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june 8, 2016 \ newsweekly - € 0,75 \ read more at www.flanderstoday.eu current affairs \ p2

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Problem solving

BUSiNESS \ p6

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art & living \ p10

Made in America

The devil you say

For the ‘first time in 20 years’, governments and activist organisations are getting around the table to talk about Oosterweel

Top of the Fifa rankings for four months this season, Belgium are the team to beat at Euro 2016

What to do when you buy an American micro-brew? Import it to your home country to compete with the big boys

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Locked and loaded

Four-day party marks grand opening of Antwerp’s mammoth new lock Leo Cendrowicz More articles by Leo \ flanderstoday.eu

Antwerp is ready to unveil the world’s largest lock, a feat of engineering that will mean faster routes for ships and a huge rise in freight handling at the port. The public are invited to discover the new channel during four days of festivities.

harts have yet to show Flanders’ latest manipulation of geography. It will take time before we see maps featuring the Kieldrecht lock, the newly hacked channel linking Antwerp’s left bank harbour with the river Scheldt. Indeed, when you click on Google Maps to see the Kieldrechtsluis – or Kieldrecht lock – all you see is an aerial view of a muddy building site between two bodies of water. However, a click on the Deurganckdoksluis marker leads you to one of those clever Google Street View indoor maps with a 360-degree image of workers inside the empty lock. King Filip will officially open this new waterway on 10 June, kicking off four days of festivities to celebrate the opening of the lock, one of the largest Flemish infrastructure projects

in recent years. A 60-metre Ferris wheel, the much-travelled Roue de Paris, will give visitors a spectacular view of the biggest lock in the world. “We want the open day to show the world how big the construction really is,” says Freddy Aerts, who heads the Flemish government’s maritime access division. “When you’re actually there, you can see how much work has been done.” Aerts was the driving force behind the project, which he says will mean shorter waiting times for ships, more shipping traffic and greater added value, and faster routes for ships and for hinterland transport. The volume of freight handled in the area behind the locks is expected to rise to more than 25 million tonnes by 2020, a 56% rise on 2011 figures. The new lock is named after the village of Kieldrecht, which is part of the Waasland region’s municipality of Beveren, adjacent to Antwerp in East Flanders. The lock is 500m long, 68m wide, and 17.8m deep, eclipsing those in the Panama and Suez canals, or anything built in Dubai or China.

It is the size of a 19-lane highway, with each lane able to park 28 articulated buses. Until now, the biggest lock has been Antwerp’s Berendrecht lock, built in 1989, on the right bank of the Scheldt. It’s the same length as Kieldrecht but only 13.5m deep. From the top floor of the lock’s five-storey command and control tower – which stands between the lock gates, on the eastern side – the significance of the new link becomes clearer. The lock is the connection that brings the two sides of the horizon together. To the north, there is the 2.5km-long Deurganck dock, where shipping giant MSC is currently unloading giant container ships almost 400m long. This links directly to the Scheldt, and to the oceans, taking in and sending out trade to almost every corner of the globe. On the other side of the lock, to the south, is the Waasland port, which includes the Doel, Verrebroek and Vrasene docks, where huge quantities of freight are already loaded continued on page 5

\ CURRENT AFFAIRS

Governments and activists co-operate on Oosterweel

‘First dialogue in 20 years’ sees discussion of covering part of Antwerp’s ring road Alan Hope Follow Alan on Twitter \ @AlanHopeFT

he ongoing controversy surrounding the Oosterweel connection – the road and tunnel link that would close the circle of the Antwerp ring road – moved towards a kind of truce last week. The government of Flanders, the City of Antwerp and neighbourhood groups protesting against the link have agreed to a six-month period in which they will study proposals to enclose the southern part of the ring. “The activist groups would be crazy not to take part, after their years of efforts to see the Antwerp ring enclosed,” said Manu Claeys, chair of stRaten-generaal, one of the leading groups protesting the construc-

Architect Alexander D’Hooghe (left) and Ringland founder Peter Vermeulen

tion of Oosterweel on the grounds of public health. The southern section of the ring extends

from Kennedy Tunnel to the Sportpaleis. Enclosing it – covering the motorway to form what would essentially be a tunnel – was first proposed by the neighbourhood group Ringland to address the pollution caused by traffic, with an intendant appointed by the management company BAM to look into the proposal. The study will also consider splitting the motorway for local and through traffic, as well as an interchange, close to the Sportpaleis, where the motorway would be extended to more than 20 lanes, including on- and off-ramps. “As far as we’re concerned, this is an important first step,” commented Ringland

Government approves reform of secondary education The government of Flanders has approved the longawaited reform measures for primary and secondary education, which will take effect in 2018. Schools are not obliged to adapt to the new measures, however, which will serve to affect a student’s choice of which school to attend. The government is retaining the secondary school divisions general education (ASO), technical education (TSO) and professional education (BSO). For all schools, students in the first year of secondary education will be able to choose five hours a week of optional courses. In the second year, ASO students will get seven hours of optional courses, and the other streams 12 hours. From there, schools have the choice to become a “domain school” or a “campus school”. A domain school will offer one or more of five study domains:

science and technology, language and culture, economy, art and design and welfare and society. At a “campus school”, students can follow both professional-oriented courses and courses that prepare them for higher education. Becoming a domain or campus school is an optional reform. In the second and third grades of schools that choose not to become domain or campus schools, the 29 current fields of study will be unified and reduced to eight. In primary education, finally, schools can introduce children to French, English and German from the first year. From the third year, they can provide other lessons in foreign languages. Currently, children get foreign language lessons starting in the fifth year. \ Andy Furniere

founder Peter Vermeulen. “It’s the beginning of a real dialogue, the first in 20 years.” Architect and MIT professor Alexander D’Hooghe, who brought the parties to the table together, is willing to consider any and all possibilities. “We want to reach a conclusion that combines the best ideas from all the parties involved into the strongest possible whole,” he said. The cost of enclosing the ring is not included in the Oosterweel budget of €3.5 billion set aside by the government of Flanders. “Extra efforts will be necessary,” said mobility minister Ben Weyts, “but we need to have a better view before we can make any decisions about that.” (See related story, p4)

Unified system for all cycle highways in Flanders The five Flemish provinces have joined together to develop a uniform signage system for cycle highways. The cycle highways will be called F8 and F6. The new system is meant to simplify the 2,400km network of cycling infrastructure. Cycling highways are those routes between cities that run along straight-lined infrastructure like railways, motorways and canals. Preferably, a new path is created for a cycle highway, but if space is not sufficient they can be part of regular cycle paths or roads with little traffic. Because such different kinds of infrastructures are used, following a cycle highway is not always simple. The new signs consist of a common logo and a unique number for each highway (F + a number). Flemish Brabant and Antwerp are currently running trial projects on routes. Cyclists can review the trials at Fietssnelwegen.be or Fietsostrades.be. Comments by users will be taken into account when placing the signage for other cycle highways. \ AF

Energy minister wants more investment in renewable power Flemish energy minister Bart Tommelein has announced a package of measures to encourage investment in renewable energy, including heat networks. Flanders, he said, is trailing behind other countries in adopting such technology. Heat networks – also known as district heating – are a form of

distributed heating, where whole districts are heated by a network of warm water pipes underground. The central source for the heating can be powered by renewable sources such as solar and geothermal power and heat pumps. Tommelein intends to provide the framework for the creation of heat networks – with “clear and trans-

opment of heat networks in the region is the extensive network for natural gas, Tommelein says. A decree from 2009 sets a target of 99% for houses in urban areas to be able to connect to the gas network by 2020. However, according to the Flemish energy regulator, that system is not cost-efficient and does not take enough account of

530 million

€62.6 billion

value of transactions worth over €100,000 among Belgian companies and financial institutions in Luxembourg in 2014. All transactions over €100,000 now have to be declared for tax purposes

parent rules and as little administrative burden as possible” – and then consult the sector on details. “We want to encourage companies, organisations and local authorities to lay down heat networks,” he said. “Our goal is to have green heating make up one-third of Flanders’ targets for renewable energy.” One of the obstacles to the devel-

people passed the first ever drone pilot’s theory test, out of 376 applicants. The successful candidates must now pass a medical exam and a practical flight test

trips made on public transport authority De Lijn in 2015, down from 532 million the year before. Income was up by nearly 13% because of sales of passes for over65s, who previously travelled free

sustainable alternatives. Tommelein is now scrapping the 2009 targets, with each case being judged on its own cost-benefit analysis. “If sustainable alternatives exist such as solar panels, a heat pump or a heat network, then there’s no need to invest in an expensive gas connection,” he said. \ AH

€600,000

more food and drinks businesses in Flanders went bankrupt in the months from January to May this year compared to the same period last year. In Brussels the increase was 8.5%

annual salary of Wouter Devriendt, the new CEO of state bank Belfius, the same as his predecessor, Karel De Boeck, who retired two weeks ago, according to the federal finance minister

june 8, 2016

WEEK in brief

face of flanders

The departures hall of Brussels Airport returned to full operation last week, more than two months after the bomb attacks of 22 March. The temporary structures in place since then and still being used by 21 companies last week are no longer required, the airport said. “This is easier for passengers, who will no longer be confused about where to go,” said spokesperson Nathalie Van Impe. “Everyone goes to the departures hall, just like before the attacks.”

Cycling legend Eddy Merckx has been accused of corruption by the Brussels prosecutor, who alleged that Merckx gave expensive custom bicycles to the police chief of the Anderlecht, Vorst and Sint-Gillis police zone in return for being awarded the contract to supply 46 bikes for patrol officers. Police chief Philippe Boucar, who is alleged to have passed information on competing bids to Merckx, is also accused of corruption in this and other instances.

Delfine Persoon held on to her WBC world lightweight title at the weekend with her fourth defence of her belt against Dominican-Greek boxer Christina Linardatou. Persoon won the fight on points at the Sporthal Schiervelde in Roeselare, and then dedicated her triumph to boxing legend Muhammad Ali, who died last week. “This victory is dedicated to the greatest boxer of all time,” she said.

The Brussels-Capital Region government has approved a low-emissions zone starting in 2018, after which diesel vehicles dating from 1997 or before with Euro value one will no longer be allowed to enter the city. A ban on vehicles with Euro value two will follow in 2019, and numbers up to five will follow in later years. The European Commission has taken Brussels to court for failing to meet emissions levels for fine particulates, which are estimated to be responsible for 620 premature deaths in the city a year.

