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AUGUST 17, 2016 \ newsweekly - € 0,75 \ read more at www.flanderstoday.eu current affairs \ p2

politics \ p4

Medal medley

Belgian athletes have won a medal of every sort at the Rio Olympics, some expected and others more of a surprise – and more are not ruled out \2

BUSiNESS \ p6

innovation \ p7

Hot heads

education \ p9

art & living \ p10

Mad money

A farm and bakery in the village of Eeklo keeps the legend of East Flanders’ “head baker” alive, though in its own jovial way

An exhibition in Ghent showcases work that illustrates the market economy’s early days, and one collector says history is about to repeat itself

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Making matches

Antwerp Zoo holds the key to much of the world’s preservation of endangered species Bartosz Brzezinski More articles by Bartosz \ flanderstoday.eu

Behind the scenes at Antwerp Zoo is a fascinating world of laboratories, genetic records and animal poo, as scientists and care managers work to protect some of the world’s most endangered species.

he okapi waits patiently as its caretaker steps out of the enclosure to get some more breakfast snacks. Noticing a freshly cut branch, the animal sticks out its long, flexible tongue and tries to sneak a mouthful of leaves. At first glance, the slender okapi looks nothing like its closest living relative, the giraffe. It’s no larger than a horse, and

its neck and legs are normal length. Look closely, and you might take it for a hybrid, its striped legs borrowed from a zebra, its caramel-coloured torso that of an antelope. While the enclosures at Antwerp Zoo are being enlarged and renovated, the park is home to three okapis, down from the usual five to 10. There are an estimated 10,000 to 35,000 of them left in the wild. While that may seem like a high number, all of them live in the equatorial forests of the Congo, a country ravaged by years of internal conflict and environmental degradation. “Today we are at the forefront of the fight to preserve this stunning animal,” says Ilse Segers, the zoo’s spokesperson.

“The okapi is an essential part of our zoo’s history. We were the first in the world to have one on display.” The zoo’s first okapi, Buta, arrived in 1919, after a sea voyage of several weeks. The nine-month-old proved to be an instant sensation with the crowds; most people have never seen or heard of the animal. Within a month, however, the calf grew much weaker and eventually died. “Back then nobody was thinking about conservation,” explains Sander Hofman, the park’s animal care manager. “When a zoo wanted to add a new species to its collection, it would capture the animal in the wild, bring it to Europe and display it in a cage. And when the animal died, the park continued on page 5

\ CURRENT AFFAIRS

Silver and bronze for Belgium Swimmer breaks record as Flemish athletes earn two more Olympic medals

lemish swimmer Pieter Timmers won the silver medal in the 100m freestyle last week at the Rio Olympics, with a time of 47.80, breaking his Belgian record. He is the first Belgian to win an Olympic medal in swimming since 1996. It was a remarkable performance from Timmers, 28, who failed to make the finals in the event in 2012. Belgium has had few Olympic swimmers who have competed in the 100m freestyle – an historically favoured event in swimming competition – though Flemish swimmer Fred Deburghgraeve won gold in 1996. Timmers is a seven-time Belgian champion and holder of several records in long and short course freestyle, but his performance still surprised him. “I knew that I had a bit of a chance to medal, and today everything came together,” he told Sporza after the race. “But I couldn’t quite believe it when I saw that ‘2’ next to my name.” Earlier in the week, Dirk Van Tichelt secured a bronze medal in lightweight judo. Van Tichelt is the 2008 European champion and a former world number one. The 32-year-old of Tessenderlo promised to get back on the mat after a rest. “I’m carrying on with my career. I don’t

know if I’ll be in Tokyo in 2020, but I’m still having a lot of fun.” Judo is the sport that Belgium has performed most consistently in at recent Olympics. Charlene Van Snick won a bronze in London in 2012, and there were medals in every Olympic Games since 1988. As Flanders Today went to press, Belgium had earned three medals, the first won by Greg Van Avermaet in the road race, who brought home gold. In other Olympic news, Belgium clinched a place in the men’s field hockey quarter-finals after a Tanguy Cosyns goal secured a 1-0 victory over world champions Australia. Among the favourites to medal, they were due to play at the weekend, after Flanders Today went to press. Flemish tennis player Kirsten Flipkens, meanwhile, ended her Rio adventure with a 6-4, 6-3 loss to Germany’s Laura Siegemund in the third round. Flipkens and Yanina Wickmayer were also knocked out of the doubles, losing their second-round tie against Spain’s Garbine Muguruza and Carla Suarez Navarro 7-5, 2-6, 6-2. \ Lisa Bradshaw and Leo Cendrowicz

Pieter Timmers could hardly believe his eyes when he saw the results of the 100m freestyle

Medical questions from insurance companies breach privacy laws, says Test-Aankoop

‘I am Flemish’ campaign launched to fight racism in wake of Facebook controversy

Insurance companies are often in breach of privacy laws when they compile lists of questions to ask clients, according to TestAankoop. The consumer protection organisation analysed lists of questions from by 12 insurers. Medical questions are routine when someone applies for mortgage insurance, for instance. They allow the company to evaluate risk. But, according to the law, the questions asked must be relevant and limited in scope. The actual lists are often, according to Test-Aankoop’s director Simon November, “completely exaggerated”. Of the 12 companies analysed, only three were working within the legal restrictions. The others were presenting customers with questions such as “Do you suffer from anxiety?” or “Have you ever had a cold?” “These are vague and excessive questions with no relevance to a condition that could increase the risk of dying,” November said. The organisation has given the nine companies concerned three weeks to put

Flanders’ Minorities Forum has launched a campaign to tackle racism, following racist reactions on a Facebook group’s post concerning the death of a teenager from Genk with Moroccan roots. The campaign features photos of Flemish people of immigrant background with the text Ik ben Vlaming. Mag ik ook fier zijn? or “I am Flemish. Am I allowed to be proud of that?” The campaign, the forum said, aims to examine the question of Flemish identity. Earlier in the month, the prosecutor’s office in Antwerp said that the owners of the Facebook page, which has since been taken down, would be appearing in court later this month, following a legal complaint. The so-called Flemish Defence League posted the article about 15-year-old Ramzi Mohammed Kaddouri of Genk, who died in a quad accident while on holiday in Morocco. “The reactions to the death of the young man show that there’s still a lot to be done before we arrive at a shared citizenship,”

their systems in order. “If they fail or refuse to reply, Test-Aankoop will examine possible legal action,” November said. \ AH

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times a day technicians are called out to repair one of the 579 escalators on the Brussels metro network, with an average age of 32 years. The oldest, from 1969, are at Park metro on lines 1 and 5

said Wouter Van Bellingen, director of the Minorities Forum. “There are various interpretations of the word ‘Flemish’. When do you become Flemish? How long do you have to live here? What colour of skin do you have to have? How many generations does it take?” Before taking up his present position, Van Bellingen, born to Rwandan parents and adopted by a Flemish couple, had been the first municipal councillor with African roots. Following his appointment to civic affairs in Sint-Niklaas in 2007, however, three couples refused to allow him to perform their civil marriage ceremony, leading to a media storm and major public debate. Later, Van Bellingen carried out a mass wedding for 600 couples on International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The campaign is particularly aimed at social media. Members of the public can add a badge to their own profile photos on Facebook and Twitter. \ AH

candidates for the examination to be granted a hunting licence in Flanders by the Nature and Woodland agency, the highest number since the exam was introduced in 1995

of companies in Flanders would be prepared to give their employees more time off rather than pay them more, according to Voka, as a response to growing demand for a better work-life balance

€509,800

cases of identity theft reported in the six Brussels police zones in 2015. Most cases concern the use of false identity documents discovered during routine checks, such as on public transport

average cost of an apartment in Knokke, the most expensive of the coastal municipalities. A sea-view will cost 50% more. The cheapest coast town for apartments is Blankenberge at €181,180

AUGUST 17, 2016

WEEK in brief Police are handing out fines to mobile phone users who present a danger to themselves or others on public thoroughfares. Specifically, the police are concerned about players of Pokémon Go. The €55 fines are based on Article 7.2 of the highway code, which forbids users of public thoroughfares from causing a nuisance or a danger to others. Anyone so busy with a smartphone as to present a hindrance is in breach of that article, police said. One in five people in Belgium who gets a tattoo regrets the decision later, according to the federal public health ministry. Some 500,000 tattoos are inked in the country each year. Together with the High Council for Health, the ministry has launched a campaign to encourage people to think carefully before being tattooed, which, it says, can have medical as well as aesthetic consequences. \ tinyurl.com/tattoocampaign

Brussels Airport launched its medical disaster plan last week after authorities received threats of bombs on board two incoming planes. Both SAS airlines flights – one from Oslo and one from Stockholm – landed safely at Zaventem. No bomb was found on either plane. A report mentioned an Air Arabia Maroc flight to Brussels, but it was diverted to Toulouse because of a sick passenger on board, not because of a bomb threat. Customs officers in Antwerp discovered a shipment of 1,500 packages of cocaine last week, weighing more than 1,730 kilograms, hidden in a cargo of bananas from Colombia. Port authorities also discovered drugs weighing 1.3 tonnes in June and 604kg in July. A four-year-old child from Leopoldsburg, Limburg , has died after swallowing polluted water in the Mediterranean sea off the coast of Turkey. The water transmitted a rare infection. The child was

face of flanders prescribed two kinds of antibiotic and flown home when the condition stabilised. She was admitted to the Gasthuisberg Hospital in Leuven, where she got worse and went into a coma. She was later declared brain-dead. The new TV series Generatie B, due to be broadcast on Canvas later this month, is looking for volunteers of all ages to play extras. Filming will take place in Brussels from 16 August to 30 September. The script was written by comedian and author Joost Vandecasteele and features Jeroen Perceval (D’Ardennen), Eva Binon (Loslopend wild) and Jeroen Van der Ven (Image). \ tinyurl.com/generatieb

Federal mobility minister François Bellot has announced changes to the law making it possible for roadside speed cameras to be used to catch lorries overtaking other vehicles in rainy conditions. The changes follow a proposal from the Flemish roads and traffic agency to allow the use of 13 smart cameras to enforce the ban, which results in about 500 fines a year. The Flemish government’s animal welfare department received 3,551 reports of mistreatment in 2015 – almost 10 a day, and 85% more than the year before. Most complaints concerned animals that did not receive enough food or water, or sufficient access to shelter, a spokesperson said. Other cases included meatballs containing shards of glass left in a popular dog-walking area, a dog left behind in Maasmechelen when the owners moved house and a kitten caught in a trap intended for rats. The medical clinic in Brussels’ Central Station closed at the end of June for reasons unknown, Bruzz reports. Operators Quality Medical told the newspaper that an official announcement on the future of the practice would be made in

