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september 7, 2016 \ newsweekly - € 0,75 \ read more at www.flanderstoday.eu current affairs \ p2

politics \ p4

Hands full

There’s never a dull moment for Ben Weyts, the man in charge of Flanders’ traffic, tourism, animal rights and more \5

business \ p6

innovation \ p9

education \ p10

CHinese wHispers

THe CaT’s wHiskers

Echoes of Flanders’ 19th-century missionaries linger on in China’s churches

At Ghent’s new cafe, they come for the cakes and the coffee, but they stay for the cats

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A cut above cancer

art & living \ p11

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© rob stevens/kU leuven

leuven cancer institute leads combined effort against the disease senne starckx more articles by senne \ flanderstoday.eu

Formed last year, the Leuven Cancer Institute has brought together KU Leuven’s pioneering researchers and UZ Leuven’s medical staff to find the most holistic approach to cancer treatment. But the first challenge is combining the worlds of theory and practice

F

ive years ago, Johan Swinnen’s son, Pieter, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain tumour.

The 13-year-old model student and promising tennis player survived, but must now use a wheelchair.

Swinnen (pictured) also embodies the other side of cancer treatment, serving as the vice-president of the Leuven Cancer Institute (LKI), a multidisciplinary centre dedicated to cancer research.

LKI was created last year from the merger of cancer divi-

sions at the University of Leuven (KU Leuven) and the University Hospital of Leuven (UZ Leuven). The transition process involved hundreds of researchers, doctors, nurses, managers and other personnel, as well as more than 30,000 patients. “We’re actually not even done registering all of the personnel,” says Griet Van der Perre, who oversees communication.

Overlooking the merger is Jo Van Lint, the co-ordinator for translational research at LKI. Think of him as the proverbial concierge, whose task is to identify new developments and figure out their applicability in cancer patients. These can include latest findings in molecular biology, and also new insights into hospital care and patient psychology.

At LKI, Van Lint acts as a matchmaker who brings together people of different medical backgrounds. “Scientists and

clinicians often need to communicate with each other and be aware of each other’s work,” he says. “That sounds simple, but in a large institution like ours, it isn’t.”

With the merger of the cancer divisions, scientific researchers from KU Leuven joined up with doctors and nurses from the university hospital. So how do you connect people who are used to working in very distinct settings?

“First of all, we have to know about each other,” explains Van Lint. “So we’ve created opportunities for people to meet and exchange ideas.”

Asking people to talk to one another is one thing, but how can they better understand each other? “There’s indeed a gap between clinicians and scientists,” he says. “Many clinicians lack sufficient information about basic research subjects.

But scientists could also benefit from an expert clinical continued on page 7

\ CUrrent AFFAIrs

Leuven to access Facebook supercomputers for AI research university’s electro-technics team to work on applications for object detection alan Hope Follow Alan on twitter \ @AlanHopeFt

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he University of Leuven (KU Leuven) has been named as one of the 15 research projects spread across nine European countries to receive support from Facebook AI Research, a division of the social media giant. Facebook is providing access to 22 powerful servers to carry out research into artificial intelligence.

Five KU Leuven professors from the electrotechnics department will be granted access to two of the computers, both equipped with powerful graphic processing units (GPUs).

“For a long time there was a big gap between

what people saw on photographs and what computers saw,” explained professor Luc

Van Gool. “That changed only recently with the introduction of deep learning, the new generation of artificial neural networks inspired by the way our brains work. The new method allowed breakthroughs in a number of applications, such as speech and image recognition. But for that sort of heavy calculation work, you need special machines, like GPU servers.”

One of the areas the team will be studying is how to get a device, such as a drone, to detect objects and react accordingly, including approaching a target. That would allow

drones to navigate by themselves while reacting to surrounding conditions.

“The goals of this programme are to help others make faster progress in the field of AI,” said Ari Entin of Facebook AI Research, “to overcome major challenges and to ensure that the world’s top researchers have the infrastructure, tools and techniques to solve some of the most significant technical problems.”

Among the other recipients are university teams in Prague, Edinburgh, Moscow, Freiburg in Germany and Modena in Italy.

Police patrol Lucerna schools on first day to head off tensions

Brussels mayor rules out two of four new underground car parks

Tensions within the Turkish community following the attempted coup this summer prompted a strong police presence at Lucerna schools, which cater to Turkish students, across Brussels and Flanders on the first day of school last week.

Several of the schools, which have been linked to exiled opposition leader Fethullah Gülen – accused by the Erdogan government of being behind the coup attempt – had security guards at the school gate as the new academic year started. Police were seen patrolling past some schools during the day.

In related news, police responded to a situation at De Piramide primary school in Leopoldsburg, Limburg, when a man yelled at a group of women to “go back to Turkey”

Brussels-City mayor Yvan Mayeur has scrapped two of the four planned new underground car parks within the city limits, he said in an interview with La Capitale. Car parks in the Nieuwe Graanmarkt and Brigitinnenstraat will not be built, he said.

A planned car park under Vossenplein, home to the popular flea market, was previously cancelled after massive neighbourhood protest. “In time, and in co-operation with the Brussels Region, there will be two new car parks on the edge of the pentagon,” said Mayeur, referring to the city’s inner ring road. “One will be near metro station Ijzer on the side of the canal … and another close to South Station.”

The latter location might correspond to a plan announced previously to build one of

if they couldn’t speak Dutch.

One of the women was dropping off her sixyear-old son and speaking Turkish with her neighbour and her neighbour’s sister. The man also yelled that they shouldn’t be wearing headscarves and pushed the sister, who is disabled, to the floor.

“We speak perfect Dutch,” the mother explained to Radio 2, “But my neighbour’s sister lives in Liège and so speaks French.

We don’t speak French, so we were speaking Turkish to each other.”

“It was pure racism,” said school director Elly Huysmans. “There is a large Turkish community here, and we have put a lot of energy for years into issues of tolerance.”

The man has been banned from the school’s property. \ Emma Davis

the car parks at Rouppeplein, not far from the station. The loss of Brigitinnen comes as no surprise as the city was unable to find a suitable location and there were concerns about safety, with the busy North-South rail link running through the area.

The announcement of the scrapping of the Nieuwe Graanmarkt, however, comes as a surprise; according to Bruzz, the news is based only on Mayeur’s interview. To date, no decision has been taken by the Brussels-City council. La Capitale reports that, according to sources within the council, none of the contractors for the work was able to meet the demands of the tender, which included lower tariffs, places reserved for local residents and the preservation of trees on the square. \ AH

Explosion at criminology lab probable attempt to destroy evidence An explosion at the National Institute of Criminology (NICC) in Brussels-City last week was due to arson, the prosecutor’s office has announced. Several buildings and facilities were severely damaged in the explosion. The attack is not thought to be linked to terrorism.

NICC contains laboratories where some 7,000 forensic investigations are carried

out every year. The lab that handles microscopic investigations was one of those most badly damaged.

The police said that someone had climbed over a fence to set the fire, and then set a car on fire just outside the fence. One theory is that the fire was set to destroy evidence that was being examined by NICC researchers.

“It is clear that the NICC was not chosen

randomly,” said Ine Van Wymersch, spokesperson for the Brussels prosecutor’s office.

“The institute contains sensitive information connected to a great many ongoing criminal investigations.” Five people were arrested for questioning in the course of the day, but all were later released. \ AH © thierry roge/belGA

the nICC following the explosion that damaged several forensics labs

36.4% 14%

2.5% fewer unemployed people in August, continuing a downward trend that started in August 2015.

The largest reduction came among 25- to 50-year-olds, with West Flanders seeing the biggest fall

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years after his death in combat at Langemark-Poelkapelle, the remains of Captain HJI Walker of New Zealand were identified by archaeologists

of children in Flanders in 2014 were living under the poverty line, according to the government’s poverty monitor – a total of more than 170,000 children under the age of 17

years since the inauguration of the Brussels metro by the late King Boudewijn. It consisted of one line with seven stations between De Brouckère and Merode, with branches to Tomberg and Beaulieu

fewer visitors to the museums in the centre of Brussels during July, according to Visit Brussels. Museums in the European quarter saw numbers drop by 37.7% compared with July 2015

september 7, 2016

week in brief The time isn’t right to discuss an extension of Brussels’ metro network to Flemish municipalities surrounding the capital, Brussels mobility minister Pascal Smet has said. Smet was responding to a call from member of the federal parliament Gautier Calomne to extend the metro to six towns, including Groot-Bijgaarden, Grimbergen and Overijse. Smet said that the current priority is the Brussels Regional Express Network (GEN).

The court of appeal in Ghent will begin hearings in November in the latest stage of the bankruptcy of West Flanders speech recognition technology company Lernout & Hauspie. The two owners were sentenced in 2010 to five years in prison with two years suspended for fraud. The civil part of the case, with more than 10,000 parties seeking damages, went through various procedures until it landed before the court of appeal two years ago. The settlement of damages claims is about to begin.

Antwerp theatre collective Berlin has been awarded this year’s Flemish Culture Prize for Stage Arts. The jury praised the group for its “unique inter-disciplinary artistic approach”. Berlin was set up in 2003 by Bart Baele and Yves Degryse, and each piece – a mixture of fiction and nonfiction – is performed in a realworld location.

Belgium’s two Zaman newspapers, in Turkish and in Dutch, are closing down operations after threats from supporters of Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The Zaman papers are linked to the opposition Gülen movement, blamed by Erdogan supporters for the failed coup attempt in Turkey in July. According to the editor, the paper and its staff have received “hundreds” of death threats since the coup attempt.

Brussels Airport has begun tests of

faCe of flanders a new radar system to detect the presence of birds, which present a danger to air traffic. The radar sends information to patrols that can chase the birds away from runways to escape being sucked into engines. It has the advantage of working in poor visibility and bad weather when the Bird Control Unit cannot. After the tests, the airport will decide whether to install the system permanently.

Weather forecasters on Flemish public broadcaster VRT will begin providing information on wind and solar energy along with temperature, humidity and rainfall, meteorologist Frank Deboosere has said. The information could be directly linked to current weather conditions or be general information on energy production, he said.

The Muslim feast of the sacrifice will take place this year on 12 September, Belgium’s Muslim Executive has announced. The feast involves the slaughter of an animal, usually a sheep. Brussels has introduced a temporary slaughter facility to cope with demand, but Flanders bans ritual slaughter – when the animal is not stunned before being killed – outside of official slaughterhouses.

The first Burger King in Belgium will open its doors in the summer of 2017, owners QSR, which took over the Quick restaurant chain in Belgium and Luxembourg, has announced. The company also said the Quick brand would remain, with the two brands existing side by side for an undeclared period. The location of the first Burger King was not revealed.