Train services to Ostend were suspended for a time last week after construction workers uncovered an unexploded bomb while carrying out digging work close to the station. Trains were terminated in Bruges, and passengers were carried to Ostend by bus. Houses within a 500m radius of the bomb site were evacuated, and traffic diverted outside a 900m perimeter. The bomb, one metre long and containing 100kg of explosive, was dismantled by bomb disposal squad Dovo. The municipality of Schaarbeek in Brussels will later this month deploy the Scancar, a car equipped with six high-definition cameras capable of automatically checking up to 20,000 parked cars a day. The Scancar will patrol in the blue and red zones, passing once to record number plates and locations, then two hours later to record cars still present but without a resident’s pass or a blue disc.

Shopping centre Docks Bruxsel near the Van Praet bridge in Laken will include an indoor adventure park called Koezio when it opens its doors later this year, the project’s developers announced. Koezio has three parks in France; this is its first venture into Belgium. Unions representing postal workers have announced a 24-hour strike on 13 June, covering the whole country. Socialist and Christian unions are protesting the continuing pressure of work caused by staff shortages, as well as the possible privatisation of the service. As Flanders Today went to press, the liberal union was due to decide whether it would join the action. Mobile operator Base is granting all its subscribers free access to

every match of the Belgian side in the European Championships later this month, allowing them to search the internet or watch matches on mobile devices without charge and without counting toward data limits. The free access runs from one hour before the match until one hour after. The city of Vilvoorde has approved a social-economic permit for Waterside Park, a new shopping centre on the former Renault site, which will be the fourth such new complex in the area around Brussels. Vilvoorde has been one of the most vocal opponents of the Uplace complex in nearby Machelen. The city has imposed conditions on Waterside: only large-scale units that have no effect on retailers in the city centre – effectively only department stores and garden centres. Waterside will offer nearly 20,000 square metres of retail space and sport and leisure facilities. A 52-year-old woman from Ronse, East Flanders, died three years ago because her gynaecologist did not dare to tell her she had cervical cancer, a court in Oudenaarde heard last week. Daniella B was head of gynaecology at the AZ Glorieux Hospital in Ronse in 2005 when she noted abnormal values in the results of a smear test on Adelheid Wijnant. The same thing happened two years later, and a third time in 2009, but cancer was only discovered when Wijnant complained of blood loss in 2010 and had a test carried out when B was on leave. She died of the cancer in 2013. The Dutch rail authority NS has withdrawn all Belgian rolling stock from the Amsterdam-toBrussels route, after news that the doors of carriages opened by themselves while the train was moving. The trains will be replaced by Dutch rolling stock.

OFFSIDE Thinking inside the box Around this time of year, you may start to see the arrival of a beautiful moth, its wings a gossamer white with a brown edge. This is Cydalima perspectalis, the box tree moth, an invader, and, if you’ve seen one, chances are any buxus plants in the area are now infested with her eggs. Goodbye, box tree. The moth is native to Eastern Asia and India and was first recorded in Europe in Germany in 2006, probably transported in buxus trees imported from China. It came to Belgium in 2010. “The milder climate in urban areas means the box tree moth is more common there,” said Bart Hans-

sens of Natuurpunt Brussels. “But it won’t take five years before we see it spreading to the coast.” In 2013, there were 300 sightings of Cydalima perspectalis, in 2014 more than 1,000 and last year 1,900. The female lays eggs on the underside of box tree leaves, and the caterpillar (pictured) hatches, eating away ravenously. An affected plant will show no symptoms until the leaf cores have been eaten away, by which time it is usually too late to save it. Gardening association Velt suggests that if you have an infestation, pluck the little crawlers off

Lola Obasuyi vtm.be/the-voice-van-vlaanderen

Her grandfather burst into tears and supporters from the crowd jumped the stage when Lola Obasuyi of Ostend was announced the winner of this season’s The Voice van Vlaanderen at Flanders Expo last Friday night. After more than two months of televised eliminations, the 19-year-old singer beat her final rival, Jan Van De Ven, via a public vote. One of the programme’s coaches made mention of the “atypical finalists” in the lead-up to the announcement: This was a reference to both Lola and Jan’s size, as well as Jan’s age (58) and Lola’s skin colour. But Lola proved to be the choice of either the public or her coach, Koen Wauters, every single week. Wauters called her voice “the warmest” of the fourth season of the singing competition, and she has garnered the nickname “the Adele of Flanders”. Lola was one of the show’s few contestants with such a wide vocal range. The format of The Voice van Vlaanderen sees “blind auditions” where the four coaches – Flemish singers Wauters, Bart

Peeters, Natalia Druyts and Bent Van Looy – are faced away from the stage and towards the audience. This prevents them judging the contestants, who sing a song of their choice for the audition, on anything but their voices. If a coach (or coaches) hits their button, their chair whips around, and they see who they’ve taken on to coach through the rest of the season. The coaches waited until the final few seconds of Lola’s “Hold Back the River” before two of them hit their buttons – making for an extremely tense audition. During the finals, Wauters, Lola’s coach, shared part of a conversation he had with her about social media and public opinion. “I told her, ‘Lola, you know, you’re no size 36. There’s going to be a lot of commentary – positive comments but also a lot of negative comments. Are you ready for that?’ And she looked me straight in the eye and said ‘Koen, I feel good in my skin. Let them say what they want.’” \ Lisa Bradshaw

Flanders Today, a weekly English-language newspaper, is an initiative of the Flemish Region and is financially supported by the Flemish authorities. 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.

the leaves – but don’t throw them away in the garden or the compost heap. Advise any neighbours who have box trees. And consider replacing your buxus with something similar but immune to the moth, like Japanese holly (Ilex crenata). \ AH

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

\ POLITICS

5TH COLUMN The impossible dream

After the Paris and Brussels attacks, followed by the many strikes and protests, people have come away with the feeling that nothing works in this country. Much of the situation has to do with what is happening at the federal level and in Wallonia. Yet a similar sentiment has also swept over Flanders in recent years, especially when it came to large infrastructure works. A bridge, a tunnel, a road, a shopping centre – all of these seemed impossible to implement, as local residents took action against them. With that in mind, the agenda at one press conference last week was impressive. Representatives of the City of Antwerp and the government of Flanders sat sideby-side with representatives of grassroots organisations Ademloos, stRaten-Generaal and Ringland. Together they announced that they would look into covering over part of the Antwerp ring road. Covering it – effectively creating a tunnel – would reduce traffic nuisance for thousands of residents and would create a new district – on top of the tunnel – mostly devoted to parks. The co-operation between neighbourhood groups and the governments is remarkable as they have been at each other’s throats over the Oosterweel link for more than a decade. The project, which will link the city’s ring road, has been controversial from the start, when the government of Flanders decided to build a viaduct over part of the city. From an architectural perspective, it looked great, but it didn’t take residents’ quality of life into account. The pressure groups soon came up with an alternative, and, after a referendum, plans changed. The bridge became a tunnel. The many plans on the table got another group of citizens thinking. If a tunnel was possible, then why not cover a larger part of the ring road, which cuts the city off from its outer districts. Why not build parks and playgrounds on top? The seemingly utopian idea caught on quickly. Closing the gap between pressure groups and the government involved was the work of special manager Alexander D’Hooghe. “All parties have put their bitterness aside to see that we all want the best for Antwerp,” he said. Not all issues have been solved – the exact route over other parts of the city is still contested – but the signal given is clear. Not everything is impossible. \ Anja Otte

Top Northern Irish minister visits Flanders Fields

Deputy first minister Martin McGuinness toured First World War sites Alan Hope Follow Alan on Twitter \ @AlanHopeFT

he deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, Martin McGuinness, paid a visit to the battlefields of West Flanders last week, together with Flemish ministerpresident Geert Bourgeois. McGuinness, one of the co-heads of the Northern Ireland Executive, first stopped at the Island of Ireland Peace Park in Mesen (also known by its French name, Messines), the site of the two Battles of Messines, in 1914 and 1917. The Peace Park is a memorial to Irish soldiers from north and south (Ireland had not yet been split into two parts) who died in the First World War. He also visited the Wytschaete Military Cemetery and the 16th Irish Division Memorial

to the troops who died in the 1917 battle to capture the village of Wytschaete during the Battle of Messines. McGuinness and Bourgeois both laid wreaths (photo) at the site, and later visited the Menin Gate in Ypres for the Last Post ceremony. “World War One is an important part of Ireland’s multi-layered history during which tens of thousands of Irish people lost their lives,” McGuinness said. “If we are to build understanding and reconciliation on this island, we all need to recognise and accept the complexity of the historical events and different political narratives that make us who we are as a community and as a people.”

Flemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois (left) and Northern Ireland deputy first minister Martin McGuinness lay wreaths at Wytschaete Military Cemetery

Government and VGC to work more closely together

Former minister Paul Van Grembergen dies at 78

The government of Flanders is to work more closely with the Flemish Community Commission (VGC), the body responsible for Flemish Community matters such as education, culture and media in Brussels. The announcement was made by Sven Gatz, the minister responsible for Brussels interests in the government of Flanders. A committee will be set up with representatives from both institutions, said Gatz, in order to improve efficiency by reducing duplication of effort. “The Flemish government’s Brussels policy has sometimes been a bit too much the double of what the VGC does,” he said. “The main issues remain the same: The VGC is more anchored in the municipalities and focuses on local work, while the Flemish government takes an approach more from a capital

Paul Van Grembergen, a former minister in the government of Flanders, has died at the age of 78. Van Grembergen, a teacher, was a member of the Flemish nationalist Volksunie party in the 1960s and later sat on the municipal council in Evergem in East Flanders and the provincial council. In 1974, he appeared on the national stage, sitting in the parliament and the Senate and ultimately leading his party’s fraction in the chamber. From 1974 to 1980 he also sat on the forerunner of the Flemish parliament, before being elected in the first direct elections in 1995. He was also mayor of Evergem. Van Grembergen became a minister in Flanders in 2001, with a portfolio that included foreign trade, housing, foreign relations, administrative policy and home affairs. In that year, the Volksunie

city point of view. There is room for improvement in this co-operation.” He gave the example of education policy. Brussels ministers Guy Vanhengel, chair of the VGC board, and Flemish education minister Hilde Crevits, he said, are already working together in that area. “We want to create that sort of co-operation on a larger scale.” Gatz said that the move was not about cost-cutting, though he admitted that “during times of savings it’s important to be as complementary as possible”. The government, however, “is not suddenly going to invest less in welfare or the building of schools. Thanks to the new committee, officials will have a better view of the way things stand in the various policy areas, and that will help them make decisions later.” \ AH

split. Van Grembergen followed Bert Anciaux to the left-liberal Spirit; another faction of nationalists followed Geert Bourgeois to N-VA. “As minister for foreign relations he put Flanders on the world map, thanks among other things to his drive and energy for Flemish-Dutch cultural co-operation and the opening of Flemish representations in Paris and London,” Bourgeois said in a statement. “As minister of home affairs he was also a major supporter of a green and Flemish periphery.” In the name of the government he expressed condolences to Van Grembergen’s family. Van Grembergen remained in the Flemish parliament until 2004, after which he was active in cultural and heritage associations including Faro and the DutchFlemish house deBuren. \ AH

