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may 18, 2016 \ newsweekly - € 0,75 \ rEad morE at www.flandErstoday.Eu currEnt affairs \ P2

Back from the Baltic

Politics \ P4

Flanders’ minister-president joined business leaders in the Baltic states last week for a mission that included opening a new trade office \4

BusinEss \ P6

innovation \ P7

Education \ P9

art & living \ P10

zinergistic

citizen science

The Zinneke Parade is back, uniting incredible diverse groups of people from across Brussels who all become performing artists for one day \ 11

Natuurpunt is turning to the public for help with a massive project that maps Flanders’ most vulnerable plants and animals \7

Harder, faster, stronger

Brussels’ new sports lab tests the limits of the human body leo cendrowicz more articles by leo \ flanderstoday.eu

With its new altitude chamber, the Laboratory for Exercise and Top Sport at the VUB in Brussels is pioneering studies into what exactly happens to our bodies during strenuous physical exercise.

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t is in the name of science, research and public understanding that I have agreed to become a human guinea pig. Or, at least, that is what I tell myself as I pedal manically on an exercise bike, while eight electric wires grasp my torso, a mask clasps my nose, and a nurse leans over my shoulder every three minutes to draw blood from my ear.

This might sound like a mise-en-scène from The Hunger Games, but it is actually one of the world’s most serious and sophisticated research operations into sports. The Brussels Laboratory for Exercise and Top Sport (Blits) is pioneering studies into what exactly happens when we huff and puff around the track, across the pitch or through the pool.

“We’re looking into the many ways in which exercise changes us,” says Blits director Romain Meeusen. “There is still a lot to

Our lab can test what happens to your body when you exercise, from your heartbeat to the way you process oxygen

a room of one’s own

© wim Van eesbeek

Artist Sam Dillemans’ 4,000 works are at home in his own exhibition space

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learn about how the body responds and adapts. And how we can train more efficiently.”

Blits is based in the newest building on the campus of the Free University of Brussels (VUB) and is part of the Human Physiology Research Group (MFYS), which looks at broader physiological issues. Meeusen, who also heads the MFYS, oversees a group of 25 researchers, while also delivering lectures on exercise physiology every week. continued on page 5

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Brussels launches campaign against junction-jamming drivers ‘don’t block the box’ reminds drivers not to enter crossings if they can’t exit alan Hope Follow alan on Twitter \ @alanHopeFT

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hree of Brussels’ busiest junctions have been painted over with a crosshatch pattern, part of a new campaign to teach motorists to keep junctions clear.

The patterns on Sainctelette, Troon and Kunst-Wet are part of the “Don’t block the box” campaign launched by mobility minister Pascal Smet.

It is illegal under Belgian law to hold up traffic by entering a junction on a green light while there is no possible exit should the lights change. The law is universally ignored, however, which results in much worse tailbacks as drivers going in one direction block

cross traffic.

“Driving through a green light at all costs is a form of asocial and arrogant behaviour that cannot be tolerated,” commented Danny Smagghe of the motoring organisation Touring, which supports the campaign.

The chequered box painted on the road surface has been in use in other countries for decades. It acts as a signal: Do not drive on to the box unless you can drive all the way across it, even if the light is green.

The painted boxes on three busy junctions will also be accompanied by an awareness campaign, with flyers handed out at other

junctions and an increased police presence to evaluate the scheme and hand out fines of €55 to anyone “blocking the box”. The project will be extended if a six-month evaluation proves positive.

The Belgian Institute for Road Safety has mixed feelings, according to spokesperson Stef Willems. The situation, he said, “cannot be resolved by changes to infrastructure. The only thing that helps is to make it clear to people that they have to wait their turn.”

Flanders, meanwhile, has no plans to follow Brussels’ example. “This is a question of common sense,” said Flemish mobility

© Courtesy Pascal smet/Twitter

minister Ben Weyts. “If you see that you’re going to block a junction, then just wait.”

Major music festivals to install metal detectors Army missions incomplete as soldiers assigned to security Visitors to the region’s major summer music festi-

vals will have to pass through metal detectors before entering the site. The new rule affects Rock Werchter, Graspop Metal Meeting, Dour Festival, Tomorrowland and Pukkelpop (pictured). The scanners were inaugurated at AC/DC’s appearance at Werchter on Monday.

The metal detectors are being introduced as a reaction to the level 3 terror threat in place following the attacks of 22 March. The festivals’ organisers will share the investment. A ban on backpacks had been considered but was thought impractical. Bags will, however, be checked.

“The safety of concert- and festival-goers, artists, staff and local residents is our highest priority,” said one of the organisers, Live Nation, in a statement. “But the tighter controls will not be allowed to spoil the fun.”

Police and private security will be present in greater numbers, the company said. Holders of tickets for

© yorick Jansens/BelGa

the events will be informed by email of any changes to security policy, and full details can be obtained from livenation.be, rockwerchter.be and twclassic. be. \ AH

The Belgian army is unable to fulfil one in four of its overseas missions because personnel are occupied with tasks at home such as support for police and standing in for striking prison staff, according to a leaked internal report.

In normal circumstances, the military would be committed to 44 overseas missions, including peace-keeping and military exercises with Nato forces. However, 11 of those missions remain unfulfilled because more than 1,600 are busy with other jobs. Most of them are providing security support against terrorism, while

others are seconded to security at nuclear sites and standing in for prison officers.

The army counts some 18,300 soldiers. At any given time, onethird of them can be discounted because of sickness, leave, holidays and training.

“I have the impression we’re being used to break the right to strike of prison officers and police,” union representative Edwin Lauwereins told De Morgen, which received the leaked report. “Defence forces cannot be used to resolve social disputes.” \ AH

Symptoms of stroke focus of new campaign in Flanders Flemish public health minister Jo Vandeurzen and Flanders Care kicked off a campaign last week to help people be more aware of the symptoms of stroke so they can get help more quickly. Recognising a stroke and taking immediate action can not only greatly

limit any brain damage but also save lives.

About 52 people a day suffer a stroke in Belgium. A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is suddenly interrupted.

The risk increases with age, and strokes are the main cause of

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raised by Flanders’ cancer charity Kom op tegen Kanker at its latest fundraising event, which saw teams of eight, including celebrities and politicians, cycle a 1,000km parcours

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death among women older than 75.

An important part of the new campaign “Herken een beroerte” (Recognise a Stroke) is a simple test – the Fast test – to recognise the symptoms. When a person has a stroke, every minute is of vital

calls to the Flemish government’s 1712 information line last year, almost twice as many as the year before. The help-line deals with questions about domestic abuse, child abuse and other violence

importance. Fast refers to face, arm, speech and time.

Corners of the mouth hanging down when someone tries to smile is a symptom, as is the inability to raise both arms at the same speed simultaneously.

Having any trouble speaking or

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estimated loss for Brussels Airlines as a result of the 22 March bomb attacks at Brussels Airport, according to CEO Bernard Gustin. Total turnover last year came to €1.27 billion

understanding what people are saying are also signs of stroke.

If signals point to a stroke, the person should go immediately to an emergency department, not just to their doctor. \ Andy Furniere

00 €877,5

jobs in Brussels, according to a study by the federal economy ministry, more than half of them held by the capital’s residents. Ten years ago, commuters held 55% of the available jobs in the region

in subsidies approved by the Flemish Fund for Letters for new projects by 101 authors. Seven out of 10 applications were approved, for an average grant of €8,688

may 18, 2016

Week in Brief Mayors of the 10 municipalities on the Flemish coast have decided against introducing a smoking ban on the beaches after discussing the issue following a proposal

by Bredene mayor Steve Vandenberghe. The mayors also rejected the idea of municipal fines for people who swim in the sea in the absence of lifeguards. “We prefer to point towards the dangers, rather than wag the finger at anyone,” said Koksijde mayor Marc Vanden Bussche.

The strange situation where tourists are not allowed to photograph copyrighted public works and monuments like the Atomium, even if they happen to be in the photo’s background, will soon be a thing of the past, after the federal parliament held a first reading to approve a proposed bill. Currently, buildings and structures that are part of the normal landscape, like Central Station in Brussels and the speared beetle in Leuven, may technically not be photographed without permission because they are covered by copyright laws. The bill will receive a second reading before the summer.

Mobile phone operator Proximus plans to increase the capacity of its 4G network by using MiMo technology. MiMo, or multipleinput multiple-output, uses different frequencies simultaneously to offer super-fast speeds of up to 225 megabytes per second. Eventually, speeds of up to 1.1 gigabytes per second will be possible, although the main effect will be an increase in speeds in busy areas to 4G levels.

The Belgian Football Association, together with tour operator Sun Travel and Oranje camping, faces charges related to the provision of facilities during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. More than 200 supporters who stayed in the Devillage campsite near Rio de Janeiro joined a class-action suit

by Test-Aankoop, alleging the facilities were not equipped as promised and calling for a full refund.

face of flanders Following several delays, the case is now scheduled for June.

The government of Flanders is launching a new campaign to attract foreign tourists to the region, in the wake of the terrorist attacks in March. Under the slogan “Share our Smile”, the campaign is targeted at countries that have no official negative advice to avoid Flanders, tourism minister Ben Weyts said. The promotional campaign was launched on trains in neighbouring countries, to be followed in June by a new promotion for Brussels Airport.

Federal justice minister Koen Geens is reportedly working on a new set of regulations that will make it possible for a person to change their legal gender without having to undergo hormone treatment, surgery or any other form of medical intervention. Many transgender people prefer not to go through surgery due to cost or medical risk. Under the new regulation, they would be allowed to register their transition through a simple declaration. A legal period in which that decision could be reversed is also being considered.

Last week, Antwerp commemorated the 2006 murder of two-yearold Luna Drowart and her nanny, Oulematou Niangadou, who were gunned down in the street by rightwing extremist Hans Van Themsche. Another woman, Songül Koç from Turkey, was injured.

The shooting led to a change in firearms legislation in Belgium, making it much more difficult to buy a gun. “Violent extremism justifies murder, and even raises it to a moral good,” mayor Bart De Wever wrote in an open letter. “As mayor, I have to fight that danger.

That is my duty.”

The senior railway police officer was in fact informed of the need to close the Brussels metro on 22 March, following the attack at Brussels Airport. But the email

was sent to his personal address, and he only saw it later, the parliamentary committee investigating the attacks has learned. The committee was also told that closing down the network would not have stopped the attack. At the moment the email was delivered, the suicide bomber was at Merode station, two stops away from Maalbeek, and the bombing would simply have taken place there.

Flemish public broadcaster VRT has been ordered to disclose the salaries and other remunerations of top managers, following a case filed by a taxpayer. Transparency in government institutions is a legal obligation, with certain limited exceptions, but VRT has consistently refused to comply with requests for information on management compensation. The Council of State said in its ruling that the Flemish taxpayer had a right to know where their money was going, irrespective of privacy pleas or commercial confidentiality.

