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Flanders today Free weekly!

OCTOBER 29 2008

N°53

I N D E P E N D E N T N E W S W ee k l y

Masarat Palestine Festival, p.9

www . f l a nderstod a y . E U Erkenningsnummer P708816 Jimmy Kets

Looking for America Flemish photographers return again and again to capture the essence of a country Lisa Bradshaw his week, newspapers across the world all have one topic in common: The American presidential election. It’s an

exciting one for many reasons: an end to the Bush administration, in any case, but also a chance for the American people to show the world they are choosing another direction – for themselves and for

the rest of us, all too often affected by the decisions and strategies of the world’s most powerful country. And of course, Americans may very well elect the first-ever black

president. Regardless of what Barack Obama actually means when he constantly invokes the word “change”, that in itself is one big change for a western country that, only 40 years ago, saw the

assassination of African American leaders and horrifying lynching of average black people – the same decade Obama was born. Continued on page 4

Tax computer project is “a failure” System “chaotic” despite €700 million investment Alan Hope he computer system in use at the finance ministry is so ill-adapted to requirements it may need to be scrapped, despite investments of at least €700 million, according to an article in Knack magazine last week. The report details how other countries in the OECD are now refusing to deal with tax and other financial information delivered by the Belgian government because – as recently as May this year – they are still being delivered on paper. At the same time, data passed to Belgium by other

T Active

Living

Interview

Our castle series ends with one of the biggest and brightest: Sterckshof Castle in Deurne is home to the silver museum and part of the magnificent Rivierenhof Park.

You can’t walk across the street anymore without bumping into a “lifestyle shop”. Stéphanie Duval takes a look at the fad, which continues to gain ground in Flanders.

Journalist Douglas De Coninck puts his reputation – and sometimes his personal safety – on the line in his investigative reports for De Morgen. We find out how he gets the stories.

Feature 1, 4-5

News 3, 7

Business 8

Arts 9

Active 10-11

Living 13

OECD countries is printed out, sorted by hand and then packed up to be sent to regional offices. The exchange of data is crucial in the fight against tax fraud and money laundering. Belgium has close cooperation with eight other European countries, yet the system is hardly able to process the information it receives. In addition, because the information provided by Belgium is of such poor quality, some countries are refusing to cooperate at all. Because of these two factors, Flemish Continued on page 7 Agenda 14-15

Interview 16

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Editor’s Notes

FACE OF FLANDERS six o’clock news, like not wearing striped clothes on TV and making sure you look at the correct camera. Language could be a problem if your kids don’t speak all that much Dutch. But some of the activities have been specially thought out for international kids. So there will be screenings of cartoon movies throughout the day by the 1970s Czech animator Zdenêk Miler, featuring the adventures of a mole called Krtek. The day ends with a Bal Moderne in the main hall, where kids are led through dance steps by a professional choreographer. If all this sounds like a fun way to spend the day, then get in touch with Flagey to make a booking before all the places vanish. Derek Blyth

peiling

online

www.flagey.be

Strictly kids dancing: the Bal Moderne at Flagey

Other ideas for the week: take your kids to Planckendael to look at the stork colony l jump on a train to the beach (packing a thick sweater) l let your kids climb to the highest tree house in the land at Kessel-Lo recreation park outside Leuven l eat frietjes standing in the cold on the main square in Bruges l look at old uniforms and mediaeval pikes in the army museum in Brussels l drink hot chocolate in one of the cafes on the Grote Markt in Antwerp l walk through the forest at Tervuren l cycle along one of the old canal towpaths

Flanders Today independent newsweekly 1180 Brussels Editor: Derek Blyth Deputy editor: Lisa Bradshaw Tel.: 02.373.99.09 _ Fax: 02.375.98.22 News editor: Alan Hope E-mail: editorial@flanderstoday.eu Agenda: Sarah Crew Subscriptions: France Lycops Picture research: Esther Bourrée Tel: 02.373.83.59 Prepress: Nancy Temmerman E-mail: subscriptions@flanderstoday.eu Contributors: Marie Dumont, Stéphanie Duval, Advertising: Evelyne Fregonese Tel. 02.373.83.57 Sharon Light, Alistair MacLean, Marc Maes, E-mail: advertising@flanderstoday.eu Ian Mundell, Anja Otte, Monique Philips, Verantwoordelijke uitgever: Derek Blyth Saffina Rana, Leander Schaerlaeckens, Steven Tate, Christophe Verbiest, Denzil Walton, Rory Watson Project manager: Pascale Zoetaert Publisher: VUM NV Vlaamse Uitgeversmaatschappij Gossetlaan 28, 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden Editorial address: Waterloosesteenweg 1038

t’s in the bag _ het is in kannen en kruiken (“it’s in cans and jugs”). Don’t count your chickens _ verkoop de huid van de beer niet (“don’t sell the bear’s skin”). I could bounce expressions off against each other for the rest of the column as examples of claiming victory – or not – before the event. According to most opinion polls _ opiniepeilingen, it would appear that the US presidential election is a foregone conclusion. As I write, there are still two weeks to go to election day _ er zijn nog twee weken te gaan tot verkiezingsdag. The Flemish daily De Standaard has added to its extensive cover contributions from ex-pat Flemings: In aanloop van de Amerikaanse presidentsverkiezingen houden Vlamingen in de Verenigde Staten een dagboek bij _ in the run-up to the elections, Flemings in the US have been keeping a diary. Take Bart Geert’s entries from Wyoming. Ik woon al 9 jaar hier in Amerika’s minst-bevolkt staat _ I have been living here for 9 years in America’s least-populated state. Unlike in middle America, where the political debate centres on topics such as abortion, health provision and of course the economy, niet zo in Wyoming. No, in the bucking-horse state: hier gaat het om ontginnen vs beschermen _ here it’s about exploitation versus protection; windmolens vs kooltreinen _ wind turbines versus coal trains. And probably the economy. Wyoming has a Democrat governor, and Obama easily defeated Clinton in the primaries. Yet, Wyoming heeft bijna altijd rechts gekozen tijdens de laatste 100 jaar _ Wyoming has almost always voted right in the past 100 years. Even on the prairies of the west, Amerikanen weten heel goed dat de wereld bitter weinig respekt voor hun en hun huidige president heeft _ Americans know full well that the world has precious little respect for them and their current president. En dat vegen ze niet aan hun voeten _ and that is something they are concerned about (“they do not wipe on their feet”). But Americans are extremely individualistic, and many ranchers and miners are still undecided. After all, it’s their election. Walter Simons writing from New Hampshire notes that Obama’s victory tour of Europe bracht daar massa’s op de been maar resulteerde hier alleen in aanstotelijkheid _ brought out the masses there but only resulted in opprobrium here. Why? Want Europees succes maakte hem voor de modale Amerikaan verdacht _ Because for the average American, European success made him suspect. Attached to every opiniepeiling there should be een peilsignal _ a warning light with examples of hubris. Will McCain’s underdog status, in which de media hem reeds afgeschreven heeft _ the media has already written him off, influence the undecided of Wyoming and New Hampshire? Or will Obama’s rhetoric easily win the day? Only time will tell _ de tijd zal het uitwijzen.

31 October, 9.00 to 18.00, €7. Booking essential at 02.641.10.75 or sinta@flagey.be

Flagey

re you a parent? Do you have children aged six to 12 years? Are you going crazy this week because the kids are on holiday? If “yes” is the answer to all three questions, then you should head down to Flagey this Friday, 31 October, to save your sanity. The landmark Brussels cultural centre is opening its doors to kids for a whole long day of activities. Your little ones can settle down in Studio 1 to listen to a bizarre orchestra play Max Vandervorst’s “Symphony of the Abandoned Objects”, which features the combined sounds of a vacuum cleaner, flower pots, jam jars and various other recycled noisy items. Most kids will want to climb the stairs to look around the various TV and radio studios located on Flagey’s upper floors. The friendly young people who work for FM Brussel are running a workshop where kids can learn about radio broadcasting and make their own programme. Meanwhile, the staff at TV Brussel will be giving away a few secrets about the making of the

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Eric Vidal/Belga

Flagey Kinderdag

TALKING DUTCH notes on language

Dyad Abou Jahjah

“S

tay together, together we are strong against the police!” yelled Dyad Abou Jahjah in an Antwerp street one fateful day in 2002. “They caused the death of our brother. Fight back.” Jahjah was born in Lebanon in 1971 to two university lecturers. He grew up in the south of the country, which later fell into the hands of Israel-controlled militias. When he applied for asylum in Belgium in 1991, he claimed he was in danger because of clashes with the Hezbollah leadership. He later denied any link but said he had fought in the Lebanese civil war. The state security services investigated and found no evidence of terrorist ties. Within five years, he had become a Belgian citizen and in 2001 he set up the Arab European League (AEL). The timing was crucial: in Antwerp the Vlaams Belang had grown into the biggest single party with about a quarter of the vote. Antwerp has a large ethnic population, and tensions were constant. Then came September 11, and suddenly Muslims – particularly radical ones – were a target for suspicion like never before. But Jahjah is no Osama Bin Laden. His are the politics of ethnic identity, not religious faith. He believes that immigrants should be allowed to express their own culture in a climate of respect and, like his hero Malcolm X, rejects the melting-pot notion of society and the need for assimilation. The court case that ended last week came about after youths in the Antwerp area of Borgerhout, most of them Muslim, took to the streets in November 2002 after Mohammed Achrak, a 27-year-old teacher of Islam, was shot dead by his neighbour in what was assumed to be a racist incident. Shop windows, bus shelters and car windscreens were smashed. Jahjah and his right-hand man in the AEL, Ahmed Azzuz, arrived on the scene some time after the unrest began. But a Moroccan-born policeman, who was the prosecution’s key witness, said he had heard the two men inciting the rioters, quoting Jahjah’s words above. Jahjah and Azzuz were convicted at first instance and sentenced to one year in prison. The appeal court in its ruling last week made clear that it believed Jahjah had provoked tension among the rioters. However, the charges alleged something else: incitement to cause criminal damage. One of the crucial pieces of evidence in his favour was the testimony of Luc Lamine, who was chief of police at the time, and who stated that he thought Jahjah was innocent of the charges against him. Lamine, shown in many photos from the time in head-to-head discussion with Jahjah, is no longer in the post, but his word still carried a lot of weight. Jahjah later called it “a pleasant surprise” that the court had “dared to acquit” him. The trial was, he said, “a political trial of the whole movement.” And just in case it might appear that the story is over and he can now vanish from the headlines, he promises legal action in turn against several of those who opposed him at the time – no lesser figures than then-mayor of Antwerp Leona Detiège and former Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt. Alan Hope

Alistair MacLean

NEWS

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FIFTH COLUMN Shutterstock

The board of directors

there be politicians on the board SThehould of directors of banks and insurers? bank crisis has revived the debate

PHOTO OF THE WEEK l ZONIENWOUD The Zonienwoud south of Brussels The wood currently stands in 349th place, far behind the other Belgian entry – the grotto has made the short list on a new internet site that invites the public to vote for their favourite at Han-sur-Lesse. world site, in order to draw up a list of Seven New Wonders of the world. Not that it’s particularly new: the so-called Cathedral Wood of beech trees was planted at the end of the online 18th century, and its monoculture would be frowned upon today, beautiful as it may be. www.new7wonders.com

THE WEEK IN FLANDERS

Thursday 23 October l Prime minister Yves Leterme was reported as being ready to ask for the return of a payment of €4 million made to former Fortis CFO Gilbert Mittler when he was forced to resign following the ABN Amro debacle. Mittler continued to work for the bank as a consultant. l Flemish comic strip artists will receive special honours at this year’s BD Festival in Angoulème, France, the most important in the

industry. The exhibition Ceci n’est pas la BD flamande will feature the work of 20 authors. l This year’s Music for Live event to raise money for women who have fled their partners will take place in Ghent, following successful seasons in Brussels and Leuven. Three Studio Brussel radio presenters will move into a glass house on the Woodrow Wilsonplein for six days.