Merger talks break down between Belgian and Dutch post Federal telecommunications minister Alexander De Croo is reported to be angry about the failure of Belgian post service Bpost to merge with its Dutch counterpart, PostNL. Bpost last week confirmed that talks over a merger of the two companies had broken down, describing the result as “unfortunate, but not a drama”. “We held talks, but we had to come to the conclusion that there was no agreement across the board,” said Bpost CEO Koen Van Gerven. “We were a long way off from agreeing. Never say never, but this chapter has come to an end.” Bpost had made an offer in cash and equity for the totality of PostNL shares, in a deal that would have reduced the share of the Belgian state in the merged company to less than 50% – something made possible by a recent change to legislation. Bpost was revealed to have made a first, second and third bid, the last of which was being examined by the Dutch when the talks concluded. The Euronext stock exchange had suspended

trading in both shares, and Bpost was preparing a statement for before the opening of the stock market on Monday, 30 May. But by that time, it was too late: The Dutch had closed down negotiations. It has been reported that the deal fell apart after Jean-Pascale Labille, minister for government enterprises in the last federal government, revealed that talks were taking place. Labille and his PS colleagues on the board of Bpost and in the unions representing postal

workers were no doubt up to date on the state of negotiations, according to De Croo, who suggested to De Tijd that Labille’s statements about the postal service being privatised by the merger ended the talks definitively. “There are laws and rules governing the dissemination of privileged information that apply to everyone,” De Croo told the paper. “Mr Labille released incorrect information with one single goal: to provoke a strike at Bpost. That was not successful.” Van Gerven, too, blamed Labille. “I don’t know what was intended by his statement, but in important cases like these, a great deal of discretion is advised. His statements were completely out of place, which he knows.” Labille responded that he had no problem with Bpost’s consolidation plans, only with its continued status as a government enterprise. De Croo should not, he said, “try to suggest that a single statement from me put an end to the deal, although my sentence was perhaps sensitive given his ideology.” \ AH

\ COVER STORY

june 8, 2016

Locked and loaded

The world’s largest lock is set to open in Antwerp, and the public are invited continued from page 1

and unloaded. Because stable water levels are needed in this area, the locks shield it from the rising and falling tides of the Scheldt. Until now, this harbour has only been accessible by the smaller Kallo lock further down the Scheldt, which has a draught of 12m, but the Kieldrecht lock is a much larger gate. “It means we can accommodate bigger ships. It offers more advantages of scale,” Aerts says. Further afield, Aerts points to the port of Antwerp’s vast range of facilities: the world’s second biggest chemical cluster after Houston, Texas, a gas terminal, the cement processing plant that produced the mix used to build the Kieldrecht lock, solid and liquid bulk terminals and thousands of new and second-hand cars lined up on the quayside. The port needed 22,000 tonnes of structural steel – nearly three times the amount used for the Eiffel Tower – to build the lock, bridges and accessories. The amount of concrete used for its construction could have made a building 35 floors high and covering an area the size of a football field. Even so, it used less material than the Deurganck dock, which used 1.1 million cubic metres of concrete and 55,000 tonnes of steel. The four gates of the lock were built in the Chinese city of Changxing by steel constructor ZPMC, along with the trolleys on which the gates will ride, two combined road and rail bridges, the caisson and other items. Despite its massive size, the project required precision work described as a “delicate manoeuvring” construction approach. The lock gates, for example, needed a perfect, millimetre-accurate seal to ensure the rail tracks embedded into the bridge connect

kieldrechtsluis.be

The port needed 22,000 tonnes of structural steel to build the Kieldrecht lock – nearly three times the amount used for the Eiffel Tower

“We were pouring 3,000 cubic metres of concrete in there every day, for five years.” Aerts says. “The logistics are quite important:

Drawbridges above the two lock doors ensure that if one lock door is open, road and rail traffic can pass on the other side properly after each lifting and lowering of a gate bridge. “We have a complete road system alongside the lock – with drawbridges above the two lock doors – so that if one lock door is open, road and rail traffic can pass on the other side,” explains Aerts. And a €30 million tender will be launched shortly for two extra road bridges for two lanes of traffic. “If you have 11 million containers a year coming in, you need to be sure the road system is open,” he says. Construction on the Kieldrecht lock started in 2011, with a 5km dry slurry wall erected around the entire area. “Only then could we could start excavating,” Aerts says. “If you have a five-year construction project, it’s easier to have a water-tight belt around it. Then you can pump it empty and do all the work dry.” On an average day, around 300 people worked on the site – although it was so vast, it wasn’t always easy to spot them. During construction, the builders even uncovered the fossilised bones of a 3.5-million-year-old whale. While the view from on high shows the situational significance of the lock, the technical challenges are still hidden. Aerts points out that the floor of the lock is a 5m-thick layer of reinforced concrete. The walls are 4m thick, bolstered by a further 15m support.

each mixer has 10 cubic metres, so that means each day 300 truck loads are poured in there. They were coming in and out, over and over again.” Every last detail has been thought out thoroughly. The wheels in the lock gates are powered by special cables, which themselves need huge machinery to wind up. There is

even a special device to clean the silt from the lock. With hydraulic jets, they can open vents to flush it out from the harbour basin to the Deurganck dock. And there is art. On the western wall of the lock, facing the control tower, is an extraordinary mural by local graffiti artist Cazn. Last year he spent 10 weeks painting on a canvas 300m wide and 9m high. The full image (pictured on p1) begins with a desert landscape, then morphs into a nature reserve with birds, followed by colourful fish, sharks, a mermaid, Roman sea god Neptune and ships in port. Parts of it will be hidden under water depending on the tide. Last year, 208 million tonnes of maritime freight was loaded and unloaded in Antwerp, up 4.7% on 2014, making it Europe’s secondlargest freight port after Rotterdam. Some 9.6 million TEU (20-foot equivalent units, or standard containers) were handled, up 7.5%

on 2014, and 14,417 seagoing ships called at the port. Although the Kieldrecht lock cost €340 million – half financed by the European Investment Bank, with the remaining amount put up by the government of Flanders and the Port Authority – it is part of the €1.6 billion that the two local authorities are investing in new and more sustainable infrastructure in the 15 years to 2025. “The Kieldrecht lock is a huge construction project and a major achievement, but it is just part of Antwerp port’s development over the past few decades,” Aerts says, pointing to the sprawling port zone between the city and the border with the Netherlands, some 25km further north. Aerts has a background in civil engineering, coming from the Royal Military Academy, and spent 10 years in the Royal Engineers before he joined the public administration. During his time at the maritime division, he has overseen the construction of a second container tunnel under the Scheldt, the Deurganck dock and half of the entire port container handling capacity. Today, he is also in charge of the ports of Ghent, Ostend and Zeebrugge; Antwerp accounts for two-thirds of his work. His next project is a similar lock in the Dutch city of Terneuzen. But for the moment, he is enjoying a job well done with the Kieldrecht lock. “We only build a lock once every 30 years – the last one was the Berendrecht,” he says. “Today I am a proud and happy man.”

10-12 June Kieldrecht lock © Luc Claessen/Belga

Freddy Aerts has overseen the massive five-year construction project

Deurganck dock, Sint-Antoniusweg, Port of Antwerp Directions to location on website

\ BUSINESS

week in business Metals Umicore The Brussels-based nonferrous metals group has finalised the sale of its zinc activities to the US OpenGate Capital investment fund for €142 million.

New ultrasound technique checks quality of chocolate

Process inspects chocolate on the production line, saving time and money Andy Furniere More articles by Andy \ flanderstoday.eu

Energy Eandis China’s SGCC, the world’s largest operator of electricity networks, is acquiring a 14% stake in Eandis, operator of Flanders’ electric and gas grids, for more than €500 million.

Transport Exmar The Antwerp-based tanker operator is expected to supply a floating gas liquefying unit to Iran as part of a $600 million contract between Norway’s Hemla Vantage and Iran’s Kharg Petrochemical. The unit would allow Iran to start exports of its gas resources, following the end of the embargo.

Household Ecover The producer of eco-friendly household cleaning and personal care products, based in Malle, Antwerp province, has sold its French unit, located in Boulogne, to the Vandeputte oil and soap producer, headquartered in Mouscron, Wallonia.

Food Vandemoortele The Vandemoortele family, which owns a majority stake in the Ghent-based food products manufacturer of the same name, has acquired the 23.5% stake owned by the Flanders investment fund Gimv for more than €180 million. Gimv had stepped in with a €75 million loan in 2009 to help the company finance its development.

Gas transport Fluxys The operator of the country’s gas network has inaugurated a pipeline connecting the gas terminals of Zeebrugge and Dunkirk, France, to allow additional flexibility in supply and flow management. The new pipeline has a capacity of eight million cubic metres a year.

