The yellow album

Volume 04 — Issue 03

Neighbourhood Life + Global Style

Neighbourhood Going bananas Life Cracking up Style Heaven on earth Music Golden boy Culture Is tropical + The Photography Special

The yellow album

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Publisher and editor-in-chief Nicholas Lewis Editor Randa Wazen Designers facetofacedesign + pleaseletmedesign Writers Rozan Jongstra Rose Kelleher Nicholas Lewis Jack Moyersoen Philippe Pourhashemi Sam Steverlynck Robbert van Jaarsveld Randa Wazen Photographers/Illustrators Ulrike Biets Tine Claerhout Pierre de Belgique Joke De Wilde Sarah Eechaut Veerle Frissen Merel ‘t Hart Melika Ngombe Murielle Scherre Yassin Serghini Virassamy Intern Kathy Boros (communication) Joke De Wilde (photography) For subscriptions (5 issues)

Transfer € 21 (Belgium), € 30 (Europe) or € 45 (World) to account n° 363-0257432-34 IBAN BE 68 3630 2574 3234 BIC BBRUBEBB stating your full name, email and postal addresses in the communication box.

The editor's letter

At the time of writing this, hype-heroes-of-the-moment Odd Future (full name Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All) had apparently just ripped Brussels apart, setting the city’s La Chocolaterie venue (an offshoot of VK) alight with its rough, rugged and raw rap, more inclined to make you head-bang than head-nod. Led by oddball-inchief Tyler, The Creator, the collective of rappers, producers, visual artists and skaters from Inglewood, Los Angeles, had slowly been climbing the hype charts over the last few months in what now seems like an all too familiar path to indie supremacy: rave reviews on Pitchfork, the set everyone talks about at SXSW and an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon racking up the YouTube hits.

Something about the pack of skaters’ phenomenal rise really irked me though. It wasn’t their output and talent, as both those were unquestionable (the gang’s average age is 19 and they already have over 12 full length-LPs to their name, all available as free downloads on oddfuture.com). Rather, it was the industry-created hype that grated. Everyone from Benz Gomori (Data Transmission) to Ross Allen (The Meltdown) was heavy-rotating Tyler’s Yonkers. Magazine covers (NME) started appearing with his cheeky grin blown up across them. And blogs were abuzz, literally. I knew it was only a question of time before we received a press release describing the band as "the next big thing" (true to form, the VK’s press release arrived a day later.

The term it used was "sensation"). Hype. It’s become so staged, so calculated and so immediate.

And that’s exactly the kind of hype we tried to distance ourselves from for this yellow album. Hype is good. Hype is a necessary evil.

Heck, hype sells. But hype also ends careers too soon (Die Antwoord, anyone?). We tend to go for talent that we know aren’t one-hit-wonders, artists we pretty much are sure we’ll hear more of in the future. Truth is, we might even go for bands that disappear or self-implode before the release of their first album, but whose music we still very much feel passionate about (Stavin’ Chains springs to mind here).

Some of these you’ll find in our recently expanded Style section (Heaven Tanudirejda), some appear in our Music briefing (Ping Pong Tactics and Jealov), some get a little shine in our Photography Special (Arnaud Uyttenhove and Laure Flammarion) whilst others turn the temperature up a notch in our Culture pages (photographer Tine Claerhout). We’re not saying they’re "the next big thing", or that they’re likely to become household names just yet. We’re just saying we love what they do and they deserve a mention, a page, a feature.

Nicholas Lewis

The Word is published five times a year by JamPublishing, 107 Rue Général Henry Straat 1040 Brussels Belgium. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without prior permission is strictly prohibited. All information correct up to the time of going to press. The publishers cannot be held liable for any changes in this respect after this date.

© Joke De Wilde

Visit us thewordmagazine.be Like us facebook.com/ TheWordMagazine Follow us @TheWordMgz Download us thewordmagazine.be/ipad

On this cover Yellow man

What did you expect ?

U T

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The contents

Neighbourhood

Style

The Photography Special

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40

65

Sixty years old and still smiling

Stairway to Heaven

Into the wild

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48

68

Open door policy

Here comes the hotstepper

Polaroid perfect pages

Life

Music

Culture

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56

82

The grandaddy of clubbing

Found: Teenage riot

Tropical waves

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58

86

Teenage giggles

It takes a lot of beans to make a Chilly

My trophy weighs a ton

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62

90

The house of yellow

Adam Goldberg

Goodmorning sunshine

Shave your style.

“Circle, Spiral, Line – Spin the world!”

Ronnie Abaldonado, 27, B-Boy

Watch exclusive video footage of Ronnie and find out how to shave, style & trim your statement of style with cruZer on braun.com

cruZer

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The contributors

It’s a Word’s world Laurent Dombrowicz stylist

Pierre de Belgique graphic designer

Sam Steverlynck writer

Pages 48 — 55

Pages 30

Pages 28, 65

About Born in Belgium, Laurent spent the earlier parts of his career as fashion director for Belgian magazine Weekend L’Express, going on to become a stylist and working as a consultant with some of the most cutting-edge fashion houses. His talent lies in spotting talent, and his current obsession is Indian wonderkid Manish Arora. He also currently is fashion director for French magazine SO CHIC and contributing editor for Vogue Korea.

About Pierre Rousteau (aka Pierre de Belgique) is a young graphic designer who gets a kick out of researching mediums and forms, his work combining a flurry of hand-drawn typefaces inspired by early 20 th century musical scores together with an eclectic brew of textures.

About Brussels-based art critic Sam Steverlynck is a writer who contributes to various publications such as <h>ART, Agenda, Art Review, art press and DAMn.

Task Asked to style this edition’s fashion story, Laurent brought his customary striking visual narrative to our pages, constructing a flowing and flawless palette of shapes, silhouettes and styles.

Quote “I've challenged the yellow factor with black skin. I avoided pastel shades of yellow to have a stronger statement. Go for bright or get out of here." laurentdombrowicz.com

Task We initially had commissioned Pierre to do a graphic study on uppers (see it here thewordmagazine.be /office/thestudyonuppers), then we remembered how much blonde jokes crack us up and asked him if he’d mind having a go at illustrating a couple through his very singular style. He kindly obliged, revisiting one of our all time favourites.

Quote “I like bananas and lemons, but I prefer French fries.” pierredebelgique.fr

Task Sam took a break from openings and dinner parties to dive into the mysterious world of hermits, reviewing Somewhere to Disappear, a documentary on photographer Alec Soth. He also profiled Paul McCarthy on the eve of the opening of his latest solo show in Brussels.

Quote “The idea to drop everything and live in the wild is sometimes very tempting. On the other hand, being stuck in a little shed in the desert with snakes and lizards as sole companions is probably way more boring than it sounds.”

Kathy Boros communications intern

About Following communications and PR studies at Brussels’ IHECS, where she penned a year-end thesis addressing the crisis engulfing the country’s free alternative press, Kathy backpacked through Australia before coming back to intern at The Word.

Task From brainstorms to deadlinepressured fact-checking, Kathy has for the most part been lending us a hand in that allimportant side readers don’t always see (research, production, marketing), as well as organising our Brussels and Ghent launch parties.

Quote “The good weather came out right on time. I simply couldn’t imagine working on a yellow album without sunshine!”

COFFEE CAN BE FUN

WWW.DOLCE-GUSTO.BE

COFFEE IS NOT JUST BLACK

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The yellow board Exhibitions Arts Music Shows Parties

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01. With a tagline that reads “Intimately documenting music”, ‘SUP Magazine has pretty much become our favourite publication ever since it was first introduced to us by Emmanuel from fashion boutique Mapp two years back. / 02. The Velvet Underground & Nico LP, or how a simple banana became one of the most iconic album artworks ever. Having Andy Warhol as a manager probably helped. / 03. Make sure you memorise these as, seeing the way things are going, they might not be around for much longer. / 04. The split 7-inch released by Dutch garage band Believo! and current musical crush Ping Pong Tactics (read about them on page 66) / 05. The key to Word HQ. / 06. Picking Yellow Label Tea would have made more sense, although it really is Twinnings' blend which fuels our day. / 07. A tin of LaJaunie’s liquorice drops. The tin's design has remained untouched ever since its creation by a watchmaker in 1880. / 08. Mais il est où le soleil ?’s Spring Summer 2011 catalogue, shot by Alex Salinas (who had also shot our snow white fashion story back in March 2009). Our love for fashion, photography and graphic design all-in-one. / 09. Nothing beats a ready-to-go, instant cup of coffee. We hear the one Dolce Gusto’s coffeemaker makes is pretty much second to none. / 10. The original lemon-flavoured Bonbon Napoleon, created in 1912 by Louis Janssen. / All photography Yassin Serghini.