September. The clinic opened in June last year to provide consultations to commuters unable to find the time for an appointment with family doctors. The Human Rights League has criticised plans by the federal police in Antwerp to equip civilian personnel with pepper spray following the attack on a police station in Charleroi. Pepper spray is banned in Belgium for use by anyone but police. The measure, according to the league’s chair, Jos Vander Velpen, has nothing to do with fighting terrorism but only to counter feelings of insecurity. However, he said, arming civilians was more likely to have the opposite effect. The operators of fairground attractions at the Zuidfoor in Brussels have asked the city for a discount on the rental of their sites, following disappointing visitor numbers. Among the problems were terrorist attacks in Brussels and Nice and unseasonably bad weather. After a good start in July, numbers dropped by 50% on National Day and were down by more than 20% on other days, The annual fair runs until 21 August. A woman sentenced to 15 years in prison for membership of the terrorist group IS has been released after only four months because of a procedural error. Fatima Aberkan has been banned from living in Molenbeek and plans to settle in Vorst with one of her sons. She is awaiting an appeal before the Cassation Court in October, while reporting once a week to a local police station. Alternative taxi service Uber is working with the volunteer group Responsible Young Drivers to make locals in Brussels more aware of ecologically friendly driving. Uber has already trained its own drivers and will make its app available for promotional messages.

Rami Amis Rami Anis came in sixth in his 100m freestyle heat, but won some of the most heartfelt applause in the Rio Olympics. Anis is a 25-year-old refugee from Aleppo in Syria, who has been based in Eeklo, East Flanders, since fleeing the war and destruction in his home country in 2011. As part of the first ever Refugee Team currently competing in Rio, he carried the Olympic flag for his squad at the opening ceremony. “When I was a child,

I want to tell them not to give up, to keep going I would dream about taking part in the Olympics and about competing under my country’s flag,” he said. “It’s a wonderful feeling. I don’t want to wake up

from this dream.” His incredible story includes a ride on an inflatable dinghy from Turkey to the Greek island of Samos with 40 others when the motor broke. When he finally settled in Eeklo, he began training nine times a week at the Royal Ghent Swimming Club under the watchful eye of former Olympic swimmer Carine Verbauwen. He was granted asylum last year. Anis is one of 10 athletes in the Refugee Olympic Team, who hail from Syria, South Sudan, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, some of the most troubled parts of the world. He finished 56th out of 59 swimmers in the freestyle heats, but recorded a personal best of 54.25 seconds. He also swam in the butterfly heats, coming in 40th out of 43. But he was given a standing ovation by the crowd at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium. “I want to send the best possible image of refugees, of Syrians, of everyone who suffers injustice in the world,” he said. “I want to tell them not to give up, to keep going.” \ Leo Cendrowicz

\ ryd.be

OFFSIDE Fighting fit Flemish judo star Dirk Van Tichelt was heading home on Saturday with a brand-new bronze medal, and a brand-new black eye. The medal he obtained in the line of duty, taking part in the Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. The black eye has more of a story behind it. At first Van Tichelt said it had happened during one of his contests. Later he revealed the truth. When a young woman – met in a club – stole sparring partner Matthias Casse’s iPhone and ducked into a hotel, Casse tried to follow but was prevented by security staff. Tempers flared, voices were raised, and Van

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

Tichelt was punched by one of the bouncers. The incident did not phase the Belgian Olympic Committee. “There is no reason to send him home,” said delegation leader Eddy De Smedt. “It’s clear that he’s the victim. He did nothing

wrong.” Van Tichelt’s partner here at home, four months pregnant and prevented from going to Brazil out of fear of the zika virus, responded in kind, saying: “If he still has a black eye when he comes home, I’ll take care of him.” For a judoka, it’s all in a day’s work. “As my sparring partner is someone I throw through the air all year long, I’m happy that the roles were reversed for once, and I was able to come to his aid. At the hospital, they wanted to take some X-rays, but that wasn’t necessary. We’re judokas; we’re used to getting hit.” \ Alan Hope

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

Editor Lisa Bradshaw DEPUTY Editor Sally Tipper CONTRIBUTING Editor Alan Hope sub Editor Bartosz Brzezi´nski Agenda Robyn Boyle, Georgio Valentino Art director Paul Van Dooren Prepress Mediahuis AdPro Contributors Rebecca Benoot, Derek Blyth, Leo Cendrowicz, Paula Dear, 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

\ CURRENT AFFAIRS AND POLITICS

Funds for hamster preservation

Government earmarks €623,500 to save Flanders’ dwindling wild hamster population Alan Hope Follow Alan on Twitter \ @AlanHopeFT

lemish environment minister Joke Schauvliege has approved spending of €623,500 for a campaign to restore populations of the wild hamster in Flanders. The animal, also known as the European or black-bellied hamster (Cricetus cricetus), has gone from being a common pest to being virtually extinct now. The main part of the project concerns releasing hamsters bred in captivity into the wild, having improved the living conditions for hamsters in co-operation with farmers. The hamster was once a rapacious destroyer of crops, but these days the only remaining colony, numbering about 30, is in the Tongeren area of Limburg. “The hamsters are brown, white and black

and a cousin of the tame hamster kept as a pet,” explained Jos Ramaekers of nature conservancy organisation Natuurpunt. “During the day it lives underground in a burrow, coming out at night to eat seeds and weeds.” Modern farming techniques, however, no longer leave behind a sustainable supply of food on the edges of fields. “We will come to an agreement with farmers,” promised Schauvliege. The plan allows for them to let crops stand at the edges of fields to provide food and shelter for the hamster, in return for compensation. The minister has set a target for the growth of the population of hamsters: 500 burrows over the next five years. © Katanski/Wikimedia

Gas industry calls for clarity on cost of equipment inspections

Flemish civil servants rush to sign up for career pause before rules change More than 9,000 Flemish government officials applied for a loopbaanonderbreking, or career pause, last month, following more than 11,000 applications in June, according to the federal office for employment (RVA). The regulations governing the sabbaticals change at the end of this month, scrapping paid time off for all but limited reasons. Loopbaanonderbreking – know in the private sector as tijdskrediet, or time credit – allows employees to take long-term partially paid time off for any reason. The responsibility for career pauses for civil servants was transferred to the regions in 2014. In March of this year employment minister Philippe Muyters introduced new rules that limit paid career breaks to cases of training

or education or care of a family member, including parental leave. Breaks for other reasons can be allowed, but do not qualify for payment. The new rules come into force on 1 September. The government expects a large number of applications will still come in before that date. The same reforms took place for time credit in the private sector last year, leading to a drop in the number of applications. The number of private sector employees in Belgium currently taking a time credit, which can be used to take a break from work entirely or to work part time for a period, is 130,000, the lowest number since 2009. \ AH

Antwerp and Ghent mayors lead earnings table Antwerp mayor Bart De Wever is the highest-paid mayor in the country, according to the website Cumuleo.be. De Wever (N-VA) earns €130,000 a year gross, sharing first place with Daniël Termont (SP.A) of Ghent. Cumuleo is the work of architect and open-government advocate Christophe Van Gheluwe, and lists the posts – paid and unpaid – of all elected politicians in the country, as well as some senior civil servants. De Wever’s entry for 2014, the latest year for which figures are available, shows other paid posts: member of the federal and Flemish parliaments, director of the Port of Antwerp Authority and president of N-VA. It is not known, however, if he accepts those salaries. In addition, he also holds 13 unpaid positions, including director of the Zomer van Antwerpen festival. Termont, meanwhile, holds six paid posts in addition to being mayor, including vice-president of the port authority, president of Fluxys and Publigas and director and board member of water utility Farys. His unpaid posts bring the total to 16. Information on mayoral salaries is new to the list, and costs €1 for each enquiry to pay for upkeep of the site. The newspaper La Libre paid up and revealed the top eight. After De Wever and Termont are Yvan Mayeur of Brussels-City at €129,400, Willy Demeyer of Liège at €129,400, Christoph D’Haese of Aalst at €120,600, Bart Somers of Mechelen at €120,600, Louis Tobback of Leuven at €120,600 and Renaat Landuyt of Bruges at €120,600. \ AH

The regional governments are in disagreement over who is responsible for paying for inspections on gas installations in 1.6 million homes after the Netherlands shuts down supplies to Belgium in 2030. About one-third of homes in Belgium are supplied with Dutch gas – one million in Flanders, 500,000 in Brussels and 100,000 in Wallonia. The Dutch supply what is called L-gas, which has a higher concentration of nitrogen than gas from Belgian suppliers, known as H-gas. Dutch supplies will be reduced starting in 2024 and come to an end in 2030, by which time customers for L-gas will have to switch to H-gas. This entails inspecting each installation and lowering the gas pressure if necessary. Appliances should need no adjustment as they have been sold as compatible with both types of gas since 1978. The plan, according to Synergrid, the federation of gas network operators, is to begin work on inspections in 2018. After

the last elections, it was agreed that a national fund would be set up to cover the costs, which could run as high as €700 million. But complaints are coming from the Walloon region about the share of the bill to be paid by each region. Wallonia has one-tenth of the number of L-gas users that Flanders has. Federal energy minister Marie Christine Marghem has now ordered two studies to determine how to split the costs. \ AH

Police unions call off strike following talks Police unions have called off planned industrial action following talks with federal home affairs minister Jan Jambon last week. The unions have been calling for additional security measures following a machete attack in Charleroi earlier this month. Jambon agreed that security measures for police should be organised at national rather than local level. He also agreed to take a decision nationally when service weapons could be carried in off-duty time, including days off. A law to allow weapons to be issued to assistant constables is currently before the Council of State for advice. In related news, Four police officers in the Matongé neighbourhood of Elsene in Brussels were injured in an attack by a group of youths, the Brussels prosecutor’s office has announced. The 19-year-old at the source of the attack is in custody. The youth was approached by the police during a routine drugs check. The man refused to show his identity card, spat at police and called on help from friends.