Catering Poilâne The world-famous French bakery is opening an outlet in Wijnegem, near Antwerp, this summer as part of the new Kanaal development project.

esearchers at the University of Leuven (KU Leuven) have developed a new technique that makes it possible to check the quality of chocolate via ultrasound imaging, technology normally used to monitor the health of foetuses in the womb. The method was developed to assist companies in the chocolate sector. The project, carried out by PhD student Annelien Rigolle, can determine if the cacao butter in the chocolate is properly crystallised through the reflection of ultrasonic waves. Crystallisation of cacao butter occurs during the transition from liquid to solid chocolate. Five sorts

of crystals can be formed during this process, but only one of them leads to quality choco-

New book prices to be regulated The government of Flanders has introduced a proposal to regulate prices for new books. The measure would end the big discounts offered by large retailers, including supermarkets. The proposal from Flemish culture minister Sven Gatz is intended to help both consumers and booksellers, he said. It imposes a standard price on all new books for the first six months after publication. That would prevent large retailers from negotiating discounts with publishers in order to sell at prices that independent bookstores cannot match. The exception will be schools and libraries, which will be allowed to buy books at a 25% discount. “Publishers and authors also benefit from the new regulation,” Gatz said. “Publishers will be able to invest not only in well-known but also in less well-known and new authors.” Even when selling through foreign websites, Flemish publishers would be bound by the standard price. The same goes for sales in Brussels. The proposal now goes to the Strategic Advisory Council for Culture and the Council of State for their opinions, after which it will be voted on in the Flemish parliament. \ Alan Hope

Mechelen biotech firm develops rapid Ebola test The Mechelen-based biotechnology company Biocartis has received the go-ahead from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the emergency use of its Idylla Ebola virus triage test (Ebov). Biocartis developed the test in co-operation with Janssen Diagnostics in Beerse and the Institute for Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp. ITM took part in the identification of the virus 40 years ago. The Ebov test is intended for use on patients who have symptoms of Ebola and delivers results within 100 minutes. That allows it to be used in the field, eliminating waiting time and the need to outsource testing. Biocartis is an innovator in molecular diagnostics for cancer and infectious diseases, having developed the Idylla platform, which allows reliable molecular testing of biological samples in most settings. For the Ebov test, a blood sample is simply injected into the Idylla cartridge, which then becomes a hermetically sealed container, reducing

the risk to health-care workers of exposure. “The test allows health-care professionals in the field to rapidly diagnose infection, implement control measures and therefore offer faster and better treatment decisions,” said Biocartis CEO Rudi Pauwels. The FDA’s Emergency Use Authorisation allows the test to be used in US laboratories and public health centres and in similarly qualified labs elsewhere. It falls short of full authorisation but allows the use of diagnostic tools in emergency situations. It has previously been used in flu and Coronavirus outbreaks. \ AH

late. The number, size and shape of the crystals and the way they stick together are also important. Currently, checking the quality of chocolate is a time-consuming process involving samples from production lines being analysed in a lab. Quick adjustments are impossible, which can lead to a large quantity of chocolate being destroyed or re-processed. The new technique makes it possible to check the chocolate during the production process itself. The researchers will now work to turn the lab prototype into equipment that can be used by workers on a production line.

New rules to reduce fine particles at building sites The Flemish department of environment, nature and energy has introduced new regulations regarding the level of fine particles produced at construction sites in the region. From 2017, contractors at sites will be responsible for keeping the levels of dust as low as possible at all building and demolition sites. The new rules cover all sites active for more than one day, in the open air and carried out by a contractor. Works commissioned by an individual such as a homeowner are not included. Four measures are involved to reduce dust pollution: using tarpaulins and vacuum equipment to contain dust and spraying water on the location and equipment to keep dust from becoming airborne. Extra measures are required in dry or windy weather.

The rules also govern speed limits on dusty sites and instructions to site personnel. “Contractors and companies have every interest in taking dust-reduction measures,” the department said. “That way they reduce complaints from local residents, to the benefit of good relations with the local area and local authorities. They also reduce the risk of possible fines for failing to meet the environmental rules applicable. Dust prevention is also cost reduction, since tools that have not been affected by dust last longer.” \ AH

Court strikes down deal for Arco shareholders in Dexia Up to 800,000 people risk losing some of their savings after the advocategeneral of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in Luxembourg handed down an opinion declaring that a state guarantee given by the federal government in 2009 was against EU law. The clients are shareholders in Arco, the investment section of the Union of Christian Workers ACW, now known as Beweging.net. ACW was a major investor in Dexia Bank when it collapsed in 2011. Many small investors lost their money in the crash, but Arco shareholders, known as “co-operants”, benefited from a previous decision by the government to extend the general state guarantee on savings to investments in Arco. Lawyers for the shareholders who had lost their stake took the case to the Council of State, which referred a question to the Constitutional Court in 2013. From there, it went to the ECJ. The advocate-general has produced a negative opinion, which is not binding on the court, but which is followed more often than not. A final ruling by the full court is not expected for some months. At that point, the Constitutional Court will reply to the Council of State, which can then issue its own judgement. The whole process could take as long as two years. Last month Beweging.net said it would be prepared to provide aid to the co-operants. \ AH

\ INNOVATION

june 8, 2016

Eyes on the road

week in innovation

Self-driving cars can learn to recognise unforeseen road hazards

Ghent University (UGent) has launched its Blue Growth campus at the GreenBridge Science Park in Ostend, uniting all of UGent’s marine and maritime research activities. The research will focus on the sustainable use of oceans and seas, including blue energy (offshore wind, wave and tidal power), aquaculture, marine biotechnology, seabed mining and coastal defence. UGent carries out three-quarters of all marine and maritime research in Flanders. With the focus on applied research, Blue Growth will include a wave tank of 30x30 meters, for testing of models of coastal and offshore structures, like wind turbines, against waves and tidal currents.

Andy Furniere More articles by Andy \ flanderstoday.eu

hanks to companies like Tesla and Google, selfdriving technology is quite the buzz these days. But how likely are we to hand over the wheel to a computer anytime soon? One researcher thinks we’re getting there. Originally from Lithuania, Jonas Kubilius has spent the past six years researching computer vision at the University of Leuven (KU Leuven). Together with colleagues Stefania Bracci and Hans Op de Beeck, he recently published a study that could prove of interest to the self-driving industry. The researchers have found that the current image-recognition technology can distinguish unfamiliar shapes, on top of those that have been pre-configured. In other words, computers might be smarter than we give them credit for and can learn to respond to new situations like human beings would. The study was published in the magazine PLoS Computational Biology. “Imagine you have trained

Sure, they’ll still make mistakes, but their decisions will be as reasonable as ours your system to recognise bicycles and cows, but not Segways,” says Kubilius. “The biggest concern is that the system will make a random decision, or even crash, when it encounters one on the road.” The researchers have discovered that current technology is already so advanced that it can judge what an unfamiliar object looks like, by noticing, for example, that a Segway has two wheels and drives

40% of Belgians don’t understand GP © Courtesy KU Leuven

Almost human? In his research, Jonas Kubilius (pictured below) compared how humans and cars with self-driving technology (pictured above) interpret abstract images. He found the difference negligible

slowly. They are convinced that the computer can be trained to avoid hitting them. In the same way, it can be taught to treat minor obstacles, like roadside debris, as negligible and drive over them, instead of carrying out a manoeuvre that could result in an accident. Behind this ability are the so-called deep neural networks, or complex algorithms that perform computations in a fashion similar to the neurons in the human brain. Like the brain, these networks are multi-layered, but they only have a digital form. Deep neural networks have existed since the 1980s, but were initially used for relatively simple tasks like checking postal codes on mail or handwritten amounts on cheques. They now deal with more complex matters, thanks to large amounts of available data, increased computing power and cheaper technology. In his research, Kubilius compared human and deep neural networks in how they interpreted abstract images. In other words, he tested the capacities of the human and digital brains to intuitively deter-

mine what an unfamiliar shape reminds them of. The difference between human and machine has turned out to be relatively small. Does this mean that computers will soon replace us in the driving seat? Not quite yet, says Kubilius, because the current image-recognition systems are nowhere near as powerful as the human visual perception, and they are not yet very reliable. “But it’s worth investing in them because machines don’t get tired or distracted like we do, and those are the major causes of car accidents,” he says. “In the long run, self-driving cars can improve safety on the roads. Sure, they’ll still make mistakes, but their decisions will be as reasonable as ours.” The applicability of Kubilius’ findings extends beyond self-driving cars. Smarter visual systems are also essential for household robots and advanced optical tools like Google Glass. With the funding from the Flemish research foundation FWO and the European Commission, Kubilius was recently accepted as a postdoctoral researcher at the famous

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), but will return to KU Leuven in 2018 to continue his research. At MIT, he is focusing on improving the intelligence of deep neural networks used for image recognition. He is specifically training the digital brain to analyse images in a more complex way than just recognising what’s in them.

Courtesy Jonas Kubilius

Instead of simply noticing a coffee cup in a picture, Kubilius explains, the computer should also be able to determine where the cup is located in relation to its environment and what colour or shape it is.

tinyurl.com/veiligmobiel

law. There is regulation concerning people’s sight and medication that entails risks when driving. The specialists will examine

people’s cognitive skills, judgement and driving performance during tests in a simulator. Participants will have to judge a situation at a roundabout, for example, and the specialists will also check reaction speed, memory, focus and knowledge of traffic rules. Based on the results, they will then give confidential advice, which is not communicated to third parties such as insurance

Some 40% of people in Belgium don’t fully understand their doctor’s explanation of their condition or of the advised treatment, according to a survey by the Onafhankelijke Ziekenfondsen (OZ). Nearly one in five also stated that their general practitioner uses words that are too difficult. According to OZ, this lack of clear communication can lead to problems, with patients not following advice or taking prescriptions correctly. OZ said that health-care providers should avoid medical jargon and adapt their language accordingly. The education sector, the government and the mutualities should take action to ensure better training in communication, said OZ, but patients should also ask for more clarification.

Scar specialists plead for recognition

New centre to keep older drivers safe on the road Jessa Hospital in Hasselt and the Institute for Mobility at Hasselt University have founded Samen Veilig Mobiel (Safely Mobile Together), a centre where elderly people can find out whether their physical and cognitive skills are still sufficient to let them safely drive a car. The experts at the centre will first check whether people still meet the minimum medical standards to drive, which are set down in

UGent launches marine campus

brokers. If there are issues, the centre will suggest training to deal with them. If the tests indicate that a person shouldn’t drive, the centre will check for alternatives to help them keep mobile. “At an older age, mobility is essential for staying socially involved,” said professor Tom Brijs. “Losing your mobility often means losing your autonomy and zest for life.” \ AF

Antwerp University (UAntwerp) and the Flemish organisation Oscare have called for the official recognition of “scar specialists” at the international conference on the healing of scars, Scarcon 2016, which took place on 3 and 4 June at UAntwerp. The organisations pointed out that worldwide 100 million people per year get scars because of surgeries, accidents and burns, with at least 30 million requiring follow-up care. “It’s essential that an internationally recognised qualification for scar specialist is created,” said UAntwerp physiotherapist Jill Meirte. Oscare, which supports after-care, research and training related to burns and scars, has founded the Scar Academy, offering medical experts the chance to learn the newest techniques in the field of scar treatment. \ AF

\ EDUCATION

june 8, 2016

Wherefore art thou

week in education One in four courses to be cut

Free University of Brussels holds discussions on its future identity Andy Furniere More articles by Andy \ flanderstoday.eu

VUB.AC.BE

s the Dutch-speaking Free University of Brussels (VUB) undergoes structural changes, its executive and academic bodies met recently to discuss what the institution’s identity means in practice. During a one-day conference, policymakers, staff, students and alumni pondered on a question: Should the university’s future focus be on promoting educational liberalism or forging closer links with Brussels? The WeAreVUB conference was held at a crucial time for the university. At the end of September, communication scientist Caroline Pauwels will take over as rector, replacing Paul De Knop, who has stood at the helm since 2008. She is only the second woman ever to lead VUB. The university is also expanding by investing heavily in new student accommodation, classrooms, cultural spaces and a science campus. These investments follow an increased inflow of students: Since 2008, the university’s student body has increased from about 10,000 to 15,000. It has become more diverse as well: One in fourVUB students now comes from abroad. To get more staff, students and alumni involved in planning the future of the university, VUB hosted a conference last month in Anderlecht. VUB researchers Dimokritos Kavadias and Didier Caluwaerts presented the results of a survey carried out among 3,000 students, staff and alumni of the university. Among the more noteworthy discoveries was that participants said they feel that VUB is much more characterised by the “V” for “Vrije” (Free) in its name than by the “B” of Brussels. In other words, they believe that the VUB mostly stands for free – liberal, secular and progressive – thinking. One of the personifications of this philosophy is VUB professor Wim Distelmans, a leading advocate of euthanasia. The conference participants, however, expressed that improving the bond with Brussels should become one of the priorities for the future. Pauwels, who spoke at the conference via a video message, said she was glad to hear this, as it had been the core of her election campaign. “For the university, Brussels is, in all aspects, a living lab,” she said. “It gives us endless possibilities regarding education, research, innovation and internationalisation, so we should focus on being an urban university that embraces the diversity of this city.”

