemporary Flemish performance spread out across the coastal resort city. A whole lot to see and do. Until 8 August, across Ostend \ theateraanzee.be

exhibition antwerp

Benenwerk 8 august, 18.30

Classissimo: Once a footnote in the Brussels Summer Festival programme, this classical music festival has grown into its own entity. This ninth edition gives young talent a chance to shine alongside older, more established performers. 7-15 August, Parktheater, Wetstraat 34

across Bruges BEnEnwErk.BE

Mijn Vlakke Land (My Flat Land): This exhibition takes the viewer on a round-theworld voyage with the aid of more than 50 panoramic photographs snapped by just as many artists from the dawn of the medium to the present. Until 4 October, FotoMuseum, Waalsekaai 47 \ fotomuseum.be

Last year’s inaugural edition of this seaside festival, just a stone’s throw from Ostend, was visited by almost 15,000 music-lovers. This year’s formula remains the same, with 10 instantly recognisable hit-makers from decades past sharing two open-air stages for one day of sweet nostalgia. The programme does indeed live up to the name. At the top of the bill are one-hit wonders Londonbeat (“I’ve Been Thinking About You”), Nena (“99 Luftballons”) and Billy Ocean (“Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car”) as well as camp British chart-toppers the Human League. \ GV

Eleven venues and an army of dancers, DJs and live musicians join forces for the 14th edition of Bruges dance festival Benenwerk. This isn’t passive entertainment. These events, which revolve around dance styles from around the world, are designed for crowd participation. Most of them include novice-level workshops so that even the stiffest among us can learn to cut a rug. You’ll learn the tango, the Charleston, the Musette and the Robot. Or, if you’re content just to watch, there’s also a live burlesque show featuring international performers. \ GV

leuven The Tervuren School: Retrospective exhibition of 19th-century Belgian landscape canvases. In the 1870s a group of young painters set up their easels in the broad, leafy avenues of Tervuren and revolutionised the medium by painting what they saw. Until 13 September, Museum M, Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 28 \ mleuven.be

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august 5, 2015

Talking Dutch summer reading from the great gatz derek Blyth More articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu

or Flemish politicians not sure what to read on the beach this summer, Flanders’ culture minister, Sven Gatz, has come up with some ideas. Gatz heeft zijn collega-ministers in de Vlaamse regering elk een boek cadeau gedaan voor tijdens de zomermaanden – Gatz has presented each of his colleagues in the Flemish government with a book to read over the summer months. Here’s how Gatz explained the gesture: Lange ministerraad voor de boeg – A long ministerial meeting stretches ahead, he wrote on Twitter. Cultuur verzacht de zeden – Culture rounds out our faults – dus heb ik een zomercadeau mee voor elke collega – so I’ve brought along a summer gift for each of my colleagues. But don’t imagine for a moment that he was handing out chick lit or airport thrillers. Gatz carefully picked serious books by prizewinning Dutch and Flemish writers as their summer texts. Minister-president Geert Bourgeois was presented with a copy of Orgelman – Organ Grinder, by Mark Schaevers: een biografie over de

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vergeten Joodse kunstenaar Felix Nussbaum – a biography of the forgotten Jewish artist Felix Nussbaum. Education minister Hilde Crevits received Ik kom terug – I Am Coming Home, by acclaimed Dutch writer Adriaan Van Dis: een pijnlijke confrontatie met zijn stervende moeder – a painful confrontation with his dying mother. Gatz came up with something quite challenging for housing minister Liesbeth Homans to squeeze into her suitcase: a first novel by Dutch writer Niña Weijers, De Consequenties – The Consequences, die handelt over tijdloze en modern thema’s als zichtbaarheid, privacy, originaliteit en manipulatie – which deals with timeless and modern themes like visibility, privacy, originality and manipulation.