Others joined in, throwing terrace furniture, causing damage to the police car and injuries to the officers. The original youth, who was known to the police for assault and drugs crimes, was arrested and held. Four police have been declared unfit for work for four to 22 days. \ AH

\ COVER STORY

AUGUST 17, 2016

Making matches

Antwerp Zoo keeps precise records of animals’ global family trees zooantwerpen.be

continued from page 1

would just get a new one.” This all changed in the 1970s and ‘80s, he continues, with the emerging consensus that African wildlife couldn’t cope with the increased human pressure. “Instead of competing for the most unique assortment of animals,” says Hofman (pictured on cover), “European zoos decided to co-operate in creating a stable back-up population for the most threatened species.” Today, Antwerp Zoo no longer exports animals out of Africa. Instead, it breeds the ones it has with animals from other European zoos. “We know we need to work together to allow these species to thrive,” Hofman says. The pairing of two captive okapis anywhere outside of Africa begins with Hofman, who is responsible for maintaining an international record that contains genetic information on every okapi that’s ever lived in a zoo, starting with Buta. The programme was established in the 1950s to prevent inbreeding and maximise genetic diversity. Since the 1970s, Antwerp Zoo has been in charge of the initiative. The park also maintains records for the Eurasian black vulture, the bonobo and the golden-headed lion tamarin, among others. The books look inconspicuous – essentially spread sheets bound in a plastic cover – but they play a crucial role in the protection of the okapi. “I know of every single okapi outside of Africa,” says Hofman. Although he feels attached to the okapi, he doesn’t let it stop him from seeing the bigger picture. “If another park asks me to send the animals to them, I will do so, even if they’re as symbolic to us as the okapi,” he says. “We’re doing it for the benefit of the species, not our own.” To ensure that the animals remain “as okapi as possible”, Hofman consults with Philippe Helsen, the zoo’s geneticist, who tells him if a given male and female are the most optimal mates. “The idea is to keep the DNA of all the earlier generations surviving throughout the next,” says Hofman. Because Helsen studies the genetic makeup in a lab, he often doesn’t actually see the animals. This, Hofman says, can lead to some awkward situations. Once a male turned out to be considerably shorter than the female, so Hofman and his team had to construct a tiny hill from which the okapi could mount his mate.

Hidden in a corner, under a hill: Geneticist Philippe Helsen finds it a shame that his lab isn’t more visible to zoo visitors

country and the habits of the okapi itself. “It’s an incredibly shy animal,” Hofman says. “There is no footage of the okapi in the Congo, and even the rangers who work in the field only get to see it on rare occasions.” In the ideal world, he continues, zoos

The gap between humans and wildlife is getting bigger and bigger “This goes to show how difficult it is to combine theory with reality,” notes Hofman. In Africa, Antwerp Zoo has partnered up with local organisations on a variety of conservation projects. The zoos that keep the okapi provide about 25-35% of the running costs of protecting the last remaining areas where the animal still lives in the Congo. But the species is designated as threatened, and conservation efforts have had little effect, due to the violent situation in the

wouldn’t be necessary. “But we don’t live in an ideal world. The gap between humans and wildlife is getting bigger and bigger. Most of the public doesn’t even know what an okapi is, so how can we convince them that this is an animal worth protecting?” In addition to creating a stable back-up population that could one day be returned to the wild, Hofman and his team are trying to build awareness around the animal. “This brings us to the fundamental question,” he says. “Why do we have animals in zoos in

the first place? My answer is that we need to strengthen the connection between people and nature. If it weren’t for zoos, the okapi would probably be gone by now.” No one knows how many okapis remain in the wild. Instead of attempting to count the elusive creatures, the Congolese rangers, some of whom are employed by Antwerp Zoo, collect their droppings and send them to Europe for analysis. In the lab, Helsen sifts through the samples and studies the genetic makeup, including insect and plant remains. “It’s fun,” he says. “You start with poo, which seems like nothing, and suddenly you have answers to all your research questions.” Not all samples come from abroad. “We collect DNA from the droppings of our own animals to determine their sex and exact species,” Helsen says. “If the method proves effective, we ask rangers to send us more samples of droppings, so we can figure out how many individuals are left in the wild, where they live and how they move from place to place. This is less obtrusive than trying to collect DNA from actual animals.” Helsen’s lab is hidden under an artificial mountain in a remote corner of the zoo.

Visitors don’t have access, which the geneticist says is a shame; he’d like more people to learn about the zoo’s scientific work. “Zoos are a means of forging a link between animals and humans,” he says. “Once you make that connection, you begin to realise how important it is to preserve these species.” Zoo animals, he continues, play a vital role in conservation efforts. “Thanks to captive populations, we know how many offspring certain species have and how long they live. We need this information to assess whether their wildlife population is threatened or viable.” In addition to sponsoring okapi conservation efforts, Antwerp Zoo also funds the construction of safe corridors for Asian elephants in India and leads a research project into endangered apes in Cameroon. It also manages De Zegge nature reserve in Antwerp province, home to the only population of grass snakes in Flanders. Helsen can spend all day talking about these efforts, but his true passion is birds. “I’ve been in love with them since I was six years old,” he says. “My uncles were birdwatchers. They would conduct counts every month to see whether some birds were doing better or worse than the previous year.” Peering through the microscope for hours at a time, he no longer gets to observe animals in the wild, but the love for birds extends into his work. As we leave the lab and head to a nearby enclosure, he starts talking about a project that’s proven to be one of Antwerp Zoo’s most successful. Perched on a dead tree, the bird couple observe their surroundings with stoic patience. The male stretches his wings, which reach upwards of three metres across. The Eurasian black vulture makes for a formidable creature. The birds used to be a common in Europe, spreading from Spain to Turkey, and even as far as China. “Then a century ago, the central part of their distribution simply disappeared,” Helsen says. “France, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania – all gone. We suspect it had to do with poaching and land given over to agriculture.” A few years ago, a group of bird enthusiasts in France became determined to bring the vultures back. “Why? Because it’s not natural that they disappeared,” Helsen says. “The population crash was caused by human interference.” Antwerp Zoo has experience in breeding vultures, so it offered to help. As a geneticist, Helsen took it upon himself to ensure the purest genetic makeup. “I would say ‘put that male and that female together, and you will preserve the most genes’. But that didn’t work; the birds did not want to mate.” Vultures, it turns out, are picky when it comes to choosing a partner. So the Antwerp Zoo created a dating site at the Planckendael animal park in Mechelen. “We bring young vultures from across Europe there to choose their own mates,” Helsen explains. “When couples form, they are sent back to the zoo, and their offspring are released into the wild. We’re sort of like matchmakers.” Thanks to the birds provided by Antwerp Zoo, local organisations have released more than 100 vultures in France. They now look to repeat the same success in Bulgaria.

\ BUSINESS

week in business Brewing Stella Artois AB InBev plans to use its goblet-style glass instead of the familiar ribbed pintje glass for Stella Artois in Belgium. The glass with a stem and foot is already used outside of Belgium, where the beer is positioned as a premium lager. The old glasses will remain in use in Belgium but will no longer be replaced.

Biomass Graanul Invest The Estonian company that bought the biomass plant in Limburg from German Pellets plans to invest €350 million in the generator over the next two years. The plant is also due to receive €240 million a year from the government of Flanders for 10 years as long as it is operational by August 2018. If not, the subsidies lapse.

Co-op Bees Co-op The Schaarbeek food co-operative Bees Co-op plans to open a healthy and affordable food shop in six months. A temporary shop, open to those who volunteer, is already open, next door to the former bakery in Van Hovestraat.

Hotels Belvue The hotel installed in the old Belvue brewery on the canal in Brussels reached its first anniversary with an occupancy of only 55%. The main reason, the operator said, was the March terror attacks and the damaged reputation of Molenbeek, where it is located. The hotel is owned by the municipality and has 29 rooms.

Colruyt is market leader in waste sorting and recycling Supermarket chain Colruyt reuses or recycles 82% of its waste Andy Furniere More articles by Andy \ flanderstoday.eu

upermarket chain Colruyt has managed to increase the percentage of company waste that is recycles to 82% – with an increase of 2% in the first half of this year. It’s a record for the Halle-based company, which has already exceeded its goal to reach 80% by 2017. A major contributor to the result is an improved sorting policy for staff. The supermarket has improved the way it sorts both fermentable and bread waste, resulting in 700 tons of such waste being used rather than thrown out every year. Fermentable foods can be used to create green energy.

This year, 14 Colruyt supermarkets in Belgium have also started selling unsold edible food

Antwerp opens up Singapore market to five start-ups

One in 10 working women faces long-term illness

The City of Antwerp is accepting applications from start-up companies that would like to try their luck in Singapore for three years, starting in 2017. Entrants have until 30 September to apply; the winning five will be announced in October. Nature Architecture (B-DNA), a group of architects, engineers and city planners, will provide the five winners with office and co-working space in Singapore for 20 days a year, during which they will also receive backup and support for communications, business intelligence, market research and back-office support for events. The Singapore base will provide everything needed to launch into the south-east Asian marketplace, B-DNA promises. The project is aimed principally at start-ups active in sustainable design, innovative materials, energy efficiency, clean technology and digital enterprise in the fields of e-health, logistics, mobility and the Internet of Things. \ AH

In 2015, some 10% of working women and 7% of working men were absent from work because of a long-term illness, often psychological. The statistics were provided by medical insurance agency Riziv to De Standaard. There were 370,408 long-term sick people, including staff and selfemployed, in Belgium last year – an increase of 22% in five years’ time. The majority were women, with 204,246 (55%) compared to 166,162 men (45%). The major problems were burn-out, depression and back pain. The statistics have changed over the years, with more male workers absent until 2008, when women began to become the majority. Riziv points to a few reasons for the change, such as more women in the workforce than ever before and the raising the retirement age for women in 1997 – from 60 to 65. But social factors also play a major role, according to University of Leuven professor of occupational medicine Lode Godderis. “It’s mostly women who experience pressure to combine

Parcels Bpost The national postal service announced an 18.3% increase in the number of packages carried in the second quarter, compared to the same period last year. Any gains were, however, wiped out by a 3.8% reduction in letter post and a cut in the government subsidy received for newspaper delivery.

