Hoooppoppen - Waelkenskunst Conceptbook

JEA N - MA R I E WA E L K E N S HOOOPPOPPEN©

Hooop poppen at the bistronomy

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FOR A GREAT CAUSE AT THE BISTRONOMY JOINED FORCES The artist Jean-Marie Waelkens and chef Marc Clément of the restaurant The Bistronomy are joining forces with the HOOOP project for a good cause. With the proceeds, they will support BelHospice, an initiative that is close to the heart of Leo D’Aes, the Belgian ambassador in Belgrade.

AWARD

FLTR. Chef Marc Clément - Artist JM Waelkens BELOW: Waelkenstafels

It is really not to be missed. The award-winning, innovative restaurant The Bistronomy in Brussels has recently been occupied by a small army of wooden HOOOP puppets.

They are the handiwork of the artist Jean-Marie Waelkens. In daily life, Jean-Marie designs wooden dining tables called Waelkenstafels. One day, he was asked to design an architectural lamp and, while looking for the ideal design, came up with a figure that closely resembled Pinocchio.

WOOD READER

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The development for the first wooden puppet was so intense and demanding so the idea for HOOOP was born. Jean-Marie Waelkens has been referred to as a “wood reader”.

He goes in search of different types of wood, the tree rings of which are suited to certain types of design.

These give the puppets their distinctive expressions.

SUPPORT THE GOOD CAUSE 3 OS IN H

OOOP

The HOOOPPOPPEN are in reality much more than a parade of wooden puppets. The marionettes made of wood have a deeper message. The decision to spell “HOOOP” with 3 Os was a deliberate one. They stand for “hopen, dromen, geloven”, Dutch for hoping, believing and dreaming. The puppets are quite abstract and summon up a fairytale nostalgia. The artist seeks this way to refer to the carefee days of childhood. Childlike imagination soon brings abstract forms to life.

Jean-Marie Waelkens: “With my art, I want to create a world of hope, a world in which one can continue to believe in dreams.”

In this way, the wood scraps left over from his daily activities are put to a meaningful and artistic use.

And this is how the link was made to chef Marc Clément of The Bistronomy. For him, too, the story of the reused wood was very important, certainly in an era when we are trying to avoid food waste at all costs. Marc Clément: “In my kitchen nothing is wasted. Everything edible or usable in dishes finds a purpose.

That is why I feel such a close connection to Jean-Marie’s art.

The inspiration he puts into his puppets is what I put into my dishes.”

The two artists, each in his own domain, are now joining forces for a good cause. Based on the story of the HOOOP puppets, master chef Marc Clément has developed a HOOOP menu drawing on his own creativity and vision. The surprising result caresses both the eye and the taste buds. Thus, the wooden relief of the puppets is translated into the dishes and one can even recognize the profile of Pinocchio’s head in the chocolate dessert.

A powerful percentage of both the sale of the HOOP puppets and of the HOOOP menu goes to BelHospice. This centre for palliative care accompanies cancer patients in Serbia, and is a project of which Leo d’Aes, the Belgian ambassador in Belgrade, is chair of the support committee.

The centre offers free palliative care for terminal cancer patients.

Given the difficult history of that country, this is far from straightforward.

If you buy a HOOOPPPOP, you are giving the patients there hope and an accompaniment that honours their dignity.

Each of the HOOOPPOPPEN is unique, and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Leo D’Aes - Belgian ambassador in Serbia

HOOOPPOPPEN HEARTS PEOPLE POST YOUR SELFIE WITH ONE OF THE HOOOPPOPPEN ON INSTRAGAM USING

#HOOOPHEARTSPEOPLE

MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE Both chef Marc Clément and the artist Jean-Marie Waelkens want to send a message with this initiative.

They would like to encourage people to realize their dreams.

They hope that the HOOOPPOPPEN, that are now exhibited in the restaurant will find a place in people’s homes or offices, and remind them that they should continue to believe in their dreams. As long as that is possible, there is hope for the future!

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CONCEPT BURO WAELKENS

CONCEPT - PRICE

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Gir l friend

W izard

Super Amazed

Lange Wa p p e r

At the start there was an instable pile of deformated assembly of cubicals with abstraction of emotions and radiated look in the eyes which intensified the connection between the artist and the wooden composition. These H o o o p p o p p e n a r e t h e r o o t s o f t h e c o m m u n i t y.

C a ke Head

Shout out

Material Tu r n e d w o o d Blend of French Oak

7.000 €

Moon Wa l ke r

Button Chest

F l at Fa c e

Re d wings

Some puppets have names which literarely refer to specific body parts. It could be seen as shallow and of a first degree but they have been choosen deliberatly to d e s c r i b e a n u n u s u a l t y p e o f a n a t o m y, r a r e f a c e o r o d d posture.