Friday 24 October l Flemish minister-president Kris Peeters has joined in calls to make the digital channels Een+, Canvas+ and Ketnet+ free as soon as the technology becomes available. Critics have pointed out that the three extra channels are only available to those who can afford them, yet are financed by public money. l The Flemish government and the farmers’ organisation Boerenbond will work on improving ways of castrating piglets to meet the demands of animal-rights campaigners. The procedure is necessary as testosterone affects the taste of pig meat from adult animals. l The EU Commission has ordered the Belgian Institute for Post and Telecommunications (BIPT) to to do something about elevated phone tariffs operated by Belgacom. Belgium’s landline tariffs, among the highest in Europe, were described by the Commission as “unacceptable”.

Weekend 25 and 26 October l Shoppers at a number Carrefour supermarkets across Flanders found their way blocked by pickets protesting at pay and working conditions at the company’s new hypermarket in Bruges. l Belgians scored a disappointing 4.6 out of 10 in a quiz on financial matters organised by business daily De Tijd. The study also revealed that, despite much talk about declining purchasing power and the financial crisis, only four out of 10 families are actually feeling the pinch and making economies on clothing, leisure and food. l De Morgen is the newspaper with the most pleasant smell, according to a panel organised by the radio show Peeters en Pichal. The paper gives off a sweet smell, compared to the cat-pee smell of De Standaard, the chemical smell of Gazet van Antwerpen and the neutral smell of De Tijd. Monday 27 October l The organisation representing booksellers, Boek.be, reacted positively to a plan by Flemish culture minister Bert Anciaux to spend €200,000 a year to support quality bookshops. l The number of temporary employees in the workforce is down a massive 12% on the same period last year, according to the temp sector federation. It is estimated that 5,000-6,000 temporary workers have been laid off in recent months.

l A fire destroyed an industrial bakery at Ninove, triggering the provincial disaster plan and leading to the evacuation of some 500 residents from their homes nearby. No-one was injured. Belga

Wednesday 22 October l Shares in Leuven-based brewer InBev dropped 15%, to close 13.5% down on the day. The company is experiencing some difficulty raising credit to pay for the acquisition of Anheuser-Busch, but an immediate reason for the drop in price was not clear. l About half a million Belgians have inadequate insurance cover, according to the research centre of political party Open VLD. Some 225,000 families have no fire insurance, while 70,000 drivers have no third-party coverage. Another 200,000 have no hospital insurance. l The sale of rail-freight company ABX by the federal government followed an investment of €1.85 billion in public funds, it was revealed. The company was sold to venture capital group 3i for €80 million. l More than 5,000 jobs have been lost in Flanders since the end of August, De Morgen reported.

l Antwerp will host the third World Outgames for gays and lesbians in 2013, the Gay & Lesbian International Sport Association announced in Vancouver.

Breaking news

for breaking news see www.flanderstoday.eu under press room

on this question. Dexia and Ethias both have a good number of politicians on their boards. The reason is historical: both have strong links with government – in the past, the former was the government’s bank and the latter was its insurer. Now that Dexia and Ethias have both sailed into troubled waters, their boards comes under scrutiny. Did they do anything to avert the crisis? Had they any idea that averting it was even possible? Without its board of directors, Dexia would be even worse off, Patrick Janssens says. The socialist mayor of Antwerp is not the only politician on Dexia’s board, but he is the most criticised for having this lucrative job on the side. In the words of socialist party president Caroline Gennez, money is to a socialist what sex is to a Christian-democrat. Too much of it can damage your career. A number of politicians told De Standaard last weekend that they took their job as directors seriously, yet somehow they just could not get a grip on what was going on. The management saw us as a rubber stamp, simply approving everything, they stated. At the same time, they felt compelled to deny rumors about exclusive dinners and expensive wines. Apparently the dinners were few, but the wine was good, thank you. Steve Stevaert went one step further when he admitted to not knowing all that much about finances. This is hardly a matter of shame, but coming from the man who presides over the board of Ethias, it is embarrassing, to say the least. When Flemish minister-president Kris Peeters (CD&V) announced that the board of directors should be professionalised (following the temporary participation of the Flemish government in the bankinsurer), everyone understood him to be talking about Stevaert. Stevaert’s Ethias mandate has always been controversial. Governors of provinces are civil servants, it was argued. Having an extra job – a well-paid one, too – is just not done. Moreover, before Stevaert became governor of Limburg, he was a politician. The president of the socialist party, to be exact, and money is to a socialist... Stevaert countered the criticism by giving away to charity the annual fee of e30.000 that comes with the job. So now the debate is open again. Should there be politicians on the board of banks? Yes, it looks like there should, judging from the new president of Dexia: former prime minister and current MEP Jean-Luc Dehaene (CD&V). No, some say; professionals are better trained for this complicated task. But, then again, did the professional bankers do a better job recently? Anja Otte

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FEATURE

Father Nature l Tim Dirven “I’ve been to America four times, twice on holiday and twice on photo assignments for Humo magazine. They were doing a series on people working in remote areas of different countries. We were following a newspaper carrier, who had to deliver newspapers on

the coast of Maine, and Warren S Corbett just walked out of the forest. He had just shot a fox. He invited us into his trailer where he lived, which was full of junk, and told us the story of how he came to America. He’s an old Irish fisherman, marine, Vietnam veteran, hunter and

guitar man. He represents a small group of Americans that I call ‘survivors’ – who live in nature in very primitive conditions. He told us: ‘I’m the only good father nature, who has respect for animals and plants. I kill them only for food. God wanted it this way. Humans destroy humans for money.’”

Tim Dirven is an internationally published freelance photographer, whose work regularly appears in De Morgen. In 2002, he won third prize in the World Press Photo Awards’ “daily life” category for his reports on refugees in Afghanistan. www.timdirven.com

Continued from page 1 American politics – splashed across headlines and internet blogs – may not seem exactly elusive. But maybe the American people are. Right now in the Flemish parliament building on Ijzerenkruisstraat in Brussels hang eight screens projecting 500 photographs by Flemish artists. It’s a pictorial essay, without words, without explanation. We decided to borrow a bit on this idea and asked some of the region’s best photographers for their favourite photos of the American people – with explanations. Flemish photographers in general tend to travel a lot, recording the highs and lows of countries across the planet. But one thing is for sure: they have a love affair with America. They keep returning to photograph its bizarrely diverse landscapes, its plastic-coated interiors, its never-ending supply of oddballs. They continue to amaze at the sheer size of it. “I love the dynamics of being on the road in America,” one photographer told us. “The seemingly endless road.”

Beehive l Monique Philips “This stunning woman, who looks like she stepped off the set of a David Lynch movie, works on the third floor of the New York Public Library. Her information desk is in the McGraw Rotunda, which is adorned with classical murals depicting the history of the written word. Many tourists clamber up the stairs to take photos. I myself merely pretended to focus on the paintings before zooming in on my actual prey. The dramatic lighting from a lighted candelabra next to her rendered her irresistibly attractive. It didn’t take long to realise she was extremely helpful in a somehow unexpected way, with a very soothing voice. And, totally oblivious of her appeal, she was just being...herself. “I admire the creativity Americans display in coming to grips with the vastness of their world. Seemingly unhindered by the weight of history – personal or common – they enthusiastically set out to explore their spaces, constantly reinventing themselves along the way. Be it by overlaying the land with a personal grid of road trips or by dispersing signs – futilely stating ‘photo opportunity’ or ‘Jesus lives’ – like breadcrumbs in the immense sandbox of the southwest. Or be it by aiming higher, building skyscrapers or piling a beehive ‘can-do’ hairdo right on top of their heads.” Monique Philips is a freelance journalist and photographer. She also teaches Dutch to foreign learners in Antwerp.

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Hobos l Stephan Vanfleteren “I rode the freight trains throughout Washington, Oregon, Northern California and Montana for two weeks in 1997. The Americans who do this are called “hobos”. The hobo life started during the Depression when people used to travel around looking for work, and there has been a tradition of train-hopping ever since. Some people are homeless because of poverty, but some of the hobos just really want to do it. The guy on the right in the photo called himself Skillet. He was a kind of homeless traveller, an alternative guy who didn’t want to join the regular kind of life of most Americans. “Americans are always on the move; the train journeys are very American in that way. And it was sometimes spectacular because you go through nature where there is only this train track in the middle of nowhere. You sit inside looking out, and it’s like a flat-screen with landscape passing by. Motorways go through big cities, but the train passes through very small villages. You cut like a knife through American society.” Stephan Vanfleteren’s black-and-white portraits of both famous and anonymous people are highly valued for bringing out an entire personality in one shot. He has won many photo awards and been part of numerous exhibitions across Europe.

Wal-Mart

l Jimmy Kets “I took this picture of an old man walking towards a Wal-Mart store during my first road trip through the United States in 2002. Since then I’ve visited the states six more times, but this picture still remains one of my favourites. To me it has an iconic value; it’s a symbol of American consumption. The old, weak man contrasts with the Wal-Mart, the country’s largest and most powerful retailer.”

Jimmy Kets also took the photo on the cover – a tourist who appears wary of his recent purchase. Kets is a freelance photographer and member of Reporters press agency. He is widely published internationally and has won numerous awards, including the NIKON Promising Young Photographer Award 2006. www.jimmykets.be

The Palmtree Motel l Peter De Bruyne “I took this photo in the vibrating heat of a midday sun in Tuscon, Arizona. In America, I love the dynamics of being on the road – the seemingly endless road, only stopped by the Pacific Ocean. Motels play an important role in this. They are an invitation to travel. The ones from the 1940s and 50s are the absolute best. They just have one floor and always a place to park right in front of your room – to be able to throw your bag straight in the trunk and hit the road fast.”

Melanie Einzig

States of Mind

l A special project organised by retailer Tommy Hilfiger, States of Mind: Young American Photography will open your eyes to an insider view of one of the world’s most diverse countries. Held in a tent at the Cityscape sculpture on Guldenvlieslaan in Brussels, the exhibition illustrates an intriguing difference between Flemish and American photographers’ perceptions: while the Flemish are often interested in how Americans control their environments, Americans are preoccupied with how the social environment controls Americans. It’s a wonderful show, but you’ll have to hurry – it’s only up through 1 November.

Peter De Bruyne is a Bruges-based freelance photographer who shoots only with film and whose images are never manipulated. His series of Flemish houses called Decors is available in a box set from Plaizier and Bozar in Brussels and from the FotoMuseum in Antwerp. www.peterdebruyne.com

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NEWS

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Computer fiasco threatens international cooperation Continued from page 1

his posting rejected as irregular, there is still no civil servant at the top of the organisation, which employs 30,000 people. l BIG BROTHER Plans to create a massive police database, with information about everything from a person’s parents to their purchases, have been put on hold after opposition parties demanded a debate in parliament. The plan was originally intended to be introduced under a so-called Royal Order, which allows ministers to implement regulations without first going through parliament. Journalists from Het Laatste Nieuws reported they were able to access confidential information on the internal structure of the police service via “a couple of mouse-clicks” on the website www.fedpol.be. Police have now threatened legal action against the newspaper if an investigation reveals evidence of hacking.