Rail NMBS The national rail authority has updated its departure screens in stations, following feedback from passengers on tests carried out in June. Information screens will provide more accurate and detailed information on incoming trains.

products to local food banks. Each supermarket provides some three tons of food per month. “That means that less food surpluses are going back to our distribution centres,” said Francoise Decoster of Colruyt’s environmental department. “Fermentation is useful because it generates green energy, but it’s even better to use our food surpluses for human consumption.” The percentage of residual waste has also decreased thanks to new sorting installations in the return centres. The waste is sorted and certain materials such as metal, cardboard and wood removed for recycling.

Wheat harvest worst in 50 years, says Boerenbond Flemish farmers are busy bringing in the wheat harvest, which is expected to be the worst in 50 years, according to Georges Van Keerbergen of the farmers’ union Boerenbond. The total harvest nationwide is expected to be 30-50% less than last year’s, as a result of wet weather in the spring. “I have never seen such bad results in 50 years of farming,” Van Keerbergen told De Standaard. The wet weather earlier in the year prevented the ears of wheat from forming properly. Better weather later on does not make up for that damage, he explained. As a consequence, not only is there less wheat to be brought in, it is

also of lower quality. The earlier barley harvest, also affected by the weather, heralded the problem with the much larger wheat crop. Barley is important for Belgium’s beer industry, but not all of the barley used to make beer is grown here. Belgium’s role in the global wheat market is limited, so the reduced harvest will not be compensated by any increase in prices. Nor is the problem limited to Belgium: Agricultural consultants Agritel have warned of the worst harvest since 1983 in France, the EU’s biggest wheat producer, with production down an estimated 30% from last year’s total. \ Alan Hope

work and family,” he said. Mostly people in their 40s have to take time off at some point, he said, to take care of children or parents. And this is generally a peak period in their careers. Women are also overrepresented in the care and education sectors, said Godderis, where both physical and mental strain is often very high. \ AF

West Flanders butcher to take over expat favourite Jack O’Shea Flemish butcher Hendrik Dierendonck is to take over the Brussels city centre shop formerly run by Irish butcher Jack O’Shea. The shop, extremely popular with local expats, was one of three to close recently as the O’Shea company hovered on the brink of bankruptcy. Dierendonck will take over the shop in Sint-Katelijnestraat, describing the opportunity as “a childhood dream come true”. Dierendonck has shops in both Nieuwpoort and Koksijde on the coast. The Jack O’Shea shops in Ukkel and the Schuman area of Brussels will remain closed, as will the restaurant adjacent to the city centre shop. “One of the former Jack O’Shea workers called me after the premises in Sint-Katelijnestraat closed,” Dierendonck said. “I went there right away and was able to come to an agreement with the owner.” He intends to create “a pleasant local butcher’s shop,” he said. “It should be a popular butcher’s, employing the same Dierendonck’s professionalism.” The re-opening is due to take place in October. Dierendonck’s plan only concerns one shop; the fate of the other businesses remains to be determined. \ AH

\ INNOVATION

AUGUST 17, 2016

Root of the problem

week in innovation

Environmental organisation Velt calls for end to harmful herbicides Toon Lambrechts More articles by Toon \ flanderstoday.eu

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oss on the driveway or weeds between the paving stones – all too often the response to any outbreak of informal plants on our property is to spray them with colourful liquids that turn the unwanted visitors into brown, lifeless matter. While it might be a fast and easy solution, it’s far from ecological, so the federal government passed a law earlier this year that would limit the household consumption of herbicides. The law requires garden centres to offer alternatives for weed killers and staff to inform customers directly about the dangers of these products and the necessary safety measures. They also have to provide advice on possible alternatives, like scrapers or mulch. Barbara Creemers of Velt, a Flemish-Dutch environmental organisation that promotes ecological living, calls this a step in the right direction. But laws don’t always bring change, so Velt, which aims to stop the use of herbicides by 2020, recently conducted an undercover study. It visited 30 garden centres to see if the new regulations were being followed. It turns out they weren’t. “It was terrible,” says Creemers. “In 60% of the cases, the compulsory

info on alternative methods was there, but all too often it was only a small note, drowned out by ads for weed killers.” The Velt investigators also asked shop assistants for advice and alternatives, “but not a single garden centre told us to leave these poisonous products on the shelves and try something else

to eradicate or prevent weeds,” says Creemers. The results of the study did not come as a surprise, says Creemers, but are still problematic. “In 80% of the cases, the customer didn’t get any information on safety measures when using these harmful products.” And that’s not only harmful to the environment, she says, but also the consumer. “Herbicides are particularly bad for water quality, so they should not be used close to waterways or gullies,” she explains. “Further, in almost onethird of the cases, the vendor said that there is no risk to children, while it is absolutely essential to keep children away from gardens treated with herbicides.” According to Creemers, half of all households in Flanders still uses weed killers. It’s a particularly large number considering that not every house-

hold has a garden. So why are we so attached to these poisonous products? “It is a mentality problem and a result of a lack of knowledge on the side-effects of herbicides,” she says. “I’m convinced that if people knew about the real dangers posed by these products, sales would plunge.” But money talks. “For the garden centres, it’s about economics. You can only sell a weed burner or a scraper once, but customers have to keep coming back for weed killers.” The regulations on weed killers are new, she points out, so garden centres need time to adapt. “But we will ask the government to carry out controls and to enforce the law. It is time to realise that herbicides are harmful to both nature and humans and are unnecessary in a healthy garden.”

Antwerp’s solar-powered bins call you when they’re full A rubbish bin that lets the municipal services know that it’s getting full could be the answer to overflowing trash. The City of Antwerp has installed 47 of the so-called Bigbelly bins in city parks, with plans to equip all parks by 2019. Bigbelly is an American company that’s works with the Internet of Things – the next generation of everyday articles like refrigerators, home entertainment and security systems connected to the web. Bigbelly specialises in rubbish treatment, and its bins have been adopted by local authorities in the US, as well as London, Canberra, Leeds and Liverpool. The receptacles look like ordinary trash bins, but they offer much more. Each one is equipped with compression technology, so it crushes the trash like a household garbage compactor does. This allows it to contain six times more rubbish than a normal bin of similar size. Also, being web-connected

People who regularly bike rather than drive weigh on average four kilograms less than those who primarily use a car to get around. That is one of the first results of the European Pasta project, carried out in Antwerp and six other European cities. Flanders’ institute for technological research, Vito, is involved in the study, in which 11,000 volunteers have already participated. The project examines the health effects of different modes of transportation. The researchers asked the volunteers how they move about the city, which modes of transport they use and how long they are underway. The volunteers also provided info on their general health, height and weight.

Breakthrough in dystonia study

Pulling up weeds is much more environmentally friendly than dousing them with weed killer, says Velt

If people knew about the dangers posed by herbicides, sales would plunge

Cyclists weigh less than motorists

means the bins can send a signal to the city cleansing department when they are full. Antwerp has 1,724 hectares of park, the equivalent of 2,100 football pitches. The parks are places for people to go walking, jogging, cycling or simply relaxing, explains

councillor Philip Heylen, so they need to be as inviting as possible. “These larger, smart bins automatically send a signal to the city department when they have to be emptied,” says Heylen, who’s in charge of public works. “That helps avoid unnecessary trips by staff and vehicles. In addition, the bins are fully autonomous, running on solar power.” One of the biggest issues facing cities is the lack of bins in general. The Bigbelly system takes care of the second-biggest problem. Conventional bins often overflow, producing a result that is not only unsightly, but also tends to encourage littering. In the early days of the pedestrian zone in Brussels, for example, one of the principal complaints was that rubbish was allowed to accumulate. The city responded by increasing the number of times cleaning crews passed by. “Parks and beaches are the crown

BIGBELLY.COM

jewels of most communities, but the resources required to keep them in pristine condition can tax even the most well-funded departments,” according to the Bigbelly website. “Instead of settling for overflowing trash cans or driving needlessly to each park to try and keep up with the demand, the Bigbelly system gives unique visibility into every location from any web-enabled device.” Additionally, the company says, Bigbelly has helped numerous communities bring a recycling option to parks and playing fields where plastic water and sports drink bottles make up the majority of the waste. Antwerp plans to replace all of its park bins with Bigbelly by 2019, Heylen says. At the same time, existing initiatives like street volunteers and city stewards will continue to encourage residents to take part in combating litter.

Researchers connected to Flanders’ life sciences research institute VIB and the University of Leuven have made an important discovery related to the causes of dystonia, a neurological disorder that causes involuntary twisting movements. The brain of a dystonia patient sends out too many messages that activate their muscles, causing twisting movements. In some cases, including DYT1 dystonia, a genetic mutation, which results in a defective protein called torsin, is the main culprit. The researchers, led by British scientist Rose Goodchild, found that torsins regulate the levels of lipids, molecules that form cell membranes and store energy. This gave them a much better view on the exact molecular defects that cause dystonia.

Today’s babies ‘could live 150 years’ “A number of the babies born today will become 150 years old,” Liliane Schoofs, professor of neurobiology at the University of Leuven has declared. Improvements in the standard of living have ensured that the lifespan of the average European has doubled in 130 years’ time, from 40 to 80. “Science is progressing so fast that this age will only increase,” Schoofs told De Morgen. “Not everyone will become 150, but a number of people will.” But the Dutch Central Bureau for Statistics disagreed, stating that we will not become older at the same rate as in the past 130 years, as the “low-hanging fruit” – infant mortality, vaccination, food consumption and well-being – has already been picked. \ Andy Furniere

\ Alan Hope

\ EDUCATION

AUGUST 17, 2016

Coconuts and sand

week in education

HoWest student designs water filter for India’s traditional washers Toon Lambrechts More articles by Toon \ flanderstoday.eu

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ngenuity reveals itself in simplicity. Coconuts and sand was all that it took for Emile Lievens to invent a simple water filtration system for Dhobi Ghat, a traditional open air laundry in India. The science behind the design might be more complex – not to mention the process of effectively building the filtration system in India – but it embodies one of the basic principles of design: Less is more. For his bachelor’s thesis, Lievens, who studies industrial product design at West Flanders University College (HoWest), travelled to India to make sure his design would suit local needs. He took part in an internship organised in collaboration with the Ghent University’s India Platform, a research group focused on cultural dialogue. “The incredibly rich cultural tapestry of India is fascinating to me,” he says. “It was a great opportunity to get to know the country. The India Platform proposed a number of projects, and I chose to work on the Dhobi Ghat in Bangalore.” The Dhobi Ghat, located in the Malleswaram neighbourhood of Bangalore, is one of the biggest professional cleaners in this southern city, washing clothes for both individuals and industries. It provides a livelihood to as much as 400 washers and their families, who collect laundry from local hotels, hospitals and other places. Although the open-air laundry has some modern equipment, most of the washing is done by hand in concrete sinks and hung out to dry on clothes lines. But the practice of hand washing poses a lot of concerns when it comes to the quality of the water. It takes an enormous amount of potable water to fill the big