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Neighbourhood

Belgium ( 01  10 ) Urban decay

To say that Jeff Wall has profoundly influenced the art of the last three decades would be an understatement. By incorporating his love for classical painters in his photography, he redefined the paradigms of the medium. A carefully picked selection, The Crooked Path will showcase an extensive selection of his prints alongside works by other artists such as Marcel Duchamp, Diane Arbus, Robert Frank, Helen Levitt, Frank Stella, Bruce Nauman and Dan Graham, establishing a dialogue between his own creative process and the very influences it draws upon. Various themes such as minimalism, historical photography, conceptual and post-conceptual photography as well as literature will be evoked throughout this major exhibition displaying about 130 works of art.

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Raw power

Although Bruno Bisang is renowned for his perfectly smooth, flawless and sexy ad campaigns and editorials, his latest exhibition at the Young Gallery sees him pick a medium far closer to his heart: Polaroids. Compiling the best of his numerous series such as Portraits, Glamour, Fashion, Celebrities, Backstage and, of course, Nudes, all the snapshots are natural, raw and uncut. The Swiss photographer’s shots always give the impression of a private, intimate moment, creating believable instants that ring true, or in his words: “images of a moment in time that are magical”.

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© Jeff Wall

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Bruno Bisang: Polaworld

 Until 20 th July  Young Gallery, Brussels  younggalleryphoto.com

 From 27th May to 11th September  Bozar, Brussels  bozar.be * Last days to see Seydou Keïta @ Fifty One Fine Art Photography (Antwerp), until 11th June – Recognised by many as the father of African photography, the late Seydou Keïta captured the colourful social life of his native Bamako through exquisite portraits shot between 1948 and 1977.

 gallery51.com

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© Tom Powell, Courtesy of the artist and Hauser & Wirth

Jeff Wall: The Crooked Path

Teen spirit

Continuously shaping a radical vision

of a certain womanhood, Charlotte Beaudry’s paintings and drawings feature androgynous teenage models detached from their context, evolving in a loosely pictorial space. The works of the Brussels-based artist are always figurative, but never realistic. With the fierceness of a punk slogan, Get Drunk will feature a collection of drawings, paintings as well as a series of works stemming from various approaches linked to her work. Constructed around a sensory expression of femininity and squeezed between the turmoil of adolescence and the doubts of adulthood, her work perfectly captures the ambiguous smell of teen spirit.

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Charlotte Beaudry: Get Drunk The godfather of grotesque and parody master has been ripping American pop culture to bits for the past four decades with his inimitably provocative style, chaotic aesthetic and transgressive humour. For this first solo show of his in Brussels, Charles Riva Collection presents a selection of video, photographic and sculptural works from 1993 to 2009. Highlights include the Heidi video (created with fellow American Mike Kelley), 79 photographs from his Pirate Party series, as well as the sculptures Captain Dick Head and Silver Santa, an iconic silver garden gnome proudly brandishing what appears to be, well, a giant buttplug.

Definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Paul McCarthy: Selected Works

 Until 2nd October  Charles Riva Collection, Brussels  charlesrivacollection.com

 From 28th May to 14th August  Wiels, Brussels  wiels.org * Last days to see Gavin Turk @ Aeroplastics (Brussels), until 11th June – Britain’s enfant terrible is back at Aeroplastics, this time articulating his latest show around the theme of “a meaningless worthless gesture”. Sticking with his tongue-in-cheek trademark style, the artist shows new paintings, videos and installations, as well as a creepy puppet show.

 aeroplastics.net

© Bruno Bisang

The shock doctrine

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© Charlotte Beaudry

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© Gladstone Gallery

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The diary

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Big, bright and bold

Carroll Dunham’s crude paintings come across as the works of a six years old who’s stumbled upon his older brother’s porn collection, although closer inspection reveals masterpieces that engage the growing tensions that underlie the act of painting and its artistic as well as historical legacy. At first influenced by Post-Minimalism, process and conceptual art, the New York based artist was soon attracted to the tactility and allusions to the body. Pushing colour, form and line to build compositional pressures, Dunham skillfully moves over the ever-closing gap between abstraction and representation. For this show, The Gladstone Gallery presents five new paintings in which beauty and brutality collide, with a comic twist enhanced by vivid colours and the suggestion of contemporary psychedelia.

Carroll Dunham

© Satoru Toma

 Until 18th June  Gladstone Gallery, Brussels  gladstonegallery.com

© Les Tontons Racleurs

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Silkscreened bliss

Les Tontons Racleurs set up shop in the Recyclart art centre for six months during which their mission is to share their love for silk-screening, initiating the public to this timeless printing technique. The Brusselsbased collective is composed of Nicolas Belayew, Maud Dallemagne and PierrePhilippe Duchâtelet, all graduates of Brussels’ Erg art school. Their residency features a new exhibition each month, - as well as concerts, silkscreen workshops and collaborations with various artists such as Olivier Bhérer-Vidal, illustrator Félicie Haymoz and designer Benoît Deneufbourg - and will also be part of the Design September circuit.

Les Tontons Racleurs

 Until 30 th September  Recyclart, Brussels  recyclart.be * The party to go to

Fringe operator

Satoru Toma left his native Japan when he was 25 to move to France, before settling down in Brussels in 2005. Fascinated by the city’s light, he spent years exploring the capital’s outskirts, often hopping on a tram or bus and riding through unknown areas until the final stop. Dragging a large format camera on his shoulder, he patiently wanders the city’s outter limits without any specific destination or purpose, capturing posh residential neighbourhoods, industrial sites, villages, rural landscapes and forests. All these places, with no apparent link, are found side by side on the borders of the city and constitute the beautiful and at times puzzling sights of his latest series, which will be displayed at the sumptuous Contretype gallery.

Satoru Toma: On The Borders

 From 8th June to 4th September  Contretype, Brussels  contretype.org * Last days to see

© Sarah Moon

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Cristof Yvoré @ Zeno X (Antwerp), until 11th June – French painter Yvoré’s still life close-ups, chunky, crusty and overdone, are created with paint he mixes himself. Grainy and heavyhanded, they make for layered viewing.

 zeno-x.com

Opus @ Midi Station (Brussels), on 4th June – With performances (Voin de Voin), interactive arts (Citizen Clem and Romain Poirier) and dance acts (Chateau Flight, Lady Jane and Kid Strike to name but a few), Opus promises to inject a little humph into the oft-forgotten Midi Station.

 opus-brussels.com

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Heavenly creatures

Sarah Moon’s dreamlike, dark and mysterious creations capture the many facets of the feminine mystique. Rising to fame in the 70s with her iconic Cacharel campaigns, Moon blurs the lines between reality and fiction in her delicately crafted scenes, where themes of childhood and memory persist. She doesn’t hesitate to physically affect and scratch negatives to etch the notion of passing time into the very core of her art. This exhibition brings together a large collection of her work, handpicked by the artist herself, which mixes her fairytale-like scenes with surreal settings, evoking brutality interwoven with elegance and grace. Beautiful visions of women, captured by a woman.

Sarah Moon: Coincidences

 From 8th June to 14th August  Botanique, Brussels  botanique.be

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Neighbourhood

United Kingdom ( 11  16 ) 09.

Round and round

Opened in 2000, La Verrière is discreetly located at the back of Hermès' flagship store in Brussels. Part of the prestigious French maison’s patronage of the arts, the stunning space has been promoting contemporary artists with four exhibitions each year. Opening just in time for Art Brussels is Lionel Esteve’s monumental There Are No Circles installation. The French-born, Brussels-based artist has created an impressive arachnid-like sculpture made of plastic pearls, glitter and fishing lines, transforming these mundane objects into strange constellations and phantasmagoric planets. The five meter wide structure slowly rotates, unfolding in movement and reaching up to seven meters diameter.

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 Until 2nd July  La Verrière, Brussels  hermes.com

© Fabien de Cugnac

Lionel Estève: There Are No Circles

Ai Weiwei

 Until 16th July  Lisson Gallery, London  lissongallery.com

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* The show you can’t miss

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Justin Lieberman

 From 26th May to 16th July  Rodolphe Janssen Gallery, Brussels  galerierodolphejanssen.com

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Courtesy of the artist

Joan Miró: The Ladder of Escape

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© Successió Miró/ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2011

American wild child

Somewhat of a spiritual son to John Waters, Robert Crumb, Paul McCarthy or William S. Burroughs, Justin Lieberman’s work explores the grotesque and absurd nature of American culture.

Following a troubled youth, the artist – who lost his right eye at the age of two, battled heroin addiction and acute schizophrenia, and was sentenced to a four year probation and community service after burning a building down – has attracted attention for his mixed medium works (collages, sculptures, paintings to installations, digital art) that explore his radical interior world.

Almost five years after his "Cultural Exchange" exhibition at the Sorry We’re Closed gallery, he will present a new set of sculptures at the Rodolphe Janssen Gallery, ranging from the odd to the fascinating.

© Galerie Rodolphe Janssen

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On the dot

We’re all familiar with Joan Miró’s colourful abstract canvases, yet few may know his astonishing output (spanning over an impressive six decades) in depth. This major exhibition makes this possible, gathering over 150 paintings, works on paper and sculptures from collections from around the world. It also explores the wider context of his work, highlighting his political engagement, the influence of his Catalan identity, the Spanish Civil War and the rise and fall of Franco’s regime. Whether blackening or setting fire to his works, such as May 1968 and Burnt Canvas II (1973), or creating euphoric explosions of paint in Fireworks (1974), Miró continued to reflect the political mood in his radical and pioneering practice.