I n s t e a d o f n o t n a m i n g o n e ’s d i ff e r e n c e s t h a t s t a n d o u t from the so called normal standard it is a plea for our uniqueness as individuals.

Material Tu r n e d w o o d Blend of French Oak 6.000 €

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Eros Material Tu r n e d w o o d Blend of Afzelia Tu r n s g r a y o u t s i d e 9.000 €

EU Community Material Tu r n e d w o o d Blend of French Oak Acryl Cupper 8.000 € left 10.000 € right 6

T h a n at o s

These Hoooppoppen are ultimately unique.

Each Hoooppop is the result of an ingenious puzzle of wooden fragments . Since each log has its specific growth rings it is so intensive to just get to that wanted piece isolated. The excess o f w o o d i s b e i n g e r a s e d i n a d e l i c a t e m a n n e r, b y h a n d d u r i n g the wood turning process. Once peeled of a layer too deep, the whole body part including the emotion can be vanished from one m o m e n t t o t h e o t h e r.

I n i t i at o r

Belgium Butterfly

In memory of the 60th celebration of the E u r o p e a n c o m m u n i t y.

CONCEPT BURO WAELKENS The workshop of the artist with body parts in development process

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CONCEPT BURO WAELKENS

Owl A011

Owl A07

Owl A08

Owl AO 1 7

What at first seems as a group of wooden birds, the collection of owls each one of them has particular characteristics: O w l s A 0 11 - A O 8 a n d A O 2 1 h a v e m a s k e d f a c e s , i t s r e a l e m o tions though shines through. The position of the eyes reveals an accurate focus and that tilted head is proof of being ultimately surprised.

The v-shaped metal ears not only underline a fresh alertness b u t h a v e s i m i l a r i t i e s w i t h t h e V- s i g n o f a h a n d s g e s t u r e i n w i c h two fingers are raised.

T h a t m a n i f e s t s i g n s t a n d s f o r p e a c e o r v i c o t o r y.

Owls are the sign of wisdom and knowledge.

The colourful wings have been intregrated in the woodturning process.

T h e s l e e k p u z z l e o f d i ff e r e n t t y p e s o f w o o d p r o n o u n c e s t h e d i versity of each silhouet that has an impressive controlled static posture. The fact that the head can be turned 360 degrees g i v e s n e w p e r s p e c t i v e s a n d i n t r o d u c i n g a d i ff e r e n t a t t i t u d e depending on the position it is set into.

Owl A021

Owl AO 6 Material Tu r n e d w o o d Blend of French Oak

3.000 â‚Ź

Owl A027

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F l at l i n e r s Material Tu r n e d w o o d Blend of French Oak Porcelan and brass buttons

T i n t e m p t at i o n

Wo o d e n h e a r t

Fr e e h u g

M a s ke d e m o

Some puppets have names which literarely refer to specific body parts. It could be seen as shallow and of a first degree but they have been choosen deliberatly to d e s c r i b e a n u n u s u a l t y p e o f a n a t o m y, r a r e f a c e o r o d d posture.

I n s t e a d o f n o t n a m i n g o n e ’s d i ff e r e n c e s t h a t s t a n d o u t from the so called normal standard it is a plea for our uniqueness as individuals.

7.000 â‚Ź

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CONCEPT BURO WAELKENS The Hoooppoppen in final fase being labelled and passing the last check up.

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Cer tificate of authenticity

Each certification is coming with a picture and explanation of the concept w h i c h p r o v e s t h e H O O O P P O P P E N ’s a u t h e n t i c i t y.

This signed certificate is put into a large, black wooden frame size 25 x 25 cm.

Each certificate is authentic and is a unique piece of art on its own.

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Personal notes

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Follow HOOOPPOPPEN on Facebook - Instagram Post your selfie with the HOOOPPOPPEN on Instagram using #HOOOPHEARTSPEOPLE

The Bistronomy by Living Tomorrow Indringingsweg 1 B – 1800 Vilvoorde www.thebistronomy.com info@thebistronomy.om

Hoooppoppen

Kaleweg 5 - 9030 Gent www.waelkenstafels.be www.tafels-tables.com info@tafels-tables.be

BELhospice

Dalmatinska 72 - 74 | Belgrade www.belhospice.org e-mail: vera.madzgalj@belhospice.org

Remarkable thanks to

Barbara Dietrich - Curator Patrick Aertsen - COO Living Tomorrow Leo D’Aes - Belgian ambassador in Serbia 14