Flinterstar, the Dutch cargo ship that sank off the coast of Zeebrugge after a collision with a gas tanker last year, has now been fully salvaged. The ship foundered on a sandbank, and the Dutch owner refused to pay

offside going underground Do you remember where you were 40 years ago? Maybe you were waiting for the metro. On 20 September 1976, Brussels launched its metro system.

The first metro consisted of one line from De Brouckère to Merode, followed by a branch in one direction to Tomberg and in another to Beaulieu. There were 16 stations covering 11.6 kilometres.

Now it consists of four lines, 59 stations and a total distance of 40km. In its first year of operation, the metro carried five million passengers. Last year that number was 135 million.

The metro, though, was preceded by more than a decade by the pre-

© Christian liebscher/wikimedia

metro. While the metro is fully underground, the pre-metro is a tram that travels on the surface and dips underground when necessary.

Brussels’ pre-metro dates to 1965 and ran from Sint-Katelijn to Schuman. A second portion opened in 1970 between Madou and Naamsepoort on the inner ring-road.

for the salvage until forced to by a court. The work was carried out by dredging companies Jan De Nul and DEME. Flemish choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker has been named choreographer of the year by the prestigious German dance magazine Tanz. De Keersmaeker won the magazine’s dancer of the year award in 2012 and 2013.

She and her company Rosas, based in Brussels, begin a reprise of her 2001 work Rain next month. \ rosas.be

Police should be allowed to work with civilians to make it easier to follow the activities of terrorist groups, the Brussels prosecutorgeneral Johan Demulle has argued.

Such groups are often closed and secretive, he said, making it impossible for a police officer to infiltrate, whereas civilians, including informants, could do so more easily. He also argued that infiltrators should be allowed to commit crimes in order to maintain their position in the group.

Belgium’s top position in the world for the use of in vitro fertilisation treatments is largely due to IVF tourists – foreigners who come to Belgium either because the treatment does not exist in their homeland or because of Belgium’s reputation as a centre of excellence – Genk gynaecologist Willem Ombelet has explained. The country came top of the list in a survey

by The Economist, which reported 2,992 IVF cycles per million residents here in 2010, compared to 1,438 in the Netherlands and 1,392 in France.

A 31-year-old Moroccan woman was attacked in the street in Ghent last week by her ex-partner and died of stab wounds in hospital, the prosecutor’s office has announced. The man is in custody and faces a murder charge.

timeline40.mivb.be

That was extended in 1974 from Madou to Rogier, while a year later a new section was added between Diamant and Boileau.

The future holds great things in store for the metro system: new lines, new stations, driverless trains. By 2025, Brussels’ transport authority plans to spend €5.2 billion on extending and improving the network.

An interactive timeline on the above website includes a history of both networks. Do you have special memories of the metro down the years? Do you have photos of the way things used to be? Add your memories to the pile. \ AH

© Courtesy marbles

tom Herrijgers Bosses don’t have the best reputation for responding enthusiastically to employee requests for time off. But one in Antwerp – Tom Herrijgers, CEO of digital communications company Marbles – is all like, “Sure sure, take as long as you want”.

of work and not-work, so that work concerns can be pushed to the back of the mind. Turns out that actually increases productivity.

All right, Marbles only has eight employees, which makes it easier to plan holidays than it

It’s about giving people the responsibility to manage themselves at a time when they are asking for more flexibility Now known in the media as the coolest boss in Flanders, Herrijgers has told his workers they can take as much holiday time as they like on two conditions: They get their work done and they take at least the legal minimum of 20 days a year.

“It’s important for people to be able to relax,” Herrijgers said last week, when his revolutionary proposal became known to the media. “It leads to better performance.”

Indeed it does, as labour psychologists have found. Nowadays we know that in addition to a block of days off in the middle of the year, workers need to have their months broken up into periods

would be for, say, Delhaize. The company reportedly got the idea, though, from Netflix, the video streaming service, which employs considerably more and which gave them the same deal.

“If someone decides to take 60 days’ holiday, we won’t achieve our targets,” Herrijgers said.

“The other members of the team will then talk to the person, and try to figure out why they need to take so many days off. It’s all about giving people the responsibility to manage themselves at a time when they are asking for more flexibility.”

Does the system work?

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Herrijgers says. \ Alan Hope

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

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

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

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\ pOlItICs

5TH ColuMn Growing pains

In the previous federal government, Maggie De Block (Open VLD) became immensely popular as secretary of state for asylum and migration. De Block has the image of everyone’s favourite auntie, but in fact it was pragmatic decisions – as well as a bit of luck – that made her popularity skyrocket.

As an asylum seeker, Parwais Sanghari of Afghanistan was exemplary. In just four years in Belgium, he had learned Dutch, finished secondary education and found a job as a plumber.

He was liked by everyone who knew him.

But his bid for asylum failed, and he was ordered to leave the country. De Block, who could have reversed the decision, refused to. She was vilified, but she stood by the ruling.

In a similar case, young Scott Manyo from Cameroon was granted leave to stay only for the duration of his education.

In the months that followed, the number of asylum applications dropped dramatically.

De Block, who had little part in this, was seen as the woman who halted the asylum crisis.

How different things are for Theo Francken, who succeeded her. Francken had always been tough on immigration, yet he felt that “we should not spend energy on deporting well-integrated youngsters”. Under Francken, asylum applications rose to new heights, a result of Europe’s refugee crisis.

Francken was caught between his own beliefs – being “tough but fair” – and his responsibility as secretary of state to provide shelter for the thousands that arrived every month. He set to work with admirable energy, opening asylum centres in every possible accommodation, sticking to strong rhetoric on his Twitter account.

And now he faces the same situation De Block did with Scott and Parwaiz. Sixteenyear-old Djellza and her family have been ordered to go back to Kosovo. Djellza has lived in Mechelen since she was a baby.

She has no recollection of her parents’ country and does not speak the language. She believes she is being treated unjustly – and many people agree with her.

Yet, like De Block, Francken refuses to budge. Djellza is a victim, he admits, but only of her parents’ decisions. They have been ordered to leave the country many times before and have ignored the orders each time.

To make matters worse, Djellza’s brothers have been convicted of criminal offences.

And although Djellza herself is a “well-integrated youngster”, her fate seems to be decided. \ Anja Otte

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Kurdish delegation meets with Flemish ministers

meetings to further co-operation following flemish visit to region alan Hope more articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

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delegation from the Kurdistan Regional Government was in Brussels last week at the invitation of Flemish ministerpresident Geert Bourgeois. The visit, led by economy and planning minister Ali Sindi, follows Bourgeois’ trip to the region earlier this year.

Among the subjects discussed was the war against IS and the impact on the Kurdish people in northern Iraq and the thousands of refugees who have fled there. Last year the government of Flanders granted €400,000 to the Flemish Red Cross for its work with the two million refugees in the Gawilan camp.

Sindi’s planning department is closely involved

in both the war against IS and the problem of refugees and displaced persons.

As well as talks with Bourgeois, the Kurdish delegation met Flemish economy minister Philippe Muyters and visited the Red Cross.

Contacts with EU institutions, businesses and a visit to the Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research were also on the agenda.

“We will look closely to see if, besides trade relations, broader social co-operation is possible,” Bourgeois said. “That would be of direct benefit to the situation in the Middle East because the Kurds remain an important factor in the stability of the north of Iraq.”

© Geert bourgeois

the kurdistan regional Government’s economy and planning minister, Ali sindi (left), met Flemish minister-president Geert bourgeois last week

Ministers and locals get together Regional plan against for annual Gordel festival cyber-bullying on the way The annual Gordel cycling and walking festival in de rand, or Flemish periphery of Brussels, attracted 16,000 participants on Sunday, organisers said, 3,000 fewer than last year. Numbers were thought to have been affected by heavy rain on the morning of the event, as well as poor weather forecast for the rest of the day.

The event – closely associated with language politics in an area of Flanders increasingly populated by French-speakers – passed off without incident. In previous years, thumbtacks have been strewn on the road to damage cyclists’ tyres and signposts have been reversed.

This year’s star municipality was Overijse, which was the starting point for many walking and cycling routes, along with the meeting point in Huizingen. At the provincial park in Huizingen there was a

minister-president Geert bourgeois (second from right) and the minister representing de rand, ben weyts (third from right)

market for local products, as well as a jousting tournament and a children’s village. This year also saw the return of the Gordel Classic, a 100km cycle route across the whole Flemish periphery.

Among those taking part were Flemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois, minister for the periphery Ben Weyts and sports minister Philippe Muyters. The event closed with concerts by Eurovision entry Laura Tesoro and Clouseau. \ AH

De Wever comes out against burqini ban The Flemish nationalist party N-VA is not in favour of a ban on the burqini swimming garment, party president Bart De Wever told VRT News. Such a measure, introduced in some coastal towns in France and supported by some N-VA party members, would be “a bridge too far” and legally impossible to enforce, he said.

The ban on the full-body bathing suit worn by Muslim women has found some support in Flanders, particularly in the coastal towns.

N-VA member of the Flemish parliament Nadia Sminate came out in favour of a ban this month.

“We live in Flanders, and we decide what the rules are,” she said. “If we have to draw the line to give force

to our norms and values, then that’s what we have to do.”

Party colleague Hendrik Vuye of the federal parliament took the other point of view: “Such limits on liberty have to be proportional and respond to a compelling social need,” he wrote in De Standaard.

Though he does not support a ban, De Wever said that the party is fundamentally opposed to the garment. “It is a symbol of inequality between men and women, even when worn voluntarily,” he said.

“We’d rather not see it at all.”

The party continues to support a ban on the garment in municipal swimming pools, where full-body wear such as wetsuits are also not allowed. \ AH

Flanders will soon announce its plan to tackle cyber-bullying, according to member of the Flemish parliament Vera Jans (CD&V). The plan is coming “not a day too soon”, she said.

There will be an action plan for 2016-2018 and a campaign, No Hate Vlaanderen, to teach children and young people how to respond to cyber-bullying if it happens to them, and how to help prevent it from happening to others.

“With the increase in online communication, cyber-bullying has become a serious problem that affects everyday life,” Jans

said. “It happens often because it can be done anonymously and round the clock. That’s why it has such a great impact on so many victims.”

Another part of the package involves an online media education platform for parents with tips and advice on how to cope with the problem. The Flemish Education Council will also create a platform for bullying and well-being. The sports sector, meanwhile, is working on raising awareness around the need to create bully-free environments. \ AH

Corporation tax cuts would leave €4.5 billion deficit, Peeters says Federal economy minister Kris Peeters (CD&V) has raised doubts over a plan by his government colleague, finance minister Johan Van Overtveldt (N-VA), to cut business tax to 20%, apparently without any source of alternative financing.