Finance minister Annemie Turtelboom was presented with a copy of Vijftig – Fifty, by Bavo Claes. Het boek gaat over mensen die vijftig worden en over de aantrekkelijkheid van vrouwenlijven – The book is about people who have turned 50 and the attraction of women’s bodies. Beetje raar – A bit strange, noted a journalist on the Radio 1 website, want Annemie is nog maar 47 – since Annemie is only 47. Gatz’s present for Jo Vandeurzen also raised some eyebrows. The welfare minister received Het Hout – Timber, by Jeroen Brouwers. Dat boek gaat over het misbruik van jongens in een katholiek internaat – That book is about child abuse in a Catholic boarding school, a journalist said. When asked about his own summer reading, Gatz said he was planning to read Waterloo by Bart Van Loo: een heerlijke pageturner die iedereen zou moeten lezen – a brilliant page-turner that everyone should read, according to Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant. We can now look forward to our politicians returning from holiday with healthy tans and more rounded personalities.

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Poll

a. It’s a good way to close the digital divide, but there needs to be a tariff for people on low incomes after the test is over

30% b. What’s wrong with not having your nose in a smartphone all day? We should be happy those hold-outs still have a life

50%

c. Giving some away free for more profits later? The government should be ashamed to be playing the operators’ game

20% with wistful regret. Do you miss the days before you became hooked on WhatsApp/Snapchat/Twitter? Another section regarded the idea as the crack-dealer’s stratagem: get people hooked on free samples only to present them with a bill later. People who can’t afford mobile internet now won’t be able to afford it after the free trial is

\ next week's question:

over, either. A social tariff for people on low incomes is the solution many of you supported. But is that really justified? The digital divide is a serious issue, but is it really so important to have internet on the bus as opposed to, say, the public library?

Delhaize has started testing the sale of “ugly veggies” at a special low price (see p2). 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: Closing nuclear plants will push up CO2 levels, study says Ray Walsh Did they factor in the carbon footprint of uranium mining? Or the carbon footprint of making sure that nuclear waste doesn’t leak for thousands and thousands of years? In response to: Electric cars emit nearly same particles as new car on petrol Destiny Brown Actually maybe there are some problems in electric cars currently, but in the future they are the alternate option that will save energy from wastage. In response to: Business leaders: “No guarantee of new jobs under tax shift” Geraldine Doyle What they have done is shifting more tax on to those that are already taxed up to the hilt. In response to: Delhaize begins selling “ugly veggies” Emily Darrow It’s about f---ing time! In response to: Federal government announces budget agreement and €7.2bn tax shift Maroun Kaye So that means +100€ - 256€ = -156€ .. what benefits? TwoBadTourists @twobadtourists Our first trip to Belgium was Antwerp, a super gay-friendly city! #gaytravel @visitflanders http://ow.ly/EKqPK

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the lAst Word

should the government test free mobile internet to try to convince people to use it?

The federal government’s idea of giving away free mobile internet at weekends to encourage those who are still not online every minute of every day didn’t get a very enthusiastic reception from readers. Half of you defend the rights of anyone to forego the dubious pleasures of always-on internet. One wonders how many selected that option

voices oF FlAnders todAy

tough trip

“You never know what to expect in this race. You always need to look out for drunk drivers and runaway cows. And I have cash with me to bribe corrupt policemen.”

Super-cyclist Kristof Allegaert from Kortrijk is in a leading position in the gruelling 1,382km Trans-Siberian Extreme

songs of praise

“We never sing directly about God or Jesus. The references to our faith are more subtle.”

Aendrik De Brant of the Flemish folk group West Rim, who opened for the Pope at an appearance in Rome this week

latin lover

“My grandmother is from Brasschaat. And I love the North Sea.”

Spanish singer Alvaro Soler, whose song El mismo sol is the big hit of the summer, has a touch of Flemish about him

Hot topic

“Parents should broach the subject of sex as soon as their children can talk. I have two teenage daughters and when they were younger we’d watch Bob the Builder and I’d say: How do you think Bob feels about Wendy? What would they do if they were in love? You don't have to comb over the details, just demonstrate that you’re happy to be open.” Flemish media personality Goedele Liekens has been advising the British on sex education, in the Radio Times

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