Hungry Eyes @ FoMu (Antwerp), until 5th June – Often sneered at, Hungry Eyes proves that food photography can be elevated to an art of its own, beyond its trivial use in commercials or cookbooks. Featuring the works of Tony Le Duc, Valérie Belin and Dimitri Tsykalov, expect a mouth-watering experience.

 fotomuseum.be

Controversial hero

Since Ai Weiwei’s arrest in Beijing by Chinese authorities on 3rd April, the entire art community has mobilised to demand his release. The petition launched by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation has already amassed more than 125,000 signatures and the Tate Modern, who hosted his landmark Sunflower Seeds installation, has placed a large sign on it’s façade reading “Release Ai Weiwei”. Determined to proceed with his planned projects, the Lisson Gallery will show some of Weiwei’s key sculptural and video works from the past six years. More than ever, now is the time to get acquainted with the vision of this controversial figure, described as “the best artist to have appeared since the Cultural Revolution in China.”

 Until 11th September  Tate Modern, London  tate.org.uk

* Last days to see Friedrich Kunath @ White Cube (London), until 4th June – The first UK solo show by this exciting LA-based artist features a blend of paintings, sculptures, drawings, video and photography, exploring the similar and universal themes of the human condition: love, loss, loneliness, optimism and dejection – all served with his same “sunshine and noir” twist.

 whitecube.com

Figures and Fictions: Contemporary South African Photography

 Until 17th July  Victoria & Albert Museum, London  vam.ac.uk * The show you can’t miss Philip-Lorca diCorcia: Roid @ Sprüthmagers (London), until 18th June – Oscillating between unpretentious snapshots and sumptuously staged compositions, the American photographer’s work retains a baroque quality infused with a dark humour. His large prints have the rawness of documentary shots yet the perfect static staging of movie stills.

 spruethmagers.net

A moment in history

Just like its current revival, London’s East End found itself at a pivotal moment in history in the early 70s, going through a time of rapid social and economic change. In 1972, the Whitechapel Gallery commissioned Magnum photographer Ian Berry to document its changing face for the exhibition This is Whitechapel. The show’s re-edition features over 30 photographs by Berry from the 1972 exhibition, alongside rarely seen archive materials including artists’ letters, films and books produced at the same time. As East London once again prepares for change with the 2012 Olympics, this show is an opportunity to take a closer look at what the area was like nearly 40 years ago.

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This is Whitechapel

 Until 4th September  Whitechapel Gallery, London  whitechapelgallery.org 16.

Club kids

The Serpentine Gallery is currently hosting a new exhibition by 2008 Turner Prize recipient Mark Leckey. The London-based artist has developed a multi-disciplinary practice drawing on his personal experiences, frequently returning to the themes of desire and transformation.

Discover some of his best-known works, such as Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore (pictured), an exploration of underground dance culture in the UK from the mid-70s to the early 90s, examining the way in which clubbers metamorphosed to a state beyond the mundanity of their daily existence through the brands they wore, the way they danced and the drugs they took. And although some of these images are over 30 years old, they still retain a present-day relevance.

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The ones to watch

One of the founding principles of the Royal Academy of Arts was to mount an annual open exhibition to finance the training of young artists in the RA Schools. Now in its 243rd year, the Royal Academy’s annual Summer Exhibition is the world’s largest open submission contemporary art show, displaying the works of emerging and established artists in all media including painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, architecture and film. The show plays a significant part in raising funds to finance the students, so visitors will not only get to discover works by a new generation of future YBA’s, they will also perform the noble deed of truly supporting the artists of the future.

Summer Exhibition 2011

 From 7th June to 15th August  Royal Academy of Arts, London  royalacademy.org.uk

Mark Leckey: See, We Assemble

 Until 26th June  Serpentine Gallery, London  serpentinegallery.org * The opening to go to

Not (An Exhibition) @ Print House Gallery (London), on 9th June – To celebrate its launch, NO way (a new independent agent supporting artists and musicians) kicks-off a month-long exhibition featuring works by six upcoming artists from London and New York with a rooftop party in up-and-coming hipster hang out Dalston.

 no-way.org.uk

© Ron McCormick

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© John Bodkin

Post-apartheid euphoria

In the struggle against apartheid, activists in South Africa extensively used photography as a means to document the regime’s atrocities.

Figures and Fictions features over 150 works by 17 South African photographers – from established figures to emerging talent – responding to the country’s powerful rethinking of issues of identity across race, gender, class and politics.

All aspects of life – including sex, ethnicity, race, gender, religion and class – were regulated by law until 1994. Celebrating the end of the half-decade long rule, many of the works displayed represent subjects who compose themselves for the camera, asserting a newfound dignity and distinction.

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Courtesy of the artist, Gavin Brown’s enterprise, New York, Galerie Daniel Bucholz, Cologne, and Cabinet Gallery, London

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The diary

© Pieter Hugo. Courtesy of Michael Stevenson, Cape Town & Yossi Milo, New York

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EAU DE LACOSTE L .12 .12 THE LACOSTE POLOSHIRT IN A FRAGRANCE COLLECTION

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The diary

Holland ( 17  18 ) The king of cool

In the midst of his newfound career as a director, Anton Corbijn often takes time out to photograph some of his favourite artists, including Gerhard Richter, Alexander McQueen, Richard Prince, Iggy Pop, Anselm Kiefer, Damien Hirst, Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen and Lucian Freud. These exquisitely composed, deeply human photographs represent the very best of Corbijn’s œuvre as a portrait photographer. The unique intimacy and apparent coolness of these monumental black-and-white prints capture the character of each subject, blurring the lines between various photographic genres, a trademark he developed early on and that has been widely copied since.

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Piercing the dark mystery

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Few sculptural traditions carry such a powerful mystique as Vodun (or voodoo).

The ancient religious cult and philosophical tradition originating from the “slave coast” of West Africa is still wide-spread and continues to fascinate. An exceptional selection of Vodun sculptures from maverick explorer and Vodun expert Jacques Kercharche’s collection, along with archive film footage of his expeditions to Africa, is currently displayed at the Fondation Cartier, shedding a light on these mysterious and impenetrable statuettes and allowing visitors to gain a better understanding of an art often feared and misunderstood.

© Anton Corbijn

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France

Anton Corbijn: Inwards & Onwards

Vodun: African Voodoo

 From 23rd June to 1st September  Foam, Amsterdam  foam.org

 Until 25th September  Fondation Cartier, Paris  fondation.cartier.com * The show you can’t miss

Tamara Muller @ Galerie Bart (Amsterdam), until 18th June – Even though the grotesque faces in Tamara Muller’s paintings are often based on herself, any viewer could easily identify with their uncanny realism. The contrast with the often-unfinished bodies might underline the disturbing dichotomy between the innocence of youth and adulthood, although their humour and wit won’t fail to put a smile on our face.

The School for Objects Criticised @ Palais de Tokyo (Paris), until 19th June – Examining the most mundane commercial products of our consumer society, Alexandre Singh’s latest installation offers a biting sense of ironic archaeology by slapping pompous statements onto his objects. Toasters never were this funny.

© Adam Fuss

* Last days to see

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 palaisdetokyo.com

 galeriebart.nl

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Adam Fuss: A Survey of his Work

 From 11th June to 4th September  Huis Marseille, Amsterdam  huismarseille.nl

© Yuji Ono

All the Fuss

Adam Fuss is no average photographer. The British artist has gone to great lenghts to disassociate himself from conventional photography, prefering instead to master the medium’s most elementary and primitive forms. He sometimes allows the vital fluids of animals – such as snakes or rabbits – to corrode the silver salts of the light-sensitive photographic emulsions and has come to master the old and highly complex processes of the daguerreotype, the calotype, the photogram, or the platinum print to a degree that remains unrivaled. A Survey of his Work will show the variety of subjects and techniques explored by this present-day alchemist.

20. © Jean-Louis Losi © ADAGP, Paris 2011.

Courtesy Galerie Zürcher, Paris – New York

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Liquid ghosts

Evanescent and transparent, Marc Desgranchamps’ distinctive paintings find their own place at the junction between observed reality, dreams and the imaginary.

Using very liquid paint, his large-format canvases mix opacity, transparency and overlay.

The main subjects and man-made objects fade whilst the natural elements of the background persist, creating a strange impression of a world that is present, yet on the verge of disappearing. More than 40 paintings and a wide choice of works on paper retrace the artist's career from 1987 to now, constituting his largest solo exhibition to date.