The City of Antwerp has won an Ethias Award in the category of child safety for its cycle-training classes, in which children from primary schools and the special education sector are given lessons in safe cycling. The programme has recently been extended to third and fourth year pupils, and new developments will be announced soon, said education alderman Claude Marinower.

Two researchers from the Botanic Garden in Meise have discovered a link between climate and banana diversity in Southeast Asia, the birthplace of the fruit.

According to Steven Janssens and Filip Delook, whose findings will be published in the journal New Phytologist, some 23 million years ago, the climatic conditions in the north of the region, which includes India and Burma, were more propitious for the evolution of different species of banana than the southern Malaysia area.

offside lock, stock and barrel You might not consider the inauguration of a new lock in the port of Antwerp a must-see event, but next month, you’ll be able to view the event from a gondola atop a giant wheel 55 metres in the air. But you’d better be quick.

The new Kieldrecht lock is the biggest in the world, a quite magnificent work of engineering: 500 metres long, 68m wide and with a depth of minus 17.8m. It was previously referred to as the Deurganckdok lock, but got its new name from a public competition.

Kieldrecht is part of the municipality of Beveren on the left bank of the Scheldt, a geographical proximity the port authority wanted to mark in choosing the new name. The other lock on the left bank, the Kallo, is named after another district of Beveren.

For a ride on the big wheel over the new lock, all you have to do is go to the lock’s website – even harbour locks have their own websites these days – and sign up for tickets, which cost €5. Choose which day you want to come to

© Christophe ketels / Compagnie Gagarine/BelGa

Jean deboutte If you came across a civil servant who had been responsible for spending a budget of €4 billion this year, you might be surprised, but in fact, that sort of budget isn’t out of the ordinary for top government administrators.

But Jean Deboutte didn’t spend €4 billion; he saved it. He reduced public spending by the federal government by €4 billion this year, but he’s saved the government €11.6 billion since 2012. And if things go according to plan, he’ll save the national treasury about €40 billion in the course of the next 20 years.

How does he do it? He sells Belgian debt, or, to put it another way, he borrows money for Belgium. Deboutte is the director of the federal government’s Agency for the National Debt, and he’s the one who’s been taking advantage of historically low interest rates to borrow money on behalf of the nation at terms of up to 100 years, at interest rates of 0% – or even less.

“The average interest rate this

year on our national debt is about 2.73%,” he said. “Four years ago it was 3.75%.” That means a saving in one year of about €4 billion, if the higherrate debt can be swapped for lower-rate debt.

Deboutte, 49, studied maths at the University of Leuven before taking a second Master’s in actuarial sciences – the calculations that lie at the basis of insurance.

What Deboutte does is akin to visiting casinos and counting cards: calculate how much to borrow at what rate, so that the transaction can wipe out a maximum portion of the country’s €430 billion of debt.

“Figures have always fascinated me, and I was pretty good with them,” he told Het Nieuwsblad.

“Along the way, I developed an interest in the economic application of mathematics. That’s how I ended up where I am now.”

Asked what the future may hold, he replied: “Nobody knows. But our plan is to exploit the situation as long as it persists.” \ Alan Hope

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

kiEldrEcHtsluis.BE

© Courtesy antwerp Port authority

the three-day event and what time you want to reserve your big wheel ride – slots run hourly. The ride promises a panoramic view of not only the lock, but also the surrounding river landscape.

A village made of containers awaits you before or after the ride with a photo exhibition and food and drinks. \

AH

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

Editor Lisa Bradshaw dEPuty Editor Sally Tipper contriButing Editor Alan Hope suB Editor Bartosz Brzezi´nski agEnda Robyn Boyle, Georgio Valentino art dirEctor Paul Van Dooren PrEPrEss Mediahuis AdPro contriButors Rebecca Benoot, Derek Blyth, Leo Cendrowicz, Andy Furniere, Lee Gillette, Diana Goodwin, Clodagh Kinsella, Catherine Kosters, Toon Lambrechts, Ian Mundell, Anja Otte, Tom Peeters, Senne Starckx, Christophe Verbiest, Denzil Walton gEnEral managEr Hans De Loore PuBlisHEr Mediahuis NV

Editorial addrEss Gossetlaan 30 - 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden tel 02 467 23 06 editorial@flanderstoday.eu suBscriPtions tel 03 560 17 49 subscriptions@flanderstoday.eu or order online at www.flanderstoday.eu advErtising 02 467 24 37 advertising@flanderstoday.eu vErantwoordEliJkE uitgEvEr Hans De Loore

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Trade mission to Baltic complete Bourgeois visits Estonia, lativa and lithuania and opens trade office in vilnius alan Hope more articles by alan \ flanderstoday.eu

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lemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois has completed a fiveday trade mission to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. He opened a new Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) office in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, and promised support for the Estonian Center of Eastern Partnership, which works on relations between the EU and countries like Ukraine and Belarus.

Bourgeois undertook the trip to mark 20 years of close co-operation between Flanders and the Baltic states in politics, economics, culture and academia. He was accompanied by representatives of the Flemish ports and universities.

Flanders signed a bilateral treaty with each of

the Baltic states in 1995, the beginning of 20 years of cultural co-operation and exchange of know-how and technical support. The three states joined the EU in 2004.

Political contacts included meetings with prime ministers and foreign affairs ministers from the three former Soviet republics.

Discussions covered the states’ geopolitical situation and the continuing troubled relationship with Russia.

The new FIT office in Vilnius will serve all three countries, promoting trade with Flemish companies and attracting Baltic investments to Flanders. The delegation also met ministers of transport and infrastructure, as well as representatives of the ports of Riga in Latvia and Muuga in Estonia.

© Jan nagels/BelGa

Flemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois receives a tour of the kumu art museum in Tallinn, estonia

“By opening a Flanders Investment & Trade office in Vilnius for the Baltic states, Flanders is sending out a clear message about

the growing importance of the region for the Flemish economy,” Bourgeois said. “As a result of their strategic position at the Baltic Sea, the various seaports play an important role for the Flemish ports, and the region serves as an economic gateway to other countries in north-eastern Europe.”

Flanders exported products worth €1.3 billion to the three countries last year, with Lithuania the largest customer, worth €700 million. The main products exported are chemicals and pharmaceuticals, machinery, vehicles and fruit. Flanders accounts for 90% of Belgian exports to Latvia, 88% to Lithuania and 83% to Estonia.

Contractors ask governments to invest in public infrastructure

Prime minister meets with US counter-terror adviser

A group of major construction contractors has called on the regional and federal governments to begin urgently investing in infrastructure of roads, tunnels and schools, as well as specific projects like the Oosterweel connection in Antwerp and the railway station in Vilvoorde. Industry federation VBA issued the plea during its annual presentation of the state of the industry.

VBA’s annual barometer shows that employment in major construction works has fallen by 2.67% in three years. At the same time, 48% of employers are ready to take on trained workers. Investment in public infrastructure is the main cause for concern, VBA said. Not only is public infrastructure an important indicator of a country’s wealth, it also creates jobs and thereby tax revenue. Between 2010 and 2014, the value of investments fell by 32%, VBA said.

Places where investments are urgently needed, it said, include the Brussels tunnels, which have started to crumble because of lack of maintenance, and schools, one in four of which are more than 100 years old and 70% of which are more than 45 years old. It would take €2 billion to bring the state of the schools where it should be, the federation said, while the total budget is €60 million a year.

Prime minister Charles Michel met last week with Lisa Monaco, counter-terrorism adviser to US president Barack Obama, to discuss closer co-operation in the wake of the 22 March attacks in Brussels and at Brussels Airport. Monaco also had meetings with the home affairs ministry, the state security service, the federal police and the prosecutors service.

The meeting with Michel took place in the Egmont Palace and also covered the situation in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, and the military and diplomatic efforts that have to be made. Both partners expressed a desire to support the work of Joint Investigation Teams – made up of police from various countries within Europol carrying out crossborder investigations.

“Our goal is to strengthen the partnership between Belgium and the US in the fight

© Jasper Jacobs/Belga

Disrepair in the stefania tunnel in Brussels, now closed to traffic until later in the year

Some of the problems are a matter for the federal government and some for the regions.

“In Belgium, there is no long-term vision on infrastructure, and that’s a problem for the networks [rail, roads and waterways], for economic development, for employment and for the people,” said Marc Peeters, VBA chair and managing director of construction services business Royal BAM Group.

“Introducing a levy on the motorways is a good idea,” he continued, “and I hope the money it raises will be used for the upkeep of the roads network and not to fill in the holes in the social security budget, for instance.” \ AH

Terrorism committee appoints new Dutch-speaking experts The parliamentary investigative committee looking into the terrorist attacks of 22 March has appointed two new experts to take the place of the Flemish criminology professors who stepped down earlier this month. The new experts are Willy Bruggeman, chair of the federal police council, and Dirk Van Daele of the University of Leuven (KU Leuven).

Earlier, the two Dutch-speaking experts (there are also two French-speaking experts) appointed to assist the committee stepped down. Brice De Ruyver of Ghent University and professor emeritus Cyrille Fijnaut of KU Leuven claimed their political non-partisanship had been called into question by opposition members of the committee.

The experts are brought into the committee of MPs to advise on technical matters and ensure the committee’s work does not interfere with

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the ongoing investigation into the attacks. One of the experts will act as the committee’s magistrate, able to order search warrants, approve investigative acts and subpoena witnesses.

Bruggeman, formerly of the gendarmerie, teaches at the Benelux University Centre in the Netherlands. He was director of operations of the gendarmerie after the events of the Brabant Killers in the 1980s, and was one of the main forces behind the creation of Europol, the EU’s law enforcement agency.

Professor Dirk Van Daele teaches at the Leuven Institute for Criminal Law and is an expert on intelligence services and co-operation between justice systems and police. He was an expert to the Senate investigative committee on organised crime set up in 1996 and now advises the High Council for Justice and the I Committee, which oversees intelligence services. \ AH

© Pete souza/white House

lisa monaco briefs Barack Obama in the Oval Office

against IS,” Monaco said in an interview with De Morgen. “We will work together in the investigation into the 22 March attacks to identify those responsible, take them out of action and dismantle the network that supports them.” \ AH

Federal and Flemish governments co-operate to fight tax fraud The federal and Flemish governments plan to work more closely together to combat tax fraud. Federal finance minister Johan Van Overtveldt signed a co-operation agreement with Flanders’ new finance minister Bart Tommelein.

The agreement was reached because of the prevalence of complex administrative constructions, often with international dimensions, among major tax evaders.