Pauwels also referred to the social problems in Brussels, including the dramatic events of the last few months, and emphasised that VUB has to use its knowledge and expertise to improve the local community. These problems, she added, challenge the university to broaden its scope. Agreeing with Pauwels’ vision, De Knop said that he felt the university can form a think-tank for the capital. In his speech at the conference, the out-going rector emphasised that Brussels offers the university insight into the forces that are changing society and declared that it’s necessary to see these changes from a positive perspective. “We have the advantage of being on the frontline of working with multilingualism, international networks, super-diversity and immigration flows,” he said. To strengthen diversity, the various players are envisioning improving contacts with international institutions, arranging international internships, organising research collaborations and strengthening connections with universities abroad. VUB also wants to commit to multi-lingual education by providing more study programmes in other languages. This could prove a complicated endeavour.

Flemish legislation requires that no more than 6% of Bachelor’s and 35% of Master’s degrees be taught in a foreign language. On top of that, courses offered in a foreign language must also be available in Dutch at another Flemish university. Nevertheless, VUB will be offering a new Bachelor’s degree in social sciences starting in the autumn. The English-language programme combines sociology, political science and communication studies to teach students how to analyse complex social issues from multiple angles. The degree is set up in collaboration with Ghent University, which will offer the same programme in Dutch. In his speech, De Knop also noted the positive co-operation with the VUB’s French-speaking counterpart, ULB, from which the university split in 1969. He expressed a desire to strengthen the collaboration. The two universities will share a new science campus, called the Science & Technology Park, when it is completed in 2018. The identity conference is not the end of the co-operation between the university’s policymakers and its students and staff. When Pauwels starts her term as rector, she plans to organise interactive workshops that will determine the concrete policy priorities for the next four years.

Q&A Koenraad Van Cleempoel is a professor of architecture at Hasselt University. He is in charge of a new international Master’s degree in adaptive reuse of architectural heritage, or providing new functions for old sites How do you go about giving a building a new direction? In Flanders, a lot of our heritage sites are frozen in time, but a building is not like a painting. It’s something that needs to have life in it. One of the things we want to instil in people is empathy, not just technical skills. On a conceptual level, you have to have a certain empathy because you’re adding a layer to a building, entering into a dialogue with it. You can’t give any building to just any architect. Adapting historical buildings with heritage value has been compared to trans-

lating poetry, because it’s such a delicate skill. How will you approach the topic? It’s about taking our industrial or cultural heritage and making it fit the lives that people lead now. Societal values have become more important than heritage or religious ones, and you have to find a new balance between them, so one thing we’ll be doing is looking at philosophical texts. User value is a legitimate way to question vacant heritage buildings that may be beautiful and excellently preserved

but are lying empty. Can you continue to invest millions in renovating sites if you don’t use them? We have to look at how these buildings can be part of an economic reality.

Can you give an example of good adaptive reuse? The prison in Hasselt (pictured) that was converted to house the university’s law faculty is a wonderful example and shows that a building’s best function is not necessarily its original one. On the poster for the course we have a photo of a church in Madrid, which is now a library. It was destroyed in the Spanish civil war and was a ruin for many years. It’s located in a difficult neighbourhood, but its refurbishment has changed the whole atmosphere. It’s a great example of how changing the meaning of a building can have an impact on a wider social context. \ Interview by Sally Tipper

Flemish education minister Hilde Crevits has announced a plan to cut the number of courses in secondary education from the current 196 to 143 by September 2018. The plan is part of the larger education reform presented last week. Under Crevits’ proposal, the number of courses will decrease from 72 to 49 in the second grade (third and fourth years) and from 124 to 94 in the third grade ( final two years). Certain outdated courses, like bookbinding, would disappear, and others, like horse care, would be clustered in wider study programmes. Crevits also feels certain programmes, like car mechanics, need to be updated, to meet the needs of today’s society. She will finetune the plans in discussions with the education networks.

Fewer Catholic school boards Flanders’ Catholic education network is looking to reduce its number of school boards from 734 now to 150 by 2018. It’s an on-going effort: In 2000, the network consisted of 952 school boards. “Organisational optimisation” was one of the main topics discussed at the recent Eigentijds Tegendraads (Contemporary Rebellious) conference arranged in Leuven by the network’s director, Lieven Boeve. Practicalities, like heating systems in classrooms, said Boeve, should be decided on a larger scale, so that principals can focus on pedagogical matters at their own schools. The organisational reform will be carried out at the same time across the network to avoid inconsistency, he said.

Flemish-Dutch co-operation renewed Education minister Hilde Crevits has signed a new co-operation agreement with the Dutch government called the Damesakkoord (Ladies’ Agreement), which covers the financing of Dutch students at Flemish schools and Dutch-speaking education abroad. It’s a renewal of the arrangement negotiated 25 years ago called the Herenakkoord (Gentlemen’s Agreement), stipulating that Flanders bears the costs of Dutch students enrolled in Flemish schools, while the Netherlands pays for Dutchlanguage education abroad. A renewal of the agreement was necessary because of recent concerns in Flanders about the increasing number of Dutch students enrolling in Flemish schools. \ AF

\ LIVING

week in activities Retro Tour of Flanders

Out Loud project encourages Brussels residents to eat outside

Although same-day registration is no longer possible, you can still come out and watch this annual gathering of vintage bikes and their riders. There’s a fun ride and swap meet on Saturday, with the race itself on Sunday. Retro Soirée with music, food and dancing on Saturday night. 11-12 June, Maagdendale Abbey, 11 Maagdendale, Oudenaarde; free for spectators \ retroronde.be

Castle Festival 1830 Historic Ursel Castle will be transported back in time to the period of the Belgian Revolution. The castle’s owner is sympathetic to Dutch ruler William of Orange and invites him and his troops to visit. Costumed re-enactors, artillery demonstrations, music and dance, traditional crafts, children’s activities and more. 12 June 13.00-18.00, Wolfgang d’Urselstraat 9, Bornem; €9 \ kasteeldursel.be

Petrol Factory A retro-themed celebration of horsepower, with vintage motorcycles and cars, workshops on maintenance, tattoos, street food and music. In the evening, there’s a punk rock party with live music. 11 June 10.00-18.00; De Kruitfabriek, Steenkaai 44D, Vilvoorde; free (€10 for party) \ dekruitfabriek.com

Hex Garden Days Beautiful Hex Castle, with its lush formal gardens, is the setting for this annual summer festival. Flowering and edible plants for sale, garden supplies, demonstrations and workshops, garden tours, food and drink. This year’s themes are International Year of Pulses, Roses in the Kitchen, and Plants from the East. 10-12 June 10.0018.00, Kasteel Hex, Hexlaan, Heers (Limburg); €10 \ hex.be

Iconoclasm guided walk 450 years ago, the Protestant Reformation swept across Europe, and Belgium was caught up in the conflict between the Catholic Church and those who would destroy it. Learn about the places in Ypres affected by the Iconoclasm during this two-hour guided walk. Registration required via toerismebalie@ ieper.be. 12 June 14.30-16.30, Ypres Tourism, Grote Markt 34; €3,50 \ toerismeieper.be

\ 10

The picnic revolution Tom Peeters More articles by Tom \ flanderstoday.eu

BEURSSCHOUWBURG.BE

ast summer, Beurs schouwburg’s rooftop terrace in the centre of Brussels welcomed scores of urban dwellers starved for some late-night entertainment under the open sky. With a selection of music and movie screenings, and of course drinks, the Out Loud! festival proved to be a fun way to spend those long summer evenings. But a missing ingredient was something to help fill your stomach. Thanks to a collaboration with the restaurant AUB-SVP, the venue has finally tackled this issue by re-introducing a somewhat forgotten food concept: the summer picnic. “In the 18th century, the royal parks were opened to the public, and picnicking became a popular activity among Brussels’ residents,” says AUB-SVP’s owner, Joris Lens. Since then, however, the city has been overwhelmed by motorised traffic, putting pressure on the space available to the public. It’s not so long ago that even Grote Markt was a car park. Brought back to its former glory in the 1970s, it was recently chosen as the 13th best tourist attraction in the world, ahead of the Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall of China. A lot can happen when the people reclaim their territory. In response to local businesses, many of whom have complained about a loss of customers since the introduction of the car-free zone in the city centre, Lens wants to give the debate a more positive spin. “We want to encourage people to reclaim the parks, squares, benches and streets,” he says. Beursschouwburg’s director, Tom Bonte, is on the same wavelength. “It’s a pity that the pedestrian zone has gotten a bad reputation,” he says. “Every modern city needs to have some breathing space.” To attract more than just the visi-

tors to Out Loud!, AUB-SVP is installing its Picnic Hotspot right around the corner from Beursschouwburg. Picnic-goers are welcome to take their food boxes to Beursschouwburg’s rooftop terrace, but a park or the nearby pedestrian zone will do just as well.

insider locations. “Road works and the terrorist attacks have seriously damaged the image of our capital,” Lens says. “But we cannot let fear take over. There are still plenty of gems to discover.” The pop-up concept stays true to the credo of AUB-SVP chef, Mathias

It’s a pity that the pedestrian zone has gotten a bad reputation When the pop-up restaurant opens on 8 June, AUB-SVP will close down its main location on Schildknaapstraat for the summer, encouraging people to enjoy their food outside. To make the lunch excursions that much more exciting, the commemorative napkins will show a map of Brussels with

Dirx, who likes to experiment with local and organic products, including seasonal vegetables and by-catch. With its crunchy salad and pulled pork with soya, sesame