The tax cut from 34% to 20% would leave a €4.5 billion hole in the federal budget. To make up the deficit, a capital gains tax was proposed on income accrued when all or part of a business was sold. Another alternative was an increase in the tax on investment income from 27% to 30%.

During negotiations, Van Overveldt has taken the position that neither of those options are necessary. “I’m concerned that the lowering of tax on corporations may not be able to be organised in a way that is budgetneutral,” Peeters told VRT radio.

“The basic question now is how on earth you can go down to 20% when you know that the tax base has to be grown by €30 billion.”

Peeters and his party had favoured both of the alternative measures, although the rise in investment tax would bring in only €330 million. The scrapping of the so-called notional interest deduction would raise about €3 billion. However, that measure would run the risk of an exodus of multinationals, which are allowed to write off some income taxable here.

Peeters said he would wait to see the result of internal government discussions based on Van Overtveldt’s note, but warned that, if necessary, “I will come forward with concrete proposals of my own on fair taxation”. \ AH

september 7, 2016

Never a dull moment

traffic, tourism and animal rights are all in a day’s work for minister ben weyts alan Hope more articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

Flemish minister Ben Weyts spoke to Flanders Today ahead of a trade mission to West Africa, to discuss the challenges facing him in his portfolios, from trade to ritual slaughter.

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onsidering it has a hand in the affairs of a population of more than six million people in an increasing number of policy areas, it’s rather surprising that there are only nine ministers in the government of Flanders. The wide variety of portfolios each of them is obliged to carry means there’s never a dull moment, as we found on interviewing Ben Weyts.

When we speak, Weyts is two days away from a week-long trip to West Africa to promote Flemish ports and other businesses. But his workload also includes cycle paths, First World War tourism, building work on the Antwerp and Brussels ring roads, the Flemish periphery around Brussels and the thorny issue of ritual slaughter of animals.

The West Africa trip, taking in Guinea and Ivory Coast, includes a delegation of some 50 regional companies, but there’s a special emphasis on the ports. “We want to offer ourselves as a main region, as the front door of a European market of about 500 million consumers,” he says. “Because of our logistics and the expertise of our ports, it’s advantageous for countries – and for continents even – to enter the European market through our ports.”

Port business is good, certainly not being affected by the terrorist attacks of 22 March as other businesses have been – like tourism. We’ve heard a great deal about the effects on Brussels of the attacks, but not much about Flanders. How have tourist destinations like the coast, the art cities and the First World War sites been affected?

“Cities that have tourists from overseas markets – Asia and America – were hit really hard,” Weyts says. “That’s Bruges and Brussels mainly, Antwerp less. Cities that have more European tourists, like Ghent, didn’t really suffer at all. In April and May, I think we had a setback of 9% in overnight stays.”

The government’s main response was the Share Our Smile campaign, launched at Brussels Airport once it had got back on its feet after the attack. The principle behind it, Weyts says, was to counter the wave of sympathy – he even uses the word pity – immediately after the attacks. “That’s not how to promote yourself. You have to believe in your own assets,” he says.

The campaign was very well received, he says, because it was positive. “The effect of

© Courtesy ben weyts/twitter

ben weyts (left) during the Flemish trade mission to west Africa

© luc Claessen/belga

keeping Flanders moving: ben weyts

terrorist attacks on tourism is very severe, but the pendulum also swings the other way: The situation is very quickly restored to what it was. The effect tends to fade away in the short term. I hope the number of overnight stays will be back to normal next year.”

Some of the minister’s most pressing issues, though, return year after year. Back in 2014, when animal welfare moved from being a

would appear to be a breach of the freedom of religion.

“I said in 2014 that we were not going to allow ritual slaughter in temporary slaughterhouses any more,” he says. “There was a great deal of discussion about that, and some judicial procedures. Now I want an overall end to slaughter without stunning, and I have to admit that even in my govern-

I think in a civilised society it’s our duty to spare animals from suffering whenever we can federal to a regional responsibility, Weyts announced a “dialogue” on the question of animal testing.

“Animal testing is sometimes necessary because it saves lives,” he says. “That’s just a fact. What we want to do is study the alternatives to animal testing more. We don’t need to re-invent the wheel: The alternatives are being studied all around the world.”

The Netherlands is home to the Knowledge Centre on Alternatives to Animal Use in Utrecht, and Weyts wants to work with the Dutch to avoid duplicating their work. “I’ve also recently been talking with companies that use animal testing to get them to take part in the studies into alternatives.”

Meanwhile, the proposed ban on ritual slaughter – slaughter of animals without stunning them first, for religious purposes – seems to have been dealt a death-blow by the Council of State, which said such a ban

ment there is not a consensus. I’ve tried to start a dialogue and appointed an intermediary to talk to the religious communities.”

The ban is built, he says, on the simple principle of animal suffering. “My position is that it would be a good thing for the religious communities to evolve in the direction of slaughter with stunning.

In other countries, like New Zealand and even in some Muslim countries, slaughter is halal even when there’s stunning. So if it’s possible in those countries why shouldn’t it be possible here?”

He knows, he continues, that it’s about religious rights, “but can’t we exercise our religious rights with respect for animal welfare? I think in a civilised society it’s our duty to spare animals from suffering whenever we can”.

And finally, possibly Weyts’ most pressing daily concern: mobility. The latest proposal

to cut traffic congestion on the Brussels Ring involves changing the road markings at certain junctions to improve traffic flow.

It has been criticised as a cosmetic solution.

“It’s not a solution, but it helps,” he says, referring to studies of adjustments to road markings in Antwerp that showed a 35-40% reduction in traffic jams. The government is also putting more money than ever into mobility: an investment of about €2 billion in the Brussels Ring and €3.5 billion in Antwerp.

“The biggest problem with the Brussels Ring is the number of incidents and accidents – about 1,100 a year,” he says. “That’s because there are a lot of exits, meaning through traffic coincides with local traffic going on and off.”

About 20 kilometres of road infrastructure will be changed, he explains, so there will be only four points where drivers can get on and off, compared to the current 13. “We’ll also add a new two-lane road on each side for local traffic, so there are fewer incidents between through and local traffic.”

The mobility plan also covers alternatives to the car: alongside the investment in the ring, funds are being used for 40km of bike infrastructure and 60km of tram infrastructure, with three new tram projects from Willebroek to Brussels North Station, from Jette to Brussels Airport via Vilvoorde and Grimbergen, and from Brussels North to Brussels Airport.

Weyts: “That’s an investment of more than €2 billion, not only in road traffic but also because we want to convince people to leave the car at home and use alternatives.”

\5

\ bUsIness

week in business transport Octa+ The Vilvoorde-based petrol station and petroleum products retailing group has acquired Antwerp’s Blue Corner, the leading provider of electric car charging stations, with some 600 across the country.

banking Van breda

The Antwerp-based financial institution, which caters to businesses and entrepreneurs, has been designated to take over the insurances portfolio of the bankrupt Optima Bank.

The deal involves some 6,600 contracts worth €140 million.

brewing bosteels

The brewery, known for its Kwak and Karmeliet beers, is up for sale. Located in Buggenhout, East Flanders, the company is estimated at €200 million. The Duvel-Moortgat group had expressed an interest but has pulled out of negotiations, leaving the Dutch Heineken as frontrunner.

Air brussels Airlines

The Zaventem-based carrier is seeking to replace its nine ageing Avro RJ100 aircraft and some of its older Airbus A330 with new planes. The company is expected to issue a tender as soon as the negotiations with Lufthansa over its future relationship with the German airline is clarified.

Air brussels Airport

Flights between the US and Brussels Airport are to be significantly reduced over the winter as a result of a drop in traffic due to the terrorist attacks in Belgium and France. The number of flights will drop to 43 a week compared to 63 previously.

American Airlines’ service to Philadelphia is cancelled as well as Delta’s flight to Atlanta.

retail euro shoe

The shoe retailer, based in Beringen, Limburg, with 345 outlets operating under the names Shoe Discount, Avance and Bristol in the Benelux, plans to open up to 30 additional outlets in the Netherlands.

Aluminium Aleris

The US-owned aluminium producer has been acquired

by China’s Zhongwang company. Little change is expected for the unit in Duffel, Antwerp province, and its 1,000 workers.

\6

Practical guide helps SMEs get started on social media social media coaching center helps with media and marketing senne starckx more articles by senne \ flanderstoday.eu

S

ocial media offers a cheap and effective channel for advertising, marketing and communication, but the companies that reap the benefits are mainly large international corporations. To address the issue, the Social Media Coaching Center (SMCC) in Diepenbeek, Limburg, has published a how-to guide to getting started on social media.

Social Media: Wat, Waarom & Hoe? (Social Media: What, Why and How?) was launched last week at an event featuring Flemish innovation minister Philippe Muyters and federal minister for the digital agenda Alexander De Croo as guest speakers.

The centre was founded this year at the University College Leuven-Limburg (UCLL). One of the

© Chris berthels/UCll

services the centre offers to small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) is close guidance in the integration of social media into their marketing strategies.

Last spring, the centre helped 25 SMEs get started with social media. “The question CEOs should ask is not if their company should be active on social media, but what their strategy will be,” said Robrecht Van Goolen of UCLL’s management and technology department. “For an answer to that question, they can rely on our expertise, and we invite them to use the creativity of our students to think outside the box.”

Muyters (pictured) said Flemish CEOs and entrepreneurs would find much to appreciate in the guide, as it’s written in the spirit of the SMCC. “We have seen that the SMCC succeeds with its unique guidance courses, done in close collaboration with the students of the UCLL. I believe this is a true win-win.”

NMBS ordered to remove all advertising from stations

Theme parks and coastal businesses look back on successful summer

The national rail authority NMBS has been ordered to remove all advertising panels from train stations across the country, following a court ruling in a claim filed by Brussels advertising firm JCDecaux.

JCDecaux claimed that the agreement under which NMBS gave the advertising concession to their main competitor, Clear Channel, was arrived at unfairly, blocking all possible competition until 2021. A court of first instance turned down the Decaux action, but the judgement was reversed on appeal, with the court finding that Publifer, a joint venture between Clear Chan-

As children return to school, the holiday season is officially over, and the region’s seaside resorts and theme parks are able to look back on a generally successful summer.

The coast enjoyed better weather than the rest of the country: 200 hours more sun and 60mm less rain. The summer in general was average, with no more sun or less rain than previous years. Then came the heat wave in the second half of August, which drove thousands to the coast. The last time such a heat wave happened so late in the year was in 1942.

Visitors to Plopsaland in De Panne topped the half-million mark, reaching 503,000, 1% more than in 2015, helped by the 20th anniversary celebrations of parent company Studio 100. The park

nel and NMBS, was at fault.

The judgement involves 1,700 advertising hoardings and some 100 digital screens for a total advertising surface of 10,000 square metres, making it the largest advertising space in the country. NMBS has been given eight months to remove all of it.