Marc Desgrandchamps

 Until 4th September  Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris  mam.paris.fr

Š GrÊgory Halliday

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18

The diary

The pick of festivals to come BELGIUM Les Ardentes Liège/Luik 7th to 10th July

BELGIUM Dour Festival Dour 14th to 17th July

BELGIUM Boomtown Ghent 19th to 23rd July

BELGIUM Micro Festival Liège/Luik 6th August

BELGIUM Feest in het Park Oudenaarde 11th to 14th August

BELGIUM Pukkelpop Hasselt 18th to 20th August

Good vibes, great food

For its 23rd edition, the

Giving the Gentse Feesten

The name really says it all:

With a prime location

The Streets, Deftones,

and an ever-improving

Belgian alternative Mecca

a bit more of an alterna-

a far cry from the frenzy of

(a green park surrounding

Crystal Castles, Skunk

line-up have lead Les

is bringing out the big guns,

tive edge, the Boomtown

most large-scale summer

Oudenaarde’s beautiful

Anansie, Blonde Red-

Ardentes to transition from

with hip-hop heavyweights

festival has won the hearts

festivals, the Micro Festival

pond), a laid-back atmos-

head, The Offspring,

low-key affair to leader of

(Cypress Hill, House of

and soul of the city’s more

limits itself to one day and

phere and a strong line-up

Trentemøller, Lykke Li,

the Belgian festival scene.

Pain, Public Enemy, Ice

demanding music-loving

one single stage, showcas-

(Pete Doherty, Stereo MC’s,

Warpaint, Mark Ronson,

Dipping in every musical

Cube), a Britpop revival

tribes since its first edition

ing eight carefully hand-

T.O.K., Mr Vegas, Das Pop,

James Blake, Crookers,

genre possible, the sixth

(Pulp, Suede), as well as

in 2002. This year sees

picked acts hailing from

Does It Offend You Yeah?,

Miles Kane, The Raveon-

edition of the Liège/Luik

some of the most exciting

it bring, amongst others,

indie rock's various sub-

The Subs, Triggerfinger,

ettes, The Subs, A-Trak,

festival won’t disappoint.

acts around. The 200

Avi Buffalo, The Phoenix

genre such as Australian

DeWolff, DJ Rolando,

Birdy Nam Nam, Anna

Headliners include The

names already announced

Foundation, Deerhoof,

no-wavers Civil Civic, Left

Kruder & Dorfmeister,

Calvi, Explosions In The

Human League, Kelis,

are simply too long to list

Intergalactic Lovers, Her-

Lane Cruiser's blues-punk,

Ce’cile), Feest in het Park is

Sky,… Oh and Foo Fight-

Wu-Tang Clan, These New

– all you need to know for

man Dune, Spokes, Marble

Die!Die!Die!'s noise pop,

the ultimate summer festival

ers, Eminem and dEUS.

Puritans, Mr Oizo, Kele,

now is to block the date in

Sounds, Yuko, A Brand,

Alamo Race Track's indie

with a human touch.

Enough said.

Kate Nash, Cake, as well as

your agenda.

An Pierlé & White Velvet

folk and The Thermals'

as well as The Bony King

upbeat college-rock.

feestinhetpark.be

pukkelpop.be

the pimpalicious Mr Snoop Dogg.

dourfestival.be

Of Nowhere to get things lively.

microfestival.be

lesardentes.be boomtownlive.be

UNITED KINGDOM 1234Shoreditch London 9th July

UNITED KINGDOM Lovebox London 15th to 17th July

UNITED KINGDOM Field Day London 6th August

UNITED KINGDOM Offset London 3rd and 4th September

FRANCE Worldwide Festival Sète 6th to 10th July

HOLLAND Incubate Tilburg 11th to 18th September

If names like Lasers From

Having grown into

Celebrating its fifth an-

Offset has been ending

Set in the idyllic surround-

Celebrating independent

Atlantis, Echo Lake,

London’s most important

niversary this year, Field

the festival season with a

ings of Sète in the South of

culture in all its forms

Warm Brains, Rainbow

city festival, Lovebox has

Day boasts a flawless

massive bang for the past

France, Gilles Peterson’s

(music, art, dance, movies,

Arabia, The Rayographs,

tripled in attendance, size

line-up which blends

three years, showcasing

five-day Worldwide Festi-

lectures), what started as

or TWR72 mean nothing

and programming since its

yesteryear’s legends (Faust,

hundreds of underexposed

val has become an essential

the two-day underground

to you, a trip to London’s

creation eight years ago.

Damo Suzuki, John Cale,

and emerging bands in two

pilgrimage for leftfield,

shindig ZXZW (changing

Shoreditch Park might

With a line-up that sees the

Omar Suleyman, Sun Ra

days only, rightfully earn-

electronica-loving, bass-

its name to “Incubate” in

be worthwhile. Since

likes of Metronomy, Busy

Arkestra), present-day

ing itself a “festival of the

bouncing fans. And, with

2009 following Austin’s

its creation in 2007,

P, Jessie J, The Drums,

darlings (Warpaint, Ariel

year” title. And although

a 2011 line-up that counts

SXSW’s request) has

1234Shoreditch has been

Snoop Dogg, 2ManyDJs,

Pink’s Haunted Graffiti,

this edition’s line-up is yet

Raphael Saadiq, Dam

now established itself as

showcasing some of the

Blondie, Scissor Sisters,

The Horrors, Erol Alkan,

to be announced, it cer-

Funk, Jamie xx, Mount

a respectable gathering

most exciting acts emerging

Lykke Li, Santigold, Beth

Matthew Dear, James

tainly won’t fail to follow

Kimbie as well as Kode 9 to

bringing over 200 artists

from the UK, offering a

Ditto and many more take

Blake) and the most

up the top-notch standards

name but a few, it’s easy to

together in an intimate

perfect glimpse of all the

to the stage, Victoria Park

promising up-and-comers

this boutique festival has

see why.

setting.

good names to follow in

is about to become a huge

(Connan Mockasin, Twin

gotten us used to.

one single day. Dubbed the

dance floor all over again.

Shadow, Veronica Falls).

worldwidefestival.com

incubate.org

“best-dressed festival” by a handful of cynics, fashion

If there were one festival lovebox.net

you absolutely had to go to,

lovers and people-watchers

this one would definitely

are guaranteed to get a run

be the one.

for their money.

Follow our summer-long festival coverage (interviews, fielddayfestivals.com

the1234shoreditch.com

offsetfestival.co.uk

throw away projects, one song wonders and humming sessions) on thewordmagazine.be/tags/musicfestivals2011

20

The papers Society Industry Nostalgia Arts

The yellow papers From investigating the use of yellow in low-cost industries to charting the many different lives of the smiley, the next few papers should put a smile on your face.

Writers Robbert van Jaarsveld, Rozan Jongstra, Rose Kelleher, Sam Steverlynck and Randa Wazen

21

Neighbourhood

ˆ “It’s a bit ironic that the smiley was originally meant for people who were not having a nice day at all ”

© Virassamy

ˇ

Sixty years old and still smiling In the brief half century during which the smiley face – official mascot of denial and unwarranted optimism, ultimate avatar of mass delusion and psychotic positivism – has been around, it has been incorporated and transformed by just about anyone in the business of making a point, processed into everything including its own antimatter (). The most widely-known version was designed in 1963 in less than 10 minutes by a graphic designer named Harvey Ball who got paid $45 to come up with a low-cost, high visibility concept to boost plummeting morale around the workspace. The suits at State Mutual Life Insurance in Massachusetts had been dealing with bickering employees who seemed incapable of concealing their disappointment with office life┌║┐(•_•)┌║┐and commissioned Ball to draw four lines on a Post-It. It’s a bit ironic that the smiley was originally meant for people who were not having a nice day at all; in fact, they hated their jobs and quite possibly each other >:O.

However, the smiley became fairly popular as it gained a life of its own in the outside world, where Bernard and Murray Spain picked it up.

The Spain brothers were business partners who added the slogan “Have A Nice Day” and proceeded to merchandise the living crap out of it.

Since neither Ball nor State Mutual had ever registered the design, the smiley had become part of the public domain and was therefore free to use.

By the end of 1971, the Spain brothers had sold a whopping 50 million smiley face buttons, mugs t-shirts and stickers ($_$). The smiley became big money, and thus corrupted, embodying the cynicism of the post-60s era when everyone began to realise that the fight had been lost and the bad guys had won. Parody and satire ensued, culminating in the 12-issue Watchmen comic book series – a dark and gloomy story that shows that even superheroes are not immune to corruption if Richard Nixon gets to serve a second term in the White House. The smiley became the symbol of the bland, faceless corporate America; an industrialised, serialised entity stupidly grinning in denial while the planet burns.

Then, the 80s rolled in, coating the world in a white blanket of cocaine and hedonism. The debate on capitalism vs. communism had officiously been settled, eliminating the need for conscious thought.

House and techno became the official theme music

to the end of the Cold War, along with a smörgasbörd of designer drugs serving as main diet. Why did the acid house generation adopt the happy face as its lead spokesperson? Probably because the smiley most accurately depicts the state of mind of somebody who has been running exclusively on beats, pills and powders for 35 hours straight ¯\(ºд°)/¯.