No bank credit for Lange Wapper T

he Lange Wapper – a controversial bridge project designed to link the left bank of the Scheldt with the Antwerp Ring and E19 motorway – is having trouble raising the €2 billion it needs because of the worldwide credit crisis, according to Flemish region finance minister Dirk Van Mechelen. “In the current market situation, not a single bank is prepared to extend a credit of €2 billion,” he said. The project, which forms part of Antwerp’s €3.5 billion mobility plan, has been dogged by controversy, with critics claiming the bridge will be a source of pollution and congestion, and complaining that a number of other proposals were swept from the table without being considered. They propose a tunnel instead, pointing to the success of the work done in Madrid to take an eight-lane motorway underground, leaving space for a massive green zone in the city centre. To help cope with the problem, the Flemish region brought in strongman Karel Vinck to head the Mobile Antwerp Management Company (BAM) in an effort to sell the case for the bridge while the various alternatives were studied. But then the credit crisis began to knock over banks like so many dominos, which has had an effect not only on the massive Lange Wapper project, but also on the ability of municipalities to get public works carried out. A spokesman for BAM put a positive gloss on the company’s inability to find a lender: “Because the Flemish government has decided to carry out an investigation into alternatives, negotiations are suspended for at least three months,” explained Nick Orbaen. “That works out The plan shows the alternative routes (in red and green) of the link joining the left bank of the Scheldt to not too badly for us. If we can finally apply for planning the Antwerp Ring (dotted line) permission in February, we might find that the market has calmed down again.” Later it was revealed that the contract to draw up an evaluation of all to the consortium ARUP-SUM and will cost €2.3 million, as a result of the alternatives to the government’s plan for the link has been awarded the tight three-month deadline imposed.

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socialist SP.A deputy Dirk Van der Maelen told Knack, “the tax authorities in the whole of 2007 were only able to demand more tax from four companies on the basis of overseas information”. The problem cannot be put down to a shortage of money. Since 2003, the project to computerise finance ministry records – admittedly a huge and complex task – has received €700 million, or more than €100 million a year. The aim is to create by 2010-15 a system in which tax inspectors would be able to issue every taxpayer with a “fiscal balance”, taking account of income tax, land tax, road tax and other charges, all in a single bill, which would also take account of federal and regional taxes. But the dream system is a long way from

being ready. According to some, the department just does not have the skilled manpower to operate such a large and complex system. The laws required to be able to consolidate the various forms of taxation into one system have not even been laid before the legislature. The problems could have severe consequences. The lack of scrutiny makes fraud easier – for example, by allowing export restitution claims for products that never left the country. Or by allowing the export of arms or dual-use products – which in fact happened for a short time due to a problem of compatibility between one element of the system and another. “There is undoubtedly a problem at the finance ministry,” said CD&V minister Carl Devlies, whose job is to coordinate actions against fraud. He pointed out that because the previous head of the finance ministry had

The week In figures

250

The number of empty wallets and purses dumped by thieves in mailboxes every day, the Post Office says.

€900

The price fetched at auction for a drawing of Hugo Claus handcoloured by former PM Guy Verhofstadt at an event in Antwerp to raise money for the mentally handicapped. A watch donated by Prince Albert of Monaco raised €1,400, while dinner at home with Limburg governor Steve Stevaert raised €220.

2,000

The number of top executives at Fortis Investment who were paid annual bonuses just days before the Benelux governments stepped in to bail out the parent company. The governments were not informed, and bonuses were thought to be as high as €40,000.

4.3%

The rise in the number of educated people of immigrant background without jobs, according to a study by intercultural organisation Kif Kif. Among non-immigrants with higher educational qualifications, meanwhile, unemployment has fallen by 10%.

10%

The increase in the price of a standard postage stamp from 1 January, from 54 to 59 cents. The average price in Western Europe stands at 60 cents.

10%

Flemish health minister Steven Vanackere has set new targets for health for the year 2015: a 10% reduction in the number of overweight and obese people and an increase of 10% in the amount of exercise taken.

150

Individual training for jobless over 50

he Flemish government has agreed to take measures to reduce the rate of unemployment among workers aged 50 and over. It is estimated there are about 44,000 people in that target group, yet employers agree that the talents and experience of the over-50s could be of benefit in a jobs market where a number of sectors are finding it difficult to fill vacancies. The social partners – unions, employers’ representatives and government – have now agreed on several measures to tackle the situation. The government training agency VDAB will give unemployed people individual advice and training to help them to return to the job market, as well as searching for jobs they could fill. The jobless will be profiled for factors such as health and fitness and skills and motivation, with the aim of finding the most suitable job as quickly as possible. “The better a job suits someone, the bigger chance that they will stay on,” said Karel Van Eetvelt of employers’ organisation Unizo. The social partners will also launch an awareness campaign among employers to sell the idea not only of employing over-50s to fill vacancies, but also of holding onto over-50s who are already employed – and who are often the first to go when job-cuts are made.

Loft smashes ticket records in first weekend

he new blockbuster Loft pulled in 126,400 film fans in its first weekend, making it the strongest starter of the year for a Flemish film. More than half of the cinema tickets sold in Flanders were for the film, directed by Erik Van Looy from a screenplay by Bart De Pauw. In comparison, “Most Flemish films are happy to issue a press release when they reach 100,000 sales, and it usually takes about four weeks for them to do so,” said a local film critic. Van Looy’s last film, De Zaak Alzheimer, managed to sell 60,000 tickets in its first full week. Loft, a morality tale about a group of men who rent a loft apartment for extra-marital assignations, was the first feature film produced by Woestijnvis and received subsidy from the Flemish Audiovisual Fund.

Going against the global trend of job losses and bankruptcies, sporting goods manufacturer Nike is to take on 150 new staff in their distribution centre in Laakdal.

€13 million

The cost to Belgian victims of internet fraud in 2007, according to the Computer Crime Unit of the federal police. The so-called Nigerian fraud accounted for 40% of the nearly 3,000 complaints received.

€124,700

The sum raised by a charity auction of 15 giant Smurfs handpainted by celebrities like Axelle Red.

BUSINESS

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Cartamundi wins Flemish enterprise award

BUSINESS fLASH Shutterstock

ing cards but soon expanded into other areas such as promotional cards, casino cards, game cards and collectables. The company’s order book includes collectable cards for Star Trek, Star Wars and Magic: The Gathering. Other customers include Hasbro, Walmart, Carrefour, Shell, Singapore Airlines and McDonalds. In 2006 the company moved into Hollywood with a contract to produce the cards and chips used by James Bond in the film Casino Royale. More recently, it has printed gaming cards for Indiana Jones and Pixar’s Wall-E. The company is looking at a bright future, having recently secured the licencing rights from FIFA for the South Africa and Brazil World Cups. Cartamundi is also expanding into technology by creating e-cards that can be used with a PlayStation 3 game. Belga

Stefano Siggia he Turnhout-based playing card company Cartamundi has won this year’s Flemish Enterprise of the Year Award, beating off competition from strong contenders like Alfacam, Colruyt and DuvelMoortgat. The award was launched in 1995 by international consultants Ernst & Young to reward companies that make a difference in global markets. It was presented to Cartamundi’s CEO Chris Van Doorslaer by Belgian prime minister Yves Leterme in recognition of the company’s creative approach to Cartamundi CEO Chris Van Doorslaer developing new international markets and creating new products for a global market. Cartamundi (Latin for “cards of the world”) was formed out of the merger of three well-established companies in Turnhout. The company began by manufacturing traditional play-

Shutterstock

Turnhout company plays its cards right

Retail

6 facts on the cards

1 Founded in 1970 as a joint venture by three printing companies based in Turnhout: Brepols, Van Genechten and Biermans.

2 Seven production plants in Belgium, Germany, Poland, Brazil, the US and the UK, plus 12 fully-owned subsidiaries across the world.

Produces 200 million packs of cards a year – an average of 518 cards per second.

4 Turnover of e142 million annually, 95% of which is generated outside Belgium.

5 Employs 1,050 people. 6 Major customers include Mattel, Hasbro, Lego and

Ravensburger.

FLANDERS TODAY Free weekly!

OCTOBER 29 2008

N°53

I N D E P E N D E N T N E W S W E E K LY

Douglas De Coninck, p.16

W W W. F L A N D E R S T O D AY. E U

Flanders. A simple two-letter extension had to be ruled out as these can only be used by independent states recognised by the United Nations. Research has shown that the creation of a Flemish internet extension could help the region to promote itself. The nationalist N-VA party has stated that it backs the government in its decision as it believes it will make Flanders more visible on the internet.

This proposal only became possible following the approval of a plan by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to allow the creation of any domain extension and not just the familiar “.com” or “.net”. Flemish Minister-President Kris Peeters stated that the project will cost around €100,000 and could be ready by 2009. SS

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Want to keep in touch with Flanders? Simply fill in the subscription form below and send it to: Flanders Today Subscription Department Waterloosesteenweg 1038 _ 1180 Brussels _ Belgium Fax: 00.32.2.375.98.22 Email: subscriptions@flanderstoday.eu

Hotels

Sheraton

The Sheraton international hotel chain, which forms part of the Starwood group, is seeking to sell its Brussels flagship hotel on Place Rogier. The 500-room hotel is the city’s largest. Pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceuticals

Solvay

The Brussels-based chemical and pharmaceutical products group has acquired Egypt’s leading soda ash producer for e100 million. The move will strengthen Solvay’s position in northern Africa, considered by the company as a fast-developing market. UCB

UCB, the Brussels-based pharmaceutical products company, has signed a joint agreement with US-based Pfizer. They will invest in the British Cyclofluidic company, specialised in automation of chemical and biotechnology testing processes.

Flanders dot what? he Flemish government has drafted an application to create a separate internet domain extension specifically for Flanders. Instead of using “.be” like most Belgian websites, the region would use an extension such as “.vla,” “.vln,” “.vlaanderen” or “.fla”. The government has still to decide which extension to use, but Flemish MP Mark Demesmaeker (N-VA) says he favours “.vla” as it stands for “Vlaanderen,” the Dutch word for

Carrefour

The French retailer had expected to open its latest hypermarket in Bruges last week in the recently inaugurated B-Park retailing complex. But local unions prevented the store’s opening in a dispute over working conditions. Other shops in the complex were open for business, including Decathlon, Krefeld and Dreamland.

Free n! subscriptio

Airlines

Transavia

Transavia, the low-cost affiliate of the KLM/Air France group, is to start operating from Brussels Airport in November. The company will fly to Innsbruck and Salzburg in Austria three times a week initially and plans to develop further operations. Food

Ardo

The Ardooie-based frozen vegetables producer Ardo will acquire the Austrian Frost company, the country’s largest. It beat off competition from another Flanders company, the Westrozebeke-based Pinguin. Computers

Core

The Berchem-based computer services company Core, which specialises in the implementation of SAP software programmes, has been acquired by the Dutch Ctac. Biotech

Apitope

Name: ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Apitope International, a UK-based biotechnology company specialised in developing treatments for multiple sclerosis and diabetes, will get a e10 million capital injection from Flemish investors, including the Flanders Innovation Fund. The move will help the University of Hasselt develop its research activities.