The rail authority said it would examine the ruling, while considering a possible recourse to the Cassation Court. “We have three months to decide if we will appeal,” a spokesperson said. “You won’t be seeing empty advertising boards in stations tomorrow.” \ AH

said it was “very pleased” with the numbers.

At Bellewaerde in Zonnebeke, West Flanders, numbers were up 5%, helped by fine weather in July and the appearance of newborn Amur leopards. At Boudewijn Seapark in Bruges, the main attraction was an open-air swimming pool, but numbers for July and August remained the same as last year.

Bobbejaanland in Kasterlee, Antwerp province, recorded the best results of all, with an increase in visitors of some 15%. Antwerp Zoo, recently renovated, recorded an increase in visitors of 40% in July and 25% in August, with peaks on the 15 August holiday and the Belle Époque picnic marking the zoo’s 170th anniversary on 21 July. \ Alan Hope

Antwerp to invest in world’s main cocoa port © Courtesy philippedecoene.wordpress.com

Lorries banned from near Kortrijk schools during school run The city of Kortrijk has banned all heavy-goods traffic in the vicinity of schools in the hour before the start of classes and the half-hour after the end of the school day.

The city reached the agreement with the Construction Confederation and the Building Union and it applies to works vehicles weighing more than five tonnes.

The agreement is said to be the first of its kind in Flanders. The Institute for Road Safety called it “an extremely important signal”.

Mobility minister Ben Weyts told VTM News it was “an outstanding initiative to the benefit of road

safety, especially as it came about based on a local agreement. I hope that other municipalities in Flanders can reach the same kind of agreement.”

The agreement also obliges contractors of works taking place near schools to keep roads and pavements clear. The city stressed that the agreement is informal, so there is no question of fines for anyone failing to meet the terms.

However, city authorities promised to intervene as quickly as possible in the event of complaints from parents, pupils or residents.

\ AH

Antwerp’s Port Authority is investing in facilities at the port of San Pedro in Ivory Coast, the country’s second biggest port after Abidjan. The announcement was made during the trade mission to West Africa led by Flemish minister Ben Weyts.

San Pedro moves more cocoa beans than any other port in the world.

It also aims to profile itself as a “logistics hotspot” for fertiliser and cashew nuts, which requires the construction of a logistics centre.

Port of Antwerp International, the port’s consultancy and investment subsidiary, has signed an agreement to fund 35% of the €5.5 million cost.

The two ports have had a mutual promotion arrangement since 2011, which saw San Pedro’s traffic increase to 4.9 million tonnes,

as well as the development of a master plan and logistic zones.

Antwerp will now provide technical expertise for the extension of the port, while its training division will provide two scholarships a year for San Pedro employees to come to Antwerp for advanced training.

Meanwhile, Ghent-based group SEA-invest, which is already active in Abidjan, will create the logistics platform.

“This is the first concrete investment by the port of Antwerp in West Africa,” said Antwerp CEO Eddy Bruyninckx, who was part of the trade mission. “This commitment emphasises our belief in the potential of this port, with its location and connection with the hinterland of Liberia, Guinea and Mali offering an enormous advantage for Antwerp.” \ AH

\ COVer stOry

september 7, 2016

© Communicatie UZ leuven

the merger of cancer divisions at kU leuven and UZ leuven involved the transfer of hundreds of staff, as well as more than 30,000 patients

A cut above cancer

with more than 200 clinical trials, lki is at the forefront of cancer research continued from page 1

overview of specific tumours.”

So LKI created “mind the gap” sessions, in which speakers explain their work in terms that are understandable to the audience. “It sounds obvious, but all too often our talks become ‘good news shows’ that are geared towards impressing the public, when we should be trying to resolve any remaining unknowns, because they hinder potential and novel collaborations,” says Van Lint.

But the challenge of bringing together two different medical worlds doesn’t stop at scientists and clinicians. Swinnen, who, in addition to serving as LKI’s vicepresident, is also a professor of oncology at KU Leuven, goes through the centre’s long list of staff.

“We employ fundamental and clinical researchers, plus doctors and nurses, who cover every aspect related to cancer and cancer patients, from genetics and immunology, to surgical work and psychology.”

Cancer tumours come with many signs and symptoms. They also attack different organs, requiring the involvement of a variety of specialists. Then there are the actual patients who need both physical and mental support throughout the process.

“Cancer involves more than just the tumour,” explains Swinnen.

“In treatment, everything revolves

uZleuven-kuleuven.be/lki

around fighting the cancerous growth, and that is, of course, essential. But we must not forget about the patient who’s frightened and doesn’t want to feel or look ill all the time.”

When Swinnen’s son was diag-

most successful cancer institutes in the world,” says Van der Perre.

“But world-class research and treatment methods come with a price tag. We are looking into fundraising, and there is a lot we can learn from institutes in the US

Swinnen. “If we target a gene or a protein that’s only present in cancer cells, we can dramatically reduce the side effects.”

Furthermore, he says, every cancer patient is unique. “Two breast cancer patients might share the

Cancer cells are true masters at manipulation. You could say that they bribe our immune cells to let them through nosed with brain cancer, the scientist realised first-hand that the illness doesn’t stop at treatment.

While the surgery, combined with radio- and chemotherapy, was successful at treating the tumour, it confined Pieter to a wheelchair.

Because the treatment had hindered his cognitive abilities, he also had to leave school. “The dreams of becoming a tennis star made way for the struggle with everyday routines,” says Swinnen.

LKI is currently running some 200 clinical trials involving new or improved cancer drugs and treatments. “We’re definitely at the forefront of cancer research and therapy,” says Swinnen. But cancer research is a costly endeavour.

“With the merger, LKI has modelled itself on some of the

and the UK.” The way doctors and scientists look at cancer has changed radically over the past decades. For a long time, the three main treatments – surgery, radiation and chemotherapy – were applied in a very rigorous manner.

The treatments, often applied simultaneously, would result in a lot of collateral damage, killing healthy cells on top of the malignant ones. “The survival rates only started to increase when we began to view cancer as a complex, multifactorial disease, in which every tumour has distinct characteristics,” says Swinnen.

This change led to more personalised and precise treatment methods. “Cancer cells are very different from healthy ones,” continues

same diagnosis, but it’s very likely that their tumours have very distinct genetic make-ups. To find this out, we’d have to sequence the tumours’ DNA, which takes up a lot of time and resources.”

That’s the advantage of a multidisciplinary centre like LKI, he adds. “We have all this technology and expertise in-house and we are constantly setting up common technical platforms that are used by both fundamental researchers and clinical doctors.”

Swinnen is working on the development of a revolutionary cancer therapy that boosts the patient’s immune system, instead of weakening it. In 2013, his field, known as immunotherapy, was declared the “scientific breakthrough of the year” by the journal Science.

“The problem with cancer,” says Swinnen, “is that the tumour cells are not regarded by our immune system as foreign or necessarily bad. That’s because cancer cells are true masters at manipulation.

You could say that they bribe our immune cells to let them through.”

To promote immunotherapy, LKI will organise a special conference later this month, bringing national and international experts to discuss the treatment method’s various aspects. One of the key questions is how to restore the ability of post-cancer cells to trigger immune responses.

The huge advantage of immunotherapy, say scientists, is that it could lead to a more stable and lasting repression of the cancer.

For now, however, the treatment method works on a limited number of patients. Two drugs – one against lung cancer and another against melanoma – have already been approved by the European food and drug authority, but among the biggest hurdles is the absence of a reliable test that can predict if the patient would benefit from immunotherapy.

But that hasn’t put a damper on the enthusiasm of researchers like Swinnen. “From a purely scientific point of view, this is a very promising technique,” he says. “It yields an entirely new category of cancer drugs that we could have never dreamt of before.”

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\ InnOVAtIOn

september 7, 2016

Renaissance cavemen

week in innovaTion

potholing scientist discovers that neanderthals were builders and explorers john bean more articles by John \ flanderstoday.eu

I

t was the summer of 2013, and Flemish geologist Sophie Verheyden was on holiday in the Aveyron valley of southern France. She happened on an exhibition about the Bruniquel cave organised by a local caving club.

The grotto had lain undisturbed for many thousands of years, its entrance sealed behind a prehistoric rockslide. That was until 1990, when it was discovered by chance.

A few years later, after clearing debris from the entrance, cavers became the first people to set foot inside Bruniquel – or so they thought.

Squeezing through narrow, dark, underground passages, they ventured approximately 350 metres inside, where, to their amazement, they discovered several structures crafted from broken pieces of stalagmite.

They were not the first people to have been here.

Someone else had built these structures a very long time ago.

Verheyden, a paleoclimatologist at the Free University of Brussels (VUB) and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, recalls: “I saw in the club’s materials the ordered arrangement of equally sized stalagmites, the circular geometry, the traces of fire along the stalagmite wall structures, and I wanted to see these structures for myself.”

Back in Brussels, she and her colleagues have now analysed the stalagmites to determine their age, and the research has led to revelations about Neanderthal life.

When it was first discovered, the cave (pictured) caught the attention of archaeologist Francois Rouzaud. His team, the first to study the site, had attempted to determine when it was built.

They tried using carbon-14 dating on a burnt bone found at the site, but the bone was too old to be measured by the carbon-14 technique.

They were left to conclude that it was more than 47,000 years old.

Yet the nagging question remained: Who built these structures? Modern humans didn’t reach

© Courtesy etienne Fabre/société spéléo-Archéologique de Caussade

A chance encounter on holiday led VUb geologist sophie Verheyden to change the way scientists think about neanderthal life in europe

Europe until roughly 40,000 years ago.

The story might well have ended there, because Rouzaud died unexpectedly in 1999. The dig was closed, and all archaeological work stopped. So it was pure chance that Verheyden came across the speleological exhibition on that summer day.

Verheyden knows stalagmites. In her work, she studies their chemistry to obtain clues about ancient climates, and she knew she could accurately determine the age of these structures.

“When I was at the exhibition, I suspected that the carbon-14 date was merely giving us the minimum possible age of the site,” she says. “I wondered why they hadn’t thought to determine the age of the stalagmites instead of the bones.”

So she put together a team and applied uranium-series dating on the stalagmite. Astonishingly, their results showed that the site was

built between 175,000 and 177,000 years ago, a point in history when Neanderthals were the only human species living in Europe.

Her team’s discovery has changed our view about Neanderthals. We knew they had fire, but it now seems that they were also explorers and builders. They could access the depths of caves, something that required lighting. They were also capable of building carefully designed structures within these deep recesses.

Verheyden and her colleagues plan to continue their work to shed more light on the Neanderthals. She notes that traces of past fires are likely buried under layers of calcite built up over time, and geochemical analysis of the soils around the sites will help them determine the best places to look for additional clues.