Dhobi Ghat is one of the largest professional cleaners in Bangalore

washing pools. Later on, the waste water, polluted with filth and chemicals, is disposed into open canals, creating a threat to both the environment and public health. The Dhobi Ghat, which was modernised in 2010, has a filter installed to treat the wastewater, but the system is no longer operational; the washers cannot afford to maintain the complex and expensive system. “When I learned about India’s water problems, I was determined to work on this issue,” Lievens says. “In a few decades, the country will face serious water shortages. I did

an analysis on the quality of the drinking water in Bangalore, and the results were awful.” At the same time, he continues, “you see incredible amounts of water just go down the drain every day. As a designer, I challenged myself to find the best possible solution to this problem.” The solution is called Niru, meaning “water” in Kannada, the local language. The idea is to install an inexpensive and low-maintenance filter that provides water for sanitary use, like showering and flushing the toilets. “Every day, two big sinks are filled with 100,000 litres of water each”,

Lievens explains. “The government has built a housing project for the people who work at the Dhobi Ghat, and the idea is to use the filtered waste water for sanitary needs in those buildings.” Niru relies on existing technologies. It uses a filtration system based on coconut shells that absorbs particles and chemicals from the water. But because the washers also work on hospital garments, an additional filter was needed to get rid of any bacteria. A second filtration system was brought in. “Sand has an antibacterial effect,” Lievens explains. “The combination of these two biological filters results in water that is clean enough to be re-used.” Although officially abolished, the caste system still influences social relations in India. The same goes for the washers. “The washers and their families belong to one of the lower castes,” Lievens says. “They are self-employed and have to look for clients. Even though the work is very demanding, they earn less than €1 a day.” A lot of them also have bleach marks on their hands and legs from detergents. “The profession is hereditary and passes on from father to son,” Lievens continues. “Some of the workers also cling to their traditions, which makes it difficult to introduce new practices.” The next logical step is to install the filtration system in Dhobi Ghat. But if there is one thing that Lievens has learned in India, is that things move more slowly there. “It is essential to know the right people to get things done,” he says. “The decision-making process is incredibly slow, rigid and chaotic. I am still in contact with different people, both here and in India. Whether Niru will ever be used depends on the political decisions in Bangalore.”

Q&A

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Thomas De Meester is a product development student at Antwerp University. For his master’s thesis, he developed a game concept for the Velo City mobile app that promotes walking, cycling and public transportation in cities What inspired you to start this project? I live in the Berchem district of Antwerp and find it frustrating that the city is so congested with traffic. When I heard of the introduction of the low-emission zone next year, I decided to start a sustainable mobility project. I felt the best approach was to develop a game that would offer concrete rewards. What does it look like? The app tracks your transporta-

tion choices and challenges you based on how you move around. It could for example suggest that you get your groceries by bike. For every sustainable kilometre, you earn points that can be used in the game or in real life. In rainy weather or during rush hour, you also get extra points, and there is a social component that allows you to compete with friends. How can the points be used in real life? We could link the app with the

sustainable mobility, we could also make it possible to buy a bus pass or accessories for your bike. The plan is to develop a specific concept for companies, with which they can encourage their staff to not use the car to get to work.

digital customer card CityLife so you could use the points to buy a coffee, for example. To promote

When will the app be available? That’s difficult to say, but I will be working on it when I start my job at the Mosaic research group early next year. My work will also fit into the City of Things project that is turning Antwerp into a largescale lab for initiatives that allow everyday objects to communicate across digital networks as part of the Internet of Things. \ Interview

Film school closes amid controversy The International Academy of Film and Television (IAFT) in Antwerp has closed its doors, only three years after it opened with major ambitions and its students are taking the school to court. The school, established at a prime location near the city’s Grote Markt, already had campuses in Los Angeles and Hong Kong; the Antwerp school was the first in Europe. The ambition was to attract a large number of foreign students. Last month, the students were informed that the school would close. One of the students has started a class-action suit representing the school’s entire student population. Former staff members told De Morgen about mismanagement and a flawed financial policy at the school.

€2.4 million for after-school sports Flemish education minister Hilde Crevits and sports minister Philippe Muyters have earmarked €2.4 million to help Flemish schools to be able to share their sports infrastructure outside of school hours. Schools can receive subsidies for both new sportsrelated construction and operating costs. They have until 16 December to submit a proposal, and approved projects will be announced next March. Sharing school infrastructure and space with community and local sports clubs is one of the targets in the government’s Master Plan for School Construction. The government will provide both the financial support and practical assistance and school boards are encouraged to update the infrastructure where necessary.

More Dutch students in Flanders The number of Dutch students enrolled in Flemish educational institutions during the 2015-16 academic year was about 1,000 more than the previous year, according to figures from education minister Hilde Crevits. The share of Dutch nationals in Flemish education increased from 1.5% to 1.9%. The increase is felt most in the areas closer to the border. Dutch nationals accounted for 7% of all students at Antwerp University, and 2.1% at Hasselt University. Among university colleges, AP Hogeschool Antwerpen scored highest, with 4.1%, followed by the Luca School of Arts. Dutch students often come to study in Flanders because of the lower cost of tuition compared to the Netherlands.

by Andy Furniere

\ LIVING

week in activities Fireworks Festival An annual tradition at the Flemish coast, this weeklong festival is also a competition, as five countries try to outdo each other with stateof-the-art pyrotechnical displays. This year it’s Italy, the Philippines, Croatia and the UK competing against the hosts for the trophy. 17-25 August (alternating nights), from 22.00, Meerlaan Beach, Knokke-Heist; free \ myknokke-heist.be

Grapes and wine Did you know that the area southeast of Brussels has a history of grape-growing and winemaking? Learn all about it during this multiday celebration of the local grape harvest and its most intoxicating product. Tours of wine cellars, exhibitions and tastings, plus live music and other entertainments. 19-24 August, Overijse; free \ druivenfeesten.be

Craftsmanship Weekend Visit the studios, workshops and galleries of more than 350 artists and craftspeople during a self-guided bicycle tour in the Land of Waas. Download one of five routes and a brochure listing all the locations and crafts from the website. 20-21 August, across East Flanders and Antwerp provinces; free \ ambachtelijkweekend.be

Lissewege lights For two nights, the white village will become a luminous backdrop for street theatre, music, fire acts, video art and more. Don’t miss the Retro Outdoor Cinema showing vintage Mickey Mouse cartoons, and be sure to stop in the 13th-century church and listen to an organ concert. 20-21 August, 21.00-23.30, Lissewege (Bruges); free \ bruggeplus.be

Four Days of the IJzer This walking event, organised by the Belgian military, brings together soldiers and civilians to commemorate those who fell on the battlefields of the Westhoek during the First World War. Choose from four different routes between eight and 32 kilometres. Closing ceremony at the Menin Gate on the final day. 23-26 August, across West Flanders; free \ 4daagse.be

\ 10

Art of nature

Living exhibition in Genk plants ideas in visitors’ imagination Diana Goodwin Follow Diana on Twitter \ @basedinbelgium

KATTEVENNEN.BE

mysterious forest grows inside a room in Genk, with miniature trees, hanging plants and strange constructions built from wood and metal. Part art installation, part terrarium, it’s the Inside Nature exhibition at the Cosmodrome planetarium in Hoge Kempen National Park. The project was conceived as a real-world extension of the 360-degree animated movie shown in the adjoining planetarium. The Life of Trees teaches children about the life cycle and ecological role of trees, but the exhibition also stands on its own and can be visited apart from the film. “It grew and grew and grew,” says Will Beckers, the environmental artist behind the exhibition. “In the beginning, there were only a few works, but I eventually became really taken with the idea.” Many of the works in the room are literally growing, made up of living plants that will continue to grow and change during the exhibition’s run. The room is laid out like a forest path leading the visitor from one installation to another, each with its own theme. “I like building an environment where you are sucked in, and the nature embraces you,” says Beckers, a Dutch artist who now lives in Flemish Limburg. Also known locally as “the willow man”, he often creates large-scale, outdoor works in public spaces and was attracted to this project because of the chance to reach both kids and adults in a different kind of setting from a gallery or museum. The installations blur the distinction between artwork, science project and museum display, utilising a combination of plants and

artifice. Some seem to exist purely to delight the viewer with their beauty, while others have a more educational purpose. Many of the works incorporate clear glass bulbs with long extrusions suspended over the plants. They look like alien pods or primitive organisms and contain a slurry of organic material at the bottom of the sphere. These are a kind of perpetual plantfeeding machine designed by the artist. Each one is hand-blown at his workshop in Lommel and each is different. He places organic material in the vessel along with a little water, and as the contents decay, the resulting material is slowly released onto the plant below. “This decaying process, this fight

to establish new life in nature, it’s amazing to look at and to understand,” he says. For him, the cycle of life, death and decay is essential to our understanding of nature. “The only way to understand yourself is to understand nature.” Children can pick up an expo kit at the reception desk with a magnifying glass and other tools that let them investigate and interact with the various installations. For adults, there’s a booklet with photos and texts explaining the idea behind each work. However, Beckers also wants people to discover things for themselves as they go through the exhi-

Until 8 January

bition. “It’s also planting ideas in people’s heads and letting them see things differently,” he says. An important aspect of the project is hands-on workshops for school groups, in which kids get to make a clay sculpture containing the seed of a tree. “They take it home and put it in water and then plant it,” explains Beckers. “They give it to nature as a present.” The exhibition was commissioned as part of the 10-year anniversary of the Hoge Kempen National Park. The Cosmodrome, which combines a planetarium with a public observatory, is located in Kattevennen, one of the six gateways to the park.