From 8 June

BITE

Blankenberge Bruist festival celebrates all things gin After the dazzling success of last year’s edition, culinary festival Gin + Kok takes over the Grote Markt in Blankenberge for the second time around. The name is a reference to the day’s alcoholic preference and live cooking programme, brought to you by 27 local chefs and professional mixologists in collaboration with The Belgian Gin Club. The date of the event has been carefully chosen to coincide with World Gin Day, thus giving you a solid excuse to get hammered. If you prefer calories to comas, you can still join in the gin fun by tast-

ing the official festival delicacy, het BlankeBergje. This gin-infused praline was created for the occasion by local chocolatier Raf Hollevoet. To determine the right alcohol levels, Hollevoet reached out to Noach Van Damme, who made a name for himself as Belgium’s Best

Bartender in 2009 and now works for Distillerie de Biercée. The result is a dune-shaped treat, covered in white chocolate and filled with dark chocolate, whipped butter and de Biercée gin. Topping it off is a crunchy layer of red fruit. According to its maker, this original combination tastes “just like summer”. The night will end with a performance by the Flemish cover band The Expendables, a warm-up for

11-12 June

and spring onion, the picnic box is a tasty treat. And since the focus is on sustainability, it’s entirely biodegradable. Bring your own box or basket, and you can expect a discount. The collaboration between Beursschouwburg and AUB-SVP lasts until September, when the venue introduces its new artistic theme. Called Come Together, it will continue with the message of sharing food in public spaces. But first there is Out Loud!. This year’s programme includes 1990s music-inspired movies – from Pearl Jam Twenty to Spice World – beat-inflected apero concerts and lots of indie gigs. Check out Preoccupations, Dream Koala and the hip-hop/soul evening hosted by Témé Tan.

Picnic Hotspot

Karperbrug 9, Brussels

TINYURL.COM/GINKOK tinyurl.com/blankenbergebruist

day two of the weekend festival Blankenberge Bruist. Sunday’s aptly named Beats & Beers trades in the gin and live cooking for beer and music. Local drum and show band dINK will kick-start the festivities, followed by DJs Level Six and Party Shakerz in the afternoon, while those who escaped a hangover can try an incredible amount of speciality beers. Good luck Monday morning. \ Catherine Kosters

Grote Markt, Blankenberge

june 8, 2016

The time is now

Red Devils set sights on glory in European Championships Leo Cendrowicz More articles by Leo \ flanderstoday.eu

fter so many years watching from afar as the top sides battle it out in the big competitions, Belgium’s footballers are now part of the show. When the European Championships begin on Friday in France, Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard, Toby Alderweireld and the other Red Devils will be one of the most feared teams in the tournament. The question is, can they go all the way and claim the trophy at the final in Paris on 10 July? If you believe the Fifa world rankings, Belgium should be the runaway favourites: they topped the listing for four months until April, before relinquishing their position to Argentina. World Cup winners Germany, the next highest European side, are only in fourth, while Spain, winners of Euro 2012, are sixth. Yet such statistics are deceptive. While this is indeed a wonderful generation of Belgian players, they haven’t faced a serious test in football since they were knocked out of the World Cup quarter-finals by Argentina two years ago in Brazil. Belgium certainly qualified for Euro 2016 in style. They topped their pool comfortably, with a home draw and an away defeat to second-placed Wales their only real blips. Along the way, they scored 24 goals and conceded just five. But the big tournaments are where it really counts. The Red Devils will feel it right from the start, on 13 June, when they line up against Italy in their opening match in Lyon. Italy, four-time World Cup winners, have the experience and nous to raise their game in these events, and they could quickly puncture Belgium’s hopes. Their next match, five days later against a resilient Ireland, cannot be taken for granted, either. And the final group game, against Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Sweden, is likely to be tense and scrappy. The top two teams from each group go into the knockout round of 16. Belgium can reasonably be expected to go on and reach the quarter-finals, but if they top the group, their most likely opponents would be Germany. The Red Devils will have plenty of firepower at their disposal in France. Coach Marc Wilmots – who has done a sterling job of steadily improving the team’s performance since stepping up from his previous role of assistant in 2012 – has filled his 23-man

The Belgian team ahead of their warm-up match against Finland last week, which they drew 1-1

squad with talent. De Bruyne is likely to be the key player. Although a serious knee injury saw him miss several months of the season, he has grown immeasurably in stature: a dynamic playmaker, his vision and intelligence are matched by incredible energy. He proved he can handle the pressure in the German Bundesliga, where he set a record number of assists, and in the Premier League where he was voted Manchester City’s player of the month a record number of times in his first season. De Bruyne demonstrated his quality last month when he scored a stunning late winner as Belgium won 2-1 against Switzerland in Geneva. Alongside De Bruyne up front, captain Hazard is still one of Europe’s top strikers despite an underwhelming season at Chelsea. He will likely be joined by one of Everton’s Romelu Lukaku, Napoli’s Dries Mertens and Liverpool’s Christian Benteke. Wilmots then has to choose from Roma’s

tenacious Radja Nainggolan, Tottenham’s Mousa Dembele, Zenit Saint Petersburg’s Axel Witsel and Manchester United’s Marouane Fellaini for a narrow midfield. The biggest issue lies in defence, where Vincent Kompany’s injury rules him out (he will be in the BBC TV studio instead, as a pundit alongside the likes of Gary Lineker and Thierry Henry), while Zenit Saint Petersburg’s Nicolas Lombaerts and Celtic’s Dedryck Boyata are also on the sidelines. That probably means a place for 20-yearold Jason Denayer of Manchester City and Barcelona’s Thomas Vermaelen. Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen might be able to replicate their fine Tottenham partnership, where they conceded only 27 goals in 29 league games. Wilmots still insists Belgium are outsiders to win Euro 2016, and he instead sees Spain, Germany and France as the top teams for the tournament. A sobering 1-1 draw against Finland in a friendly last week showed

that Belgium should not take anything for granted. But even with absentees, the Red Devils have an incredibly strong spine. If they can get their midfield and attack to gel sufficiently, they’ve enough firepower to trouble even the sternest of defences in France. Indeed, anything short of a semi-final place would feel like a disappointment for a country whose talents keep rolling off the production line. It would be about time; this is only their third European Championship since 1980, when they finished runners-up. For a country that has not tasted success in a major tournament since winning gold at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, this is perhaps their best ever chance of glory. 13 June, Belgium vs Italy (20.00, Stade de Lyon, Lyon); 18 June, Belgium vs Republic of Ireland (14.00, Stade de Bordeaux, Bordeaux); 22 June, Belgium vs Sweden (20.00, Stade de Nice, Nice)

50 weekends in Flanders: City trip to Poperinge 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 print one of our suggestions every week here, too. Poperinge is a small brewing town near the French border surrounded by hop fields. Mobbed by troops in the First World War, it is now one of the main stops on the Flanders war memorial trail. But it’s also interesting as a beer town, with some fine local brews,

a hop museum and an annual beer festival. \ toerismepoperinge.be

Visit TALBOT HOUSE This old townhouse is one of the most moving places to visit on a First World War tour. Troops on leave were welcomed here by the Reverend Philip Thomas Byard Clayton (better known as “Tubby Clayton”) with a cup of tea and a biscuit. The house (pictured) is still furnished with the old creaky beds, a piano and an attic chapel. \ talbothouse.be

Eat at CAFÉ DE LA PAIX This friendly restaurant is on the ground floor of an old hotel on Grote Markt where the chef prepares steaks and fish in various ways. The kitchen does simple lunch-time dishes, including the Poperinge speciality Hennepot, while the beer menu boasts more than 100 labels, including 17 regional specialities. \ hoteldelapaix.be

Drink at LA POUPÉE This old-fashioned tearoom on Grote Markt takes its name from

a famous cafe reserved for officers during the First World War. They were served by a young local called Ginger, who became a war legend. The interior is decorated in a quaint style with floral wallpaper, chandeliers and 18th-century military portraits. Grote Markt 16 Stay at RECOUR This family-owned hotel occupies a former tobacco factory. It has a relaxed, warm feel with a spacious lounge in country house style by Antwerp interior designer Pieter Porters. The eight guest rooms are

TINYURL.COM/50WEEKENDS

furnished with big wooden beds, polished desks and retro baths, while the seven new rooms in the annex have interiors inspired by cotemporary designers. \ pegasusrecour.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 The spring issue of Th The Thee Bulletin Newcomer is your guide to making the most of life in Belgium. It mixes practical community eff efforts information with features on community 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

\ ARTS

june 8, 2016

Back to their roots

week in arts & CULTURE

American craft beers are working to win the hearts of Flemish consumers Linda A Thompson Follow Linda @ThompsonBXL \ flanderstoday.eu

Making a dent in the Belgian beer market is no easy task, especially for foreign brews, but some American crafts are looking to stir things up with their own take on the traditional ale.

s far as business proposals go, it’s a pretty daring one: American craft breweries are trying to penetrate the nirvana of every beer lover – Belgium. The taps and shelves of Belgian supermarkets and cafes are still largely dominated by local favourites like Chimay, Hoegaarden and Leffe. But products from breweries farther afield, like Hawaii, California and Maryland, are slowly popping up. “They’re starting to enter Belgium more and more,” confirms Sofie Vanrafelghem, a Ghent-based beer consultant and the only Belgian juror at the World Beer Cup 2016 competition that took place in Philadelphia earlier this month. “It’s a general phenomenon. Belgians are slowly starting to discover American beers.” According to oft-cited figures, Belgium boasts some 1,500 different beers, the fruit of a rich brewing tradition that goes back several centuries. The largest beer company in the world, AB InBev, is based in Leuven, with an empire that includes dive bar staples Stella Artois, Budweiser, Beck’s and Corona, and has a global market share of nearly 31%. A request to have the country’s beer tradition listed as Unesco heritage is pending. Belgium’s brewing legacy is admired around the world and, especially in the US, is still seen as the standard-bearer, says Vanrafelghem. Many US brewers slap “Belgian-style” on to their beers as a quality label of sorts – even when there is nothing “Belgian” about them. “Clearly, the Belgian aspect must still mean something to them,” she says. Joshua Smith, the UK-based brand ambassador for Goose Island, says that the first beers of the Chicagobased craft brewery, when it opened back in the 1990s, were inspired by Belgium’s brewing heritage. “I suppose it can be a bit funny when you’re thinking: ‘Why would Belgium import a beer that was almost a sort of

homage to Belgium?’” he says. In April, the brewery started serving its Goose IPA in a handful of bars in Belgium. Two additional brews, 312 and Honkers Ale, and more bars are to follow in the coming months. But they come in peace, Smith says. “We’d love to be the favourite US import, but we haven’t got any takeover intentions,” he says.