She believes there might well be another undiscovered entrance to the cave, and so she will, she says, continue spelunking for Neanderthals.

Interactive games put young patients at ease emrg.be/projects/story-table

A stay in hospital can be unpleasant for any patient – and even more so for children, who may not understand why they are there and miss home or their friends. Researchers based at the Sint-Lucas University College of Art and Design in Antwerp are combining art and technology in interactive multimedia games and environments to reduce that stress.

“Using new technologies in art, we would like to improve the daily lives of children who are hospitalised long-term,” explains Ludivine Lechat, one of the researchers.

The team, from the school’s Experimental Media Research Group (EMRG), are working on several approaches to storytelling – from an “interactive wall” to artificial intelligence – with the potential to be integrated into a complete system to complement children’s play and therapy sessions.

The four-year project, called Story Table, is now in its second year. The first hospital tests of the interactive wall are about to begin: trying out simple graphics and allowing children to interact and control them with their movements. At the same time, the team is conducting research into the kinds of imagery and environments that can help make long hospital stays less stressful

and more enjoyable.

“For example, we’re going to make an interactive aquarium,” Lechat says. The idea is to develop interactivity that encourages creativity and is calming for the child. While technologies to treat physical illness continue to improve rapidly, she says, “we also have all these emotional states that we need to care for.”

The EMRG team emphasises the growing body of evidence that a patient’s environment plays an important role in their recovery. The project aims to use the research group’s wide range of experience with digital artwork, creativity research and human-computer interaction.

The next step will be to develop the artificial intelligence aspect of the project. “The idea is that the stories would be able to evolve by themselves,” Lechat explains, so that children will be able to create and change the story each time they play.

At first sight, the idea might seem a little farfetched, but Lechat points out that children are already very familiar with interactive and multimedia technologies. On the other hand, she stresses that the aim is to provide a tool for therapy and guided play – not a “computer babysitter” – and games must be carefully designed to

AApm recognition for Ghent radiologist

Ghent University professor Wilfried De Neve, a pioneer in radiotherapy, has been awarded Honorary Membership by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine for “distinguished service” in developing radiation treatments with fewer side effects.

According to the organisation, it’s because of researchers like De Neve that radiation continues to be a viable treatment next to chemotherapy and surgery. Back in the 1980s, De Neve brought together an international group of physicists, engineers and radiologists to improve radiation treatments. With his team, he pioneered intensity-modulated radiotherapy, or IMRT, which led to a significant drop in toxicity levels in patients with tumours in the head or neck.

researcher identifies cement substitutes

Ruben Snellings of the Flemish Institute for Technological Research has won a Gustavo Colonnetti Medal for his extensive investigation of supplementary cementing materials (SCMs). A sustainable materials expert, Snellings won the award for his identification of new sources of materials that can replace cement in the production of concrete. SCMs are considered the most effective measure to reduce both the costs and the greenhouse gas emissions in the production of cement. Cement is the main component in concrete, the most used material in the world after water. Some 4.2 billion tonnes of cement is produced each year, with a massive impact on the environment and climate change.

Community co-operatives at all-time high

© Courtesy emrG

the interactive aquarium will encourage creativity while calming kids’ nerves in the process

not overexcite potentially frail children.

“The idea is to create it with the children and to see what works, what doesn’t work, what can we improve, which direction we have to go in,” she says, emphasising the project’s co-creation approach to working with health-care professionals, child patients and their therapists.

The project is supported by the government of Flanders and is working with hospitals, including Antwerp and Leuven’s university hospitals, as well as computer science research groups such as CLiPS in Antwerp. \ Hywel Jones

Since 2008, the number of new initiatives launched by residents without any assistance from the government or other professional organisation has skyrocketed. While between 2000 and 2008, only four such civilian co-operatives were set up, 44 more joined their ranks by 2014. The figures were released by the ecological think tank Oikos, which carried out the first study done on collectives, with help from Utrecht University. The researchers found roughly 10 economic sectors in which the collectives could be classified.

Food, living space, energy, the sharing economy and sustainability were the most common. \ Senne Starckx

\9

\ eDUCAtIOn

week in eduCaTion new course puts focus on citizenship

The community education network (GO!) will experiment with a new citizenship course that will teach children to become active citizens who interact respectfully with each other. GO! also launched the “citizenship booster”, an online survey on citizenship to be filled in by students of all schools. On the basis of the results, schools can opt to strengthen their focus on certain aspects – for example, democracy at school or sustainability. In January, GO! will start the trial project with the separate course on citizenship, in 10 schools. According to GO!, the course is necessary to improve pupils’ attitudes and skills connected to active citizenship, for which there is not always time in the existing courses.

top sport school opens in Antwerp

A third secondary school dedicated to young athletes has opened in Flanders, offering regular education along with intense training. City Lyceum Topsport in Antwerp offers 20 hours a week of ordinary education in the three streams of general humanities, technical and professional studies. On top of that, each student trains 12 hours a week in their own discipline, organised with national and regional sport federations.

The school is open to a select number of students chosen by sport federations who have been named a top young athlete. The government of Flanders contributed over €4 million for the school’s construction. The other two sport schools are in Ghent and Leuven.

pupils face road risks on way home

Children are 50% more likely to be hurt in an accident on their way home from school than on their way to school, according to the Belgian Road Safety Institute (BIVV), which has launched an awareness campaign. The end of the week is even more dangerous than the beginning, said BIVV. During the period 2011 to 2015, there were 303 children injured in accidents on their way to school on a Monday morning and 515 on a Friday evening. BIVV attributes the figures to fatigue and the fact that everyone is happy that the school week is over. In Brussels, the majority of victims were pedestrians, while in Flanders the majority were on bicycles.

\ 10

A broad church

leuven historian charts legacy of flemish missionaries in china toon lambrechts more articles by toon \ flanderstoday.eu

P

rofessor Thomas Coomans is just back from his latest trip to China. The University of Leuven architectural historian has been on a church-hunting trip in Anhui province with colleagues from Beijing, to explore the legacy of Flemish missionaries in the country.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, missionaries travelled to China from Flanders and elsewhere in Europe to preach Christianity. The churches they built with the locals are a unique blend of Western and Chinese traditions, but this architectural legacy is not particularly well-known.

Coomans is the first to conduct systematic research on the cultural cross-pollination, the result of which is a unique blend of styles, construction techniques and materials. “A lot of churches in the region were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and ’70s,” he explains, “but we found some very interesting surviving buildings. It was moving for me because I knew them only from old blackand-white pictures in the archives.”

Flanders played an important role in the Western effort to introduce Christianity to China. The Scheut missionaries, founded by Flemish priest Theophiel Verbiest, were known for their work in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. But at first their focus was China, especially in the area of present-day Inner Mongolia, Gansu and northern Hebei. There were also Flemish Franciscans in Yichang and the western part of Hupei province.

The heyday of church construction began after the Boxer Rebel-

© mep Archief

A 19th-century hybrid Chinese-Gothic church in the province of Guizhou

lion of 1900, when several hundred churches destroyed by the Boxers needed to be rebuilt. It was a golden opportunity for the Scheut missionaries, especially for Father Alphonse De Moerloose, Coomans says.

De Moerloose had studied architecture in Ghent in the 1880s. Later, he joined the Scheut congregation and was sent to China.

“As both an architect and a missionary, he was the right man in the right place,” Coomans explains, “and he became the leading church architect in northern China. His design clearly bears the hallmarks

of the typical gothic revival style that was taught at his school in Ghent. The first time I saw photos of one of his churches, the building style felt very familiar.”

Some of the remaining churches would not look out of place in the Flemish countryside. “A missionary arrives in a village with preconceptions about how a church should look,” Coomans says. “But the Chinese architectural traditions are completely different, as are the available building materials and the opinions of the local population. That’s when cross-pollination happens.”

Many churches, he continues, “are built according to the principles of feng shui, the traditional rules for organising space and laying out buildings and tombs. It means most churches have a different orientation to what you find in Europe.”

The Flemish missionaries imported the so-called Bruges style, a local interpretation of neo-gothic architecture popular in Flanders at the time. “Gothic revival was looked on as a universal style of building churches,” Coomans explains. “As a result, today you can find churches in Inner Mongolia built as if they were to serve a Flemish parish.”

From the 1920s, the church embraced a different strategy for its missionary work. Instead of following imperialist policies, missions were urged to express Catholicism through local languages, culture and practices. Newly built churches became distinctly more Chinese.

After the Japanese occupation, the Chinese Civil War and the establishment of the People’s Republic in 1949, church-building became a thingofthepast.DuringtheCultural Revolution, all churches were given another use or destroyed.

Since the1980s,theChinesegovernment has been more relaxed about religion and returned the churches to the remaining Christian communities. “In many villages, the church is one of the oldest surviving buildings, due to the rapid changes China is going through,” Coomans says.

“Sometimes these old churches are protected as monuments, but often not. China has a different view of heritage to us. But there are still many architectural treasures to discover.”

Masterclass aims to bridge divide between academia and real world monomasterclass.be

A common complaint among employers across the EU is that graduates lack the professional skills to match their academic achievements.

In particular, job-seekers frequently fall short in the basic skills needed to thrive in a business environment.

It’s a scenario backed up by research.

At the end of last year, the independent firm High Fliers Research concluded that one in three entrylevel positions in the UK was expected to be filled by graduates who had already worked with that organisation, through a holiday job or an internship.

The importance of work experience cannot be underestimated. Unfortunately, gaining that work experience is not always easy. Even when graduates have taken the first step on the career ladder, the gap between academia and the “real world” can seem huge.

This is the challenge being addressed

by the Mono Masterclass, a full-time, three-month coaching course starting in Ghent next month. It’s open to anyone over 18, whether they’ve completed their studies or not.

The objective is to immerse students in various practical facets of business, such as marketing, financial management, leadership and organisation. The course is based on case studies from industry and is given by experts from companies such as Securex and Decupere & Partners, think-tank Think with People and the Start-it @KBC incubator.

The course takes place at the Communicatie Campus Gent and will involve regular field trips into the business world, primarily visiting sites belonging to the partners involved in the course. Students will have the opportunity to follow up with refresher courses.

“Each participant will be coached by a Mono partner to grow both

personally and professionally,” says An Boone, one of the organisers.

“Mono means the start of a new life for participants: stepping out of their comfort zone, developing an entrepreneurial attitude, and growing a network that will last the rest of their lives.”

The course is limited to 15 students to enable customised coaching, with mentors working on the personal and professional growth of each participant. Applicants will be interviewed and selected on the basis of their enthusiasm, motivation, educational background, interests and the areas in which they wish to develop.

The course starts with an analysis of what a person enjoys doing, and aims to build on their strengths.