Cosmodrome

Planetariumweg 19, Genk

BITE

Eeklo’s medieval bakery serves piping-hot bread on a platter As medieval legend has it, the wizard-baker of Eeklo could help people unsatisfied with their facial appearance by chopping off their heads and putting them in the oven. For a spell. Of course, the story merely served to warn people about the perils of complaining about such superficialities and be happy with what God gave them. But it’s one of those legends that has a tendency to stay imprinted in the mind of the locals. References to the old “head re-baker” are everywhere in this East Flemish town, with perhaps the strongest link at Eeklo’s oldest farm, the Huysmanhoeve. Huysmanhoeve’s monumental gate dates back to 1411, but the history of the site goes even further, to 1241. In the restored baking oven, heads once rolled. Today, thankfully, the

only thing sliding into the oven are loaves of artisanal bread. Millions of euros in grants and subsidies have allowed the City of Eeklo to pump resources into the historically invaluable site. Together with the Meetjesland Rural Centre, Huysmanhoeve has transformed in recent years into the beating heart of the region’s cultural heritage and

into a platform for fun and educational projects touting the virtues of the countryside. Huysmanhoeve is buzzing with activity in the summer months. Until September, visitors can enjoy a slice of homemade cake or organic lemonade on the terrace of a cafe that used to be a house and cow stall, while watching the resident

HUYSMANHOEVE.BE

sheep graze. Or come on 25 August and 1 September for open-air films on the big screen, installed in one of the farm’s high-stem fruit orchards. If Sunday morning aperitif concerts are more your thing, visit the farm for drinks and jazz. Stick around on 28 August for the third and final Huysmanhoeve picnic of the season. Don’t forget to bring along a picnic basket or pre-order one filled with local delicacies. Piping-hot bread (and bread only) will come out of the historic oven on baking demonstration days, with full explanation of the traditional method provided by in-house bakers, followed by tastings. \ Robyn Boyle

Baking demonstration and jazz concerts: 28 August, 11 & 25 September

AUGUST 17, 2016

A taste of the past

Flemish historian translates thousands of years of recipes for unique cookbook Richard Harris More articles by Richard \ flanderstoday.eu

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ou never know what might spark the next big project or invention. Flemish historian Annelies Van Wittenberghe was walking along Hadrian’s Wall in the north of England when, feeling peckish, she wondered: “What did those poor Roman soldiers eat here in these barbarian countries?” Her research led her to a handful of ancient tablets that listed the legionaries’ food supplies. To her surprise, the soldiers had access to typical Mediterranean fare, including olive oil, wine and pepper, even though they were stationed on the northern outskirts of the Roman Empire, thousands of miles away from the capital. The rest, as they say, is history – or in this case Smaak!: Een geschiedenis in 120 recepten (Taste!: A History in 120 Recipes). The book, in Dutch, is divided into six parts – sweet, sour, salty bitty, hearty and spicy – and covers 4,000 years of European and Middle Eastern cuisine. The oldest recipe comes from the Akkadian Empire, part of ancient Mesopotamia, and dates from somewhere around 2,200 BC. It was originally written on clay tablets, Van Wittenberghe explains, “which hold about three dozen more recipes, all of which are tasty”. All of the recipes come from original sources. “I wanted to read everything in its original form, so I learned Portuguese and ancient Swedish,” Van Wittenberghe says. Though she did have to get creative. Ancient recipes are usually nothing more than a list of ingredients. It’s up to the culinary historian to write the recipe in a way that present-day cooks can follow.” Van Wittenberghe, a lecturer at Ghent University, insists that modern eaters will not be intimidated by the recipes. “These are my favourites from hundreds of years of history. I’ve cooked all

cookbooks Van Wittenberghe came upon mention them. Her explanation is that such recipes were fictitious, written to cast the imperial class in bad light. Smaak! focuses on how taste preferences have changed over time. Today, for instance, we treat sweet dishes as desert, but in ancient and medieval times, this wasn’t always the case. “You often find sweet starters and main courses like the honey-and-date flavoured wild boar stew or the spicy scallops with sugar.”

There is a Roman flamingo recipe I wanted to try, but it’s really hard to get hold of the meat

Annelies Van Wittenberghe learned other languages to correctly translate the 120 recipes in Smaak!

the meals from the book. There is venison stew with coriander and lamb stew with beets and rocket.” In some cases, however, she had to relent. “There is a Roman flamingo recipe I wanted to try, but it’s really hard to get hold of the meat,” she says. “Some ingredients have also been found to be more or less poisonous, so I left them out.” A recipe for cumin dipping sauce for oysters comes from a first-

century Roman known as Apicius. “It’s one of the most subtle and tasty Roman recipes,” Van Wittenberghe says. “Roman recipes tend to be rather Asian and rely heavily on cumin, ginger, coriander, mint and parsley.” Roman cuisine has been said to include many extravagant courses, including a plate of lark tongues and roasted wild boar with live birds trapped inside. None of the

Belgian cuisine is a bit of an exception, she adds, since recipes from the Burgundian empire are still used. This sort of cooking is based on balancing sweet and sour flavours, such as rabbit with prunes. Though even in Belgian cuisine, much has changed. The Dukes of Burgundy liked to show off their wealth and power, and food was no exception. “Feasts were almost like a play for them,” says Van Wittenberghe. “Since sugar was prohibitively expensive, they would demand large quantities of it in their food. Food coloured by saffron and the heavy scent of cinnamon made guests fully aware of their hosts’ wealth. The Burgundians also ordered constructions made of sugar just to show off.” By the 16th-century and the dawn of exploration, culinary trends changed yet again as new products like turkey, tomatoes, peppers and potatoes became widely available.

New guide makes Bruges accessible to disabled visitors One of Belgium’s most popular tourist destinations is now even more visitor-friendly, with the publication of a new brochure aimed at disabled travellers. Bruges visitors with reduced mobility, a visual or hearing impairment or a learning disability now have a handy tool that gathers different kinds of accessibility information in one place. The brochure combines a selfguided heritage tour with a comprehensive guide to attractions, public restrooms, hotels and restaurants along and near the route. The listings are keyed with symbols that indicate whether

Sugar and spices lost their luxury status, and the focus switched to herbs, including tarragon, chervil and chives. “Some intriguing combinations of the time include fish with blueberries and cherries, and turkey and fennel croquettes,” Van Wittenberghe says. Not all foods gained admirers right away. “Turkey found its way to the table because it looked like a peacock, which was a staple of medieval cuisine,” Van Wittenberghe explains. “Tomatoes took

a location is wheelchair accessible, for instance, or has accessible toilets. Other symbols indicate whether attractions are adapted for visitors with visual or hearing impairments. “In the past, we concentrated on guides for certain kinds of tourist information, such as hotels or restaurants,” explains Bruno Paternoster of tourism agency Visit Flanders. “Then we realised that a person with a disability needs to have access to the whole tourism chain. Every element in a journey should be accessible.” Using the map and guide, a person with impaired mobility or other

disability can enjoy the same tourist experience in Bruges as everyone else. The heritage route includes all the major sights, from the begijnhof to the belfort. The brochure is available in English as well as Dutch. Bruges is the latest travel hotspot to receive an accessibility makeover, thanks to a joint effort by the city, Visit Flanders and Inter, the Flemish agency for accessibility. The first accessibility study and guide were completed in 2013 for Flanders Fields and the Westhoek, followed by the coastal cities in 2015. What’s different about the Bruges

much longer, since the plant resembles nightshade, which is poisonous. You don’t find many recipes with them until the second half of the 18th century. Potatoes, too, weren’t used widely until the grain infestations of the 18th century.” In a cookbook-crazed culture such as this one, Smaak! is certainly unique in the pack. “I like to step out of my culinary comfort zone, and historical cooking is a great way of achieving that,” says Van Wittenberghe. “It’s like going on a holiday and tasting all the local specialties.” For her next book, she’s considering the influence of European cuisine on other parts of the world, including South Africa and Cuba, or a book of recipes for children. Smaak!: Een geschiedenis in 120 recepten is published in Dutch by Davidsfonds

VISITFLANDERS.COM

guide is the addition of the heritage route linking the individual listings. The route was tested prior to publication, with the aid of a wheelchair user, a blind person and an elderly pedestrian. Paternoster hopes that the guide will be an example to Flanders’ other art cities: Antwerp, Ghent, Mechelen and Leuven. “They are the first places that people will visit – especially international travellers,” he says. The City of Ghent is currently working on a heritage route with On Wheels, creators of a mobile app for wheelchair users. \ Diana Goodwin

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What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done in Flanders? If you can’t think of anything at all, you’d better check out our new e-book

Quirky Flanders offers 20 unexpected – or downright odd – activities or sights across the region you can get busy taking part in right now

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\ ARTS

AUGUST 17, 2016

week in arts & CULTURE Photographer to represent Belgium at Venice Biennale

When business was good: “Market Scene” by Sebastiaen Vrancx, circa 1600

God and your money

\ dirkbraeckman.be

‘Gods on Mount Olympus’ returns

Exhibition tells a cautionary tale on the excesses of capitalism Christophe Verbiest More articles by Christophe \ flanderstoday.eu

A new exhibition in Ghent’s Caermersklooster showcases art from the Golden Age of the Southern Netherlands that illustrates the market economy’s early days. According to the funder behind the collection, it is a harbinger of things to come.

“T

his is not an exhibition on art history,” states the introductory video to Voor God en geld in Ghent’s Caermersklooster. The title translates to For God and Money, but the venue’s English title is The Birth of Capitalism. Less poetic, but certainly clear. “The exhibition lets the impressive art works tell the story,” says curator Katharina Van Cauteren. But that’s only part of the truth. The Birth of Capitalism is also home to a part of the collection of The Phoebus Foundation, a fund set up by business leader Fernand Huts to support museums and the academia. A majority of the displayed work is owned by the foundation. Huts is also CEO of the Antwerpbased Katoen Natie. Set up in 1854 as a shiploading company, it has since diversified its activities and, especially in the past few decades, experienced exponential growth, with more than 12,000 employees worldwide. At the beginning of this year, Huts announced that he would invest more than €8 million annually in cultural heritage projects with

strong links to Flanders. The first notable project was the publication of the hefty and impressive Politiek en schilderkunst (Politics and Painting), an adapted version of Van Cauteren’s PhD thesis on the 16th-century Brussels painter Hendrick De Clerck. The Birth of Capitalism is another striking project. It focuses on the region of the Southern Netherlands, which encompassed an area slightly larger than modernday Belgium.