Street: ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Cars

Lisa Bradshaw

his week, newspapers across the world all have one topic in common: The American presidential election. It’s an

the rest of us, all too often affected by the decisions and strategies of the world’s most powerful country. And of course, Americans may very well elect the first-ever black

president. Regardless of what Barack Obama actually means when he constantly invokes the word “change”, that in itself is one big change for a western country that, only 40 years ago, saw the

assassination of African American leaders and horrifying lynching of average black people – the same decade Obama was born. Continued on page 4

Tax computer project is “a failure” System “chaotic” despite €700 million investment Alan Hope he computer system in use at the finance ministry is so ill-adapted to requirements it may need to be scrapped despite investments of at least €700 million, according to an article in Knack magazine last week. The report details how other countries in the OECD are now refusing to deal with tax and other financial information delivered by the federal government because – as recently as May this year – they are still being delivered on paper. At the same time, data passed to Belgium by other

T Arts

Active

The Masarat Palestine Festival is taking over the capital for the next three months, and Bozar clocks in with the best exhibitions, providing fascinating personal stories.

Our castle series ends with one You can’t walk across the street of the biggest and brightest: anymore without bumping into Sterckshof Castle in Deurne is home a “lifestyle shop”. Stéphanie to the silver museum and part of Duval takes a look at the fad, the magnificent Rivierenhof Park. which continues to gain ground in Flanders.

10 Feature 1, 4-5

News 3, 7

Living

13 Business 8

Arts 9

Active 10-11

Living 13

Interview 16

The newspaper version will be mailed to subscribers living in any of the 27 countries of the European Union. Residents of others countries will receive a weekly ezine.

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Genk

Ford Genk, the Limburg-based affiliate of the US-based automobile producer, is to cut production in response to slowing demand worldwide. Capacity will drop to 1,290 vehicles a day from early November, 56 fewer than now. The company’s hopes hinge on the development of the future Mondeo model whose production is expected to start in 2012.

ARTS

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EXHIBITION

The art of conflict

FASHIONISTA

City-wide festival brings visions of life in Palestine to Brussels

Saffina Rana here is no art for art’s sake in the new exhibition at Bozar in Brussels. It features 12 artists from the Palestinian diaspora, but there is no sloganeering or propaganda here. Instead, there is a deeply personal expression of the experience of living through occupation and exile.

capturing its slow disappearance. Then she began taping up the lid of the jar with packing tape, like her grandmother used to do to ensure its safe passage. In a cathartic frenzy, she added layer upon layer, resulting in the sculpture. Equally moving, but in a different way, is the story behind “PartItion”, a memory-game installation

a go. The winner is the player with the largest contiguous geography. If you are desperate, you can cheat or steal cards or ask God for help, say the rules. Born in Bethlehem, al-Zobaidi grew up in the Jalazone refugee camp near Ramallah in the West Bank. When he was a teenager in the mid-1970s, an older boy,

Sliman Mansour’s “Rituals Under Occupation” is part of the intensely personal Never-Part exhibition at Bozar until 11 January “I asked each artist for a piece of work that has stayed with them,” says Jack Persekian, curator of the exhibition called Never-Part: Histories of Palestine. “I wanted to know what it is that makes them keep it. I wanted to investigate – how does an artist come to life?” Take the “Dibis Jar” by Emily Jacir, an artefact so precious that the artist won’t part with it, even for a prestigious foreign exhibition such as this one. Instead, a large photograph of the jar takes its place. In the photo, the jar is bottom up, exposing the last smears of her grandmother’s homemade fruit molasses, called dibis. Reading the artist’s words on the wall explains its significance. Every time Jacir visited her grandmother in Bethlehem, she was given the gift of a jar of dibis. Her grandmother died a short time after one such visit, and Jacir found she was unable to open the jar and eat the sweet contents. She carried it with her everywhere. When she was finally ready to open it up, she documented the entire process with photographs,

by Sobhi al-Zobaidi. Seventy-two cards are arranged in neat rows, face down. Players each turn over two cards. Each contains part of a map. If the two cards match up, the player wins the territory. If not, the cards must be replaced face down for the other player to have

University or studying film at New York University. He went back to Palestine in 1994 but began keeping the map hidden inside books and old briefcases. “I felt embarrassed,” he writes. Turning it into the card game was “the only way to free myself from its tyranny... I wonder what Hasan would think if he found out I have kept his map for 30 years and now come to the conclusion that the only way to keep it is to tear it apart? I would explain to him that instead of showing me the way, this map shows me how disorientated and lost I have been. We only have what we remember.” Dark strands of humour, meanwhile, are present in Nida Sinnorkrot’s “Akh-48”, a wooden crutch with its leg made from the barrel of an AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifle and a medical sling as its holster. “I can never part with my hero-victim complex,” he writes. Each piece in Never-Part is only put into perspective by the reasons why its author has never been able to separate from it. The fragments of the artists’ lives discovered through the work are personal, but ultimately accessible and moving. They are also fragments of the hard-to-obtain history of the Palestinian diaspora, and they provide direct access into its complexities. Never-Part is part of Bozar’s Palestine Festival and features alongside theatre, dance, film, music, debates and readings. It’s scheduled alongside the even bigger Masarat Palestine Festival, in and around Brussels until midJanuary.

Hasan, gave him a map as a mark of their friendship. “It was the first time in my life that I saw a map of Palestine that large. It had no mention of Israel,” he says. The future artist hung the map online everywhere he ever lived, whether www.bozar.be studying economics at Birzeit www.masarat.be

Crossing Surda A real-time account of a challenging walk to work

mily Jacir is a Palestinian-American artist, filmmaker and university lecturer, who splits her time between Ramallah in the West Bank and New York City. The road she walks to work in the former has been disrupted by an Israeli army checkpoint since 2001. She was once stopped by soldiers for filming her feet while she walked. “They detained me at gunpoint in the winter rain next to their tank. After three hours, they confiscated my videotape and released me,” she explains. That night, she cut a hole in her bag for her camera and filmed her subsequent journeys.

In a floor-to-ceiling projection as part of Bozar’s Palestine Festival, Crossing Surda (a record of going to and from work) is a knee-high perspective of a real-time, two kilometre walk through the potholed and muddy dirt track that residents of 30 Palestinian villages walk on a daily basis, if permitted. In this restricted view, we crane to see the other commuters, tanks, barricades, piles of rubble and even piles of bananas that Jacir passes. By the second day, we are sharing the isolation and lack of freedom that are part of her everyday routine. SR

Fashion Flavour

ast week, fashion had a date with Lin Antwerp flavour. The Flanders Fashion Institute hosted its second annual

fundraising dinner at the ModeNatie building – a sort of catch-all fashion arena. The theme was black with a touch of silver and gold, so all of Flanders’ fashionistas turned up in their chicest blacks, adorned with golden necklaces, silver brooches and loads of sparkly eye shadow. Against the backdrop of a Yohji Yamamoto-designed fluorescently white boutique, guests were first spoiled with a glass of GH Mumm Champagne (because, obviously, only the best will do). After this, the director of the FFI urged little groups of people to take the guided tour of Maison Martin Margiela’s exhibition in the building’s Fashion Museum. The goal of the night was not only to raise money for projects of the ModeNatie organisations, but also to instil an awareness of the talent that is present in Flanders. Flemish ministerpresident Kris Peeters was there to show his support. After the tour, each group was taken to the classrooms and ateliers of the fashion academy for the “fashion food installations”. Collections of 2007’s finalyear students were yummy enough but were further accompanied by a buffet, provided by master chef Frank Vol. All fashion academy graduates show their collections in a fashion show in the spring, plus present them to a seven-member jury, who inspects the garments very closely, explains Maureen De Clercq, who teaches design at the school. “We thought it was a shame so few people get to see the collections in detail, so this is the perfect opportunity to show them to a wider audience.” Every collection had its own mood, embellished with scenery. Flowers helped to create an atmosphere in one room, while a desk with typewriter defined the mood in another. In a separate group effort, “volume” was a memorable and amusing theme (photo above). Finally, it was time for some serious business. Several designers donated objects and designs for auction, including a gorgeous sterling silver necklace by Ann Demeulemeester (starting at e725), a large photograph of Veronique Branquinho’s summer collection (e300) and a sketchbook by Tim Van Steenbergen (e250). All of the proceeds will be used to further guide young designers along the path to success. For those of you sorry you missed such a spectacularly fashionable event, there’s still a chance to participate in the auction of any leftover items at www.ffi.be. Stéphanie Duval

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ACTIVE

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CASTLE SERIES

Treasure island

Sterckshof Castle and its neighbouring Rivierenhof park is the pride of Antwerp province

Denzil Walton arely does a farmstead look quite so stately, but the history of Sterckshof Castle can be traced back to the 13th century when Hooftvunder Farm was built on the Grote Schijn river. Over the years the farmstead was expanded and fortified, probably to defend the nearby wooden bridge over the river. A succession of owners further developed the site in Deurne, just east of Antwerp, until it came to the attention of Gerard Sterck. Merchant, banker and advisor to Emperor Charles V, Sterck purchased the farm in 1524, turned it into a magnificent castle in Renaissance style and renamed it Sterckshof Castle. During the wars of the 16th and 17th centuries, many castles in and around Antwerp were laid to waste, but Sterckshof escaped rather lightly. On the contrary, one of its owners, Jacob Edelheer, furnished it with impressive works of art and scientific collections. Around 1646, Flemish artist David Teniers the Younger painted “A View of Sterckshof near Antwerp”. It has been suggested that the figures in the foreground may be Edelheer and his wife. The man offering a fish to Edelheer may be paying his taxes. On Edelheer’s death the castle became the property of his nephew Jacob van Lemens. In 1664, van Lemens died childless, setting in motion a series of major

squabbles between potential heirs. In the end, no one inherited the castle, which was left to become dilapidated. Finally, 50 years later, the castle became the property of the Jesuits of Lier, but during the Austrian War of Succession (1740-1748), the castle was badly damaged. The suppression of the Jesuit Order later on led to the Sterckshof domain being publicly auctioned. Banker Jan Baptist Cogels was the successful bidder, soon incorporating it into his adjoining Rivierenhof estate. Cogels, however, didn’t make the investments necessary to maintain it. By the time the Province of Antwerp bought the Rivierenhof estate in 1921, all that was left of the castle was a onestorey building at the front, a tower, the entry gate and a few outbuildings. Architect JA Van der Gucht was commissioned to draw up plans for the castle’s reconstruction in 1922. Much of his work was based on old illustrations and the results of archaeological excavations. In the 1930s, a new Sterckshof Castle arose and 30 years later was embellished with the interiors of Antwerp townhouses that were being demolished. The castle, directly across from Rivierenhof park, is now known as the Sterckshof Silver Museum.