One feature is an absence of formal textbooks. Instead, the focus is on exchanging experiences with the 15 professional coaches, gurus for

specific topics, the students’ individual mentor and fellow participants.

It also seeks to build a person’s network, claiming that at the end of the course each participant can connect with more than 35,000 professionals. Obviously, there can be no assurance that a student will end up with their dream job, although that’s the ultimate goal.

“We strongly believe that the Masterclass will increase their chances of recruitment, because it enables the student to gain experiences and acquire skills that aren’t possible through conventional education,” Boone says.

The €3,000 course fee covers everything: registration, in-company training, networking, customised coaching by a personal mentor, talent development and lessons from industry gurus. An information day takes place on 8 September. \ Denzil Walton

\ lIVInG

september 7, 2016

Door into the past

week in aCTiviTies

open monument day peers into flanders’ architectural heritage laurens bouckaert more articles by laurens \ flanderstoday.eu

openmonumentendag.be

S

aying Flanders likes cultural events would be an understatement. The region has festivals for every branch of the cultural sphere, from music and film to theatre, comedy and fine arts.

During Open Monument Day, the spotlight is on architectural heritage.

In 1984, the European Council initiated European Heritage Days, with France hosting the first event.

The Netherlands held their first Open Monumentendag in 1987, Flanders joined the party in 1990.

Open Monument Day offers opportunities to visit buildings, sites and monuments, many of which are not normally accessible to the public. The event draws over half a million visitors each year.

The 28th edition promises to be the biggest ever, with more than 800 sites opening their doors. And the list could get even longer. At time of writing, owners of heritage sites were still registering to take part.

“This is the second edition without a central theme,” says Kristl Strubbe, head of Herita, the Flemish government’s heritage agency that runs the event. “Last year we decided to divide the visits into categories, rather than look for a theme that could cover everything. The formula has proven to be a huge success.”

The categories include castles, religious and industrial heritage, open houses, classics and the intriguing-sounding quests. “We would like to stress that this a family-friendly event, which is why we’re hosting some 30-odd quests throughout the region,” says Strubbe.

The Onze-Lieve-Vrouw en Sint-Eligius church in the Waarmaarde neighbourhood of Avelgem, West Flanders, is the site of one of these quests.

The small town, Strubbe says, is building up to host a true spectacle this year.

“Waarmaarde is home to the largest archaeological site in the whole of Flanders,” she explains.

“The archaeological team is going to give hi-tech demonstrations using drones and quads,” which should appeal to older kids.

The classics category consists of Unesco World Heritage sites like the Groot Begijnhof in Ghent, but also more modern architectural work, such as the Vanstraelen House in Hasselt. The house holds works by some of the 20th century’s most celebrated artists, including David Hockney and

The fifth annual food and wine festival in Brussels’ Warandepark sees gourmet chefs from the city’s top restaurants serving up signature dishes and wine producers from the Bordeaux region on hand to introduce their wares. Serious wine enthusiasts can sign up for a Grand Cru master class. Admission is free, wine pass required for tastings (€18-€35). 8-11 September, 12.00-23.00, Warandepark, Brussels; free \ visit.brussels

scottish weekend

Visit the hidden courtyard behind Antwerp Cathedral during Open monument Day

Roy Liechtenstein.

In Antwerp, Open Monument Day will see guided tours through the Tentoonstellingswijk, the

guide.”

Entry to most of the sites taking part in Open Monument Day is free; only those designated as

This annual festival at Alden Biesen Castle is a celebration of all things Scottish, including traditional music, food and games. There’s the Belgian Pipe Band championship and Highland Dancing competition, as well as international musical acts, highland games, shepherding demos and a market. 9-11 September, Landcommanderij Alden Biesen, Kasteelstraat, Bilzen; €20 \ schotsweekend.be

limburg bike Days

The archaeological team is going to give hi-tech demonstrations using drones and quads modernist neighbourhood that’s been brilliantly shaped by the clash of ideas of architects such as Eduard Van Steenbergen, Léon Stynen, Huib Hoste and Renaat Braem. Visitors can also take a tour of House Guiette, an early project by the renowned Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier, which was added to the Unesco World Heritage list earlier this summer.

Then, there’s the open-house category. “People are always very curious about old houses and castles that are still inhabited,” says Strubbe. “At the Starrenhof Castle in Kapellen, for example, the family who lives there will serve as the tour

“exclusive” have a small fee attached. “This category is new this year,” explains Strubbe. “You first have to register with Herita to become a member.”

Only then, she adds, will you be able to pick from the exclusive sites, which include the visit to Antwerp Cathedral’s garden and a guided tour of Bruges’ Concertgebouw led by Hilde Daem, one of its architects.

11 september Across Flanders

biTe catspressos & meowcchiatos: ghent welcomes new cat cafe

wearedreamcatcHers.be

DreamCATchers, Ghent’s newest cafe, is no ordinary place to have a coffee and a bite. Tucked away in Schepenhuisstraat in the heart of the city centre, passers-by shyly peek through the window, eager to catch a glimpse of its main attraction – cats.

First popping up in Japan in the late 1990s, the cat cafe concept has spread through the US and Europe, resulting in spaces where customers enjoy food and drink in the company of cats.

What sets DreamCATchers apart is the possibility of adopting one of them.

“We are definitely not an ordinary cat café,” confirms Evelyne Vandenberghe, who opened DreamCATchers with her partner, Lana Bauwens. The eight cats currently up for adoption at the cafe come from animal shelters and associations like Dierenasil Gent, Kat de Goede Hoop and Kitten in Nood.

Vandenberghe and Bauwens wanted to draw attention to Flanders’ growing number of stray cats and the lack of shelters. Enter DreamCATch-

eat! brussels, Drink! bordeaux

© Illias teirlinck

ers, where simple cafe customers are faced with the issue.

The cafe offers a safe space, where the older, lessadoptable cats can roam freely, away from the uncertain fate at the shelter. It also allows for people to get better acquainted with their potential pets, while sipping a cup of tea and nibbling vegan pastry.

The menu is all about healthy choices, local products and good puns. Who could resist a double catspresso or a latte meowcchiato? Poezewoefke, brewed by the local animal shelter, and De Poes, from the brewery of the same name in Tielt, are the two local beers on offer, while all the vegan pastries come from Chez Mariette in Oostkamp.

The cafe’s interior is equally well thought-out.

Vandenberghe explains that their main concern was to stay true to their values on every level. The cats lounge in the eco-friendly Cat Cubes, the wall elements by Hannemans are made from salvaged wood, and all of the furniture was bought secondhand.

DreamCATchers also offers a variety of catthemed items in a shop and plan on setting up workshops and training programmes for volunteers. “We try to inspire people to be more environmentally friendly,” says Vandenberghe, “and to show them there are always ways in which we can help one another.” \ Mirna Pavlovic

Four days of recreational cycling through the beautiful countryside and towns of Limburg province. Each day features a different area, and you can choose from 35, 50 or 75km routes. Local attractions are highlighted along the way. 8-11 September, start at Cultuurcafé, Aan de Engelse Hof 10, Lanaken; €4-16 \ limburgfietsvierdaagse.be

loenhout Flower parade The 65th annual edition of the second-biggest flower parade in Europe. Floats adorned in more than four million flowers, plus carnival rides, a flea market, food and drink.

Purchase a ticket (€4) for a seat in the stands. 10 September, from 14.00, Kapelstraat, Wuustwezel (Antwerp province); free \ bloemencorsoloenhout.be

Hex Garden Days It’s time for the semi-annual weekend event at the beautiful and historic Hex Castle.

The autumn edition focuses on “food forests”, plus nectar plants and pulses and seed production. Watch demonstrations, take a tour of the rose and kitchen gardens, participate in foraging workshops and visit the many garden-related stands. 10-11 September, 10.00-18.00, Hexlaan, Heers (Limburg); €10 \ hex.be

\ 11

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

Visit the Flanders Today website to download the e-book now! For free!

www.flanderstoday.eu

Best of Belgium Plus expat Directory 2016

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\ Arts

september 7, 2016

We’ve come a long way, baby

ten reasons to attend ostend film festival’s 10th anniversary lisa bradshaw Follow lisa on twitter \ @lmbsie

filmfestivaloostende.be

More films and a wealth of activities make heading to the coast for the anniversary edition of the Ostend Film Festival an easy proposition.

R

emember when you were 10, and you rented movies on video to watch on Saturday night?

Times have changed. As the Ostend Film Festival celebrates its 10th year, it’s never been easier to see a flick wherever and whenever you want, whether you stream it through Netflix or download it to Google Play and watch it on the train. But there are 10 great reasons to attend the 10-year celebration of Flanders’ only film festival on the sea.

2 Poland

Speaking of Polish directors, you’ll find a few of them on the programme of this year’s festival, part of the new guest country focus. Get in the mood during Polish Night in the festival’s cafe in Kinepolis. Though there are only five Polish movies on the bill, it’s an intriguing mix of immigrant drama, romantic comedy and straight-up horror. Look out for The Red Spider, the fiction film debut by documentary director Marcin Koszalka, which indeed mixes fact and fiction as a serial killer haunts 1960s Krakow. Demon, meanwhile, is being hailed the world over for director Marcin Wrona’s refreshing take on the demonic possession story.

3 Taste of Europe Aside from Poland, many European countries are represented in the Taste of Europe section, which screens new films from around the continent that have not been released in Belgian cinemas. Don’t miss Sparrows, a cut-above coming-of-age drama in an Icelandic village from director Rúnar Rúnarsson, and Parents, popular Danish TV actor Christian Tafdrup’s moodily surreal feature debut about what happens when an aging married couple get the chance to live their lives all over again.

mima extends City lights exhibition

Brussels’ newest museum, the Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art (Mima) is extending its first temporary exhibition, City Lights, to the end of the year. More than 25,000 have visited the exhibition so far. City Lights showcases five acclaimed American – mainly New York-based – artists: Maya Hayuk, Swoon, Momo and Faile, the artistic partnership of post-punk pop artists Patrick McNeil and Patrick Miller. The idea behind the title – a nod to the classic Charlie Chaplin movie – is that these artists have lit up cities through urban projects or playful street art. The Mima opened in April this year to wide local acclaim.

D’Ardennen is belgium’s Oscar entry

1 Look! Ostend’s annual selection

of films in competition for the jury prize all have one thing in common: They look good. They were made using the aesthetic opportunities that the art of cinema provides, from the design to the photography to the lensing. These are not movies to watch on a laptop. The runaway highlight is United States of Love, the story of four women testing the borders between communism and freedom in the early 1990s by one of Poland’s strongest contemporary directors, Tomasz Wasilewski.