Money can be routed through various jurisdictions until it has become untraceable.

This often involves infringements against federal and Flemish tax regulations.

“The Flemish and federal tax services will exchange information, while of course respecting privacy regulations,” said Tommelein (pictured). “It will also be possible to give each other access to individual dossiers.”

“By working together more closely,” said Van Overtveldt, “we hope to make the collection of taxes more efficient and close the net on tax fraud.”

The agreement will be evaluated at least once a year, when changes can be made if

© Dirk waem/BelGa

necessary.

In related n ews, the special investigations squad of the federal tax authority collected €157.4 million in 2015, down from €185.7 million the year before. The drop is thought to be largely due to the reduction of the penalty for non-disclosure of income, which fell from 300% of tax owed to 100%. \ AH

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may 18, 2016

Harder, faster, stronger

with a series of gruelling physical tests, Blits helps athletes improve their performance continued from page 1

“We do research, and we also help people improve their training regimes,” Meeusen says, referring to factors including biomechanics and biometrics to body mass index and maximal oxygen uptake capacity. “Our laboratory can test what happens to your body when you do sport, from your heartbeat to the way you process oxygen. And we can see what exercises are most likely to improve your strength, and which ones are least likely to cause injuries.”

Meeusen is keen to demonstrate the depth of data that his team can scour, so he arranges training sessions for me, the first of which is the electric hook-up and blood drain.

After an initial half hour of questions, inspections of my body and movement analyses, I am sent to the testing/torture chamber. The wires are connected to an electrocardiography machine to measure my heart, while the mask monitors my oxygen intake. The blood samples are to measure lactate, which is a by-product of glucose used by muscle cells.

As I pedal the exercise bike, the resistance is raised every three minutes, at the same time as my ear is pricked. What starts out gently enough soon becomes a grind, and I’m forced to stand up on the bike.

Sweat (and blood) drop down on to the bike’s base and the floor. A half hour of wheezing later, when I can no longer keep up the speed, the exercise is stopped.

Aftermyshower,anassistant,JoVerschueren, presents me with a 15-page dossier explaining my test results. The lactate checks are markers to show how the body is adapting to exercise.

“If you can use the oxygen you inhale, you don’taccumulatemuchlactate,” Verschueren explains. “But when the exercise becomes too intensive and you don’t have enough oxygen, the lactate begins to build up.”

In my case, the lactate production grew almost exponentially. I began at 80 watts – effort level is expressed in watts – with a starting heart rate of 63, and ended at 290 watts, with a heart rate of 141. Verschueren generously describes me as among “excellent oxygen uptake” people.

“You are a big person, but you also have big lungs,” he says. “If you have low capacity to inhale oxygen from the air, you have a Fiat engine. In your case, you have a Ferrari engine.”

There is still so much to learn”: Blits director Romain meeusen

Blits.org

© Photos courtesy VUB

your intrepid correspondent is put through his paces by Flemish Olympic road racer lieselot Decroix

In between, they found my aerobic threshold, crossed when my heartbeat reaches 115, and my anaerobic threshold, when it’s at around 135. The anaerobic threshold is the level of exercise intensity at which lactic acid builds up in the body faster than it can be cleared away.

This is what marathon runners call bonking, or hitting the wall. Or, as Verschueren says: “There is a man with a hammer saying, ‘Stop, this is enough!’”

The second cycling session, a few weeks later, is mercifully free from clamps, masks and needles, but is equally gruelling as I try out the new Blits altitude chamber, a special testing room that is used to simulate low-oxygen environments. My exercise is managed by Lieselot Decroix, a 2008 Olympic road racer who is a professional rider with Lotto Soudal Ladies.

The chamber is a small, air-tight room, where the atmosphere is controlled through powerful vents. Rather than suck the air out – an operation that would require a room with reinforced walls – they simply pump more nitrogen in.

“Many people come here thinking, ‘Oh, this will be easy!’ And then they start exercising and find it’s really hard work,” Decroix says.

That is indeed how it feels: the effort level at a constant 130 watts is relatively light on my legs, but speech soon becomes difficult, and I struggle to complete sentences.

Decroix explains that this effect – easy on legs, harder on the heart – is useful for recovering athletes as they can exercise their cardiovascular systems without straining the muscles. Over a 45-minute period, the “altitude” rises slowly from 3,000 metres to above 5,000, which is the elevation of Everest North Base Camp in Tibet. By the end, I am drenched in sweat.

There is a significant body of evidence that the Kenyans and Ethiopians who dominate middle- and long-distance running have

been aided by their life and training in the East African Rift. Decroix says this certainly helps, although she admits that it is hard to isolate the altitude from other mental and physiological factors.

Meeusen is particularly fascinated by the mental and physiological issues associated with exercise. He points to a recent study by

antagonises a neurotransmitter, and therefore stimulates your attention. Meeusen even did a test where volunteers just rinsed their mouth with coffee and then spat it out.

“Even with that, their brains lit up, and they performed better.”

This also works with energy drinks like Red Bull, which contain caffeine, taurine and

We can see what exercises are most likely to improve your strength, and which ones are least likely to cause injuries his team on whether exercise could improve cognitive recognition.

Test subjects in the altitude chamber did quizzes on the computer while the oxygen content and humidity changed and the temperature varied from five to 45 degrees Celsius. The tests took place before and after, and even during exercise on the bikes.

Some of the experiments relate to mental fatigue: Volunteers have to do really boring tasks for 90 minutes. “After that, their physical performance decreases,” Meeusen says.

Another study looked at sustained military operations, aiming to replicate missions that last for more than 72 hours. During these operations, soldiers have to concentrate for long periods of time, but they also have be able to make crucial decisions quickly.

So how can these perceptions of fatigue be altered? Coffee, Meeusen says. “Caffeine enhances performance. We have tested it; you not only get less fatigued in your legs, something also happens to your neurochemistry. People who use caffeine perform better. But the effect of caffeine is in the brain; it’s not that you burn more fat.”

The technical explanation for this is that it

glucose. “And you don’t need a high dosage,” he says. “Two espressos are enough.”

Other research looked at the effect of pollution on the brain. “Many people go jogging around Warandepark and Jubelpark, but these are some of the most polluted places in Brussels,” Meeusen says.

Most of the research, however, points to the benefits of exercise. One study recommended that children cycle to school, as it can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and hypertension, which are among the leading causes of death.

The same study also shows that cycling is a means of reducing traffic congestion, air and noise pollution and the consumption of fossil fuels. Encouraging cycling or physical activity in general at young age is important, the study adds, as it increases the probability of being physically active during adulthood.

And this ties in with Meeusen’s overall view: Sport serves both the body and mind. “We are looking at the effects of exercise on the body, and how different conditions produce different results,” he says. “But there is no doubt that sport is almost always good for us.”

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Week in Business Hotels Tangla The Chinese HNY investment group has opened the 187-room five star Tangla hotel in Sint-LambrechtsWoluwe in Brussels. The new hotel, near Brussels Airport, is the group’s first in Europe and makes extensive use of feng shui design.

Dredging Deme

The Antwerp-based dredging and offshore solutions company is expected to win a €750 million share of the €3 billion contract to build the 18-kilometre long Danish Fehmarnbelt tunnel that will connect Denmark with Germany, north of Hamburg.

Health care korian

The French operator of retirement and rehabilitation care clinics has acquired the Foyer de Lork chain of 14 residences, based in Geel, Antwerp province. The move allows Korian to become Belgium’s secondlargest operator in the sector.

Cars sales

New car sales jumped 7% in April compared to the same month in 2015, pushing growth for the first four months of this year by 3.5% to 205,478 vehicles. Market leader for the period is Renault, followed by Volkswagen and Peugeot.

snack foods Poco loco

The Roeselare-based producer of tortilla chips and Tex Mex food products, affiliated to the Finnish Paulig group, is investing €40 million in a new 80,000 square-metre distribution warehouse. The new, fully automated facility, expected to open in 2018, will allow the company to increase capacity and hire up to 100 new employees.

Telecoms mobistar

Mobistar, the country’s second-largest quoted telecommunications and mobile phone operator, was officially renamed Orange last week. The company expects to relaunch its activities with the new name and develop banking services in the near future.

Bavaria brewer takes over Palm Effort to improve sales of multiple brands includes rodenbach alan Hope more articles by alan \ flanderstoday.eu

T

he Dutch brewer Bavaria has agreed to take over the Palm Belgian Craft Brewers, based in Steenhuffel, Flemish Brabant.

Besides the well-known Palm and Rodenbach brands, the Flemish brewers sell such labels as Steenbrugge, Brugge Tripel and Estaminet.

The Dutch and Flemish brewers have been involved in secret negotiations for four months.

“At the start of the year, we approached Palm and asked [CEO] Jan Toye if we could come for a cup of tea in the brewery in Steenhuffel,” said Bavaria CEO Jan-Renier Swinkels.

Ultimately, they tased more than the tea. “We had noticed that Palm has an admirable brand portfolio, and our enthusiasm grew as we tested the brands in the local cafes. Luckily we had come with a driver.”

The agreement brings together two family brewers from Brabant: Palm, in Flemish Brabant, and Bavaria from the Dutch province of North Brabant. Both have a long tradition in the industry – 600 years in total – and both are operating in the shadow of industry giants.

Bavaria has made an international impact in recent years, including a major marketing campaign at the World Cup in South Africa, but still has to struggle against the might of

© Dirk waem/BelGa

From left: Bavaria CeO Jan-Renier swinkels, Palm Belgian Craft Brewers managing director Jan Toye and Bavaria CFO Frank swinkels celebrate their new partnership in steenhuffel

Heineken in a market where pils beers are declining in sales. Palm, once the preferred pintje in Flanders – the beer that made Brabant proud, as the slogan went – has been pushed aside by pils beers such as Jupiler and Maes and has now dwindled in popularity to the point that many bars no longer stock it.

Rodenbach, based in Roeselare, West Flanders, has recently developed master beers such as Grand Cru, a single-cask Vintage, and the fruit blend Caractere Rouge. The latter was created with top chef Vicky Gunes and aimed at restau-

rant diners who don’t normally order beer.

The deal does not include geuze and kriek from the Boon brewery in Lembeek, Flemish Brabant.

Boon was a partner of Palm at one point, but brewer Frank Boon took to Facebook to stress that he has not been taken over by Bavaria.

“On 30 June 2014, the share which Palm held in Boon (50%) was sold to the Diepensteyn holding company,” Boon wrote. “The other 50% is in the hands of the Boon family. On 1 January 2016 the distribution agreement between Palm and Boon came to an end. Boon in still Boon. There is no connection with Palm or Bavaria.”