As the XTC-bubble popped, the fad faded into the 90s and back into the public arena. The smiley even went to court when Nicolas Loufrani (son of French journalist Franklin Loufrani, who claims to have invented the symbol in 1963) sued Wal-Mart in 1997. The supermarket giant had been slapping smileys on the back of their staff uniforms since 1996 – you know, because it’s so much fun to work at Wal-Mart :’( In 2009, the judge ruled in favour of Wal-Mart but Loufrani’s son and his London-based company SmileyWorld – who sure know how to put the creative in creativity (¬_¬) – continue to scourge the planet in pursuit of fake smileys that are inferior to their original design. I couldn’t help but smile when going through the corporate promo-clip for SmileyWorld in which Loufrani’s copyrighting of the smiley face (as opposed to actually designing it) is labelled “an act of genius”. I guess that sums up the story: the only brilliant thing about the smiley is the way people continuously succeed in coming up with new ways to squeeze every single last cent out of it. (RVJ)

22

The papers

ˆ “ Geel is where you supposedly belong if you’re a little ‘cuckoo’ ”

© Joke De Wilde

ˇ

Open door policy To many a Flemish ear, the word “yellow” is synonymous with “crazy”. This link can probably be explained by the existence of the small Antwerp provincial town of Geel (the Flemish word for “yellow”) which, despite only counting 15,000 inhabitants, is world renowned for its mental institution. From the playground to the office, Geel is where you supposedly belong if you’re a little “cuckoo”. How annoying it must be to have your town mocked throughout the centuries. “I can’t say we notice any mockery,” says mayor of Geel Frans Peeters. “In fact, we’re very proud of the Openbaar Psychiatrisch Ziekenhuis (OPZ), our psychiatric centre.

After almost 700 years, it has become an intrinsic part of our identity.”

Hospitality defines Geel’s residents, as the dense pilgrimage to Saint Dymphna’s church (patron saint of the mentally ill) in the early 14th century led them to open their doors to patients, welcoming them into their homes. Geel’s Foster Family Care system is one of the world’s first

community mental health programmes and is a highly successful form of treatment, explains Johan Claeys, communications advisor of the OPZ. “Patients generally have a history of several different centres before they come to us.

When they do, it is the first time they actually feel welcome in society. They gain social skills, become more enterprising and as they now belong to a social network, they no longer feel isolated. In Geel, mental patients are given the chance to feel normal.” Patients are treated with the respect they deserve, as mayor Peeters notes.

“They’ve always been a part of our community; everybody knows at least one family that fosters patients. We refer to them as our guests - they’re just like everybody else, but need a little extra care.” As far as them being a nuisance, Peeters insists he cannot recall a single incident in the 17 years he’s served as the town mayor.

Technically, anybody with their heart in the right place can become a foster family. “We don’t exclude single people or gay couples, for example. There is a screening process of course, but as long as people have enough room, they are in principle eligible to foster,” Claeys explains.

Patients generally stay with their family 24/7.

The OPZ provides additional support, such as district nurses who drop in regularly to

check up on patients, drop off medicine, offer advice or even mediate if necessary. What’s more, patients can turn to the OPZ for activities, therapy, hygienic care and trainings where they are taught how to manage money, take public transport and use the Internet. “The district nurses are also there to monitor progress.

Ideally, there should be an evolution curve.

Some patients stay with a family for 40 years, however, in a best case scenario, they go on to live independently – with a little backup from us. There is often a significant chance that they can learn to take care of themselves and function normally in society,” Claeys concludes. Geel’s slogan, “je komt er, je blijft er,” loosely translates as “whoever comes, stays.” The mayor enthuses: “Hospitality, that’s what we’re all about. We open our doors to people - and there’s room for everyone.” (RJ) opzgeel.be geel.be Welkom In Geel (2010) by Bert Boeckx – EPO .

23

24

The papers

ˆ “ Yellow is an eye-catching, attention-grabbing marketing tool that spells ‘ affordable’ ”

© Virassamy

ˇ

That’s yellow spelt L-O-W Gucci, Chanel or Mercedes will never push money-off coupons through your letterbox. Just like they will never use yellow in their corporate colour portfolio. Yellow is used in marketing to mean cut-price bargains for the proletariat, and the last thing a luxury brand wants is for customers to think that their products are made “for the masses”. Low-cost brands have no such neurosis.

Think IKEA, Ryanair or Lidl. Their screaming yellow billboards pull in the crowds, leaving the discretion of forest greens and burgundies to the more discerning brand manager. Yellow is an eye-catching, attention-grabbing marketing tool that spells “affordable”. Suzy Chiazzari of Iris International School of Colour Therapy says “yellow is highly visible. Wanting to stand out in the crowd is considered by some to be brash and pushy, so it depends whether you want to send out the message of accessibility or exclusivity”. Roger Pruppers, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Amsterdam University agrees. “Bright yellow has the capacity to really grab attention, and that's something luxury brands don't want”.

Loud, conspicuous branding that requires sunglasses – think the garish interior of a Ryanair cabin or a Zeeman's back-to-school poster – does not endear the luxury shopper.

They happily pay a premium for “quieter”, less conspicuous markings. They seek exclusive membership of an elite “club”. IKEA, Telenet, Lidl and Zeemans do not discriminate. They are aware of the effect their eye-watering use of yellow has on bargain-hunting customers, and have embraced it with just as much gusto as their bejeweled cousins have turned their finely sculpted noses up at it. So what colour is luxury?

Burgundy evokes images of chesterfield couches and hunting jackets in most. “Research shows that primary colours like yellow grab your attention, but that they also convey a simple message,” Says Roger. “Burgundy is a mix of different colours, it's a very specific shade. It communicates sophistication and complexity, that there is more to the brand that a simplistic message”.

So what if a discount brand like IKEA changed their corporate colour to burgundy tomorrow, would we begin to associate burgundy with cheap? Roger says “IKEA is a hugely influential brand, but I'm not sure that it could change the meaning of a colour all by itself.

Perhaps, you could ask the question the other way around: If IKEA started using burgundy,

how long would it take for us to associate the brand with luxury?” But this is unlikely, he adds.

“IKEA's whole strategy is deliberately based around value for money.” Yellow's mass appeal means you won't find it over the door of the air conditioned emporiums on Brussels’ Boulevard de Waterloolaan, London’s Bond Street or the Parisian Avenue Montaigne. But this snobbish rejection fortunately applies to corporate identity only, and doesn't extend to products themselves. Marc Jacobs may still send Kate Moss sashaying down the catwalk in a saffron boiler suit but he'll never adorn his fashion house with the same shade. Moët & Chandon are as likely to use yellow in their branding as they are to be found handing out free samples at your local Delhaize. But consumers still associate champagne with yellow, along with happiness, sunshine and other “priceless” stuff. (RK) iriscolour.co.uk

Visit thewordmagazine.be/dribbles/thatsyellow for an album of flashy yellow logos.

The Word & Levis presents

The yellow albumâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s colour chart

G5.36.83 F8.50.80

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G0.20.80

G3.34.84 G0.50.80

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G5.27.85 G2.51.81

G8.06.90

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; A collaborative study in different shades of yellow

26

The papers

ˆ “ It was initially a one-page yellow leaflet, essentially because the printer ran out of paper and that yellow was the only colour left ”

© Joke De Wilde

ˇ

Information is gold Light years ago, when “Yahoo!” was just a victorious exclamation mark and “Google” simply read as a typo in “goggle”, pulling out the Golden Pages was an instant reflex if the tap leaked, or the boiler had broken down. And whilst The Golden Pages (Pages d'Or/Gouden Gids) may seem like an ubiquitous institution from the past, it remains a mammoth advertising monster very much anchored in the present. The ten regional Golden Pages volumes issued by Truvo year after year count about 10,000 pages each. With a circulation of three million, the Antwerp-based company is by far the largest publisher in Belgium. No other company or media boasts such a wide and diverse portfolio of clients (estimated to number 90,000) all of which book a mind-boggling 900,000 ads throughout the ten volumes.

With these numbers in mind, it’s safe to say that the yellow-tinted people’s address book’s reach remains unrivalled.

First introduced in the United States by the Berry telephone company in 1908, the Yellow Pages initially were a one-page yellow

leaflet, essentially because the printer ran out of paper and that yellow was the only colour left. Other telephone companies slowly began bringing out their own versions, with the first Belgian edition coming out in 1969.

At a production level, everything begins with the advertising sales team, whose staff accounts for more than half of the company’s 600 plus internal workforce. Once content is confirmed with the advertisers, contracts are loaded into the system along with graphic material which is then sent to the graphic department, where any one of 11 full-time designers proceed to work on the ad’s layout. Following approval of the artwork, the final copy is fed to the automated, algorithm-defined digital pagination system for placement. Finally, the excruciatingly laborious task of proofreading is taken care of by two employees who examine an average of 144 pages a day. Between production and print (done in Germany), the whole operation costed €10 million in 2010 alone.