VOOR-GOD-EN-GELD.BE

doesn’t come as a shock, and he’s right to put his cards on the table. The exhibition is made up of different themes, including how farmers became entrepreneurs, but also topics such as “Textile, the motor of the economy” and “Enterprising creates profit, profit creates money, money creates wealth”. Many of the works are paintings, like the beautiful “Fortuna Marina” by Gillis Coignet and “A Bathhouse”, with, as you might

In the Middle Ages, just like now, things started to go awry According to Huts, the Southern Netherlands was like the Silicon Valley of its time: a booming economy, with innovative ideas in finance and trade. This, he says, led to the blossoming of the arts, placing the Southern Netherlands at the cultural and economic heart of Europe. While that could just as well be said about other parts of the continent at the time, one must also wonder if all of the art works – and there are some amazing ones on display – are the direct outcome of the birth of capitalism in the region. Coming from Huts, an entrepreneur and former Open VLD politician, this statement

imagine, dozens of nudes. There are also the fascinating “Portrait of Jodocus Aemszoon van der Burch” by Jan Cornelisz Vermeyen, which adorns the exhibitions promotional materials, and “The Ship of Fools,” the sardonic masterpiece by Frans Verbeeck the Elder. Other art pieces and artefacts are also on display, including the loom, which revolutionised the textile trade, and the charter stating the wool trade agreements between England and the Burgundian Netherlands.

Until 1 January

Flemish photographer Dirk Braeckman will be the featured artist of the Belgian pavilion at the Venice Biennale next year. Eva Wittocx, the general co-ordinator of Leuven’s M Museum, will curate the exhibition. “The Belgian pavilion is the best space I could possibly imagine,” said Braeckman. “I love the architecture of the building and the atmosphere. Participating in the Biennial feels like a victory for Belgian photography, which has never had a broad international platform within the visual arts.” Braeckman plans a show of new work that explores the mass production and consumption of images in a technologically advancing world. The biennale’s International Art Exhibition kicks off on 13 May, 2017.

You can also find scale models of ships that formed an essential link in the newly-emergent capitalist economy and maps of the Low Countries by Claes Janszoon Visscher and others. Visscher’s “Leo Belgicus”, a map shaped like a lion, may have once served a practical purpose, but by today’s standards, it’s more of an art piece. All this bustling wealth led to excess. In the once God-fearing society, money became the new dogma, even among the men of the cloth. It eventually led to the birth of Protestantism, which reacted fiercely to Catholic excesses. This resulted in a separation between the Northern and Southern Netherlands, and the subsequent brain drain from cities like Antwerp and Ghent to Amsterdam. The 17th century would go down in history as the Dutch Golden Age. Huts firmly believes that history repeats itself and The Birth of Capitalism is a harbinger of things to come. “In the Middle Ages, just like now, things started to go awry: the systems failed, the politics failed,” he says. The warning reflects the two epilogues he’s included in the accompanying catalogue, in which he stresses that capitalism is the only way to prosperity. If you’ve seen the exhibition, this comes as no surprise.

Caermersklooster

Vrouwebroersstraat 6, Ghent

The 18th-century ceiling painting “The Gods on Mount Olympus” will be brought back to its home in Antwerp’s Hofkamer building on 25 August, following an absence of eight years. The painting was restored off site, while the Hofkamer building was simultaneously fully renovated. The 16th-century Hofkamer is part of the historical Den Wolsack complex in the city’s centre. “The Gods on Mount Olympic”, painted on canvas by an unnamed artist, is 65 square metres, the largest ceiling painting in western Europe. Before being painstakingly removed for restoration, the had hung in the Hofkamer for 240 years. It will be returned by a special transport under police protection.

Historium opens Virtual Reality Experience Bruges tourist attraction Historium, which immerses visitors into 15th-century life in the city, has opened Virtual Reality Experience. Besides the installations and interactive exhibits at Historium, visitors can now immerse themselves in medieval Bruges via virtual reality. The Temsebased interactive media company Sevenedge worked with the centre’s historical committee to recreate the medieval city as accurately as possible. Last year the attraction launched a virtual reality tour through the streets of Bruges that equips visitors with a portable device that makes scenes in the city look like they did 500 years ago.

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\ ARTS

Finding order in chaos

Lisa Verbelen strives to categorise in ONE., part of this month’s theater festival Tom Peeters More articles by Tom \ flanderstoday.eu

Flemish actor Lisa Verbelen’s intricate English-language production ONE. is characterised by a deeply felt urge to bring order and clarity to a chaotic world.

o matter how hard you try to get a grip on the world, you will always fail to control it. Lisa Verbelen is well aware of that. As proof, she broke her foot in early August just after her last performance at the Theater aan Zee festival in Ostend. Consequently, she will have to perform ONE. – her solo production at this month’s Het Theater Festival in Antwerp – seated, rather than standing as she usually does. “It’s too bad,” she says, “but better that than not playing at all.” The 28-year-old actor came to the attention of audiences through the Circuit X series, which showcases quality work by young talent at the annual Het Theater Festival. She was a bit surprised, she admits, but also very happy. “I’m so proud of this performance and want to perform it as often as I can.” ONE. has also been nominated for the

bogcollectie.com

ment, it gradually became broader, when I started categorising things again,” explains Verbelen. This urge to bring some order and clarity to an utterly chaotic and complex world is part of Verbelen and BOG’s nature. Their 2013 maiden play was called BOG: een poging het leven te structureren (An Attempt to Structure Life). “Even as a child, I liked to structure things,” says Verbelen, recalling a speech she gave about volcanoes in primary school. “When I recently found it again, I noticed how structured it was, as if the structure gave me a better understanding of what I was talking about.” Although people have always made lists, she says, “the arrival of the internet and a whole new spectrum of choices has created a desire for more clarity and an overall picture.” Het Benoemproject (The Naming Project) that BOG initiated in Antwerp’s Berchem district, and later in the Dutch cities of Tilburg and Amsterdam, was another attempt to collect and sum up, this time in

It wasn’t easy to translate our first play into English since it’s very rhythmical, but I think the result is even better than the original Dutch Nieuwe Theatermakersprijs, the Netherlands’ biggest prize for promising theatre talent. It’s the first solo show produced by BOG, the Dutch-Flemish ensemble Verbelen (pictured) co-founded with three others after graduating from the Maastricht Toneelacademie in 2011. Described as a choral piece for four voices, Verbelen sings ONE. alone, using a 75 metre-long music score that gradually unrolls to the rhythm of her voice, which is in turn based on her drawing of the score. You have to see it to get it. The play switches constantly between music composition based on sound and a score based on form. It is an updated version of her 2014 graduation project in which she developed a way to draw her own compositions, working both literally and visually. ONE. has been yet another exercise in synthesis: It’s about time, space, light, sound, objects, people, feelings and thoughts. “Though it started basically with just move-

the streets. “If we saw, for instance, a wall, we called it ‘wall’, confirming it with a nameplate. You could compare it to underlining a word in a text, granting a certain importance to this specific wall,” explains Verbelen. Basically, that’s what BOG does: pick things that already exist and list and classify them until some sort of order and calm has been established. But, of course, real order or objectivity is never achieved, as our world is just too complex. “For us, the attempt itself is what’s important,” says Verbelen. “My new solo show will be called ALL. and will focus on this chaos.” You have probably noticed that the titles of all her productions have just three letters. “It started with MUR, my graduation project in Maastricht,” explains Verbelen. “I tried to present as much of the content as possible in three letters, and later on I wanted to keep this clarity. I like the freedom of limitation, and there are still so many three-letter

words left. I just extended my list with words I found in an English crossword dictionary.” She also finds inspiration in the work of Antwerp stage artists Benjamin Verdonck and Abke Haring and the rather unconventional way music is combined with theatre and visual arts by the Dutch ensemble De Veenfabriek. “Seeing how they produced a choir of sounds from of a wind-making machine was a real eye opener.” After a busy year with BOG., Verbelen wants to focus on writing new music. “Maybe I will update some pieces of ONE. so they can be sung by a choir, or take my guitar and look for a band. I was in one when I was 16. Now I’m curious how it might fit with a career in theatre.” Most of BOG.’s performances are in Dutch,

but Verbelen wrote ONE. in English. “The more I read English, the more I appreciate it,” she says enthusiastically. “Now we have also translated BOG.’s first play into English. It wasn’t easy, since it is very rhythmical, but I think the result is even better than the original Dutch.” Their goal, she says, is to slowly expand their English-language repertoire “because it means more opportunities to play abroad. Playing at a foreign theatre festival could be our next springboard”.

1 September 20.00 deSingel

Desguinlei 25, Antwerp

Best of the rest: Het Theater Festival Every summer Het Theater Festival presents the highlights of the past season in Flemish and Dutch theatres. In the last year, members of an eight-person jury attended 328 theatre and dance productions in Flanders, Brussels and the Netherlands. Forty of them were placed on a long list, and 13 made the final selection. You’ll see some familiar names on the bill. Jan Lauwers & Needcompany present De blinde dichter (The Blind Poet, pictured). Jan Fabre and Troubleyn climb Mount Olympus for

\ 14

their epic 24-hour-long take on Greek tragedies, mirroring western society. Arne Sierens pictures scenes of the tragicomedy that is life in Poepsimpel (Terribly Simple), while theatre company De Koe explores identity in Beckett Boulevard. There’s intriguing youth theatre in Het Hamiltoncomplex by HetPaleis and Sontag, and daunting musical theatre by the Brusselsbased choreographer Meg Stuart, who keeps on breaking borders in Until Our Hearts Stop.

theaterfestival.be

The biggest surprise among the candidates is C’est pas parce que tu t’arrêtes de pédaler que ton vélo va s’arrêter (Just Because You’ve Stopped Pedalling Your Bike Doesn’t Mean it will Stop) by Forsiti’A, a Brussels multicultural choir, made up of non-professionals.

25 August to 4 September deSingel

Desguinlei 25, Antwerp

\ AGENDA

AUGUST 17, 2016

Unmasking mass media

FESTIVAL

Maryam Najd Until 2 October

Brussels

Groeningemuseum, Bruges museabrugge.be

ranian artist Maryam Najd’s series of monochromes and paintings on view in Bruges’ Groeningemuseum are meditative and moving. The works that make up the exhibition Eight Volumes of Fantasy are all inspired by the Iranian painter and poet Sohrab Sepehri. Some of the works are used in dialogue with the museum’s permanent collection, as they unmask cultural differences between the artist’s native culture and the western world. Najd left Teheran in 1991 for Belgium, where she studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp and the Higher Institute for Fine Arts in Ghent. Her solo show, part of the Bruges artistin-residence programme, is a visual reflection of Sepehri’s influential book of poems, Hasht Ketab (Eight Books), with a striking take on themes that dominate today’s headlines.