Also on social media, beer drinkers lamented the takeover of classic Belgian brands by a foreign brewer considered mediocre. But Sven Gatz, former director of the Belgian Brewers Federation and now culture minister in the government of Flanders, stepped in to defend the pact.

“Two family breweries coming together. One with no successor, the other with still a large family,” wrote Gatz on Facebook. “One with lager, the other with craft beers. No competition Holland-Belgium, just two Brabant breweries, north & south. … Consenting parties.”

Baggage handlers strike at Brussels Airport

Gault&Millau names Tomorrowland festival a ‘culinary innovator’

Unions representing personnel of baggage handlers AviapartneratBrusselsAirporthavebeenstronglycriticisedafteraoneday strike that affected flights out of Zaventem last Wednesday. The situation has, meanwhile, returned to normal.

Their demands included mileage payments for staff who were assigned to other airports while Brussels was closed following the 22 March bomb attacks. The payments were promised but apparently not yet delivered. “We have reached an agreement we find we can defend, and obtained everything we asked for,” said Bjorn Vanden Eynde of the ACV-Transcom union.

Unions also complain of the company’s attitude. “Since the attacks, staff have shown an enormous flexibility in helping get the airport back on track,” a union representative said.

But Aviapartner CEO Laurent Levaux “hasn’t even taken the trouble to offer a word of thanks”. Aviapartner is one of two baggage handlers at Zaventem, together with Swissport.

Actions like that of Aviapartner, which handles 30% of the baggage passing through Brussels Airport, put the credibility of the airport in jeopardy, according to airport CEO Arnaud Feist. “Enough is enough,” he said at a press conference. “At some point, the airport will simply go bust. Everyone has to realise that the airport is in a very vulnerable position following the attacks in March. The image, which has been damaged, needs to be repaired. That means an effort from everyone involved.”

Since the attacks less than two months ago, the airport has also suffered from industrial action by police unions and air traffic controllers. As a result of last week’s action, 32 flights were cancelled and three were diverted. \ AH

A number of food concerns in Flanders have been named “culinary innovators” by the prestigious restaurant guide publisher Gault&Millau. The Culinary Innovators initiative gives food professionals “the opportunity to reflect together on the future of gastronomy,” according to the company.

The winners include Hertog Jan of Zedelgem, West Flanders, in the category Restaurant Philosophy. One of the three restaurants with three stars from the rival Michelin guide, Hertog Jan was the first restaurant to sign up to the West Flemish Charter of Sustainable Enterprises in 2013, developing a 10-point plan on issues like waste, management of raw materials, engagement with the local community and respect for employees.

Urban Crops of Waregem in West Flanders won in the category Product for its research into automated vertical agriculture using LED lights, which allows food to be grown in any environment without pesticides, but with a reduced production of carbon dioxide and a shorter growth cycle (pictured).

Dance music festival Tomorrowland in Boom, Antwerp province, meanwhile,

© Courtesy Urban Crops

won in the category Events. The worldfamous event pays as much attention to food as to music, the jury said, with beers specially brewed for the event, the presence of top Belgian and international chefs and a rigorous selection of food stands for visitors.

North Sea Chefs earned a nomination in the category Sustainability for its efforts to promote the consumption of many species of fish other than sole, cod and turbot. Their work allows fishermen to sell their by-catch, helping the coastal economy and limiting the damage to fish stocks. \ AH

Flemish coast celebrates best weekend in years Businesses at the Flemish coast had their best long weekend in years over the Ascension holiday, according to West Flanders’ tourism agency Westtoer. De Panne reported having the busiest spring weekend in the last 10 years from 5 to 8 May, with a peak on Saturday of 50,000 to 75,000 visitors.

The long weekend combined with excellent weather meant the holiday started and ended with long lines of traffic to and from the coast. Day trippers turned up in the thousands, while longer-stay tourists also arrived in numbers.

\6

© Courtesy westtoer

Hotels report occupancy of 90%, with a rush of lastminute bookings. Westtoer expects the number of

visitors to reach half a million, once the figures are all in.

Sea bathing was only permitted in Blankenberge and De Haan, where lifeguards were on duty. Lifeguards were brought in earlier than usual at De Gavers provincial domain in Harelbeke. The governor of West Flanders, Carl Decaluwé, repeated a warning to tourists not to swim in the sea where lifeguards are not present. “The North Sea is not a swimming pool,” he said. “It can be deadly dangerous.” \ AH

\ InnOVaTIOn

may 18, 2016

Nature’s inventory

Week in innovation

Environmental organisation maps flanders’ most vulnerable species toon lambrechts more articles by Toon \ flanderstoday.eu

mEEtnEttEn.BE

O

ver the next five years, volunteers working with Flemish environmental organisation Natuurpunt will conduct counts of endangered animals and plants in Flanders.

The data, collected with the assistance of the Institute for Nature and Forest Research (Inbo), will be submitted to the European Commission and used to assess existing environmental policies.

“Our volunteers are very enthusiastic about this project,” says Hannes Ledegen, project co-ordinator at Natuurpunt. “It’s a recognition of their efforts, and it offers them a chance to learn more about the species and to collect information that will be put to actual use.”

As part of the European network of nature protection areas, Natura 2000, Flanders is required to report the status of certain plant and animal species to European authorities. Until now, this task was carried out by Inbo, which has developed standardised methods for monitoring the state of flora and fauna in Flanders.

But with its vast network of volunteers, Natuurpunt says it can go a step further. “We don’t limit ourselves to the species covered

by Natura 2000,” Ledegen explains.

“Our goal is to include a number of species that are not protected under European regulations, but that are very useful to monitor, because they can tell us about the state of plants and animals in Flanders. We can then determine if current environmental policies are effective.”

This year some 40 species will be monitored; the number will double by 2018. Natuurpunt has also added bats and birds to the list, even though their count is

new drones for disaster situations

Five Flemish companies and three research institutions are collaborating to develop a platform that will enable the use of smart drones during disasters like fires, explosions and airplane crashes. The goal is to have drones quickly map the situation at the affected site, including detecting people and recognising chemical substances, so that human aid workers don’t lose essential time during their efforts.

The project will also create commercial opportunities for the partners. It is expected that the service will create 235 jobs by 2023. Participating research institutions include the University of Leuven, digital research centre iMinds and the Flanders Innovation Security Safety Network.

Imec honours creator of moore’s law

© Chantal Deschepper/natuurpunt

natuurpunt is calling on volunteers to identify and map animal and plant species in Flanders

already under way. Altogether, the project, dubbed Meetnetten (monitoring networks), covers some 650 sites, with more to be added, and is scheduled to run for five years.

“This is one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind,” Ledegen says. “There are already longterm counts of bats and waterfowl, but this project is far more ambitious.”

The monitoring networks will identify overall trends across the region, “such as which species are in decline and which are recovering,” says Ledegen. “This is very useful in determining whether or not Flemish environmental policies are achieving the desired results. The project also serves as the scientific foundation of

our demands for more protective measures.”

The conservationists didn’t limit themselves when determining which species to monitor as part of the project. In addition to the plants and animals protected by Natura 2000, others were chosen to reflect the diversity of Flanders’ flora and fauna. Inbo will oversee the counts, ensuring they stick to the strictly defined methodology.

The field work ranges from collecting the remains of dragonfly larvae to looking for signs of otter activity.

The project relies on Natuurpunt’s team of volunteers. Anyone can register to be part of the monitoring network, and most counts, says Ledegen, can be conducted with the most basic understand-

ing of nature.

“Certain measurements do require specialised knowledge, like identifying similar-looking plants or interpreting mating calls of amphibians,” he says. “And some of the research might be carried out in less accessible areas.”

To attract amateur researchers, Natuurpunt provides skills training, in addition to on-going support and follow-up assessments. “We still need more volunteers,” says Ledegen. “Especially as we expand the number of species and locations over the next few years. This project is a great example of citizen science, where ordinary people can conduct valuable scientific research.”

CloudPiercer digital tool finds gaps in cyber security A common way of protecting websites from cyber-attack is not as reliable as previously thought, according to researchers from KU Leuven and Stony Brook University in New York.

Now the digital tool they designed to identify the security flaw is available to the public.

Hardware to protect websites against online attacks can be expensive and complicated to install, so a popular alternative is to route requests to view a site through the servers of a security company. This cloud security can detect and block attempted cyber-attacks, as long as the actual location of the site being protected – its IP address – cannot be identified.

“The success of this strategy heavily depends on how well the website’s original IP address can be shielded,” explains Thomas Vissers, of KU Leuven’s computer science department. “If that IP address can be retrieved, protection mechanisms can easily be bypassed.”

So Vissers and Nick Nikiforakis, assistant professor in the computer science department of Stony Brook University, built CloudPiercer.

© Courtesy kU leuven

The tool uses eight different methods for locating IP addresses, such as seeking out historical data or the use of unprotected sub-domains.

“Previous studies had already described a number of strategies that can be used to retrieve a website’s original IP address,” Vissers continues. “We came up with a number of additional methods, and we were the first ones to measure and verify the exact impact of these strategies on a larger scale.”

They tested CloudPiercer on 18,000 websites,

cloudPiErcEr.org

protected by five different cloud security services. “In more than 70% of cases, CloudPiercer was able to effectively retrieve the website’s original IP address, thereby providing the exact info that is needed to launch a successful cyber-attack,” says Vissers.

While the focus was on individual websites, the results clearly have implications for the security companies involved. “In order to ensure unbiased and accurate measurements, we did not send out notifications beforehand,” he says,” but the results of the study were shared with the companies prior to publication of the results.”

Meanwhile CloudPiercer has been made available for anyone to use. “It has attracted thousands of visitors and has been used to scan hundreds of websites already,” says Vissers.

If weaknesses are found, tightening up security can be simple. For example, firewalls can be changed to accept viewing requests only from the security site, or the IP address can be changed after the cloud security is in place.

The American Gordon E Moore, co-founder of Intel and the scientist behind the famous Moore’s law, will receive the annual Lifetime of Innovation award from Flemish nanotechnology research centre imec at its Technology Forum later this month.

In 1965, Moore predicted that the number of components in an integrated circuit (IC) would double every year in the following 10 years, thereby making ICs and computer processing faster, cheaper and more powerful. Moore’s law turned out to be incredibly accurate and became an industry driver that still holds true today. While its meaning has evolved over generations, it has had a profound impact in many areas of technological change and progress.

Hospitals to offer cancer drug options

Cancer patients will soon be able to get prescriptions for drugs that are not registered for their type of cancer, thanks to an initiative by the Belgian Society of Medical Oncology.