And that’s excluding distribution, managed by a temporary staff of 1,000 “extras” whose sole task is to deliver the books at every landline or mobile phone subscribers’ doorstep.

Given Belgium’s fairly low Internet penetration rate (67%), print-only users are still going strong. That being said, Truvo encourages the circulation decrease by giving

online-only users the option to unsubscribe.

The online platform was launched in 1999 and counted nearly 50 million visits per month (of which 2.5 million unique visitors) in 2010. Those jaw-dropping figures certainly don’t mean the axe is hanging over the print run’s head – according to a recent survey, 77% of respondents said they still preferred the “real thing”. “It will still be printed, but published as a niche product and not as a core of our company,” explains Vice President of Marketing Jose Lema-Abreu. “Online is where we will be seeing the growth.” Using its MySite platform, Truvo has produced more than 25,000 websites in Belgium, offering their clients an in-depth expertise in improving the search engine optimisation (SEO), as well as the capacity of influencing Google rankings and benefitting from their traffic. “We now employ 75 IT experts. The profile of the company has changed so much,” admits Marc De Wachter, Director of Marketing. And, considering the recent shift from online to mobile (Golden Pages apps are now also available for iPhones, Androids, iPads and GPS devices), the currents of change are only set to become stronger. (RW) goldenpages.be truvo.be

Tel. : +32 (0)2 772 25 50 — nautica@vincentgayeco.be

• • • •• • • • Steel case , 2-way rotating bezel screw down crown, water resistant up to 100 meters

• • • ••

28

The papers

ˆ “ In his grotesque and trashy universe, the L.A. based artist deconstructs the American entertainment industry” ˇ

Belgium is often said to have the highest density of art collectors in the world. Though most keep their collection hidden, some prefer sharing their pride and joy with the public.

Charles Riva – partner of the Sutton Lane galleries in London and Paris – is one of the latter.

This 37-year-old Frenchman, who splits his time between Brussels and New York, opened his collection three years ago through a series of exhibitions made accessible to everyone.

Housed in a contemporary “maison de maître” in Ixelles/Elsene, the shows take place on the first floor, while Riva lives in the above apartment, whose walls are lavishly decorated with artworks. “I love waking up in the morning in my bathrobe, have a little coffee and then look at my art works,” he reflects. He estimates his collection to reach approximately 300 pieces, including high flyers like the Chapman Brothers, Christopher Wool, Jonathan Meese and Sterling Ruby.

Riva is the first to downplay his attributed sense of altruism: “opening this collection to the public is not as generous as it may sound. I often buy works, but never have the opportunity to see them all gathered in one room. I have been putting a lot of time in cataloguing my collection over the past three years. As it took me so much effort, I thought I might as well show it to the public and present it accordingly.” Riva intends to collect artists in depth and compares the act to that of a jigsaw puzzle: buy the most emblematic pieces first and complete the missing links after.

He loves showcasing retrospectives, though they are rather humble due to his space and budget limitations. “I’m no François Pinault or Bernard Arnault,” he admits. Last year saw him presenting a nice overview of Andreas Hofer, and he is currently showcasing a mini-survey of Paul McCarthy. In its compactness, Riva’s collection gives a good idea of McCarthy’s versatile practice, which includes performance, sculptures, drawings, videos and installations.

In his grotesque and trashy universe, the L.A. based artist deconstructs the American entertainment industry by fusing the visual language of Disney classics with horror, porn, B-movies and the abject in general. The results are unsettling, as they explore our primal fears, while revealing dark, Freudian implications.

Often targeting Disney characters, which he sees as the earliest form of child indoctrination, one of his recurring figures is Pinocchio - an interesting Freudian case. Included in the exhibition is the sculpture Drop Head/Bounce Head, a red, silicone casting of a Pinocchio

© Mara McCarthy

Distorting Disney

without nose – and thus “castrated”. The torture does not stop there, as another bronze sculpture has his testicles hanging right under his face.

Other iconic sculptures such as Santa Claus with a Buttplug and the so-called Captain Dick Hat, whose “hat” explains his bizarre name, are also on view. Besides the tantalising video Heidi in which the epic fairy tale becomes a story of horror and perversity, one of the central pieces in the show is Pirate Party Portfolio. These 79 pictures form a narrative and are extracted from a performance in which some randy pirates go

looting and raping. Though an impressive work, Riva admits with a smile that “it is a difficult piece to live with. I am not sure I would be able to have it in my living room.” (SS) Paul McCarthy: Selected Works Until 2nd October Charles Riva Collection Rue de la Concorde 21 Eendrachtstraat 1050 Brussels charlesrivacollection.com

BO ZAR EX PO

27.05 > 11.09.2011

JEFF WALL The Crooked Path The Thinker, 1986 - Transparency in lightbox - 221 x 229 cm Š Jeff Wall - courtesy of the artist

30

The study Graphic design Talent Jokes

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ng room and leave ™ i7 Processor and mate audio perforo-developed with ensional surround

Culture

31

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The blue album

The yellow album

The white album

02.03.11 15:55

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March — April

3.

May — June — July

4.

September — October

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5.

November — December

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The institution Nightlife Society Heritage People Music

The grandaddy of clubbing As resident DJ then creative director of Brussels’ Fuse, DJ Pierre pretty much single-handedly shaped the city’s nightscape for an entire generation.

We sit down with dance don to talk early beginnings, DJ snobbisms and the current 90s techno revival.

Writer and photographer Jack Moyersoen

Pierre Noisiez was born in 1973 in Tournai/ Doornik, “a small and quiet city packed with art students” (the town is home to St-Luc architecture school). The son of a schoolteacher and a civil servant, Pierre had the brains to be a great academic, had he set his mind to it. Considered as somewhat of a wonder-kid by his teachers, he featured amongst the elite sent to the physics and chemistry Olympics to represent his school. But, as is the case with most teens, music and parties ranked way higher on Pierre’s priority list than theorems and formulas. Just imagine the frustration of being stuck in a small town like Tournai/ Doornik, which never seemed to provide enough exciting parties to satisfy its thrill-seeking teenagers. As a result, Pierre and his friends started organising parties in a small local club called Mazur 14 by the time they were 15. They mostly played disco, hip-hop, funk and a bit of electro, after Jean-Marie Vansoye – their musical guru and an art teacher who used to be a disco-funk

ˆ “It’s funny because the music styles that seem so fresh to today’s kids sound like ersatz of stuff I was already playing 15 years ago” ˇ deejay in the 70s – introduced them to those genres. The success of their local parties convinced them to take things a step further and throw a party in a larger venue called Zanzibar located in the neighbouring town of Courtrai/ Kortrijk. They unfortunately did not foresee that, not being motorised, most of their friends

couldn’t make it. “The party was a total failure, we were playing in front of an empty venue!”

Pierre laughs. However, the owner loved their music, and suggested they come play every week.

It is during these formative days at the Zanzibar that Pierre started using turntables with pitch-control (allowing to control the speed of a song in order to blend it with the previous one). This had a profound effect on his musical taste as he felt progressively drawn to disco and house music, which allowed more harmonious and creative mixes. It is while mixing at the Zanzibar that Peter Decuypere – owner of the 55 Club and future founder of the Fuse and the I love Techno parties – discovered him. Peter immediately fell in love with Pierre’s musical style and offered him a slot in his reputable club.

One thing leading to another, he soon got booked to mix at the Café d’Anvers every Sunday with Coeni, the veteran deejay considered to be the father of Belgium's house scene. When Peter later

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transformed El Disco Rosso, a popular Spanish dancing club in Brussels' Marolles/Marollen neighbourhood, into the city's first techno sanctuary, Pierre had earned enough credibility to be offered a residency despite being only 21 years old. The collaboration would last over 17 years and counting, with Pierre now also working as a consultant and programmer for the club, recommending party concepts and fresh talent.

ˆ “We started by releasing our tracks under a Creative Commons licence that is free, but soon realised that people were more interested in ‘stealing’ something with a face-value than downloading it for free!” ˇ With more than 20 years of experience in the clubbing scene and a personal collection of over 10,000 vinyls, Pierre has an encyclopaedic knowledge of dance music and learned to adapt to the tastes of the several generations of teens who dance to his beats every weekend.

“It’s funny because the music styles that seem so fresh to today’s kids sound like ersatz of stuff I was already playing 15 years ago,” he confesses. “There really is a current trend supported by Berghain, Berlin’s biggest techno club, to emulate sounds from the 90s. That’s what feels weird in my longevity: the realisation of how music trends are cyclic.” However, he does recognise that his current audience of 18 to 35-year-olds is much more open to different styles of music than when he started.

Along the way, he also had little choice but to adapt to the digital innovations that have revolutionised media consumption. He now exclusively mixes with digital files and hasn’t bothered taking the time to convert his huge record collection to MP3’s. “I am not nostalgic.

I got tired of carrying heavy vinyl flightcases around when I could hold it all in a hard drive the size of a wallet! There still are a couple of deejays that mix exclusively with vinyls but it feels more like a kind of a snobbism to me,” Pierre explains. He does however regret the lost proximity with record shop owners. The passionate vendor who would unveil an exclusive

new arrival from underneath his counter with excitement is indeed a dying breed.