As before, combining her own experience of reality with the observation of “reality” through social and mass media, she researches the anecdotal strength of the image and its supposed

message. In “Mediterranean Blanket 1” (pictured), a body is covered by a glittering thermal blanket. Tourists pass by in the distance, oblivious to a truth they do not want to know. Her artistic process is a reflection of her mastery of the ancient Persian art of miniature painting: She removes media images from their original context and transforms a documentary representation into both a poetic and a political statement. “Mediterranean Blanket 1” is opposite “Lord Byron on His Deathbed” by 19th-century Flemish painter Joseph Denis Odevaere, while the oil painting “Contemplation” appears to be conversing with George Minne’s sculpture “Three Holy Women by the Grave”, exploring the tiny, but meaningful difference between grief and meditation. \ Tom Peeters

CONCERT

VISUAL ARTS

Mokoomba

Photorealism: 50 Years of Hyperrealistic Painting

17-21 August Zomer van Antwerpen is in full swing, and the programme features far more than circus and theatre. Organisers of the free open-air concert series Muziek in de Wijk make sure there’s music in every corner of the city for the duration of the summer festival. The line-up leans heavily toward world

Across Antwerp muziekindewijk.be

music. This week it’s Zimbabwe’s Mokoomba, a sextet fusing African, Latin and Caribbean styles to create a unique sound. The group’s five-night stand takes them to just as many public spaces, from the bucolic Hof de Bist on the edge of town to the De Coninckplein in the city centre. \ Georgio Valentino

Until 25 September The Museum van Elsene follows up its recent Duane Hanson exhibition with a look at the hyperrealist sculptor’s counterparts in the world of painting. Like their countryman, painters Richard Estes, Chuck Close and many others were inspired by Pop Art’s rejection of modernist navel gazing and its return to the nitty-gritty of

Museum van Elsene, Brussels museumvanelsene.be

everyday existence. The latter half of the 20th century saw generations of artists re-engage with the reality of social life. This art was technically exacting, often rivalling photography in its precision – hence the name “photorealism”. The context was often ironic, presenting a warts-and-all portrait of consumer culture. \ GV

Urban Arts Solidarity: Elsene joins up with youth organisation SIDA’SOS for this festival with a message about health, STD prevention and breaking taboos,. The urban theme features graffiti art battles, boxing, circus acts, dance, acoustic concerts and a local artists’ market. 19 August 14.00-21.00, Flageyplein \ solidarityfestival.be

MUSIC FESTIVAL Brussels Hide and Seek: Under the slogan “World Music in Unexpected Brussels”, this festival features a series of concerts in quirky locations like the Solvay Library, the Halle Gate attic, a tram, the Atomium and the top of the Reyers TV Tower. 22-28 August, across Brussels \ muziekpublique.be

Hasselt Pukkelpop: Combi and day tickets are still available for Belgium’s biggest alt-rock open-air festival, with more than 200 bands, including Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, The Chemical Brothers, LCD Soundsystem, Gnash, Rihanna and Eagles of Death Metal. 17-20 August, KiewitHasselt \ pukkelpop.be

FAMILY Brussels Festival Théâtre Nomads: 10th edition of the openair festival featuring circus acts, street theatre, concerts and fairy-tale characters at every turn, plus eco-friendly food and drink stands. 18-21 August, Warandepark

MUSIC FESTIVAL

FAMILY

Feeërieën

Dansen in ’t Park

22-26 August Ancienne Belgique’s Feeërieën is a celebration of inter-cultural dialogue and underground artists. Held every year in Warandepark, the six-day open-air festival invites rising talent from left-field genres like grime and noise jazz to strut their stuff. Each day has its own theme and each theme has its ambassadors. Highlights include experimental Cana-

Warandepark, Brussels abconcerts.be

dian opera singer Ian William Craig and British DJ Visionist. This edition of Feeërieën also observes what would have been pioneering avantgarde composer Moondog’s 100th birthday. Antwerp’s Condor Gruppe performs a tribute to the eccentric New Yorker who influenced generations of artists from Steve Reich to Daniel Lanois. \ GV

19-21 August This family-friendly festival celebrates its 10th birthday with a special party edition powered by dance moves from around the world. The afternoon programme features dance lessons for kids and adults, as well as theatre and dance performances. The party starts jumping in the evening with themed nights ranging from old-time Lindy Hop to salsa to tango (accompanied by Flemish world music ensemble Quinteto Astor, no less). There’s also a “Twerkshop”, yoga on the grass and plenty of food and drink to fuel the festivities. And with free entry, the price is right. \ GV

\ theatresnomades.be

PERFORMANCE Azaleapark, Ghent danseninhetpark.be

Knokke Amaluna: Cirque du Soleil’s show has been extended, and there are still plenty of tickets available to this flashy, acrobatic affair loosely inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Until 21 August, Natiënlaan (take a right out of train station) \ cirquedusoleil.com

CONCERT Antwerp

get ti

ckets

now

Daughter: The London trio known for their melancholic dreampop/indierock are on tour in support of the new album Not to Disappear. 19 October 19.00, Trix, Noordersingel 28-30 \ trixonline.be

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\ BACKPAGE

AUGUST 17, 2016

Talking Dutch

VoiceS of flanders today

Where have all the cucumbers gone? Derek Blyth More articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu

In response to ‘I am Flemish’ campaign launched to fight racism Shweta Kulkarni Van Biesen: Finally. The face of Flanders is changing and we need to keep up with the times.

n Flanders, they call this time of the year komkommertijd – cucumber time. Een periode in het jaar waarin er weinig nieuws te melden is – a period of the year when there isn’t much news to report, the dictionary says. Vrijwel iedere taal heeft wel een woord voor deze karige zomertijd – Virtually every language has a word for this sluggish summer period, according to the language site onzetaal.nl. The British call it the silly season. The Germans refer to it as “pickled cucumber time”. The idea of a cucumber season seems to have originated several centuries ago, according to the site. Wanneer de term precies is ontstaan is onduidelijk – It’s not clear exactly when the term originated, maar waarschijnlijk is dit begin 1700 geweest – but it was probably at the beginning of the eighteenth century. Tijdens de zomer hadden komkommerkwekers het ontzettend druk – Cucumber pickers were extremely busy during the summer, maar de rest van de arbeidsmarkt lag op z’n gat – but the rest of the workforce was sitting on its ass. Gradually, komkommertijd became an annual ritual, explains Flemish journalist Kristof Hoefkens in De Standaard. Vroeger dienden juli en augustus ter ontspanning – In the old days, July and August were for relaxing, de riem eraf – loosening your belt, en ook het nieuws ging gewoonlijk op een milder ritme – and the news normally moved at a slower pace. Most people are looking for some light summer reading, he continues. Hoe zou het nog zijn met de kusttram? – What’s happening with the coast tram? Zijn de mosselen weer te klein? – Are the mussels too small as usual? In de serieuzere kranten – In the serious newspapers verschijnen in de komkommertijd berichten – stories

appear during the cucumber period over kleine diefstallen en andere voorvallen – about petty theft and other incidents, die in de rest van het jaar nooit gepubliceerd zouden worden – that would never be published during the rest of the year. Niet zo in 2016 – Not so in 2016, argues De Standaard journalist Peter Jacobs. We slaan de komkommertijd over – We’re skipping cucumber time. Een aanslagengolf in Europa – A wave of terrorist attacks in Europe, een mislukte staatsgreep in Turkije – a failed coup in Turkey, de Amerikaanse conventies – the American conventions… Kranten hebben geen plaats en journalisten geen tijd meer – Newspapers have no space and journalists no time voor het typische zomerse komkommernieuws – for the typical summer cucumber stories. Some are saying the internet is to blame for killing off cucumber stories. Komkommertijd bestaat niet meer in tijd van social media – Cucumber time can’t survive in an age of social media, observes Dutch journalist Marc Guillet (on social media). Massamoordenaars – mass murderers, terroristen – terrorists, politici die 24/7 in nieuws willen zijn – politicians who want to be in the news 24/7. Het Nieuwsblad editor Liesbeth van Impe wants to turn the clock back. Kom terug, komkommertijd – Come back, cucumber time, she tweeted. Alles is vergeven! – All is forgiven!

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In response to Red Lions hockey team cruise into Olympic quarter-finals Quinton van Loggerenberg: Seems like the Belgians are a bit of all right?

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Jun Song @JunDishes I just found out that my nickname is “Dumpling Princess” to many in Ghent. I don't know how I should feel about this

Vince Buyssens @Fadawah 15k trainers attend largest #PokemonGO meetup in the world at @zooantwerpen, raise 12k for animal preservation

Maria Teresa @zaeddin Nice walk along the Ostend seafront. Place is amazing!!!

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the last word Holiday hell

Couch potato

“It was surreal. In a few minutes the situation had changed from ‘no panic’ to ‘run as fast as you can’. On the road down we had to drive past a house that was completely ablaze. There was nothing else for it but to drive through the flames.”

“Whenever we sit still, we close off small arteries. The blood coagulates and slowly forms a clot. The next evening, we sit in front of the screen, and the blood gathers in the same place. Slowly but surely, a clot forms.”

Jaicy Tillaert and her partner, Diederijk Duyck, from Izegem were among those who had to flee forest fires on the Portuguese island of Madeira

IN FULL BLOOM Horticulturist Johan Aelterman picks begonias from his field just outside of Ghent. The blooms were used in the giant Flower Carpet on Brussels’ Grote Markt, which was on show last weekend. The design of the carpet, made up of 600,000 begonias, was a tribute to 150 years of Belgian-Japanese relations

“I can confirm that we worked with Kanye West, but Axel didn’t just fly over there to give advice about sofas.” Anne-Sophie Dusellier, spokesperson for Wijnegem-based interior design expert Axel Vervoordt, who helped the rap star pick out a couch

Heart specialist Pedro Brugada explains how too much TV can be bad for your health

Rail risk “Some drivers deliberately ride through a red signal so as to be sacked that much faster.” A spokesperson for train drivers’ union ASTB, which is concerned about drivers being required to give one year’s notice if they want to quit, explained by the NMBS as caused by the high cost of training

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