Currently, cancer patients can only get medications that are officially identified as being useful against their type of cancer. For some patients, none of those available treatments help. But it has been established that a drug that is associated with another type of cancer could possibly improve their condition. Belgium’s seven university hospitals are joining forces with the pharmaceutical industry for the initiative, making the country one of the first in the world to allow patients to receive drugs that are not registered for their specific condition. \ Andy Furniere

\ Ian Mundell

\7

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may 18, 2016

Let there be light

Week in education

Pupils’ health and happiness can suffer from poor lighting in schools Emma Portier davis more articles by emma \ flanderstoday.eu

I

n Dickensian novels, children are often depicted weakening their eyesight while scratching their lessons on a slate or sewing by candlelight. It might not be quite that bad anymore, but kids in Flemish schools are still suffering from incredibly poor lighting in their classrooms, according to researchers in Ghent.

What’s more, they say, lighting systems – which account for about 70% of the electricity consumption in Flanders’ schools – are so out of date that not only do they provide sub-standard lighting, they are also highly inefficient, creating unnecessarily high bills when many schools are already short on funds.

Researchers at the University of Leuven’s Technology Campus in Ghent, passive house platform Pixii and WTCB, the scientific and technical centre for construction, have conducted a study including several pilot projects assessing the impact of daylight systems on the design and renovation of school buildings. The aim was to ascertain just how serious the problem is and to devise methods to improve both the quality of light and its energy consumption.

“What you see in schools are old lights with high energy consumption, and in many cases there is not enough light,” says Wouter Ryckaert, from the Laboratory for Light Technology and Sustainable Buildings at KU Leuven.

While dim lights might be good for a romantic dinner, in classrooms they have another effect.

“If there’s not enough light, the classroom looks uncomfortable and gloomy,” said Ryckaert, adding that this is hardly conducive to pupils’ concentration and happiness.

As anyone working in a dingy office can testify, light can have an enormous effect on health and well-being. A lack of light has also been proved to lead to depression in conditions such as Seasonal Adjustment Disorder and to lower workers’ productivity.

Poor lighting in schools is as much a problem, as demonstrated in a recent study by Lighting for People, part of an EU-funded research project to introduce better quality lighting systems throughout the European Union.

The study, which focused on education, shows that pupils who benefit from optimised lighting perform better in class, demonstrate better levels of social behaviour and in general show higher levels of well-being.

© steve Bonini / BelGa

Optimised lighting can mean the intensity of the light (measured in lux units) and the colour of the light. Insufficient blue light, known as cold light, in the morning can delay bedtimes and reduce alertness. Warm light was found to be essential for oral and reading fluency.

Ryckaert said that in his study, he found many classrooms with only about 200 lux units of light while the recommended level, according to studies like the one by the EU, is 500 lux.

He added that in some classrooms, children could hardly see the blackboard because of a lack of lighting and that such conditions exacerbate learning problems and conditions such as ADHD. Even though the lighting is poor, another area for concern is that the lighting is always on.

Ryckaert said his team noted that when the classroom was empty, no one turns it off. And when there is plenty of daylight, the fact that the lights are still on goes unnoticed, wasting yet more money.

Improving the energy efficiency of buildings is a pillar of the EU’s approach to reducing overall energy consumption – buildings make up about 40% of this – and greenhouse gas emissions, for which buildings account for 36%.

“If you can reduce the electricity consumption in schools, then you can reduce costs and

energy consumption. Electricity costs are also rising, so it’s important to reduce the costs,” said Ryckaert, adding that an automatic switch-off after 10 minutes of a room being empty costs only €30.

In the pilot project, Ryckaert and his team of researchers spent two years installing energyefficient lighting systems in 10 classrooms in seven locations in primary and secondary schools across Flanders.

“We measured several parameters such as occupancy, energy consumption, incoming daylight,” he said. “After a year it was already clear that the commissioning of a daylight control system is very important.”

A daylight control system is effectively a dimmer switch so that as natural light – the healthiest option for mind and body – floods into the classroom, the artificial lighting is dimmed, and vice versa, maintaining a constant level of luminosity. This combined with an automatic off switch could reduce electricity use by up to 30%.

The education ministry’s agency for innovation, AGION, supported the project; it is now busy studying the research findings and is therefore unable to comment for now about what the ministry will do to improve lighting in schools.

The researchers have now requested funding to extend their project to office buildings.

Q&a

lEgostudio.tisl.BE

Didier Daenen teaches at the Sint-Lodewijk technical school in Genk, where he’s the driving force behind the school’s new Lego studio, where pupils can use the plastic bricks to learn about Stem subjects.

Where did you get the idea to let your students play with Lego?

We are a technical school, so our focus is on Stem disciplines.

The aim of our Lego Education and Innovation Studio is make science, technology and engineering subjects accessible to our students. To promote technology among a young audience, you need positive input. So we went looking for study material that appeals to multiple age groups. That’s how we ended up with Lego.

Were you in contact with Lego itself?

After some research in neigh-

ing possibilities, the programming aspect and the ability to alter the level of difficulty have a very positive impact on the students. It also means they’re closely involved in their own learning process.

bouring countries we came into contact with the Lego Education programme, in which the company develops study material to be used in lessons. We bought some Lego WeDo construction sets – programmable building kits – which we tested in the fifth year of several primary schools in the Genk region. The positive feedback we got from teachers and pupils convinced us to do the same in the first year of our secondary school.

How did your students react?

Very enthusiastically, as did the teachers. Many students and teachers said they didn’t realise

technology could be so instructive and fun. The quick result of the building process, the rebuild-

Are you a Lego fan yourself?

When I was little, I could spend hours quietly playing with my Lego. I liked the building and the rebuilding, first according to the instructions, then using my own imagination. When you grow older, the interest obviously ebbs away. But for me it returned when I witnessed my own children play with modern Lego – it has many more possibilities than ever before. I think I’m even more into Lego now than when I was young.

\ Interview by Senne Starckx

extra teachers for refugee children

This year, Flemish schools have attracted about 800 extra teachers to cope with the arrival of refugee children. There are now about 8,500 children following lessons in reception classes for foreign language-speaking newcomers, known as Okan.

Schools haven’t had problems finding candidates, according to Ann Devos, who co-ordinates the Okan classes for the Catholic education network. In Okan, teachers focus to begin with on familiarising children with the Flemish context and ensuring their welfare. Then, children start to learn Dutch and take part in initiatives to integrate into the school and social life.

The inflow of refugee children has slowed recently, according to Devos, giving schools more breathing space.

Call for end to UGentIsraeli collaboration

A group of 50 professors at Ghent University (UGent) is demanding that the institution enditscollaborationwithIsraeli research partners because they are suspected of having close ties with the Israeli army. “This collaboration makes the university complicit in war crimes and crimes against humanity,” said the professors in an open letter, published in De Morgen. According to philosophy professor emeritus Herman De Ley, the collaboration raises not only ethical questions but also a legal risk of complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity. UGent rector Anne De Paepe said that as a matter of principle UGent doesn’t co-operate on military research but that collaboration on “dual use” research is not excluded. Dual use products can serve both civil and military purposes.

UGent hosts entrepreneurial seminar Last week, Ghent University hosted the annual International Entrepreneurial Seminar, which saw 30 students from five countries learn entrepreneurship from local business owners. The students, who came from Germany, France, Spain and the UK, became familiar with Ghent’s business atmosphere and got insights into the local entrepreneurship culture. They learned about running a start-up, launching a product and pitching an idea.

At the end of the week, they were tasked with developing an innovative business concept that would improve the mobility of goods and people in carfree city centres, like that of Ghent. \ Andy Furniere

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\ lIVInG

Week in activities art nouveau tours Brussels boasts some beautifully well-preserved Art Nouveau mansions, but most are difficult if not impossible to see from the inside. Here’s a chance to take a guided tour of one of Victor Horta’s spectacular private homes, with much of its original interior decor and furnishings. Check website for more tours. 21 May 10.00, Max Hallet House, Louizalaan 346, Elsene; €25 \ hdm.voiretdirebruxelles.be

Teutenroute It’s not just a recreational cycling event, but also a fundraiser for multiple sclerosis. Complete the entire 95km green loop, or create your own (shorter) route by cycling between nine “teuten houses” where you can also enjoy regional dishes and live entertainment. 22 May, registration and departures 8.0015.00, northern Limburg; €4 \ teutenroute.be

mud football If you’re not afraid to get a little dirty in the name of fun, this might be the sport for you, as the Belgian Red Mud Devils host their first tournament of the year. Come watch the contestants battle it out and then put together a team for the next one. Tent with food and drink for spectators. 22 May 11.00-19.00, Exelshof Arena, Nieuwstraat 35, Eksel (Limburg); free \ rodemodderduivels.be

Old Iron walk Copper, lead and zinc – and a vanished canal. That’s the theme of this guided historical walk in the old harbour district of Antwerp: the story of a working-class neighbourhood of shipbuilders living and working along the Kempen canal before it was drained and covered over.

(In Dutch) 22 May 14.0016.00, Joossensgang, Antwerpen Dam; €12.50 \ ghostwalk.be

malle 10-mile Run In addition to the 10-mile run (about 16km) there’s also a 10km and a 5km, as well as fun runs for kids.

All routes start and end at Renesse Park, with its beautiful Renaissance-style castle and English gardens. 22 May, KVC Oostmalle Sport, Lierselei 32, Oostmalle (Antwerp province); €9 \ 10milesmalle.be

\ 10

‘I’ve seen the light’

Bye bye stilettos: author reflects on life with serious illness rebecca Benoot more articles by Rebecca \ flanderstoday.eu

E

vi Renaux was a marketing executive for Flemish TV channels VT4 and VIJF when tragedy struck three years ago, and changed her life.

“I started getting severe headaches,” she recalls. “The doctors just said it was due to stress. I was in the middle of a divorce, a single mum, working all hours of the day, and my father had just died. But I was convinced it wasn’t stress. They were a lot worse than migraines.”

The doctors kept telling her to rest and give it time, but the agony continued. One day as she got out of bed, her back curved to the left and she could hardly move. That’s

ruE-no.BE

sparks of joy during my day to get me through it. But ultimately, it was like a grieving process: You have to accept that the life you knew no longer exists.”

In such a situation, you are faced, she says, “with a multitude of emotions, and once you’ve confronted them, you’re left with hope and the strength to continue.

If you try to avoid them, you’re stuck.”

Although her life has made a 180-degree turn – professionally, personally and physically – Renaux insists she enjoys life more now. “Becoming ill has given me the opportunity to re-evaluate

It was like grieving: You have to accept that the life you knew no longer exists when the suffering really started.

And it hasn’t stopped since.

Renaux went from hospital to hospital and was finally diagnosed with a spinal cord infection just last summer. “They even thought my problems were psychological,” she says, “and once that gets into your files, you aren’t taken seriously anywhere. Luckily, I found a doctor who could help.”