Sterckhof’s magnificent French Garden is host to the Silver Market every spring

ntwerp has been an important silver production centre for five hundred years – a history based first and foremost on the fame of Antwerp’s many silversmiths and jewellers, restorers and silver collectors, but also on the city’s numerous vocational schools. The Sterckshof Silver Museum houses over 1,400 objects and provides an overview of Belgium’s silver production during the last five centuries. A staggering variety of styles, types and forms are shown in the bedroom, dining room and salon, and in themed rooms devoted to sports and games and religion. Many of the objects are totally surprising, such as the windmill cup. “The cup would be filled with wine, but before drinking it you had to blow on a little pipe that sets the windmill’s sails in motion,” says Ann De Block, the castle’s communications coordinator. “You then had to drink the wine before the sails stopped turning.” Another famous curiosity is the Antwerp owl, the body of which is made from a coconut. This hanap (goblet) was designed in 1548 and

would have been made to order and presented as a gift. On special occasions, the silver head would be unscrewed and liquor poured into the coconut shell (the bird’s body). The museum’s collection of religious objects includes all types and sizes of chalice, pyx and monstrance, as well as a huge holy-water stoup. Made by the Antwerp silversmith Pieter Antoon Verschylen in 1833, it once belonged to King Leopold I. An important mission of the museum is to stimulate contemporary Belgian silver-making through its Sterckshof Commission. Its 2008 award went to Iris Mondelaers’ “Touche pas aux Fleurs!”, a large, free-hanging work of art inspired by Flemish tapestries. It consists of silver threads woven into circles and interconnected to form one large circle, symbolis-

F L A N D E R S T O D AY i O C T O B E R 2 9 , 2 0 0 8 i 1 1

ing the earth. Hand-crafted silver flowers are attached to the points where the circles intersect. “Like silversmithing, Flemish tapestry making is a dying art, now only practised by a small group,” says Mondelaers. For the Sterckshof Commission, she designed her own interpretation of this ancient craft. The work “could be a nuptial piece for a young couple about to marry, in which case it could hang from the altar,” she explains. “It could also be used again at a christening and later on at a communion service or even a funeral. Silver is very durable, which means the piece can be handed down from generation to generation.” “Touche pas aux Fleurs!” is on display at the museum until 18 January. The silver museum’s library contains approximately 20,000 volumes and is particularly useful for students of the decorative arts. On 18 November and 16 December, experts will be on hand to examine (but not value) your items of silver, so feel free to bring along your favourite treasures. Hooftvunderlei 160, Deurne (Antwerp), open Tuesday to Sunday from 10.00 to 17.30

online

www.sterckshof.be

he 1950s was a watershed for the Belgian silver industry. On one hand, many silver manufacturers were wary of innovation because they had to take into account their customers’ mainly conservative tastes. But on the other hand, there was a movement to revive the art and craft of silversmithing. Surprisingly, innovation became most apparent in church silver – stimulated partly by the participation of silver designers in Expo ‘58 and in exhibitions of Belgian religious art at home and abroad. Half a century later, Sterckshof Silver Museum is presenting an overview of modern Belgian silver designs from 1950 to 1970. On display until 18 January are civil as well as religious silverware, jewellery, serial and oneoff objects. Alongside the work of renowned companies like Delheid, Wiskemann and Wolfers, there is also work designed by independent artists. “Until now, Belgium’s silver production from these years has hardly been studied and has never been shown as a whole,” says Ann De Block of the museum. “I think visitors will be surprised by what they see.” She’s right. Unless you have closely followed the Belgian silver industry, Fifties Silver will certainly throw you a few curveballs. A good example of the period’s innovation is the monstrance (an object used to display the consecrated Eucharistic wafer) by Victor Kockerols, the first Fleming to design

his whole oeuvre in a contemporary style. Inspired by the modern movement in religious architecture, Kockerols’ work is characterised by simplicity and liturgical functionality, but always with an element of the spectacular. Roger Bonduel from West Flanders was also one of the post-war generation that made contemporary silver articles. A draughtsman, painter, sculptor and designer, Bonduel experimented with materials like pewter, copper, nickel and iron. His striking monstrance “Arbre de vie” is on display. The leading manufacturers of civic silver in the 1950s had vast collections on display at Expo ’58 – Wiskemann’s products were on show in no less than three pavilions. Not surprisingly, they are also well represented at Fifties Silver, including the stunning Alexandre and Manhattan style coffee services. Pride of place at Fifties Silver probably goes to the table piece “Ondine”. This prestigious work was designed for Expo ‘58 by the Wolfers company and was displayed on the table of honour of the Commissioner General of the World Fair, Baron Moens de Fernig. Consequently, only a few VIPs had the opportunity to see it. Thanks to the silver museum’s exhibition, you can now take your place at the top table.

Hughes Dubois

Hugo Maertens

And for the 50th, you give silver

The Silver Museum and its latest exhibition Fifties Silver is home to the best in silver design, from ancient to contemporary. And where else would one find the oldest Flemish coconut model in existence? Above: a jug with three taps, the silver-coconut owl beaker and the exquisite Wolfers centrepiece “Ondine”

online

www.zilvermuseum.be

Rivierenhof: a do-it-yourself oasis in the middle of the motorways

open-air theatre hosts concerts and plays throughout the summer. Or you can simply use the park for your own leisure activity: walking, jogging, kite-flying, Tai-Chi…and there are two cosy cafés and two excellent restaurants where you can replenish your energy levels. Equally amazing is that the 132-hectare Rivierenhof is a city

park, bordered by the busy Turnhoutsebaan to the north, the Ruggeveldlaan to the east and the E34 to the west and south. On the doorstep of Deurne and within easy reach for the inhabitants of Antwerp, it’s no surprise to find that over a million visitors are estimated to pass through the park every year. Donar Reiskoffer

oung or old, sports freak or naturalist, culture vulture or sun worshipper – you can find your niche in Antwerp’s Rivierenhof Park. Could this green forest in Deurne be unique in Flanders, or even in Europe? It’s certainly difficult to think of a similar place that offers such variety. For the sporty, there are football pitches and courts for tennis, basketball and korfball (a game sort of like netball), mini-golf courses and lawn bowling. Kids can occupy themselves in a children’s farm, adventure playground and fairy tale house. Nature lovers can escape to the arboretum or bird watch over the lakes, in which anglers practice their patience and model boat builders their sailing. Within its boundaries are not just one but two castles – Rivierenhof and Sterckshof. The former regularly holds art exhibitions, while the latter contains a silver museum. The park also boasts a rose garden, a scented garden and the French-style garden around Rivierenhof Castle. The park’s

Rivierenhof Castle in Flanders’ most unique park

“We manage Rivierenhof Park as an integrated whole so that it meets everyone’s needs,” says Peter Verdyck, the park’s coordinator and curator of its arboretum. “We try to avoid the situation where one group of people – naturalists for example – feels that their interests are being overlooked by our concern for another group, such as weekend footballers. This frequently involves compromise, but we continually focus on maintaining the balance that keeps everyone happy.” As many of the park’s visitors are children, great efforts are made to ensure that younger visitors leave with smiles on their faces. An extensive educational programme for schools is part of outreach efforts to kids, explains Jessica Minten, head of educational services. “Our guides lead themed walks throughout the park in the spring and autumn.” School groups can also visit the educational garden “and get their hands dirty with specific gardening projects,” she says. The fun

for children continues during the summer months, with stories in the fairy tale house every Sunday afternoon. The arboretum, meanwhile, is in the process of being renovated. “For about 15 years, very little maintenance work was done in the arboretum, which had reverted to a wild, impenetrable state,” says Verdyck. “We are clearing out the weeds, restoring the paths, planting new stocks of azaleas, rhododendrons, hortensias and magnolias, plus providing space for our rarer trees to thrive.” Rivierenhof Park is open every day from dawn to dusk. Entrance is free.

online

www.rivierenhof.be

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LIVING

F L A N D E R S T O D AY i O C T O B E R 2 9 , 2 0 0 8 i 1 3

SHOPPING

TOUCHING BASE the week in sport Shutterstock

Get with the concept The “lifestyle store” is making its way across Flanders by way of Antwerp

Softball The Borgerhout Squirrels women’s softball team has won the national championship, beating Brasschaat Braves by three games to one in the best-of-five Belgium Series. The Squirrels had qualified for the Belgium Series by winning the Elite Division with a 21-3 record, while the Braves had advanced with a second-best 16-8 record. Borgerhout had qualified for the Elite Division, along with Brasschaat, Merksem Greys and Heist-op-den-berg Afterburners by ending in the top half of the First Division after the first 14 games.

The über-hip boutique with a sleek inte- zaal. These might only be small touches, but rior and expensive designer clothes also retailers are keen to add the dimension to treats its customers to live DJ sets on the their shops. weekends and carries a wide selection of Antwerp, though the initiator in Flanders home accessories, jewellery and lifestyle of lifestyle shops like these, is certainly not books. If you look for it, you’ll even find a the only city bearing them. Ghent saw the discrete counter with luxurious sex toys. opening of Lift recently, which stocks books But that’s about as edgy as it gets. Where and interior design items, and shop-a-holics Clinic might have been considered the gather on every first Friday to enjoy the free trendsetting store of choice for the fashion music and drinks. Clinic chose Hasselt to in-crowd in the beginning, it now appeals open a second location, where it already to a much broader audience. The collections counts a loyal fan base. are still fashionable, but they have gone up It seems like pretty soon, my grandma’s in price and down in avant-garde. Clinic has boutique will be completely a thing of the abandoned its rebellious streak in favour of past and it will be impossible to go out to a more mainstream approach. buy a sweater and not return with a coffee Another retailer profiling itself as a life- table book on tattoos and the newest CD by style store is Urban Outfitters. The Amer- some obscure band. ican concept was altered for the European market and made its way to the mainland via Antwerp last year. The core idea is still the online same: offer a wild mix of different clothing www.fishandchips.be brands, interesting books, music, games and www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk home accessories. In short, Urban Outfitters www.clinicantwerp.com wants to be more than just a reflection of your wardrobe; it wants to be a reflection of your life. “We give the customers what they want,” explains Hugh Wahla, European director of the youthful fashion chain. “They want to see new and stimulating things every time they come in here.” So the shop plays it smart: it places books and CD’s between sweaters and pants so that buyers might discover more than just a perfect pair of jeans. In addition, Urban Outfitters sometimes showcases the work of young artists on their walls and organises musical events in different locations, offering customers exclusive DJ sets and live pop and rock shows. Even a short stroll through Antwerp’s shopping streets shows that the concept store phenomenon is everywhere. It is striking, however, how many stores choose the toneddown version: placing a couple of books between merchandise and hanging a few works by young artists, like Melt65 in Nationalestraat; or pointing customers in the direction It’s not what you’ve got, it’s the way that you’ve got it: Lifestyle of certain CDs they are playing in chain stores, like Urban Outfitters (top), have been inspired by the shop, like COS in the Stadsfeest- avant-garde independents – like Fish&Chips (above) used to be

Monique Philips

Stéphanie Duval here used to be a simpler time, so my grandmother tells me, when a shop offered just one range of items. You went to a shoe store to buy shoes and to a boutique to buy a cocktail dress. Now those borders are more than just blurred, they are nearly invisible. The hippest shops not only offer shoes, casual wear and designer collections all under one roof, they’ve also added a bunch of products that don’t necessarily have anything to do with clothing. Furthermore, it now seems that there are other reasons than shopping for visiting your favourite store. The first shop in Antwerp that could truly call itself a “concept store” was Fish&Chips. When Luc Leenders launched the shop in the Kammenstraat, in 1997, it was a novelty in every way imaginable. The gigantic space had a bar and a hair salon on the first floor, and DJ’s regularly turned the whole shop into a disco. But now at Fish&Chips, the bar and salon have gone to make way for more merchandise – the first floor has become regular retail space, filled with streetwear like the rest of the shop. These changes might be attributed to Fish&Chips’ acquisition by a corporate retailer. The overall idea is now slightly more conventional – and more commercial – than before. But the original idea hasn’t really changed: it is still a “supermarket of styles,” says the company’s spokesperson, Rutger Koene. “The shop strives to offer a very wide collection and a multitude of different brands, but we like to go against the rules and remain highly original.” The lifestyle store thus advocates a slightly rebellious attitude, offering all kinds of rock and punk inspired clothing, accessories, posters and books. The shop window is specifically styled to provoke: “Sometimes they’re statements, other times they’re just plain fun,” explains Koene. The shop’s windows have stopped walkers in the paths with dolls put in a horror setting or with daring references to political figures and events. Though Fish&Chips changed, the concept itself did not go unnoticed by other Antwerp retailers. Clinic in Antwerp’s Bohemian ’t Zuid neighbourhood calls itself a “denimandstuffsupermarket”. Indeed, another eclectic superstore.