He will be present at the screening on 15 September.

week in arTs & CulTure

America’s darling of indie filmmaking, Ira sachs, will be on hand to chat about his new movie little men

4 Guests

Ostend welcomes a number of directors, who will chat with the audience before or after screenings. Recommended is celebrated American indie filmmaker Ira Sachs, who presents his muchheralded new film Little Men. It’s an avant-premiere, with the film scheduled to open in Belgium later.

(There are several other premieres at the festival, including Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie and Into the Forest, Canadian director Patricia Rozema’s adaptation of the novel of the same name about the meltdown of modern society when the electricity cuts out.) The festival is also introducing audiences to Flanders’ best and brightest, hosting one young film industry talent every day. You’ll find Martha Canga Antonio, star of Black, on the bill, as well as Robrecht Heyvaert, the director of photography behind Black and D’Ardennen, two of the region’s best-looking films of the last year.

5 Masterclass

The festival’s posh opening night party at the Kursaal is already sold out, but the opening film is being screened at Kinepolis the same night. Everybody Happy is Flemish director Nic Balthazar’s third feature, after Ben X and Tot altijd (Time of My Life). It stars the inimitable Peter Van den Begin as, ironically, a depressed comic. It’s also screened later in the festival, coupled with a masterclass for the public, wherein Balthazar discusses how he chooses his

projects and why he gave up his job as a journalist for the unsure world of filmmaking.

6Debates Everydayduringthe festival, the public can attend talks in Ostend culture centre De Grote Post. Flemish film critic Lieven Trio will interview local and international guests such as Belgian film director Jaco van Dormael, American director Ira Sachs and Flemish actor Johan Heldenbergh.

7 Master Selection

Every year, the festival designates a Master of Ceremonies for the festival, and this year it’s Flemish actor Kevin Janssens. Last year Janssens wowed film audiences used to seeing him play lover boys or action heroes with a brilliant turn as the twitchy ex-con Kenneth in the fantastically grisly D’Ardennen.

The masters put together their own programme of favourite films and, as if to prove that Kenneth is a role closer to his heart than a rom-com love interest, he’s chosen to celebrate film noir, with classics such as Raging Bull, On the Waterfront and A Woman Under the Influence.

He says it’s actually the women in the films that fascinate him the most: “Rita Hayworth, Lauren Bacall and Marlene Dietrich…

Time after time, strong women who can go head to head with the strong male actors of their day.”

9-17 september

8 Filmcafe If you don’t go to the festival, the festival will come to you: Flemish films from the last couple of years are being screened in bars and community centres across Ostend. Where better to watch Café Derby, for instance, than behind a pint at De Platse?

Or mingle with locals at Marine Club Hazegras for Achter de wolken (Behind the Clouds).

9 Best of the Fest

In a very smart move, the festival is reshowing all the films that win prizes on the last day, so instead of lamenting having missed the movie that won the jury prize, you get the chance to see it again.

It’s a great idea that other festivals should take note of.

10 Festivalpas While the public isn’t invited to Flanders’ film awards ceremony, the Ensors, which takes place in Ostend during the festival, you can see all the films nominated for an Ensor for the democratic price of €6. You’ll also pay that for the Master Selection, while Look! and premieres will cost you €9.50.

And at €3, you can see a documentary for less than the price of popcorn. If you want to see several films, opt for the festival pass for €30, which gets you into everything. kinepolis and other venues Ostend

The gritty thriller D’Ardennen by first-time director Robin Pront is Belgium’s entry to the Oscar race, the Flanders Audiovisual Fund has announced.

It will now be considered along with entries from dozens of other countries for a nomination for a foreign-language Academy Award. D’Ardennen is the story of Dave (Jeroen Perceval), a mild-mannered ex criminal trying to put his life together with the help of girlfriend Sylvie (Vera Baetens).

The process is interrupted by Dave’s brother Kenneth (Kevin Janssens), just released from prison and easily enraged. One thing leads to another, and the brothers end up trying to dump a body in the Ardennes, where things only get worse.

Flemish brabant tourist book for expats Flemish Brabant has produced a booklet in English specifically aimed at foreigners living in and around Brussels. The agency wants to introduce them to the attractions of the province, which surrounds the capital. “Expats are neither international tourists nor typical locals,” said Monique Swinnen, provincial deputy for tourism. “We wanted to introduce them to the versatility of Flemish Brabant as a surprisingly green area in very close proximity to the capital.” The 80-page booklet is the work of six bloggers. Wendy Deyell of Wondrous Wanders was one of them. “This brochure will show the expat community how easy it is to enjoy a fabulous getaway that’s right on their own doorstep,” she said. The free booklet can be picked up from municipal welcome services or downloaded online. \ tinyurl.com/flbrabant

\ 13

\ Arts

A matter of memory

ghent photographer examines the gap between reality and art tom peeters more articles by tom \ flanderstoday.eu

tomcallemin.be

Tom Callemin’s black-and-white photography has won him top prizes in the Netherlands and France, and now he’s finally on show in Flanders.

I

n 2015, Tom Callemin was selected as one of the most promising young photographers by the Foam museum in Amsterdam. Later that year, he was awarded the Prix Levallois in France, along with €10,000 and the opportunity to exhibit his work.

In its statement, the Levallois jury said that Callemin, who lives and works in Ghent, “is not searching for reality but is instead trying to reconstruct it through memories.”

But the artist, who fell in love with photography at a very young, says there is more to it than that.

“Certainly not only through memories,” he tells me, as he describes the production process, which involves assembling files and making sketches, only to end up with a single photograph. “For three months or so I collect all kinds of images that are linked to each other and that tell me something about the relationship between the photographer and the model.”

He then stages the one image that’s left in his mind.

Callemin’s passion for taking pictures grew stronger in primary school, when he met a professionel photographer. When he started his master’s programme at the Kask art school in Ghent, he had to give street photography a try.

“I had to photograph people I had never met,” he says. “Asking ‘Can I take a photo of you?’ felt like a very awkward way to interact with the world. I also felt like something was missing.”

He talks of the childhood fascination with the mechanics of an analogue camera. “Creating more

© tom Callemin

examination (2015)

images and studying them,” he says, “I gradually learned how to turn them into a story.”

Initially, Callemin also wanted to become a writer, but he preferred the more solid and compact character of the photographic medium. “I’d rather put a month’s work into one strong image than into an extensive text,” he explains. “I don’t want my work to be anecdotal. Photography gives more space to the viewer.”

He reflects on that for a moment.

“Isn’t that what poetry does too?

Leaving the story untold, so the reader can imagine his or her own conclusion,” he says. “Photography appeals to me because it can be so open.”

The Levallois jury has described his work as striking. Shot mostly in black and white, their statement read, “the photographs evoke an uncanny mood that cannot be fixed in time or space.

The subjects seem to be caught up in their own thoughts and withdrawn into their own world.”

Long overdue, but coming as no surprise, Callemin’s work can finally be seen in Flanders at the Antwerp Photography Museum (FoMu). For the exhibition, Callemin has selected five years’ worth of work, mostly from his time at school.

For the first time, the photographer has also combined the staged black-and-white photos with the portraits. “In my head, I always kept them separate,” he says, “but here, they are presented together, though the production process is entirely different.”

When he shoots portraits, he’s behaving more like a researcher, examining the space between him and the model. This approach implies more freedom. “When I stage my photographs, however, I want to be in full control,” he continues. “Since I’m looking for the perfect image, I want to have all the details right. I am fully prepared, with an action plan at hand.”

Regardless of the process, there is always room for the unexpected.

Coincidences can make an image more interesting, he says, like the black-and-white photo of protective gear lying on the ground in an abandoned room. Photographed at night, it could well be a spacesuit, but it is likely just firefighting gear.

“I am fascinated by the protective clothing, because it isolates you from the world,” he says. “For this one, I first took some pictures of a fire brigade, but the session turned into a fashion show. Later that evening I saw this one suit lying on the ground. I put a spotlight on it, and the tension was just right.”

2 october

More visual arTs THis MonTH nowhere beyond: tatiana wolska

meaulnes: gerolf van de perre

Recycling is at the heart of the selfproclaimed junk collector Tatiana Wolska.

Promoted as an exhortation “to love what we see and to praise what we perceive in the essential joy of the present”, the exhibition showcases sculptures made of scrap wood and drawings based on found objects.

The Polish artist, who lives and works in Brussels, has invited along French painter Jérôme Robbe to the former Feizi Gallery. 9 September to 22 October, Irène Laub Gallery, Brussels

Le Grand Meaulnes an early 20th-century coming-of-age story by the French author Alain-Fournier, inspired Flemish painter Gerolf Van de Perre to create this visual and musical walk through Gaasbeek Castle. In three acts, the exhibition gives visitors the feeling they are strolling around in a book, as they listen to one of the many pianos being played throughout the castle to better evoke this daydream. 8 September to 6 November, Gaasbeek Castle, Lennik (Flemish Brabant)

\ irenelaubgallery.com

\ 14

\ kasteelvangaasbeek.be

from a to k: aglaia konrad Only a couple more weeks to see this thought-provoking solo show by the Brussels-based Austrian artist. Aglaia Konrad not only believes architecture can make a difference, she proves it by confronting visitors with the brutal impact of constructed environments, taking them from A to K, with images of monumental “shaping stones” (pictured), aerial photographs and a 20-screen video installation showcasing China’s steady metropolitan transformation. Until 18 September, M Museum, Leuven \ mleuven.be

It’s a good example of leaving things unsaid. “A lot of people ask me where a certain picture was taken or what the model is actually doing,” Callemin says. “I’d rather not answer that.”

Even more uncanny is his portrait of the half-naked boy who’s looking downward (pictured). “I told him to look at the light on his belly,” Callemin explains. “The idea was that he would be examining his own body while being photographed. But he got a bit tired during the session. After a long period of standing still on a hot day, he almost fainted. It helped to shape the intensity of the image.”

Though he gave up the idea of being one himself, Callemin says he is more inspired by writers than by other photographers. He mentions the Argentinian Jorge Luis Borges, who used to create ideas rather than stories, which he then handed over to his readers.

While Callemin realises that his photography lacks innovation, people do appreciate his skills as a craftsman. “I’m more old school,” he says. “I put a lot of time into making a good print, and I still believe in the power of a single image.”

Once the exhibition in Antwerp comes to an end, Callemin will display his work in the Flemish arts centre De Brakke Grond in Amsterdam. He has also accepted the challenge to fill up the space of the Amsterdam art gallery tegenboschvanvreden in 2017.

“There was a time when I preferred showing my photographs in an isolated context,” he says, “but in the near future I’d like to work on an idea that cannot be expressed in just a single image.”

Fomu

Waalsekaai 47, Antwerp

\ AGenDA

september 7, 2016

When art met craft

ConCerT

Design September 8-30 september

I

designseptember.be

Market and the Second Life Festival, a popular vintage market hosted in the appropriately swank, retro-styled Hotel Le Berger. The annual Commerce Design Award recognises local businesses that enrich their premises with contemporary architecture and interior design (nominee Radisson Red Brussels pictured).