Because her condition was not diagnosed early, Renaux has been left with irreparable damage to her spinal cord and now suffers from chronic pain.

Though the diagnosis felt like a weight lifted off her shoulders, coming to terms with the situation was a challenge. “It was a process, but I had a lot of support,” she says.

“What helped was looking for tiny

and change my life,” she explains.

“Creating a Plan B gave me the chance to discover things about myself I wasn’t aware of – certain abilities and passions.”

Before, she says, she used to live from meeting to meeting; now she lives for what she loves. “I’ve seen the light. I want to do what makes me happy and not what society expects me to do. Life’s too short to waste it on expectations and obligations. Realising this was a gift.”

Renaux, who lives in Nazareth, East Flanders, had studied journalism before embarking on a career in marketing and had always wanted to write a book. “But then I started working for television, and I lost sight of my passion for writing,” she says.

“In 2014 I started my blog, which

© Courtesy evi Renaux

evi Renaux found out the hard way how important it is to have a Plan B

was very therapeutic. It was my lifeline to the outside world. Writing really revived me. That’s when I decided to write Life on Sneakers, to share my story with the world.

I wanted to write an inspirational book that helps and gives hope to people.”

In Life on Sneakers, Renaux recounts her turmoil, illustrated with quotes and personal photographs, as she takes us through the

five key emotions of her voyage: helplessness, sorrow, hope, acceptance and gratitude. However bad things get, she points out, you can always start over.

“Sometimes things change for the worse – like my body in my case – but I’m happier now than I’ve ever been, because it’s never too late.”

Life on Sneakers is published by Manteau

Bite food, flirting and flimsiness: new tv show lacks bite Did you know there’s a food colouring made out of squished-up beetles? And did you know there’s the equivalent of eight or nine sugar cubes in the average smoothie? Those are just two of the many, many factoids to be learned in VRT’s new food series, Over eten (About Food).

It’s a magazine format, which means it’s made up of lots of smaller stories rather than one big one. It covers loads of material, but that’s part of the problem: Nothing gets to go into any satisfying depth. The show lasts 45 minutes, and the first episode handled five separate topics.

One of those was an item about the daily diet of Antwerp mayor Bart De Wever, which probably proved interesting to those who remember him when he weighed twice as much as he does now.

The show’s co-host Kobe Ilsen appeared to think the two men could get a bit matey, but De Wever had other ideas, and the segment fell completely flat.

© Jokko/VRT

Ilsen is joined by presenter Danira Boukhriss Terkessidis, who also appeared with him in the final weeks of this season’s TV quiz show De slimste mens ter wereld (The Smartest Person in the World), and the tone here is food’n’flirting.

Though she gives good giggle, her heart isn’t in it.

As she explained to Het Laatste Nieuws: “He’s a bit

dErEdactiE.BE

like my big brother.”

The show calls on all kinds of experts – a university professor, top sports doctor, Coca-Cola exec and representative of consumer protection agency Test-Aankoop all appeared in just one episode. So you occasionally get an interesting nugget of information, such as how large pieces of meat are created by smashing together smaller pieces of meat with a kind of edible glue. It’s actually really easy; you could do it yourself at home if you had the glue.

Other episodes tracked star hurdler Axelle Dauwens and her prodigious appetite and tested the effectiveness of marketing junk to kids. The first episode attracted more than one million viewers, which is pretty good for Flemish TV, representing a share of more than 40%.

Over eten airs on Éen on Wednesdays at 20.35, and episodes are archived on the VRT’s website. \ Alan Hope

may 18, 2016

All together now

Biennial Zinneke Parade brings out the Brusselaar in all of us alan Hope more articles by alan \ flanderstoday.eu

ZinnEkE.org

I

n a few days’ time, thousands of people will take to the streets of Brussels from all over the city, all of them intent on delivering one message: a European capital made up of hundreds of different sorts can live in harmony.

The Zinneke Parade is not a demonstration against anything, unless it’s closed-mindedness.

They have no demands, unless it’s for all of us to get along.

“The Zinneke Parade started in 2000, when Brussels was one of the European Capitals of Culture,”

The key idea behind the parade has always been inclusiveness and diversity explains Dis Huyghe, who works for the organisers of the parade, based in Schaarbeek. “There was a demand for a new sort of carnival, one that was built around the folklore of the event rather than the religious aspect. And we wanted to make it something for the 21st century.”

And so it has been every two years since then, with the ninth edition coming up. Each year has a theme, from the first edition, which was “Zinnergy” to the last, in 2014, which was “Temptation”. This year’s theme is “Fragility”, which the groups taking part are free to interpret for themselves.

© Photos: lieven soete/Zinneke Parade

“The groups who make up the parade are called Zinnodes, and there are 24 of them this year,” Huyghe says. “You might have a Dutch-speaking school that

wants to work with a Frenchspeaking school, a group of elderly people from a rest home who would like to work with a youth group, or a group in Molenbeek

who want to get together with other groups in their neighbourhood.”

These Zinnodes work more or less autonomously. When their project

50 weekends in Flanders: Exploring Oostduinkerke 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 copy of 50 Weekends in Flanders. We’ll also print one of our suggestions every week here.

Oostduinkerke is one of the smaller resorts on the coast with an old inland village and a modern beach town. It has the highest dunes on the coast and a captivating fishing museum for rainy days. \ koksijde.be

See the HORSEBACK FISHERMEN You sometimes see shrimp fishermen riding huge workhorses through the streets of this little town. It’s one of the strangest sights on the coast. Dressed in bright yellow oilskins, they drag vast nets through the shallow

water to catch those delectable small grey shrimps. The fishermen are now listed by Unesco as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage.

The shop carries several hip brands including Normann Copenhagen, Hay and Established & Sons.

Visit the NAVIGO This captivating fishing museum is filled with the sound of screeching gulls. It displays a vast collection of maritime relics, including films, photographs and paintings. The museum also has a recreation of an old fisherman’s cottage, a fishing boat and a small aquarium.

Eat at DE PEERDEVISSCHER This simple whitewashed Flemish tavern next to the fishing museum serves some of the best seafood on the coast. The interior has an appealing rustic look with red-andwhite checked tablecloths and old nautical mementoes. The kitchen produces plates of sole fried in butter accompanied by bowls of golden frites. The owner is an authentic shrimp fisherman who rides on horseback into the waves scooping up the wriggling grey shrimps (see above). Pastoor Schmitzstraat 4

\ navigomuseum.be

Shop at DESIGN CLINIC An inspiring interior design store where young Belgian couples shop for cool furniture to fit out their new beach apartment.

is picked up, organisers assign them an artistic co-ordinator, who works with them to develop the form of their project that will eventually take part in the parade.

The key idea behind the parade has always been inclusiveness and diversity. A city like Brussels is made up of multiple populations from multiple origins, all of them – none more than any other – washed up on the shores of a foreign land.

The term zinneke was once an insult. It originally meant an arm of the river Zenne, which ran through the city centre roughly along the track of the central avenues, but was later used to mean a stray dog – or a common member of the city’s lower classes.

Like many such insults, it was turned around by those it was aimed at and adopted as a badge of pride.

How many different nationalities take part? “We don’t count,” Huyghe says. “We’re not concerned about that sort of thing. Maybe once you could have said here’s a Flemish person and there’s a French-speaking person, but nowadays you have people who are 25% Cuban and 35% Swedish and who knows what else?

One person can represent many nationalities.”

And it’s not just a matter of national origin. “We have people from different classes, rich and poor. There are cultural differences, educational differences, young and old. There are many kinds of diversities.”

The Zinneke parade takes over the centre of the city on 21 May from 14.00, covering the pedestrian zone from De Brouckère almost to Fontainas, and taking in streets on both sides of the main avenue.

tinyurl.com/50wEEkEnds

\ designclinic.be

Stay at VILLA ELSA Villa Elsa is a gorgeous B&B in a rambling 19th-century coastal villa. It’s run by a talented interior designer called Els who has created boudoir-style guest rooms furnished with old chairs, plump red velvet cushions and potted plants. Photographers sometimes come here to do fashion shoots. On summer days, breakfast is served in a romantic garden (pictured). \ Derek Blyth \ villaelsa.be

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Your dailY news Sign up now for our daily and weekly newsletters with local headlines, events and features, tailor-made for expats in Belgium

Subscribe for free at www.thebulletin.be

Your guide to life in Belgium Th Thee spring issue of Th Thee Bulletin Newcomer is your guide to making the most of life in Belgium. It mixes practical efforts information with features on community eff orts to clean up Brussels, planning for retirement, family activities around the country and other lifestyle topics.

PLUS our Education Guide 35 pages of interviews, articles and essential addresses of schools, colleges and universities in Belgium.

Pick up your copy at newsstands or at www.thebulletin.be/shop

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may 18, 2016

The language of flowers

Week in arts & culture

ghent altarpiece exhibition takes visitors through mythical garden andy furniere more articles by andy \ flanderstoday.eu

caErmErskloostEr.BE

Ghent’s Caermersklooster explores the symbolic meaning behind the flowers and plants depicted in the famous “Adoration of the Mystic Lamb”.

T

he famous Ghent Altarpiece, also known as “The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb”, ranks among the most significant works of art in Europe. Painted in the 15th century by brothers Hubert and Jan van Eyck, it comprises 12 panels on hinges that allow it to be opened and closed.

The panels has paintings on both sides. When opened, the altarpiece depicts religious figures above and a panoramic landscape below that stretches across the painting’s entire width.

Dismantled, stolen, and damaged many times over through the centuries, the altarpiece, on view in Ghent’s Sint-Baafs cathedral, is currently being restored. This means that, at any given time, one-third of the panels are located at the restoration facility in the city’s Fine Arts Museum. Visitors can watch the restorers at work behind glass.

And now a new exhibition at the Caermersklooster cultural centre in Ghent gives you a wholly unique perspective on the piece.

A Miraculous Garden: Flora on the Ghent Altarpiece focuses on the plants and flowers depicted in the work and adds yet another dimension to the viewing experience by letting you walk through a garden inspired by the painting’s landscape.

The curators used high-resolution images of the altarpiece to recreate the medieval garden. To identify the plants, they brought in researchers from the Flanders Heritage Agency and the Ghent University Botanical Garden.

The Van Eyck brothers were renowned for their meticulous attention to detail, and the curators were able to identify 75 plant and flower species. “We were astounded by the level of detail,” says Hilde Van Crombrugge from the Botanical Garden.

In the 15th century, illustrations of plants and flowers were still quite abstract, even in herb catalogues. With their realistic depictions, the Flemish painters were at least a century ahead of their time.

However realistic the depictions, the garden itself is very much a fictional place – a paradise, which the faithful enter upon their death. Spring flowers can be seen alongside summer ones, while Mediterranean flora mingle with plants that only grow in northern Europe.