American football In the national Junior League, each team played everyone in their division once, and the top two in each division move onto the play-offs. After October’s games, chances for some teams are dwindling while others have almost assured themselves of postseason play, such as the West Division’s number-one ranked Black Angels and the East Division’s number one Monarchs, both with 3-0 standings.

Rugby In the Flemish regional First Division, Brussels Celtic lead the pack with three wins from three matches. Astonishingly, Celtic have yet to allow a single point, having discarded Oudenaarde, Mechelen and RC9 H-Z by scores of 36-0, 51-0 and 22-0 respectively. In the Flemish regional Second Division, Eeklo and Lommel are undefeated although Eeklo has four wins to Lommel’s three. First Division National Standings

Rank 1 - 3 - - - 7 -

Team ASUB Kituro Boitsfort Frameries Ottignies Soignies Coq Mosan Dendermondse

Won 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1

Lost 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3

Second Division National Standings

Rank 1 2 - - 5 6 7 -

Team Won BUC 3 Anderlecht Kibubu 3 Visé 2 Barbarians 2 Laakdal 1 Antwerp 0 Standard 0

Lost 0 3 1 0 2 2 4 4

Draw 1 1 2 1

The national rugby team hosts Ukraine for the European Cup at 15.00 on 1 November in the Koning Boudewijn stadium in Brussels. Tickets start at e6 euro and are available from Fnac. Leander Schaerlaeckens

AGENDA

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Classical & New Music Antwerp Amuz Kammenstraat 81; 03.248.28.28 NOV 1 21.00 Accordone: John Dowland’s imaginary Italian journal deSingel Desguinlei 25; 03.248.28.28, www.desingel.be OCT 30 20.00 Le Concert d’Astrée, conducted by Emmanuelle Haïm, with Magali Léger, soprano: Handel OCT 31 20.00 Alban Gerhardt, cello; Steven Osborne, piano: Schumann, Alkan, Piazzolla, Shostakovich

Bruges Concertgebouw ‘t Zand 34; 070.22.33.02, www.concertgebouw.be OCT 31 18.30 Collegium Vocale Gent: Bach cantatas 20.00 Matthias Später, cello: Bach 22.30 Toonmoment vocal ensemble NOV 1 15.00 Collegium Vocale Gent 16.00 Pierre Hantaï, harpsichord 17.30 Ricercar Consort: Schütz, Bernhard, Bach 22.30 Soloists from Collegium Vocale Gent (part of Bach Academie) NOV 2 14.00 Markus Becker, piano 16.00 Christine Busch, violin 17.30 Collegium Vocale Gent: Bach cantatas (part of Bach Academie)

Brussels Bozar (Paleis Voor Schone Kunsten) Ravensteinstraat 23; 02.507.82.00, www.bozar.be OCT 30 12.30 violin, viola and cello:

Ben Ealovega

Get your tickets now for...

F L A N D E R S T O D AY i O C T O B E R 2 9 , 2 0 0 8

Komitas, Frolov, Bottesini OCT 31-NOV 4 La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra and Choirs conducted by Mark Wigglesworth: Verdi’s Requiem Mass NOV 2 11.00 Bennewitz Quartet: Janacek, Smetana NOV 3 20.30 Collegium Vocale, Gent conducted by Philippe Herreweghe: Bach cantatas Flagey Heilig Kruisplein; 02.641.10.20, www.flagey.be OCT 31 12.30 Max Vandervorst: Symphonie d’Objets Abandonnés NOV 2 20.15 Royal Wallonia Chamber Orchestra: Mendelssohn, Schumann Kaaitheater Sainctelettesquare 20; 02.201.59.59, www.kaaitheater.be NOV 4 20.30 Critical Band, tribute to American composer James Tenney by Bl!ndman and Champ d’Action Royal Music Conservatory Regentschapsstraat 30; 02.213.41.37 OCT 30 20.00 Young European Strings Chamber Orchestra (Ireland): Vivaldi, Bach, Sarasate, Deane/Sheahan, Tchaikovsky NOV 5 20.00 La Risonanza, conducted by Fabio Bonizzoni, with Roberta Invernizzi, soprano: Purcell, Handel Leopoldsburg CC Leopoldsburg Kastanjedreef 1; 011.34.65.48, www.ccleopoldsburg.be OCT 31 20.15 Limburg Youth and Music Orchestra: opera, belcanto and oratoria

Opera Antwerp Stadsschouwburg Theaterplein 1; 0900.69.900, www.musichall.be NOV 6 20.00 Verdi’s Nabucco by the Sofia National Opera, conducted by Borislav Ivanov, staged by Kuzman Popov

Jazz & blues Antwerp

Alfred Brendel

17 November, 20.00. Bozar, Ravensteinstraat 23, Brussels. Tickets from 02.507.82.00 or www.bozar.be

reat news for piano lovers: Alfred Brendel, a magnificent Austrian pianist whose lifelong ambition has been to put the composer and his music first, but whose playing nevertheless boasts a sweet, singing quality that’s instantly recognisable, will be performing in Brussels next month. The bad news is that this will be his last appearance in Belgium: the 77-year-old has decided to retire after a triumphant career of 60 years, and the concert is part of a farewell tour that will wind down in Vienna just before Christmas. The carefully picked programme brings together all his favourite Viennese composers: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and, of course, Schubert: Brendel has aptly chosen his final sonata in B flat major, a monumental work full of poignant lyricism that will take up the entire second half of the concert.

deSingel Desguinlei 25; 03.248.28.28, www.desingel.be OCT 29 20.00 Marc Ribot Trio Queen Elisabeth Hall Koningin Astridplein 26; 0900.26.060 NOV 4 20.00 Chick Corea & John McLaughlin (Skoda Jazz) NOV 5 20.00 Herbie Hancock Sextet (Skoda Jazz)

Bruges De Werf Werfstraat 108; 050.33.05.29 NOV 3 20.30 Das Kapital (France)

Brussels Beursschouwburg Auguste Ortstraat 20-28; 02.550.03.50, www.beursschouwburg.be OCT 29 20.30 Iswhat?! with Hamid Drake (Skoda Jazz) OCT 30 20.30 Free Desmyter Quartet Bozar (Paleis Voor Schone Kunsten) Ravensteinstraat 23; 02.507.82.00, www.bozar.be OCT 30 20.00 Ornette Coleman quartet Jazz Station Leuvensesteenweg 193-195; 02.733.13.78 Concerts at 20.30: OCT 29 Hijaz Quintet NOV 1 18.00 Ewout Pierreux NOV 5 Greg Houben Trio NOV 6 Jazz Station Big Band: Bob Mintzer special concert Le Botanique Koningstraat 236; 02.218.37.32 NOV 4 20.00 Living Colour (Skoda Jazz)

Sass’n Jazz Koningsstraat 241; www.sazznjazz.be NOV 1 21.30 Shoe Shine Boys NOV 5 20.30 SM’s Steady Wednesdays Sounds Jazz Club Tulpenstraat 28; 02.512.92.50, www.soundsjazzclub.be OCT 29 22.00 Chamaquiando (salsa) OCT 30 21.00 The Singers Night OCT 31 22.00 Gilles Repond Quartet NOV 1 22.00 Barca-Bruxa-Connection, blues/ rock/jazz NOV 3 22.00 Master Session NOV 4 22.00 Tuesday Night Orchestra: Big Band The Music Village Steenstraat 50; 02.513.13.45 OCT 29 20.30 JazZey NOV 1 20.30 Dirk Van der Linden Trio with Bob DeVos Théâtre Marni Vergniestraat 25; 02.354.43.68 NOV 4 21.30 Fanny Bériaux Quartet

Pop, rock, hip-hop, soul Antwerp Lotto Arena Schijnpoortweg 119; 0900.26.060 OCT 31-NOV 1 20.00 De Kreuners Sportpaleis Schijnpoortweg 119; 0900.26.060 Until NOV 8 20.30 Night of the Proms _ classical/pop line-up with Simple Minds, Live, Sinéad O’Connor, John Miles, Il Novecento, Igudesman & Joo, Angels in Harlem Gospel Choir

Borgerhout Hof Ter Lo Noordersingel 30; 03.543.90.30 NOV 1 20.15 Sabaton. Grailknights. Black Knight Luchtbal Cultuurcentrum Columbiastraat 8; 03.543.90.30, www.ccluchtbal.org OCT 30 21.00 Emile Autumn + Halloween after party NOV 1 20.30 Bass Communion + Fear Falls Burning

Brussels Ancienne Belgique Anspachlaan 110; 02.548.24.24 Concerts at 20.00: OCT 31 August Burns Red. Monza NOV 1 Aimee Mann NOV 3 Simple Plan. The Sedan Vault NOV 5 Trust Beursschouwburg Auguste Ortstraat 20-28; 02.550.03.50, www.beursschouwburg.be NOV 3 20.30 Dustin O’Halloran + Corrina Repp Fuse Blaesstraat 208; 02.511.97.89 NOV 1 23.00 Len Faki. Mike Shannon, Dejan, Rino Le Botanique Koningstraat 236; 02.218.37.32 Concerts at 20.00: OCT 29 The Zcerts + Blood Red Shoes. Alister NOV 2 Bang Gang NOV 3 Françoiz Breut NOV 4 Le Loup NOV 5 Syd Matters + Mariée Sioux. Volcano + Why? Vorst-Nationaal Victor Rousseaulaan 208; 0900.00.991 OCT 29 20.00 BB Brunes OCT 31 20.00 Francis Cabrel

Ghent Vooruit St Pietersnieuwstraat 23; 0900.26.060 NOV 6 20.00 Henry Threadgill

Hasselt Muziekodroom Bootstraat 9; www.muziekodroom.be NOV 1 20.00 Johnny Berlin + Confuse the Cat NOV 4 20.00 The Big Hat Band + The Pigeon Detectives NOV 6 20.00 Warren Suicide + T Raumschmiere

Kortrijk

Brussels

De Kreun Jan Persijnstraat 6; 056.37.06.44, www.dekreun.be NOV 4 20.00 Daniel Higgs + These are Powers NOV 6 20.00 Flip Kowlier

KVS Bol Lakensestraat 146; 02.210.11.12, www.kvs.be Until NOV 1 20.00 De Radicale verliezers (The Radical Losers), written and staged by Raven Ruëll (in French with Dutch surtitles)

Leuven Het Depot Martelarenplein 12; 016.22.06.03 OCT 30 20.00 Marcos Valle with Wanda Sá + DJ Lieven Verstraete NOV 5 20.00 Ma Rain + Luka Bloom NOV 6 20.00 Hermano

World, folk Antwerp Zuiderpershuis Waalse Kaai 14; 03.248.01.00, www.zuiderpershuis.be OCT 30 20.30 Kayhan Kalhor & Madjid Khaladj (Iran) OCT 31 20.30 Kudsi Erguner Ensemble & flamenco guests (Turkey/Spain)