However, the flip side of music’s democratisation is also one of its motors: the inexhaustible profusion. Deejays are faced with such an infinite catalogue of tunes that it is tempting to take the easy way out. “It has become a jungle in which one can easily get lost. Most deejays buy their tracks online from BeatPort, home to thousands and thousands of tracks of very variable quality.

As a result, most people who shop there don’t look further than its ‘Top 100’ page.” To help shoppers, BeatPort also publishes famous deejay’s charts, but that’s something in which DJ Pierre does not indulge. “I still have a somewhat old-school mentality by which I like to keep my tracks secret,” he confides. “I still remember the days when we used to put blank stickers over our vinyls so that no one could see what we were playing!”

In addition to his deejaying and regular slots at huge gatherings such as the Dutch Dance

Valley (60,000), Germany’s Mayday (25,000), or Ghent’s I Love Techno (30,000), Pierre also runs the label [LesIzmo:r] which he created with friend Jessica Bossuyt. The label organises parties, releases upcoming deejays and handles the promotion and bookings of their artists.

“We started by releasing our tracks under a Creative Commons licence that is free, but soon realised that people were more interested in ‘stealing’ something with a face-value than downloading it for free!” he remarks. In fact, to get through the mutating business model that the music industry is ongoing, adaptation is key. But Pierre’s longevity in the field proves that imagining him spinning for our grandchildren might not be that much of a stretch.

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The Word on People Nostalgia Jokes

Teenage giggles A tribute paid to the days when adults simply didn’t “get it”, everything seemed possible and anything could turn into a laughing fit, here’s what happens when you ask a couple of liberated and totally unobstructed teens to let loose in the studio.

Photographer Merel‘t Hart

Anna Franziska Jäger – 14

In her second year of Latin and Greek studies. Likes acting and The Big Lebowski.

“Some time ago, I went to see that terribly bad movie called Burlesque. Before the whole thing started, my friend popped a bottle of apple cider and the cork flew right against the screen. The whole crowd looked at us and we, of course, burst out in total laughter.”

Life

Elise Lippens – 15

In her fourth year of Greek and mathematics studies. Loves fashion and going out with friends.

“I could have a giggle fit every day if I’m with the right person(s). The last time wasn't so long ago. A boy with too much confidence was rollerblading in front of a whole crowd and fell. It was so hilarious, we just couldn’t stop laughing.”

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The Word on

Louise Demey – 14

In her third year of human sciences studies. Loves tennis, music and photography.

Her sister Marie, 17, is in her fifth year of arts and architecture studies. Loves tennis and writing songs.

Louise: “My friends and my sister make me smile – laughing is actually the only thing we really do when we hang out.

We talk about strange things that happened in the past and about the ridiculous stuff that we've experienced, sometimes it's really hilarious.”

Marie Demey – 17

Marie: “Most of the time we can't control ourselves and we laugh until it hurts.

Sometimes we laugh so hard until we cry.”

Elise Lippens and Anna Franziska Jäger

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Elsa Capalidi – 14

In her fourth year of tourism studies. Plays piano, follows music lessons and enjoys sports.

“I usually laugh for any old thing. I just can’t help cracking up when somebody gets mildly hurt.”

Visit thewordmagazine.be/wonders/teenagegiggles for the complete album of giggling teens.

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The other Word on People Photography

The house of yellow

Diehards wear scarves, slap bumper stickers on their cars or might even get tattooed. And although he probably has all of the aforementioned, Raphael Selderslaghs’ absolute devotion to childhood football club Koninklijke Lierse Sportkring runs much deeper than that. A sticker simply wouldn’t have cut it.

Taking football fanaticism to a whole new level, the former security agent painted his entire house with the club’s official colours, yellow and black.

Photographer Joke De Wilde

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Visit thewordmagazine.be/wonders/houseofyellow for more details of Raphael's house.

The encounter

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â&#x20AC;&#x2030;Talentâ&#x20AC;&#x2030;

Stairway to Heaven Born in Bali but based in Antwerp, Heaven Tanudirejda understands the power of precious stones. His pieces have a resonance and style of their own, combining vintage crystals with high tech details. We meet him in his top floor atelier to talk powerful women and loud assistants.

Interview Philippe Pourhashemi

How do you make your pieces? Do you have a plan when you start working on them?

Actually, I don't. It's all quite instinctive. I start making something and see where it takes me. I realised over the years that I loved using my hands and that's what brings me the most joy.

When did you leave Bali? I imagine it must have been quite a shock for you when you arrived in Belgium.

I haven't been back home for seven years now and miss it, especially the food! (mutual laughter) There's so much nature in Bali, we have the sea and the jungle. Everyone there dreams about concrete and skyscrapers, but now that I'm here, I understand the island's appeal. I go to Paris for work and love it as a city, but I cannot breathe there.

Photographer Veerle Frissen

Which elements inspired you for your last collection? I loved your use of colour and gold.

Well, it's kind of silly, but for this last collection, I decided to watch my favourite DVDs until I passed out. I can't even remember how many films I picked. 40 or 50, perhaps. I was thinking about what would happen if Finding Nemo met Blade Runner, mixing Disney elements with a futuristic vibe. Stanley Kubrick was on the top of my list, too.

There's always this Sci-Fi element in your work, combined with the tribalism of jewellery.

I think I make armours in a way, even though it's unconscious. I try to protect women and don't want them to be weak. I'm attracted

by powerful women. They don't have to be loud or in your face. It's more about having an inner sense of strength. Oriental women try to be that way, but society does not allow them to. I saw that all the time with my friends and family.

There's a bit of a super power thing going on with your jewels. They have this energy coming out of them, which is quite strong and unusual.

Really? It's odd, because I cannot make jewellery when I'm in a bad mood. If I feel negative one day, I know I cannot work and won't be able to achieve anything. For me, jewellery is a gateway to a world of fantasy. Clothing is more about reality, but jewellery escapes that practical aspect somehow. It's connected with

Style

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longing, dreams and desires. I guess every jewellery designer thinks about that dimension, even though it's not always conscious.

There's something timeless about it, too.

Jewellery gets passed on from generation to generation, giving it a tangible narrative weight.

Exactly. There are always stories attached to jewellery. It's as if people passed on their goals and aspirations to a new generation. It has permanence and generosity.

ˆ “I met Anna Wintour there last September. I remember she made sure everyone heard she loved my pieces” ˇ Tell me about your meeting with Anna Wintour. What was that like?

I was selected by Vogue Italia to be part of Who is on Next?, an exhibition dedicated to upcoming designers at Palazzo Morando in Milan. I met Anna Wintour there last September. I remember she made sure everyone heard she loved my pieces. She said that in front of Giorgio Armani and Stefano Gabbana, which was amazing. I was so happy. We appeared on vogue.com later, too, which was cool.

Do you think she will select your pieces for shoots?

I think she's going to wait and see how my work develops. I could tell that from the way she looked at it. To be honest, one good collection is a start, but you cannot judge someone before 10 or 15 collections. After all, my line is only four years old.

That's the problem with fashion right now.

There's this expectation that everyone should be big within three seasons, but it doesn't really work that way.

It takes very long. You have to be patient to succeed and people forget about that too often.

What are your projects at the moment?

I'm planning on introducing clothing with the jewellery line and started thinking about how to get it right. I don't like clothes that expose the body too much and prefer subtle statements to things that are too overt. An open back is sexier for me than obvious cleavage.

Do you think that comes from your cultural background?

It probably does. My grandmother is Japanese and my father is Chinese. He's from Shanghai. Women there used to have their clothes made and never really strayed from their usual style. They had the same dress made over and over again... They used accessories, fur coats and jewellery to update their look.

How do you find life in Belgium?

I tried to live in Paris and Florence before, but always came back here. I feel comfortable in Antwerp. There's a good quality of life in Belgium and it's so silent here.

I find Brussels pretty quiet, too.

Well, Brussels is a bit too loud for me. (more laughter). When it's so calm around you, you can just sit down and listen to your own thoughts. It really helps you focus and create what you want.

It's like having this stronger connection to yourself. Actually, the thought of a loud assistant talking all the time makes me ill.

How many people do you have in your team?

It's the three of us now and I really like them. It's important for me to commit to these people and picture myself with the same team in the long run. I couldn't do it otherwise.

How old are you?

I'm 28, but will turn 29 in June. Let's say I want to be 28 for as long as I can!

What are these drawings on the table?

I'm working on a private order for a Canadian client. She used to buy my pieces from Holt Renfrew in Toronto and ended up contacting me directly to request specific things. I have no idea how she got hold of my number, but she started calling and has been a regular client.

Her wishes are always quite clear and she knows what she wants.

Are these the crystals you're going to be using? The colour reminds me of pink pepper.

This shade's quite beautiful. When sunlight hits the glass, it has this nude glow, which looks great on your skin. The crystals I selected for this necklace are vintage and come from a Viennese chandelier. They are more than 100 years old and you have to clean them first before using them.