“Flowers like the Solomon’s seal

Flower Carpet celebrates JapaneseBelgian relations

Thedesignforthisyear’sFlower Carpet on the Grote Markt in Brussels, the event’s 20th edition, will serve as a tribute to 150 years of Belgian-Japanese relations. The massive design made entirely of begonias will be in place from 12 to 15 August. It will take 600,000 begonias to cover the 1,800 square metres of the historic square. On 1 August, 1866, Belgium and Japan signed their first Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Navigation.

Since then, the two countries have maintained an amicable diplomatic and commercial relationship. The Flower Carpet design will feature Japanese symbols such as Koi, cranes, bamboo, conifer trees and cherry blossoms. Besides the begonias, dahlias, grasses and strips of tinted bark will be used to create the design.

mother of matthias schoenaerts dies at 63

a detail from the Ghent altarpiece reveals the Van eyck brothers’s knowledge and technical mastery of plant anatomy

were commonly found in Limburg, where the brothers are from,” says Martine Pieteraerens, heritage consultant for the province of East Flanders. “Other plants, like the Italian cypress trees, only grew abroad.”

Jan van Eyck likely studied the cypresses, as well as other southern European species like date palms and stone pines, during a stay on the Iberian peninsula.

In 1428 and 1429, he spent 10 months in Spain and Portugal on assignment for Philip the Good, the Duke of Burgundy.

The garden highlights the van Eycks’ technical mastery and knowledge of plant anatomy, but it also demonstrates their religious reverence. The garden paradise is filled with symbols related to Christianity. The spring flowers likely symbolise resurrection, while the medicinal plants could mean the healing power of faith.

Many of the depicted flowers and herbs are known as Mary plants because their look or colour reflect the qualities of the Virgin. White flowers, for example, emphasise her purity, while the small, ground-cover plants symbolise her humility.

The painting also features many examples of Biblical numerology – belief in which was common in the middle ages. The leaves of

the wild strawberries and white clovers, depicted in the central panel’s green meadow, are painted in groups of three. In Christianity, the number three stands for perfection and is the theological symbol of the Holy Trinity.

Similarly, the number seven is present in many plants associated with the Virgin Mary. Lily of the valley is invariably depicted with seven leaves, which rarely occurs in nature. The blooming white lily in the central panel, also known as the Madonna lily, has seven flowers. The number seven stands for the Seven Joys of the Virgin Mary.

Another intriguing aspect of the altarpiece is that the Eve depicted in the top-right panel is holding not an apple but an etrog, a type of citrus fruit known as the “Adam’s apple”, which is highly significant in Jewish culture. The fruit could be interpreted as a reference to Judaism, or as the acceptance of salvation through Christ.

From one panel to the next, flowers are depicted in unexpected places, like Saint Mary’s crown, where a lily of the valley resembles a jewel. Move to the panel in the bottom-right corner, depicting the travelling pilgrims and

until 18 september

the dog-rose bush, and the rose thorns appear to be pointing to a maliciously grinning figure – possibly the Devil himself.

“It is likely that the van Eycks incorporated these details to spark the interest of both the general public and the figures of religious authority,” says Pieteraerens. “Anyone could have come to the conclusion that white flowers represent purity, but only religious experts would have been likely to know that redcurrant berries are also called St John’s berries because they ripen on 24 June, which is the holiday celebrating the birth of John the Baptist.”

For those interested in exploring the mythical garden’s mysteries in more depth, Caermersklooster is organising three lectures. On 23 June, for instance, Flemish food archaeologist Jeroen Van Vaerenbergh will host a tasting of plants and fruits depicted in the painting.

A Miraculous Garden is the Caermersklooster’s fifth temporary exhibition related to the restoration of the altarpiece. Future exhibitions will likely focus on the clothing and the architecture in the medieval masterpiece.

Caermersklooster

Dominique Wiche, a former French teacher and the mother of Flemish actor Matthias Schoenaerts, has died at the age of 63. Schoenaerts made his international breakthrough in the 2001 Flemish film Rundskop and has since starred in many international productions, including Rust and Bone, Far from the Madding Crowd and A Bigger Splash. In Schoenaerts’ early years, Wiche helped him manage his career and read scripts. In a message delivered to Belga press agency, the family described her as Schoenaerts’ “unconditional support and mainstay”. Schoenaerts lost his father, legendary actor Julien Schoenaerts in 2006, when he died aged 81.

Directors of Black to make pilot for american series Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the directors of last year’s award-winning Black, about rival gangs in Brussels, have been hired to direct the pilot episode of the new American TV series Snowfall. Set in 1980s Los Angeles, the programme follows the frenzied course of three characters: a powerhungry entrepreneur, a wrestler (and gangster) in search of the American dream and a CIA agent. “Snowfall is one of the best scripts we’ve read recently,” said the directors in a statement. “It concerns all the elements that we find so absorbing: the problem areas of LA, the 1980s and the crack epidemic. It’s like a cross between The Wire and Boogie Nights.”

Vrouwebroersstraat 6, Ghent

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You can go your own way

Prolific flemish painter sam dillemans opens own exhibition space in antwerp christophe verbiest more articles by Christophe \ flanderstoday.eu

The Leuven-born painter Sam Dillemans talks about doing his own thing, the power of the Old Masters and not caring about hype, as he opens his own exhibition space.

V

isual artist Sam Dillemans doesn’t know exactly how many drawings and paintings he’s made in his life; it’s probably somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000, he says.

It’s characteristic that when he explores a new theme – the world of boxing or portraits of authors, to name two of his most famous series – he pours out hundreds and hundreds of paintings. The amazing thing is that the 300th is just as captivating as the first.

sam-dillEmans.com

mans, of course, is not known for doing things the conventional way.

“Until now, I’ve tended to show my work every four years or so. Via social media, I get asked to do this more often. Having my own space, I can now show whenever I want.

I’m my own boss. Sometimes I’m a difficult boss, but this space gives me a lot of satisfaction.”

Dillemans likes to wander off the beaten path. He doesn’t have an art gallery that represents him, for instance. “I had one, a long time ago, but I don’t need it. I’ve always been an einzelgänger, a loner. I’m not waiting for Godot; I’m going my own way.”

Our conversation is interrupted by a phone call. Because of a problem with the internet in his studio,

Music is like a mistress in the corner of the room who’s constantly looking at me “It’s an irresistible urge, one work leads to another,” explains Dillemans, 51, who was born in Leuven but has lived in Antwerp for decades. “I’m an explorer who lands on a new planet and doesn’t want to leave before he’s scrutinised every square inch. But I’m my own harshest critic. When I feel the slightest sign of routine, I immediately do something about it.”

We’re talking in Tentoonstellingsruimte (Exhibition Space) Sam Dillemans, which he opened last month in a former industrial space in Antwerp, a few blocks from his studio. Until the autumn he’s showing an overview of a 35-year career in 170 works.

It’s unusual, a painter having his own exhibition space. But Dille-

Dillemans can’t listen to music anymore, and he has no idea how to repair it himself. The call brings good news: He’ll be able to listen to music again.

Is it so important? “I’ve always listened to music while working, it’s become a ritual, so, yes, working in silence is difficult. Music is like a mistress in the corner of the room who’s constantly looking at me.” His musical palate, he says, varies from Abba to Shostakovich.

From the age of 12, Dillemans drew avidly, at first creating portraits of the authors whose work he had been devouring. Not your average young adult fiction but the Russian classics: Dostoyevsky, Pushkin, Gorky and the like. “I always had a pencil at hand. I was already copy-

© wim Van eesbeek

sam Dillemans (left) has created thousands of painting and drawings over his 35-year career

ing Rubens at that time, too.”

When he was 14, his mother gave him book about Van Gogh. “It was as if I’d been hit by lightning,” he recalls. “A new world opened up to me. I was overwhelmed by the possibilities of paint: His colours are eternally fresh and extremely daring.”

Because of Van Gogh, he says, he even neglected drawing. “It was only a few years later that a teacher put me on the tracks of the old

masters again. I’ve been reaping the fruits of this necessary training ever since.”

While rolling another cigarette, Dillemans comes back to Van Gogh. “He shows, like the Flemish Primitives did before him, a result that is unattainable. They open a door, let you have a peep, and then

until 16 october

slam it in your face.”

That could be frustrating, no? One might lose forever the desire to pick up a paintbrush again. “Not true,” he responds. “It’s like an epiphany you can live off for the rest of your life. And there are a million doors to open. I’m like a cyclist who goes on even though he knows he’s no Eddy Merckx. You shouldn’t be paralysed by what has been done before you, though it’s necessary to know your history. Some artists think the visual arts started when they were born.”

Looking at Dillemans’ jaggededged work, you don’t immediately think of the old masters he really admires: Rubens, Van Eyck, Titian or Velázquez. “I strongly believe in the art of drawing, it’s the basis of all artistry. But copying the masters is just the first step,” he says. “After copying them comes interpreting them and then leaving them behind. And that’s exactly what I’ve done.”

He doesn’t care, he says, “about hype. My work is not about reflecting contemporary trends.

If capturing beauty is your goal – and beauty can mean many things – you don’t have to care about what’s ‘in’. I hope and believe that my work will still be relevant in a few generations.”

But don’t get him wrong; he’s not being contrary for the sake of it.

“That I’m not part of a movement isn’t a choice, it’s the result of who I am. I just want to be true to myself.

The new book Tentoonstellingsruimte Sam Dillemans provides a chronological overview of the artist’s work. It is published by Manteau

Tentoonstellingsruimte sam Dillemans Eggestraat 2, Antwerp

more visual arts this Week sadik kwaish alfraji At one of those many remote events at the last Venice Biennale where they’re happy if they get 50 visitors a day, I discovered Sadik Kwalsh Alfraji through his installation Ali’s Boat. It’s now on view at the Red Star Line Museum in Antwerp. The seed for the work by the Iraqi-Dutch artist

was a drawing his young nephew Ali gave him seven years ago. The result is an installation that combines drawings, objects and a video, interpreting Ali’s dream for a better life (pictured). The often child-like style is of course deliberate and takes nothing away from the poignancy the work expresses. Until 28 August, Red Star Line Museum, Montevideostraat 3, Antwerp \ redstarline.be

Ben sledsens Pulling Ropes and Ringing Bells: that’s the intriguing title of the first solo show by Ben Sledsens, an up-and-coming painter from Antwerp. His subjects are classic – be it landscapes or portraits – but he treats them in an unclassical way. At first glance, his pictorial language and colours seem naive. But under that surface resides a subdued sense of danger, albeit mostly countered by some drops of humour.