GOOSEISLAND.COM

Belgian market appear aimed at the beer connoisseur types who attend multi-day events like the Zythos Beer Festival, routinely seek out new brews, and turn their nose up at Jupiler, Maes and the like. Average customers, meanwhile, have responded to the US incursions like one might to an indecent proposal – with a bit of curi-

success so far. Belgians remain attached to their Belgian beers.” If local brewers seem so lackadaisical about the encroachment of American competitors into their home territory, it’s also because local consumers are no longer that important to their business figures. Domestic beer consumption has been declining for years, and 62%

I suppose it can be a bit funny: Why would Belgium import a beer that was a sort of homage to Belgium? “It’s just putting offering different choices and expanding the market in terms of styles. Craft beer, for me, is all about giving people options as opposed to trying to get them to have just one option.” At the same time, beer experts have warned that it is time locals get off their high horse and open their eyes to the changed realities of the international beer landscape. “We're absolutely not the only country that can make good beers,” says Vanrafelghem. “That list definitely includes the United States. And a number of countries in Europe, like Italy, the Netherlands and Germany, are also doing really well.” For now, the inroads of US breweries like Goose Island into the

osity but a polite “no, thank you”. Bram Mombers-Schepers, 30, a Brussels local, says he doesn’t see the appeal of US craft beers. “I'm proud of our Belgian beer and craftsmanship. Why would I be unfaithful when I can drink so many good beers that were made here?” Jean-Louis Van de Perre, chair of the Belgian Brewers industry association, says local brewers have been following the craft beer developments across the Atlantic. But threatened they feel not, thank you very much. “We’re not panicking, no,” he says, smiling. “Belgian beers have enough qualities to take on the competition.” Citing the richness of the beer landscape, which spans dozens of styles like pils, Trappist, abbey, Flemish browns and amber beers, he expects local customers to stick with homegrown brands for the foreseeable future. “If you look at the Belgian market, foreign beers have had little to no

of our beer production is today exported abroad, with France, the Netherlands, Germany and the US the top export markets. With the craft beer revolution of the last decades that has rocked beer landscapes in established as well as emerging markets such as Latin America, the competition has got a lot tougher for Belgian brewers. Faced with this increasingly crowded marketplace and the rising popularity of US craft beers, one strategy of Belgian beer companies has been to simply gobble up the craft players. AB InBev, for instance, has bought Blue Point Brewing in New York, Golden Road Brewing in Los Angeles, 10 Barrel Brewing in Oregon, Elysian in Seattle and Goose Island. So, in a strange twist that underlines the behemoth position of Belgian brewers on the global market, several of the American craft breweries trying to seduce us are in fact owned by Belgian companies. Boulevard Brewing Company in Kansas, which is owned by Duvel Moortgat, for instance, premiered two of its beers on the Belgian market last year. Today, its Single White IPA and Tank 7 are available in some 400 bars across the country. Debbie Wilmsen, spokesperson for Duvel Moortgat, says Tank 7 is a hit with local beer drinkers. “Customers love the beer and keep ordering it or asking after it. The surprising and novel taste was the decisive factor.”

Klara app matches classical music to playlists

Do you like Lana Del Rey? Then you’ll like 20th-century Italian composer Nino Rota. Maybe indie band Bright Eyes is more your thing? Then be sure to listen to Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. These are just two of the hundreds of revelations awaiting you on Klarafy, a clever new app released by Flemish classical radio station Klara. “Classical music is made up of 10 centuries of music,” said Klara in a statement. “For many people, that’s just a confusing mess; they have no idea where to start.” The app asks you to create a playlist on Spotify, which it analyses to make suggestions. Sometimes it combines songs or artists to reach its conclusions. The combination of Bon Iver, Lou Reed and Tom Odell, for instance, inspired Klarafy to suggest Schubert’s Winter Journey. \ klarafy.be

Red Star Line exhibition opens on Ellis Island The exhibition Via Antwerp: T he Road to Ellis Island recently opened at the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration on the famous island in Upper New York Bay. The exhibition maps the course of two million 19th- and early 20th-century European emigrants who boarded Red Star Line passenger ships in Antwerp harbour to start new lives in America. Antwerp culture alderman Philip Heylen opened the exhibition with CNN news anchor Kate Bolduan, who has Belgian roots. Among the 400 guests on opening night were descendants of Red Star Line passengers, including the grandchildren of Irving Berlin. The late composer and lyricist arrived at Ellis Island – where immigrants from Europe were processed – on a Red Star Line ship in 1898. The exhibition runs until 5 September. \ libertyellisfoundation.org

Funds released for repairs to federal museums The federal buildings agency and the Brussels promotional agency Beliris have earmarked €36 million for urgent repairs to the federal museums – principally the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium and the Royal Museums of Art and History in Jubelpark. The first phase of repairs will cover leaking roofs, after which a master plan will be drawn up for more permanent repairs, the bill for which could reach €145 million.

Chicago’s Goose Island has started serving its IPA in a handful of bars in Belgium and plans to add additional brews this year

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\ ARTS

A book for your CD player

Off the bookshelf and on to the stereo: Stefaan Tubex’s hybrid album is a winner Christophe Verbiest More articles by Christophe \ flanderstoday.eu

Flemish musician – and civil servant – Stefaan Tubex debuts with the CD/book Songs for the Bookshelf, 10 sparse folky tunes written alongside his day job and beautifully illustrated.

“F

or years it’s been a dream to record an album,” says Stefaan Tubex, 39, whose debut, Songs for the Bookself, is the best album by a Flemish musician so far this year. “Four years ago, after the birth of my daughter, I told myself it was time to finally make it happen.” When I first heard Songs for the Bookshelf, I’d never heard of Tubex. Trying to find some information, I discovered that he works for Thuis in de Stad, a government agency responsible for mapping out an urban policy that “encourages cities to evolve into sustainable and creative places”. “It’s a full-time job,” says Tubex, who studied political sciences and public administration. “Music has always just been a hobby. I played in a band for a while, but it never went very far. Some songs on the album, or at least some chord progressions, started 10 years ago.” It’s fair to say that Tubex, who was born and raised in Bruges and has lived in Ghent since his university days, is a late bloomer, musically speaking. He only picked up the guitar when he was 18.

SONGSFORTHEBOOKSHELF.COM

to learn to play their songs. That’s when it took off.” He smiles. “I finally bought a good tuner and some chord books.” I called Songs for the Bookshelf an album, but that’s only half of it. It’s also a book. It’s published as a book and it even has an ISBN number. And of course there’s a CD with the music. The book contains the (English) lyrics and the songs’ chords, as well as texts in Dutch and illustrations (pictured) by Kevin Vanwonterghem. “It started out as a CD,” Tubex explains, “but when I had to decide how to release it, I wanted it to stand out. Music nowadays is very volatile. That’s why I chose to release it as an illustrated book. My wife is a graphic designer, which was handy.” In the end, he continues, “it’s first and fore-

You always think the last song you’ve written is the best you could ever write “I’d tried it before; I even got a guitar from my parents, but I never had a suitable tuner or an inspiring lesson book,” he says. “But when I heard Jeff Buckley and Radiohead, some 20 years ago, I really wanted

most a musical project. Printing the chords as well as the lyrics is unusual, but as a listener, I always love to have these. It’s not that I hope people will start playing the songs themselves, but it’s an extra

visual element.” Songs for the Bookshelf offers 10 folky tunes, sparsely arranged with acoustic and electric guitar, violin, piano, mellotron and lap steel, though almost never at the same time. It’s no surprise that when Tubex contacted sound engineer John Wood, he was immediately willing to the mix the songs. Wood is famous for working with folk legends like Nick Drake and John Martyn. “I’m a big fan of their records,” says Tubex. “I read an interview with Wood in which he explains how he

mixes young musicians analogue and not digitally, to keep their work as authentic as possible. I contacted him without much expectation, but he reacted very enthusiastically.” There’s a good reason for the combination of Dutch and English texts in Songs for the Bookshelf. “My songs normally germinate from some incoherent English sentences that surge up spontaneously,” Tubex explains. “But when I embarked on this project, I started to write in Dutch. Afterwards I reworked some of the texts into the English lyrics on the album.”

More new albums this month Fence

Faces on TV

The Winding • FONS

Traveling Blind • Waste My Records

During their second life – the Limburg band reunited in 2010 after a four-year hiatus – Fence drift further away from the Beatles influences they’d been wearing on their sleeves for years. They still know how to come up with catchy tunes, but the grooves have become more important. Combine that with some psychedelic sounds, and it results in a slice of spacy funk. Fence stands for funk now? Right on!

“Sad but sexy” said Max Colombie of Oscar & The Wolf about the music of Jasper Maekelberg. At 27, Maekelberg is already one of Flanders’ most respected recording engineers and mixers. And now the Ghent native debuts with a five-track EP of his own. He combines his high-pitched voice with a symbiotic blend of rock and electronics. It’s menacing and inviting at the same time, brooding and inviting you to dance. Colombie was right.

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So he also printed the Dutch texts in the book, some of them related to songs, others not. Singing in Dutch wasn’t an option, but it might be, he says, in the future. “I find it easier to sing in English, though I’m not 100% sure why. Maybe lyrics in Dutch are too confrontational?” That said, he’s thinking about singing in Dutch for his next project. “I’m far from worried about my lyrics,” he says, “but they probably sound a tad more natural if they’re in Dutch.” His plans for the future aren’t very concrete yet, but Tubex certainly wants to make another album. And it won’t take as long, he promises. “I’ve come to like it. Probably I’ll try Dutch, and I hope the songs will be a bit more catchy.” Of course, the tunes on Songs for the Bookshelf have been maturing for years, which won’t be the case with the next bunch. “In the past, after writing a song, I often thought the well had run dry, that it would be my last one,” he says. “Or that the next songs would be less good. But after a while I would come up with some new ones, realising they were my best. I don’t think this will change in the future. You always think the last song you’ve written is the best you could ever write.” He doesn’t play live often, but he doesn’t decline offers. “Though I prefer writing songs to performing them live.” He performs solo or with his best friend, guitarist Michiel Van Damme, one of the musicians who contributed to the album. Tubex isn’t aiming to become a fulltime musician. His day job lends him complete freedom as an artist, he says. “There’s no commercial pressure at all. Of course, I want to reach as many people as possible, but the main ambition is to create the most beautiful songs I can.”