Kaaistudio’s Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Vaakstraat 81; 02.201.59.59, www.kaaitheater.be NOV 5-6 20.30 LEX, written and staged by Peter Verhelst; music by Dominique Pauwels (in English, Latin and Hebrew with Dutch surtitles) Koninklijk Circus Onderrichtsstraat 81; 02.218.20.15 NOV 5 20.30 Elie Semoun, comedy Théâtre Marni Vergniestraat 25; 0486.78.65.58, www.atc-brussels.com Until NOV 1 20.00 American Theatre Company in Best Man by Gore Vidal (in English)

Brussels

Ghent

Biouel Boat Havenlaan 23; http://musica.flavioteca.be NOV 1 21.00 Un Viaje con Ritmo Latino

Capitole Graaf van Vlaanderenplein 5; 0900.84.100 OCT 31-NOV 2 Fame, dance musical (in Dutch)

Flagey Heilig Kruisplein; 02.641.10.20, www.flagey.be OCT 30 20.15 Kudsi Erguner & Ensemble (Sufi)

Vooruit St Pietersnieuwstraat 23; 0900.26.060 NOV 4 20.00 Woest, solo performance by Tom Lanoye (in Dutch)

Sounds Jazz Club Tulpenstraat 28; 02.512.92.50, www.soundsjazzclub.be NOV 5 22.00 Caribe Con K _ Los Soneros del Barrio, Caribbean music

Stuk Naamsestraat 96; 016.32.03.20 OCT 31-NOV 1 20.30 Playing Ensemble Again and Again, choreographed and staged by Ivana Müller (in Dutch) OCT 31 22.00 NOV 2 19.30 The Scavenger’s Daughters by Orla Barry (in English)

The Music Village Steenstraat 50; 02.513.13.45 OCT 30 20.30 Rey Cabrera invites... Cyntia Rodriguez Latin Combo Wolubilis Paul Hymanslaan 251; 02.761.60.30, www.wolubilis.be NOV 5 20.30 Pari Maleki & Konya Ensemble (Iran)

Dance Antwerp Stadsschouwburg Theaterplein 1; 0900.69.900, www.musichall.be NOV 5 20.00 Boris Eifman Ballet in Tchaikovsky, choreographed by Boris Eifman

Brussels De Munt Muntplein; 070.23.39.39, www.demunt.be Until OCT 31 20.00 Sutra, new work choreographed and performed by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, together with 17 Buddhist monks

Theatre Antwerp Antwerpen X Berchem, Antwerpse Ring; 070.344.555, www.daens.be Until DEC 13 Daens: The Musical, with Lucas Van Den Eynde, Free Souffriau and Jelle Cleymans, extended by popular demand (in Dutch with French surtitles) Klokhuis Theatre Parochiaanstraat 4; 0495.31.76.87, tickets@yahoo.com NOV 5-8 20.15 British American Theatre Society in Last of the Red Hot Lovers by Neil Simon (in English)

Bornem CC Ter Dilft Sint-Amandsesteenweg 41; 03.890.69.30, www.terdilft.be OCT 30 20.00 Woest, solo performance by Tom Lanoye (in Dutch)

Leuven

Mol CC ’t Getouw Molenhoekstraat 2; 014.33.08.88 OCT 31 20.15 Woest, solo performance by Tom Lanoye (in Dutch)

Oudenaarde CC De Woeker Woeker 3; 055.33.51.35 OCT 29 20.30 Woest, solo performance by Tom Lanoye (in Dutch)

Visual arts Aalst De Werf Cultural Centre Molenstraat 51; 053.73.28.12 Until NOV 23 Van Propo tot nu, show on the theme of art in a social and political context, with works by Marcel Mariën, Panamarenko, Roger Somville, Marcel Broodthaers and Roger Raveel, among others. Half the show takes place at Stedelijk Museum ‘t Gasthuys, Oude Vismarkt 13

Antwerp Contemporary Art Museum (MuHKA) Leuvenstraat 32; 03.260.99.99, www.muhka.be Until NOV 23 Lonely at the top, sound effects work by Dutch artist Jasmina Fekovic, also known as Documentarista Until DEC 7 Broodthaers & friends, works by Belgian artist Marcel Broodthaers shown with works by Panamarenko, Robert Filliou, Bernd Lohaus, Guy Rombouts and Walter Swennen Until JAN 4 The order of Things, group show questioning the use of archival images Extra City Tulpstraat 79; 0484.42.10.70 Until NOV 16 Mother’s Day, audiovisual installation by Smadar Dreyfus Fotomuseum Waalse Kaai 47; 03.242.93.00 Until JAN 4 Gérald Dauphin,

AGENDA retrospective of work by the Antwerp photographer (1938-2007) Until JAN 4 Een wereld zonder einde (A World Without End), retrospective of work by Belgian photographer Marie-Françoise Plissart Until DEC 7 Chris Marker: Staring Back, photography by French filmmaker Chris Marker Middelheim Museum Middelheimlaan 6; 03.827.15.34 Until DEC 14 Rodin: Balzac, story of a masterwork, tribute to the French sculptor’s famous work

Bruges Arentshuis Dijver 16; 050.44.87.11 Until DEC 7 Günter Brus, retrospective by the avant-garde Austrian on his 70th birthday Groeningemuseum Dijver 12; 050.44.87.43 Until DEC 31 Leuven Loans, 15thand 16th-century paintings and woodcarvings from Leuven’s Van der Kelen-Mertens museum Until JAN 4 Stradanus: Artist at the Medici Court, retrospective of Bruges-born artist Johannes Stradanus, with paintings, drawings, prints and tapestries

Brussels

Argos _ Centre for Art and Media Werfstraat 13; 02.229.00.03, www.argosarts.org Until JAN 3 Interstitial Zones, 15 artists offer a critical alternative to the mass media’s coverage of modern history Belvue Museum Paleizenplein 7; 02.511.44.25, www.belvue.be Until NOV 30 Broodthaers onomwonden (Broodthaers Outspoken), tribute to Belgian artist Marcel Broodthaers (1924-1976), with works by Christoph Büchel & Giovanni Carmine, Wim Delvoye, Fabrice Samyn and Zin Taylor Until JAN 4 Man, Culture, War: Multicultural Aspects of the First World War, a panorama of the diverse origins of those who fought in Belgium during World War One Bibliotheca Wittockiana Bemelstraat 23; 02.770.53.33 Until FEB 28 25 Years of Passion Shared, the Wittockiana collection of fine, hand-crafted book bindings since the Renaissance The Cellars of Cureghem Ropsy Chaudronstraat 24; 070.25.20.20, www.cavesdecureghem.be Until JAN 11 Körperwelten 4 (Body Worlds 4), anatomical exhibition of human bodies by German scientist Gunther Von Hagens Cityscape Guldenvlieslaan Until NOV 1 States of Mind: Young American Photography deBuren Leopoldstraat 6; 02.212.19.30, www.deburen.eu Until DEC 12 World One Minutes Brussels, the best one-minute videos from 90 countries De Elektriciteitscentrale European Centre for Contemporary Art Sint Katelijneplein 44; 02.279.64.35 Until JAN 11 Réfléchir le monde (Reflecting the World), photographs, video and installations by contemporary French artists on the occasion of the European Union’s French Presidency Flemish Parliament IJzerenkruisstraat 299; 02.552.40.43 Until DEC 20 Screenworlds, contemporary Flemish photography, with work by Carl De Keyzer, Caroline Van Poucke, Jimmy Kets, Stephan Vanfleteren, Tim Dirven and Tony Leduc, among many others

F L A N D E R S T O D AY i O C T O B E R 2 9 , 2 0 0 8 i 1 5

Grote Markt www.francekunstart.be Until NOV 19 Convergence, light installation by French visual artist Yann Kersalé ING Cultural Centre Koningsplein 6; 02.547.22.92 Until MAR 15 Oceania: Signs of Ritual, Symbols of Authority, sculptures, masks, ritual artefacts, weapons and utilitarian objects from Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia Instituto Cervantes Tervurenlaan 64; 02.737.01.90 Until NOV 15 Amor/Desamor, video works on the theme of love by 28 Spanish artists Jewish Museum of Belgium Minimenstraat 21; 02.512.19.63 OCT 31-DEC 28 Inedit, Idel Ianchelevici’s sculptures photographed by Stephen Sack Justitiepaleis Poelaertplein; 02.512.19.63 Until OCT 31 Room for Justice, an exhibition by Lawyers without Borders on globalisation and justice Until NOV 11 Corpus Delicti, contemporary installations, sculpture, photographs and video art by various artists (www.corpus-delicti.be) La Fonderie – Brussels Museum of Labour and Industry Ransfortstraat 27; 02.410.99.50 Until DEC 7 Sous les palmiers: la mine (Under the Palm Trees: The Mine) photographs of miners in Morocco during the 1960s, by Charles Henneghien Le Botanique Koningstraat 236; 02.226.12.57 Until NOV 30 Habeas Corpus, group show on the theme of the body, with contemporary paintings, drawings, videos and sculptures by various artists Royal Museum of Art and History Jubelpark 10; 02.741.72.11 Until MAR 8 Continental Superstar, 16 mechanical organs from the Ghysels collection, with recreated dance floor, bar and lighting Royal Museum of Fine Arts Regentschapsstraat 3; 02.508.32.11, www.fine-arts-museum.be Until JAN 4 Meunier in Séville, 80 paintings made in Spain in 1882 and 1883 by 19th-century Belgian artist Constantin Meunier Until JAN 18 Landscapes and portraits by Belgian artist Lismonde Until JAN 25 Breuk en erfenis (Separation and Heritage), show marking the European Union’s French Presidency, with 1970s works by French artists Saint Michael and St Gudula Cathedral Sinter-Goedeleplein; 02.217.83.45 Until NOV 24 Septiformis, paintings, photographs, installations and video works by several artists Thüringen Lander Representation in Brussels Square Vergote 39; 02.737.04.05 Until NOV 7 European Insights, the dynastic relations between Belgium and the duchies of Saxe Coburg and Gotha Tour & Taxis Havenlaan 86C; 02.549.60.49 Until NOV 3 World Press Photo, prizewinning images from the prestigious international photo-journalism contest Until APR 26 It’s our Earth!, interactive exhibition on sustainable development, with interventions by Belgian and international artists WIELS Van Volxemlaan 354; 02.347.30.33 Until NOV 2 Kelly Walker, works with appropriated and recycled images Until NOV 2 Nothing More Natural, drawings, computer and video exploring the relationship between

sex and technology in contemporary society by Flemish artist Anne-Mie Van Kerckhoven

Don’t miss this week

Deurle Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens Museumlaan 14; 09.282.51.23 Until NOV 23 CAP.MAX, installation in the museum’s garden by Emilio López-Menchero Until NOV 30 Works by American artist Kara Walker Until NOV 30 Works by Belgian artist Kris Martin