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Though different in style, Sledsens’ work often feels like a contemporary update of the primitive-naive paintings of late 19th-century Frenchman Henri Rousseau. Until 18 June, Tim Van Laere Gallery, Verlatstaat 23-25, Antwerp \ timvanlaeregallery.com

aglaia konrad More than 20 years ago, Austrian-born Aglaia Konrad found a home in Brussels. It’s the base from which she travels the five continents, driven by her interest in how cities change and by the remarkable buildings she finds in those places, be it Canada or China. Though first and foremost a photographer, she also uses videos and installations.

From A to K at Museum M, with new and older work, is her largest exhibition in Flanders to date. Until 18 September, Museum M, Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 28, Leuven \ mleuven.be

\ aGenDa

may 18, 2016

Where the famous and the unknown meet

concert

Antwerp Art Weekend 20-22 may

O

Bruges

across antwerp antwErPart.BE

minous sculptures by Peter Buggenhout, colourful animal paintings by Leen Voet or the multidisciplinary interventions of Floris Vanhoof: just a random selection of what is on show during the Antwerp Art Weekend.

More than 50 galleries, art spaces and museums in the city present an overwhelming amount of contemporary art.

You’ll find some famous names (Luc Tuymans, Koen van den Broek), but the majority of the artists will only be known by modern art aficionados. Which means it’s an ideal moment to discover new names – some fresh from school, others ignored for years but deserving much more attention.

Granted, a majority of the exhibitions are already open now and/or will still be open after the weekend. But during these three days,

the galleries extend their openings hours and welcome you on Sunday.

There are some exclusives, too. In DE Studio, the event’s central hub, you’ll find three exhibitions and hear several lectures. Saturday night

is Nacht van de Beeldende Kunst (Night of the Visual Arts), which invites you to enjoy art with your dancing shoes on.

But what makes Antwerp Art Weekend really special are eight pop-up exhibitions, each with a particular focus. A City Is Not a Road actually precedes a benefit auction ( for the citizens movement Ringland), with more than 100 works. Little HISK presents the works of five former and five current students from the postacademic art school HISK. BRDG, finally, is inspired by the illustrious American post-hardcore band Fugazi and combines a mural, soundscapes, film and much more (pictured). Under a railway bridge, hence the title. Yep, contemporary art can blossom anywhere. \ Christophe Verbiest

visual arts

next day

sergio de Beukelaer: sub.titled

French stage director Philippe Quesne brings his Next Day back to Belgium for an encore performance. The production transports spectators to an isolated community populated only by a dozen children who pass the time playing rock music. The question hanging over the action: What happened to all the adults? (And where did these

Campo, Ghent camPo.nu

younglings learn to play so well?)

The popular theatre/concert piece has been touring Europe since 2014 and is scheduled to wrap next month on Quesne’s home turf (Théâtre Nanterre-Amandiers).

But first back by popular demand in Ghent, where it was also staged last year. \ Georgio Valentino

until 4 June Sergio De Beukelaer made his debut with a spate of Antwerp exhibitions around the turn of the millennium, but the contemporary Flemish painter takes his inspiration from the heyday of postmodern art some decades prior. So his current solo show Sub.Titled is an homage to post-

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visual arts antwerp David Lynch: Yes, the director of Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks also paints. This first show of his work in a Belgian gallery features oil paintings, watercolours and photographs. 21 May to 3 July, At the Gallery, Leopoldstraat 57 \ atthegallery.be

festival

Performance 20-21 may

Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience: American accordionist in the zydeco style, a musical genre that evolved in Louisiana and combines the accordion with the washboard, guitar and drums. 19 May 20.00, Magic Mirrors, Kruisvest

Brussels

Plus-One, antwerp Plus-onE.BE

war French painter Yves Klein. De Beukelaer takes Klein’s geometric, monochromatic figures and brings them into the 21st century by adding three-dimensional textures. He’s dubbed the style “fat canvas” for its weight. These paintings literally bulge out of the frame. \ GV

Brussels Amber Festival: Music festival dedicated to artists from the East who are practiced in the rhythm of the darbuka, Mediterranean bass and drums, romantic dirges, raï, hip-hop and more, featuring Lebanese singer Najwa Karam, Moroccan musical prodigy Douzi and hip-hop dancer Spider Salah. 21 May 19.00, Paleis 12, Miramarlaan \ palais12.com

Brussels Jazz Marathon: Annual jazz festival with more than 100 concerts spread over four outdoor stages and multiple clubs, theatres, cafés and hotels, featuring both established names and young talent. 20-22 May, across Brussels \ brusselsjazzmarathon.be

event Brussels

literature

concert

chris kraus 25 may, 20.00 American author Chris Kraus comes to Brussels to discuss her 1997 quasi-fictional memoir I Love Dick. The book revolves around the author’s obsession with,andcourtshipof,hipBritish sociologist Dick Hebdige, who is also a friend of her husband, who is also her publisher. Hilarity ensues. Now, on the verge of its 20th anniversary, I Love Dick is more popular than ever. A new generation of feminist activists and artists raised on Kraus is finally coming into its own: The book has recently been touted by the likes of Lena Dunham and Emily Gould. \ GV

get tic k

graham nash Passa Porta, Brussels Passa Porta, BrussEls

31 may, 20.30

ets no w

De Roma, antwerp dEroma.BE

Legendary British rock singer Graham Nash presents songs from his latest album, This Path Tonight – and the dozens of records that have preceded it over the past several decades – in an intimate acoustic setting.

Nash rose to fame with the 1960s Manchester beat group The Hollies before crossing the Atlantic to join the world’s first super-group, Crosby, Stills & Nash. The California-based trio only recently disbanded. Now, accompanied only by guitarist Shane Fontayne, Nash is undertaking a world tour. This Antwerp date is the singer’s only Belgian stop. \ GV

Embassy of Uncertain Shores: Series of lectureperformances, debates and concerts by artists and researchers who meet to discuss borders and exclusions, and the pleasures of friendship and hospitality in and around Europe. 25 May to 26 October, Villa Empain, Franklin Rooseveltlaan 67 \ villaempain.com

market Ghent Ambachtenmarkt: Artisan market with stand-holders demonstrating their skills in a variety of “lost arts”, from sheepherding, wool dying, spinning and weaving to woodworking, chair caning and more. 22 May 9.30-17.30, Vrijdagmarkt \ tinyurl.com/ambachtenmarkt

© eleanor stills

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may 18, 2016

Talking Dutch

voices of flanders today

gnome sweet gnome

In response to: Talking Dutch: Gnome sweet gnome Melissa Macfarlane: Jen... something to see when you come visit? 

derek Blyth more articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu

M

ichel Brichart, 70, from Schiplaken in Flemish Brabant has a thing about gnomes. Het begon 35 jaar geleden met één exemplaar – It began 35 years ago with a single one, en de collectie tuinkabouters en dierenbeelden uit polyester groeit sindsdien alleen maar – and since then his collection of plastic garden gnomes and animal sculptures has just grown and grown.

Inmiddels bezit Michel 58 beelden – Michel now has 58 figures die hij van bij het begin van de lente tot in de herfst in de tuin van zijn dochter Ingrid tentoonstelt – which he exhibits from spring to autumn in his daughter Ingrid’s garden.

Een mens moet bezig blijven, ook na zijn pensioen – You have to keep yourself busy, even after you have retired, he told local TV station ROB-tv.

We krijgen ook af en toe beelden van buurtbewoners die moeten opgelapt worden – Now and then our neighbours give us figurines that need to be repaired. Ik heb het liever zo – I prefer it that way, want in onze tuin krijgen ze een tweede leven – since they get a second life in our garden en worden ze niet weggegooid in het containerpark – and they aren’t thrown away in the rubbish dump.

After many years of collecting, his daughter’s suburban garden is now crammed with little figures in red caps, along with windmills, sheep and toadstools. Each spring, the figures are placed on exactly the same spot as before.

Elk beeldje heeft een vaste stek – Each figurine has its fixed spot, Michel insists. Na zoveel jaren – After all these years, ken ik de plaats van de meesten wel uit mijn hoofd – I know where most of them go by

In response to: Brussels launches campaign against junctionjammers Mantl Family: I saw two cars crashed into each other on the Trone one yesterday morning. Still a bit of a learning curve to go.

© Courtesy ROB-tv

heart.

The gnome garden in the quiet Goorstraat has now become something of a local tourist attraction. Vele fietsers nemen speciaal dit baantje – Lots of cyclists make a special detour down the lane om de tuin te kunnen fotograferen – so they can take a photograph of the garden.

And it’s not just locals who like to take a look at Michel’s collection. Elk jaar komt bijvoorbeeld ook een Duitse fietsclub langs – Every year, for example, a German cycle club passes our way, Ingrid points out.

Michel believes his garden of gnomes could teach young people an important lesson about life. Met zijn hobby hoopt Michel om de jeugd van tegenwoordig te doen bewegen – Michel hopes that his hobby could encourage today’s youngsters to get more exercise. Ze moeten gelukkiger zijn met kleine dingen – They need to find happiness in the simple things.

PHoto of tHE wEEk

In response to: Coastal mayors meet to discuss possible smoking ban Thomas Jacobs: I do smoke, and I don’t want to see cigarette butts on Flemish beaches.

Jan Nolf @NolfJan Just biked around #Bruges where light weight and heavy duty ships peacefully share the water #visitbruges

Kat Vangodtsenhoven @kvgodtsenhoven Maybe not the romantic weekend as planned since the hubbie is sick, but still ã my hometown anyway! #leuven

Georgie Patten @GeorgiePatten Breakfast in the sunshine, what a treat! #Antwerp

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the last Word same old, same old

“Discrimination against women is more structural, but they seem more ready to put up with it.

They’re just so used to it.”

Annelies d’Espallier, the Flemish ombudswoman for gender matters, receives more complaints from men about discrimination than from women

me, myself and iPhone

“My generation has forgotten how to be bored. Someone who constantly checks their smartphone is less productive and less creative.”

© Vyacheslav Prokofyev / BelGa

sing it laura Tesoro (left) takes the stage in the semi-final of the eurovision song Contest in stockholm on Thursday. The 19-year-old from antwerp sailed through to saturday’s final, where she performed her song “what’s the Pressure”.

Multimedia developer Flor Holvoet, 23, gave up his smartphone for a year to see if he could live without it. He could

Bull fighting

“Energy drinks and sport, that’s a harmful combination. And it’s outrageous that Red Bull should be on offer at a sporting event.”

Tom Teulingkx, chair of the Flemish Association for Sports Doctors, in response to a woman falling into a coma after drinking Red Bull handed out at the Wings for Life run in Ypres earlier this month

tick trick

“Tuck your trousers into your socks.”

Tinne Lernout of the Scientific Institute for Public Health gives handy advice to people going walking in the woods on how to avoid tick bites, which can lead to Lyme Disease

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