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june 8, 2016

Hair-raising opera

CONCERT

Sweeney Todd 14-30 June

ased on an urban legend, Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s macabre musical Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street took Broadway by storm in 1979. Sondheim announced at the time that the versatile piece was both opera and musical theatre, depending on where it was staged. Decades later, in 2007, filmmaker Tim Burton added Hollywood blockbuster to the list. His silverscreen adaptation starred Johnny Depp as the titular hairdresser. Now the production returns to the stage for a two-week stand at the Brussels Opera’s pop-up venue Muntpaleis (on the grounds of

Brussels

Muntpaleis, Brussels DEMUNT.BE

Tour & Taxis). Sondheim originally set the action in a grungy quarter of Victorian London. The current production, directed by the West Yorkshire Playhouse’s James Brining, brings Sweeney Todd into the 20th century – the 1970s to be exact. The Dickensian grime is replaced with a more familiar, disco-era decadence, but the essential plot remains the same. Ex-con-turned-barber Todd returns from prison to take his revenge on polite society while his pie-making accomplice, Mrs Lovett, disposes of the evidence in a most scrumptious manner. Their respective passions eventu-

ally devour both of them. The story has been interpreted as a cautionary tale of obsession and a parable of capitalism, one in which consumption is portrayed at its most grotesque and farcical. You don’t want to know how the

sausage is made. This revival, performed in English, is co-produced by the Welsh National Opera, the Manchester Royal Exchange and Brining’s West Yorkshire Playhouse. Leo Hussain and Bassem Akiki conduct the resident Munt Symphony Orchestra and Chorus through Sondheim classics like “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd”. American baritone Scott Hendricks stars in the title role with British mezzo soprano Carole Wilson as Mrs Lovett and American baritone Andrew Schroeder as Todd’s nemesis, Judge Turpin. (In English, with Dutch and French surtitles) \ Georgio Valentino

LITERATURE

Lieve Blancquaert: Ecce Homo

Felix Poetry Festival

M Museum, Leuven MLEUVEN.BE

Suffering is an elemental component of the human condition, but each society in each historical period suffers in its own way. Contemporary Flemish photographer and documentary filmmaker Lieve Blancquaert found inspiration in the baroque depictions of agony in the M Museum’s permanent collection. This exhibition juxtaposes her fly-on-the-wall photographs of contemporary suffering with centuries-old canvases painted by the Flemish masters, among others. Blancquaert searched for the face of 21st-century agony in hospitals, refugee camps and ghettoes. Her work both revitalises and relativises the surrounding historical pieces. \ GV

8-10 June

Across Antwerp ANTWERPENBOEKENSTAD.BE

Antwerp’s poetry festival is back and bigger than ever before. The eighth edition of the literary extravaganza takes place at three venues across the city. Opening night ceremonies unfold at the new headquarters of start-up laboratory Born in Antwerp. Then there’s a performance poetry blowout led by local slam poet Seckou at Het Bos. This event features loads of rappers and spoken-word artists from around the world. The festival climaxes with a night of international poetry at the waterfront Felix Pakhuis, where artists affiliated with the European poetry project Versopolis assemble for a veritable orgy of verbal eloquence.

Antwerp Alleen (Alone): Sara De Roo of theatre group STAN performs in this play about the position of women in a modern society governed by patriarchal norms, hierarchy, family and religion (in Dutch). 14-18 June 20.30, Monty, Montignystraat 3 \ monty.be

VISUAL ARTS Invisible Beauty: Work in various media by five artists from Iraq and the diaspora, illustrating themes including the relationship between art and survival, record-keeping and beauty, revealing ways of approaching art generated by a country that has suffered war, genocide and human rights violations. Until 4 September, SMAK, Jan Hoetplein 1

Leuven Diamond Barway: Photos by Flemish photographer Sander Buyck taken during his travels through an isolated region of India, showing the daily life and rituals of the Adivasi Christian communities that live there, trying to bridge tradition and modernity. Until 28 August, Kadoc-Kapel, Vlamingenstraat 39 \ kadoc.kuleuven.be

\ GV

EVENT

FILM

Nous Sommes Grecs

Flemish Blockbusters Since 2000

The ongoing Greek debt crisis has inspired countless gestures of solidarity by European citizens. The second edition of the multidisciplinary festival Nous Sommes Grecs (We Are Greek) celebrates Hellenic culture in all its forms. Dozens of artists, performers and speakers are invited to share their vision of a country with a rich history and a thriving contemporary arts scene in spite of (or perhaps galvanised by) the nation’s current challenges. Highlights include a screening of the documentary Next Stop: Utopia as well as performances by rebetiko ensemble Kosmokrators and contemporary modal musicians Ross Daly and Kelly Thoma (pictured). \ GV

PERFORMANCE

\ smak.be

FESTIVAL 9-12 June

\ abconcerts.be

Ghent

VISUAL ARTS 10 June to 17 January

Gelukkig zijn sessie: Singalong inviting Dutch-language learners to sing to Dutch and Flemish classics, followed by an after-party with DJ. Free with reservation. 15 June 20.00, Ancienne Belgique, Anspachlaan 110

Senghor, Brussels NOUSSOMMESGRECS.COM

Until 31 August Thanks to the founding of a promotions agency and an advantageous tax shelter for investing in local productions, Flanders’ film industry took off about 15 years ago, and hasn’t looked back. Cinematek offers the chance to see the most successful movies produced during the period, including the Oscar-nominated films The Broken Circle Break-

Ghent Cinematek, Brussels cinematek.be

down by Felix Van Groeningen, a study of how a loving couple handle overpowering grief, and the gritty Rundskop (Bullhead) by Michaël R Roskam. The latter’s story of a Limburg farmer whose cows aren’t the only ones getting injections of growth hormones shot Matthias Schoenaerts (pictured) into international stardom. \ Lisa Bradshaw

Melle Plage: Urban beach with lounge bar, kids zone, cava and oyster bar, petanque, food trucks, music and Euro 2016 matches on a big screen. 10 June to 28 August, Melle Vogelhoek, Merelbekestraat 99 \ facebook.com/melleplage

FAMILY Wetteren Ola!Peloezza: Free festival for families with kids aged four to 12, with entertainment and activities including a soapbox race, building with hay, learning the djembe and blowing bubbles. 11 June 14.00, De Warande, Warandelaan 14 \ ccnovawetteren.be

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\ BACKPAGE

june 8, 2016

Talking Dutch

VoiceS of flanders today

Take the colander off your head please, sir

In response to: Training shortfall for teachers of pupils with special needs, says MP Susanne De Witte: I do recognize that some students need a special needs school, but that school should allow for their full potential to be reached.

Derek Blyth More articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu

e’ve all been there. You dutifully go along to the town hall with your two passport photos, only to be told that your head is too small or your ears aren’t visible. But it’s not often that a passport photo gets rejected because the applicant is wearing a colander on his head. It happened recently to Bert Goossens from Ghent (pictured). Een aanhanger van de kerk van het vliegend spaghettimonster – A member of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster probeert een foto met een vergiet op zijn hoofd op zijn identiteitskaart te krijgen – tried to get a photo put on his identity card showing him with a colander on his head, read a recent article in Het Nieuwsblad. The official behind the counter was having none of it. Neen meneer, met een vergiet op het hoofd mag je niet op een pasfoto. – No sir, you’re not allowed to wear a colander on your head in a passport photo, she said firmly. You can sort of sympathise. Voor haar een man in volledig piratenkostuum – The man standing in front of her was wearing a full pirate costume. Not to mention the cooking utensil. But Goossens refused to back down. Dit is geen grap – This is not a joke, he said. Ik ben een Pastafarian – I am a Pastafarian. Pastafarians zijn aanhangers van de kerk van het vliegend spaghettimonster – Pastafarians belong to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Een beweging die als mix van ironie en ernst ontstond in de VS – an organisation that emerged in the United States based on a mix of irony and gravity. Het is een aanklacht tegen de invloed van godsdienst – It’s a protest at the influence of religion, explains

In response to: American craft beers return to the land of their forebears Frederik Luppens: If the product is good and special, as a Belgian, I think many people will be open for it. After all, a good beer is always worth a try, no?

Goossens. Aanhangers dragen een pastavergiet op hun hoofd en kleden zich als piraat – Followers wear a pasta strainer on their heads and dress as pirates. Omdat ze geloven dat we afstammen van piraten – Because they believe we are descended from pirates. Waarom niet? – Why not? Wat wij geloven is niet gekker dan wat anderen geloven – What we believe is no more insane than what others believe. De kerk is in de wereld aan een opmars bezig – The church is on the rise all over the world, it appears, but Belgium is dragging its heels. In Gent werd de pasfoto met vergiet geweigerd – the passport photo with the colander was rejected in Ghent. Terecht – The right decision, according to the interior ministry. Het gaat niet om een echte religie – It’s not about a genuine religion, maar om een parodie op het geloof – but about a parody of faith. You can wear a headscarf or a turban because they are based on religious principles that everyone accepts, argued a Ghent alderman. But the colander has to go.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

In response to: Rail strike called off by Flemish unions Danielle Robertson: A wildcat strike should be over something massive, like a human rights or a violation by an employer. I fully respect the role of a well-meaning union, but really...

In response to: Four in 10 Belgians don’t understand what their GP says Nkolika Peace Okoye: I do.

Sean Mackinnon @smackinn Not sure how to explain that race... All I can say is wow! Crazy experience at u23 Flanders today.

Joe Money @JoeMbongo Thinking about moving to Ghent next year…

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the last word Community spirit

Extreme measures

“We had a choice: Either leave the cemetery untidy or bring in some volunteers.”

“This time I’m not bringing a tent. I have a kind of rain cover I pull over my sleeping bag. And I’ll be leaving the gas stove at home. Too heavy.”

Zedelgem mayor Patrick Arnou disagrees with the Flemish Support Centre for Volunteer Work that volunteers are being exploited by municipalities that use them instead of paid labour

Bob’s your uncle “We have to make it perfectly clear that it’s no longer acceptable to get behind the wheel if you’ve had a couple of drinks at a summer party, a festival or a football match.” © Eric Lalmand/Belga

Heavy weather The scene in Bilzen, near Hasselt, where days of heavy rainfall last week caused floods and made getting around a struggle

Stef Willems of the Institute for Road Safety on the coming three-month campaign of increased drink-driving checks

Stefan Maertens, a lorry driver from Oostduinkerke, is tackling the gruelling 4,418km Tour Divide cycle race from Banff in Canada to the Mexican border for the second time

Live long and prosper “Eternal life doesn’t exist, unfortunately. But man is an animal, and every animal has its lifespan. For a giant turtle, that’s 300 years. For a human, 120 to 130 years.” Geriatric physician Lucien De Cock, 68, has written a book on how to live to 100, or more

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