Ghent Caermersklooster Vrouwebroersstraat 6; 09.269.29.10 Until DEC 21 Glans en duister (Glossy and Dark), photographs by Eric Standaert Until DEC 21 Harold Lloyd, tribute to the famous American actor and director (1893-1971) Dr Guislain Museum Jozef Guislainstraat 43; 09.216.35.95, www.museumdrguislain.be Until APR 12 The Game of Madness: On Lunacy in Film and Theatre, representations of madness in film, plays, paintings and contemporary art, with works by James Ensor, Jan Fabre, Hugo Claus, Fernand Khnopff and Dirk Braeckman, among many others Museum of Fine Arts Fernand Scribedreef 1 – Citadelpark; 09.240.07.00, www.mskgent.be Until JAN 18 Giambattista Piranesi, prints by the Italian architect and artist (1720-1778) Stedelijk Museum voor Actuele Kunst (SMAK) Citadelpark; 09.221.17.03 Until JAN 3 Faux Jumeaux (False Twins), carte blanche to Belgian artist Michel François Until JAN 18 Anyth_=, paintings by Werner Mannaers Until NOV 23 Coming People, works by young artists

Hasselt Modemuseum Gasthuisstraat 11; 011.23.96.21 Until OCT 31 Ten dans gevraagd (Invitation to Dance), dance costumes by fashion designers and artists from 1920 to the present day Z33 Zuivelmarkt (Beguinage) 33; 011.29.59.60 Until JAN 4 The Great Exhibition Part 1: Europe, a project by Ives Maes linking world exhibitions to science fiction

Kemzeke Verbeke Foundation Hulsterstraat Noord; www.verbekefoundation.com Until NOV 16 Vision in Motion – Motion in Vision, exhibition of moving art

Maaseik Maaseik Museum Lekkerstraat 5; 089.81.92.99 Until MAR 31 The Terracotta Army of Xi’an: Treasures of the First Emperors of China, 14 life-size sculptures of warriors from the world-famous Terracotta Army shown with 200 artefacts from the Qin and Western Han dynasties

Machelen-Zulte Het Roger Raveelmuseum Gildestraat 2-8; 09.381.60.00 Until FEB 22 Ensor & Raveel: Kindred Spirits, drawings and paintings by the Belgian artists

Mechelen Cultuurcentrum Minderbroedersgang 5; 015.29.40.00, www.cultuurcentrummechelen.be Until NOV 23 Honorons Honoré, tribute to 19th-century French caricaturist Honoré Daumier, with works by contemporary Belgian artists

International Independent Film Festival

4-9 November, Jacques Franck Cultural Centre, Waterloosesteenweg 94, Brussels, www.centremultimedia.org

ne of the country’s best film festivals turns 35 this year: The International Independent Film Festival invites the best of the world’s low-budget and non-studio films to Brussels. This year Indonesia makes a strong showing, with four features, including the musical epic Opera Jawa (photo), which has picked up awards in Singapore and Hong Kong for its visually stunning mix of traditional storytelling and modern social ills. Also on view is 3 Days to Forever, a road trip movie that illustrates the diversity of Indonesian society, and Samira’s Garden, a Moroccan film starring Sana Mousiane, who also starred in the Flemish film Los. Ostend Kunstmuseum Aan Zee Romestraat 11; 059.50.81.18, www.pmmk.be Until DEC 15 In the Cherished Company of Others, drawings, sculptures, paintings and installations by Marc Camille Chaimowicz, shown with works by international artists

Ypres In Flanders Fields Museum Grote Markt 34; 057.23.92.75 Until NOV 12 Off the record, work by artist-in-residence Wendy Morris

Festivals & special events Antwerp De Boekenbeurs: Huge annual Flemish book fair OCT 31-NOV 11 10.00-18.00 (NOV 4 & 6 until 22.00) at Antwerp Expo, Jan Van Rijswijcklaan 191 03.260.81.22, www.boekenbeurs.be

Bruges The Messenger: Multidisciplinary festival on immigration and international culture with exhibitions, theatre, dance, film, debates and readings Until DEC 10 across Bruges www.cultuurcentrumbrugge.be

Brussels Brussels Biennial: Contemporary art exhibitions with works by more than 90 local and international artists Until JAN 4 across Brussels www.brusselsbiennial.org Flagey Children’s Day: First edition of a special day with voice workshops by Vlaams Radio Koor and Brussels Philharmonic, cartoon screenings, concert by Max Vandervorst, tours by TVBrussel and FM Brussels and a children’s ball OCT 31 9.30-18.00 at Flagey, Heilig Kruisplein 02.641.10.20, www.flagey.be Halloween Festival: Tenth edition of the afternoon event organised by the Museum voor Fantastische Kunst, Amerikaansestraat 7. For children seven and up. Until NOV 2 14.00-17.00 in the Ma Campagne area 0475.41.29.18, www.maisonbizarre.be

Halloween at Bruparck: Activities include workshops, horror labyrinth evening Halloween Parade and fireworks performance “Ottora le Grand” OCT 31-NOV 1 at Bruparck, Eeuwfeestlaan 20 02.474.83.83, www.bruparck.be International Solidarity Month: The city of Brussels and local groups organise events to promote global fairness and cohesion with concerts, exhibitions, street theatre, films and talks Until NOV 11 in Brussels centre 02.279.21.12 or www.brucity.be Pink Screens Film Festival: annual gay, lesbian and transgender fest offers features, documentaries and shorts Until NOV 1 at Cinema Nova www.gdac.org Pocket Film Festival: The best of the mobile phone film competition that took place in Belgium and internationally in September and October. A full day of activities includes debates, screenings and the chance to make your own film. NOV 6 at Bozar, Ravensteinstraat 23 www.cinepocket.be

Ghent Countryside: Rural lifestyle fair OCT 31-NOV 3 10.00-19.00 at Flanders Expo, Maaltekouter 1 09.241.92.11, www.countryside.be Landjuweelfestival: Amateur theatre festival for all ages, including the 72nd Landjuweel tournament, children’s productions, storytelling competition and the international project, Shakespeare Today OCT 29-NOV 2 in venues across Ghent www.hetlandjuweel.be Tokyo Drums: Japanese music show Until NOV 5 at Capitole, Graaf van Vlaanderenplein 5 0900.69.00

Leuven Playground Festival: Second edition of the festival that showcases performances, projects and installations by visual artists, theatre makers and choreographers Until NOV 7 at Stuk, Naamsestraat 96 016.32.03.20, www.playgroundfestival.be

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LIVING

F L A N D E R S T O D AY i O C T O B E R 2 9 , 2 0 0 8

INTERVIEW

Douglas De Coninck Nora Nikowitz

Douglas De Coninck doesn’t just write the news; sometimes he is the news. In an ongoing court case, the Flemish journalist, together with the brother of a murdered police officer, is accused of revealing details of the secret investigation. I first noticed your serial investigative journalism for De Morgen during the Marc Dutroux child murder case in Belgium. There was supposed to be more investigation. Is that all over now?

a senior police officer and the internal workings of the P Committee, the police watchdog organisation. Is having the papers in your hand a kind of insurance?

When did you first become interested in journalism?

It’s better to work with files, yes. They should give a Nobel Prize to the guy who invented the PDF. The thing we learned about the Comité P is that it wasn’t working at all. We have quite a lot of examples. In Belgium, there is nothing like an Internal Affairs department in our police service. They use the P Committee to put an end to people’s careers who are whistleblowers or who they see as troublemakers.

From the first time I started reading papers, I always wanted to be a journalist. I never had any other ambition. I think it’s the only thing I can do a little bit well, except maybe cooking. Things never turn out the way you expect; that’s why I like it so much. Every day and every week is totally different. Every day there’s a new discovery.

Yes, it is. Case closed. There’s a moment that you have to stop as well, personally. I spent five years almost exclusively on this. To have all of your work turning around just one file – that’s not healthy. At times you feel scarred by it. I was happy when the Dutroux trial was finally over and I could go home and forget about it. If something like that were to happen again, I don’t know whether I would...take That brings us to the the assignment. case which had you in

court recently. Peter De Vleeschauwer was a police officer in 1996 when he was kidnapped and later found executed. You’ve been People who are the victims of accused of leaking details of whatever kind of injustice send the case file.

Don’t you ever feel like writing about a great football match or somebody getting a prize – something other than murder and mayhem?

Someone once said that news is what someone somewhere wants to suppress. How does one of your stories get started?

me emails, or they call me. About 10 to 20 a week. I don’t call back any more. Besides, it’s healthier to develop your stories yourself. Then there are the calls from whistle blowers. But you have to be careful. I think I’m getting to a period in my life or career when I don’t like to work with these guys so much anymore. I’m not saying they’re lying, but there’s always the possibility they’re using you to settle some scores. When someone goes to the press with this kind of stuff, it’s always with an agenda.

If a classified document is on the desk of a journalist, it can no longer be a secret. It loses the status of being a classified document. If people are arrested, they have access to their criminal file. Right now the prosecutor is focussed on Chris, the brother of Peter de Vleeschauwer, and me. But what you mustn’t forget is that, over the last 12 years, they have arrested five innocent people and kept them in jail for months. All these people have lawyers with copy machines and access to the files.

You recently published emails on the promotion of

In the meantime, while they’re prosecuting you two,

for months. Finally I was called in front of a judge. He said this is your last chance to tell me who these people are, and I refused. He said okay, in that case I accuse you of being the leader of this group. So here I am...the leader of a terrorist group. [laughing]. There were some articles in the papers, and finally there was so much fuss that the judge excused himself. It came to another judge, and he’s very busy, and two years later I’m still waiting to find out when I have to go to court.

nobody seems to be looking for the killers. That’s what it’s all about. Peter de Vleeschauwer was a policeman, and he was kidnapped from the police station. He was put in a car and driven away and executed. Every clue is there to show that it can only have been done by colleagues. What his brother and I are trying to explain is that the whole police file is falsified. It’s full of false documents designed to take attention away from an inside job. The investigation has never even considered that it might have been an inside job. Never.

You were once accused of being a terrorist.

I once interviewed a group of so-called terrorists called De Stoete Ostendenoare. These are republicans, and they cut off the hands of a statue of Leopold I in Ostend, which showed him as the victor of Africa. I interviewed the people who did it, and I took pictures of the hands to prove that these guys were who they said they were. Then I wrote a story explaining their arguments. The Bruges police anti-terrorist unit interrogated me for hours, and every question was a variation on ‘who were you talking to?’ This went on

I do, but nobody notices. One of the stories I like most is about Robert Maistriau, who died two months ago. If somebody asked me what I do for a living, I’d want them to read this. It’s about something that happened in 1943, when he was 22. He found out about a train transporting 2,000 Jews to Auschwitz. He and his two friends decided to hijack the train. They bought a small lantern at the flea market, took their bikes and went to a place in Flanders called Boortmeerbeek, and they managed to stop the train and liberate more than 200 people. To me it’s a more amazing story than Schindler’s List. The story is not widely known; I don’t know why. But that’s a story I’d like to be remembered for. Interview by Alan Hope

THE LAST WORD what they’re saying in Flanders

Early warning

Heel goes to Hawaii

Don’t miss out

“My economic analyst warned more than a year ago about mortgages in the US. We didn’t take people like that seriously enough.”

“The Bishop of Honolulu asked for a relic. That was a request we were happy to answer positively, after discussion with the fathers of the Sacred Heart.”

“We couldn’t permit ourselves to stay away. We made a list of all the countries and regions that would be in Shanghai, and it was just about everyone except us.”

Dirk Van Mechelen Flemish budget minister on the credit crisis

Etienne Van Billoen Spokesman for the BrusselsMechelen archbishopric, on the decision to send Father Damiaan’s heel-bone to Hawaii

Spokesman for the Flemish region confirming that Flanders will be represented at World Expo Shanghai in 2010

Landscapesofwar SavageFilm JongensaandenIJzer TyreTracks Familybreweries GéraldDauphin next week in Flanders Today