And, as always, the capital’s independent designers, those worker bees of the design industry, open their workshop doors to show us all that magical place where art meets craft.

Like design itself, Design September is always evolving. This year’s innovations include the experiment-cum-exhibition Belgian Matters.

Conceived by national design alliance Belgium Is Design and Ghent-based art magazine DAMN°, the project pairs furniture designers with specialised companies from all three of Belgium’s regions. The idea is not just to show-

perforManCe

fesTival

love at first sight festival

Horst

13-18 september loveatfirstsigHt.be

With performances by some 20 young theatre-makers, Antwerp’s Love at First Sight Festival is a showcase of the city’s latest theatre scene. And it’s a scene that knows no boundaries. The festival hub is De Studio, but participating artists have fanned out across the city, occupying theatres Arenberg and Bourla as well as more unlikely spaces such as Sint-Joris church.

Bosse Provoost & Kobe Chielens’ Herberg (Inn) takes place under a bridge, while Thomas Verstraeten and Benjamin Verdonck create their own urban space. Nocturama is a pop-up city in miniature created for the festival and open nightly from 23.00. \ GV

ClassiCal case national talent but also to stimulate innovation by introducing otherwise unlikely partners.

The relationships forged here cross linguistic, geographic and disciplinary lines. Many of the participating companies, from manufacturers to industrial producers to research groups, are not involved in furniture design at all. The fruit of these collaborations were unveiled at this year’s prestigious Salone del Mobile in Milan. \ Georgio Valentino

9-10 september

brussels United Music of Brussels: A collaboratory season opener of the National Orchestra of Belgium, De Munt and Bozar, featuring a free musical stroll through the heart of Brussels, with musicians performing a range of concerts in offbeat venues. 10 September 14.3018.00, across city centre \ unitedmusicofbrussels.be

perforManCe Antwerp Horst Castle, Holsbeek Horstartsandmusic.com

DJs perform on two stages, while visual artists exhibit all over the place. As befits a cutting-edge arts festival, organisers have imposed few rules on their guests. The entire castle will become a work of art, with the result on show for a full month after the weekend festival wraps. \ GV

The Common People: Flemish choreographer Jan Martens and film director Lukas Dhont present their participation project, a combination of installation and performance in which 24 pairs of “ordinary people” meet each other for the first time on stage. 15-16 September 20.00, deSingel, Desguinlei 25 \ desingel.be

brussels Mount Olympus: A limited number of tickets are available at the door for Jan Fabre’s 24-hour performance featuring a cast of 27 dancers from four generations, who play out the good, the bad and the ugly from Greek mythology.

Beds and food available. 24 September 16.00, Kaaitheater, Saincteletteplein 20

flagey opening weekend Brussels arts complex Flagey kicks off the new season with a weekend festival celebrating “sight and sound”. It’s filled with screen gems for cinephiles of all ages. Flagey’s Young Film Fans programme presents Charlie Chaplin’s 1936 comedy Modern Times. The weekend’s headline event, however, is a screening of Oscar-winning

\ deroma.be

The third edition of this experimental arts festival takes place on the grounds of the eponymous Horst Castle, from the 15th century and with its own moat and wood.

Once a bastion of feudal aristocracy, the site is now host to a resolutely contemporary showcase of electronic music and in situ art.

evenT 9-11 september

An Pierlé: The Flemish singer and pianist performs from her new album, Arches, a collection of moving, sensual songs created from a heavenly combination of church organ and drum machine. 8 September 20.30, De Roma, Turnhoutsebaan 329

Across brussels

n the past 11 years, Brussels’ Design September has grown from a week-long taste of a burgeoning industry to a full-on feast of local and international design, spanning the entire capital for an entire month.

The numbers alone are impressive. The festival encompasses more than 100 design-related events, from exhibitions to conferences to pop-up stores to studio open-houses.

Dozens of designers from every industry imaginable are on board, and, with a guest list curated from the cream of the international design scene, Design September’s appeal is as qualitative as it is quantitative. Visitors will delight in appearances by the likes of pioneering Belgian architect Lucien Kroll and Lebanese superstar interior designer Carlo Massoud.

Many of Design September’s signature events are returning, among them Brussels Design

13-18 september

Antwerp

Flagey, brussels flagey, brussels

2011 film The Artist with live soundtrack played by the Brussels Philharmonic under the direction of Ernst Van Tiel and featuring the film’s composer, Ludovic Bource.

Another musical highlight is a concert by Brussels-based Tuareg fusion group Kel Assouf, who will present their new album Tikounen.

\ GV

ConCerT

\ kaaitheater.be

get tic

luna

9 october, 20.00 After leading American indie pop darlings Galaxie 500 on a four-year ride that made him a cult celebrity on both sides of the Atlantic, guitarist and singer Dean Wareham attempted to go solo. The result was a new group, albeit with a more fluid line-up. Luna hit the ground running in 1991 and spent the decade fulfilling every indie

kets n

ow

piaf, Antwerp piaf.be

band’s dream. They recorded a string of albums. They collaborated with childhood heroes like Tom Verlaine and Sterling Morrison. They opened for the Velvet Underground’s legendary New York reunion. In 2005, they called it a day. This is the only Belgian stop on their reunion tour. \ GV

MusiC fesTival middelkerke Leffingeleuren: The West Flemish alternative music scene is alive and well, thanks to this annual festival near the coast, featuring more than 40 bands performing pop, rock, blues, hip-hop, reggae and more. 9-11 September \ leffingeleurenfestival.be

fair brussels Art on Paper: A showcase of contemporary drawing stringing together 25 solo gallery shows from around the world. 8-11 September, Bozar, Ravensteinstraat 23 \ artonpaper.be

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september 7, 2016

Talking Dutch

voiCes of flanders Today

darling, it’s better

In response to Flemish Brabant launches new tourist booklet for expats Kathryn Sheridan: Best thing I did in a long time was moving to Flanders.

derek blyth more articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu

Y

ou may not have noticed in your local swimming pool, but adults dressing as mermaids is a thing.

De zomervakantie is nog niet voorbij – The summer holidays aren’t over yet, announced De Morgen, maar wij voorspellen nu al een van dÊ trends voor volgend seizoen: mermaiding – but we’re already predicting one of the big trends for the coming season: mermaiding.

It’s time to stop hunting those elusive PokÊmon creatures and squeeze your legs into a fish tail. Nadat eerder al de buren uit Duitsland, Frankrijk en Nederland overstag gingen – After the neighbours took it up in Germany, France and the Netherlands, vallen nu ook meer en meer Vlaamse dames voor de zeemeerminstaart – more and more Flemish women are now falling for a mermaid’s tail.

And don’t think it’s just about lying around on the beach looking like Ariel. Geloof me vrij – Believe me, dat is een serieuze work-out – it’s a serious workout, one Flemish mermaid insisted. And it seems you can even make a career out of it. With more mermaids taking to the water, it’s becoming a serious business across the world. An estimated 1,000 people in the US earn a living playing a mermaid at events.

Celine Van de Voorde from Ghent hands out business cards that say “professional mermaidâ€?. Toen ik zestien was – When I was 16, vond ik op YouTube filmpjes van professionele mermaids uit AustraliĂŤ – I found clips on YouTube made by professional mermaids in Australia, en daar was ik helemaal weg van – and I thought it was wonderful.

Ik begon staarten te maken – I began to make tails, en leerde zwemmen als een zeemeermin – and learned to swim like a mermaid.

Ondertussen heeft de Gentse een eigen bedrijfje, Mermaid Celine – Meanwhile, the Ghent woman has her own

In response to Catspressos & meowcchiatos: Ghent welcomes new cat cafe Peter Derek: Kinda scared to go here. Think I won’t ever leave...

company, en kun je haar inhuren als zeemeermin – and you can hire her as a mermaid. Voor fotoshoots, films of eender welk event – For photo shoots, films or any type of work waar een zeemeermin op haar plaats is – where a mermaid is needed.

Nowthereareplanstooffercoursesformermaids.Binnenkort opent de eerste Vlaamse zeemeerminschool de deuren – The first Flemish mermaid school is soon to open, reported De Standaard. Het indoor duikcentrum TODI opent op 28 oktober zijn deuren – The indoor diving centre TODI is opening on 28 October en start met een zeemeerminnenschool – and will launch a mermaid school.

Niet alleen voor het zwemmen zelf – It’s not just about the swimming, Celine explains, maar een zeemeerminstaart heeft ook invloed op je als persoon – a mermaid tail also has an influence on you as a person. Ik voel me eleganter – I feel more elegant, vrouwelijker – more feminine, en soms zelf sexy – and sometimes even sexy. Het geeft echt een boost aan je zelfvertrouwen – It really gives your selfconfidence a boost.

Put another way: Darling it’s better, down where it’s wetter – under the sea.

pHoto of tHe week

In response to Gleaning offers a solution to food waste and world hunger Helena Schalenbourg: After saving leftover crops in the field, we’ll be cooking/serving up a meal in the middle of that same carrot field! Everybody is welcome :-)

Allan Taylor @AllanTaylor147 Soooooo.....we went to Bruges for the weekend, I asked, she said YES!!!! #overthemoon #engaged

Arian Saheb @arian_saheb A beautiful #hot day in #Antwerp #Schelde #Kaaien ☀ đ&#x;˜Ž Unfortunately it’s gonna be #cold soon đ&#x;˜Ť

livia ŕĽ? @liviabrooks In love with the city hall đ&#x;™? #Leuven

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THe lasT word party politics

“Members of parliament have to take too much account of the electoral considerations that weigh heavily on the minds of party headquarters.�

Hermes Sanctorum has left Groen and will continue as an independent in protest at the party’s decision not to back him regarding a ban on ritual slaughter (see related news, p3)

moving house

“This is pure vandalism.�

Š eric Vidal/reuters

feel THe forCe Darth Vader and friends wait for a metro to take them home after the balloon’s Day parade, part of brussels’ annual Comic strip Festival last weekend

The Kalyoncu family from Houthalen received the keys to their new home only to find the previous owner had stripped out everything – bathroom sinks, radiators, fitted kitchen, interior doors and a water heater

multi-tasking

“I have a busy life, it’s true, but I’m doing what I love. I’m not interested in going out to the bars.�

Wolf Hoeyberghs of Bierbeek is a student at the Royal Ballet School Antwerp, models for Dior and has composed a work for orchestra to which the entire school will soon perform

tying the knot

“It has to be their day, I hear more often. Not the traditional party in the fanciest room in town, with their parents’ colleagues who they hardly know.�

More and more young people are paying for their own weddings, according to wedding planner Nele De Winter

[D\G \ 16