Where do you find them?

Mostly flea markets. I have people looking for them abroad and a friend of mine in Russia who contacts me regularly whenever he finds something good. I guess having friends who travel really helps.

Do you always mix vintage with new?

Yes, I do. We sometimes work on certain pieces using only antique stones, but that makes them so expensive. Combinations are easier for us. When I look at Swarovski crystals, they're almost too shiny for me. We like using traditional techniques with more innovative ways, that's what gives the jewellery its elaborate style.

What are the challenges you find yourself confronted with?

It has been difficult lately and the tragedy in Japan has not made things any easier. Some of my clients there had to cancel their orders, but I'm lucky to have people elsewhere who have been faithful to me.

Who stocks your line in Belgium?

Ra buys the collection. Belgium can be a tough market, because people are not so openminded. I know people like what I do, but their taste can be quite conservative.

How did you find studying at the Royal Academy in Antwerp?

It was a great experience for me. I did womenswear with jewellery and graduated with a BA. Before I came to Europe, I was planning on applying for Central Saint-Martins, but the tuition fees were ridiculous, like £25.000 a year.

That's insane. We all love fashion, but maybe not that much.

Yes. I'm with you on that one.

heaventanudiredja.be

The insider

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Industry Photography

ˆ “ The fashion scene is not what it used to be and there’s too much money involved nowadays for people to piss about ”

© Sonny Vandevelde

ˇ

01. Versace Menswear SS11

02. Prada Menswear SS11

03. DSquared Menswear SS11

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Backstage pass Based in Sydney and Brussels of all places, photographer Sonny Vandevelde – a perennially tanned, 40-something Belgo-Australian photographer – enjoys the best of both worlds.

A regular fixture on the global catwalk circuit, Sonny criss-crosses the world’s fashion capitals – New York, Paris, Milan – shooting the backstage going-ons of the most exciting catwalk shows on the planet. Renowned for his fun and upbeat backstage snaps that reveal an acute sense of belonging to the close-knit world of fashion shows, Sonny relishes the tribal tension of a show’s backstage: “There's a feeling of kinship and community during the shows, because you get to know everyone, from the models and make-up artists to the hairdressers and production teams. I spend a lot of time talking to other photographers as well.

There's a crew of about eight of us that will always be at the major shows and we are faced with the same problems and challenges. Every show is different that way.” Behind the veneer of glamour and high fashion, Sonny’s job is demanding and draining. The fashion scene is not what it used to be and there's too much money involved nowadays for people to piss about. The excesses of the supermodel era are passé and Vandevelde's job now also involves a great deal of politics. During the shows,

he's on his feet all day – sometimes for more than 15 hours – rushing from one venue to another, trying to secure the best shots he possibly can. It's not all air-kisses and pats on the back though: “I remember getting kicked out of this Belgian designer's show by this brutal PR person in Paris a few years ago. I was used to shooting that collection each season and was there with other photographers when she suddenly stormed in and started yelling at us. She was really insulting and I didn't even know who the hell she was. 'Get the fuck out!' was all she ever said to me. I just couldn't believe it and

had to leave… One day she had me removed by a security guard, who actually knew me.

Here I was, escorted by this guy who felt sorry he had to do this, in front of the whole Belgian press who were like 'Hey Sonny, where are you going?' When I told them I was being thrown out, their jaws dropped.” Despite the many uphill battles, Sonny clearly enjoys his work: “Some people say that getting the image you want is an orgasmic experience, but I wouldn't go that far. I'm really focused on trying to get as

many pictures as possible, since I contribute to several titles who have distinctive styles. Once I have what I want, I'm already moving onto the next look. It's only when I do the edit in the evening that I realise I have pictures I love. I get more of a kick out of doing fashion editorials, especially when all the elements fit together.

That's always a blast. The backstage is not a controlled environment, I'm only documenting what's happening there.” Designers and models appreciate Sonny’s unassuming and laid-back demeanour and there's something spontaneous and fresh about his images. They celebrate life, emotions and movement. Pretty much self-taught, he was obsessed with images from an early age. “I remember loving cameras and the whole idea of capturing moments as a kid. I ended up backstage because I knew people working with designers and did it just for fun. I was capturing whatever was going on until magazines suggested I publish my pictures for them. Now I work for Grazia, GQ, Vogue China, Oyster, Dansk and other international titles. I was told once by this producer guy to go for a job that I really enjoyed doing, instead of just thinking about the cash. That's got to be the best piece of advice I've ever been given.” (PP) sonnyphotos.typepad.com

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www.fingerfest.be

Aguila Disco Bloodbath

June 25, 2011

(Damon Martin & Ben Pistor) Rob n Zoopsie

Brasserie Belle-Vue Brussels

somethingto.com

yikebike.com

smnovella.be

The showstoppers

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Fashion Beauty Technology Consume

Let there be light With our wardrobe summer lift nearly complete, there still are a couple of things we need to bag before setting sail for the month. Need a watch, a pair of sunglasses, shoes, a perfume, a pair of Chinos and sandals. Easy.

Writers Nicholas Lewis, Philippe Pourhashemi and Randa Wazen

01.

Scent of a summer

We all need to indulge in our girly side once in a while. Marc Jacobs knows cool chicks inside out and is sure to please his cute, adoring fans with Daisy Eau So Fresh, a bubbly and unpretentious summer fragrance. Six colourful daisies adorn its clear bottle, turning the removal of the top into an amusing, tactile experience. The scent itself couldn't be more upbeat, with notes of grapefruit, apple blossom, violet, wild rose and plum bringing some much-needed joy and sweetness to our daily grind. (PP) Daisy Eau So Fresh by Marc Jacobs 125ml bottle (€93).

Available from Ici Paris XL and Marc Jacobs retailers. marcjacobs.com

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Style 02.

It’s all in the detail

You’re going to have to up the antes if you want us to even consider wearing a watch.

The thing is, we’re not exactly wrist-wearers, preferring instead to, erm, go naked. But every now and then, a particular model pops up on our radar. With its subtle quirkiness, undertones of a deep-rooted design discipline and a functionality befit of its origins (Swiss, what else?), it really is the streamlined purity of its squared-shaped dial complemented by just the one yellow hand that sealed it for us. That, and the fact that we actually caught ourselves wondering what wardrobe staple it’d be a best fit with. And there goes another item to add on the “wallet watch list”. (NL) R5.5 XXL Platinum watch by Rado (€3,100).

Available from Cosyns (Brussels), Slaets Horloges (Antwerp) and Van Bignoot (Ghent). rado.com

03.

Bag raider

Bags can be a hard one to pull off during the summer months. The trick is to pick a style light enough to complement your summer breeze, but strong enough to contain your daily essentials. Colour is crucial, as are form and function. These are all prerequisites venerable French leather goods staple Lancel has mastered, and this is never more so evident than with its Premier Flirt slinger.

A “be-easy”-type bag with enough pizzazz to turn the right kind of heads, its supple shape, exquisite craftsmanship and lemon, ostrichprint leather were the perfect match for the kind of summer we’re planning on having: unplanned, colourful and off-the-beatentrack. (PP) Premier Flirt handbag by Lancel (€699).

Available from Lancel (Brussels). lancel.com

04.

Byzantine bling

Glastonbury, Coachella, and the likes have morphed into runways of late, and after enduring the sore sight of Wellies in all shapes, sizes and colours for the past five years (thanks, Kate), the timing feels ripe to re-inject some much-needed glam into festival footwear.

Fresh off the Paris-Byzance collection, which pays tribute to Coco Chanel’s fascination for Byzantine jewellery, these black leather sandals are draped in enough gemstones to blind anyone, no matter the sunglasses. And if heroin-chic is what you’re going for, trust us – prancing around battered fields in these whilst holding a beer in a plastic cup couldn’t possibly get more deliciously decadent. (RW) Leather sandal with glass beads by Chanel (price on request).

Available from Chanel (Brussels). chanel.com

The showstoppers

46 05.

Not just another pair of aviators

When it comes to eyewear, few designs have stood the test of time like aviators. And whilst the original Ray-Ban’s may be perfect for purists, those unwilling to risk meeting half a dozen tear-dropped shade-adorning clones on a simple run to the local grocery might favour the variations offered by some of the countless brands who’ve also exploited the classic design. Debuting its sunglasses collection this spring, this Tru Trussardi model, with its generous golden frame and vintage demeanour, carry the badass vibe of a South-American druglord, whilst its discreet branding and subtle use of leather accents on its brown rims elicit Italian chic. Think Pablo Escobar meets Marcello Rubini. (RW) Aviator TR12819 sunglasses by Tru Trussardi (€199). trussardi.com

06.

Got colour?

At the end of a shoot on a recent night, a bunch of us where having a cigarette break in the garden.

Talking about what we still felt was missing from the photograph we were trying to finish (we were on set for our book page), the discussion suddenly shifted to Randa’s fashion sense and, more specifically, her choice of colours (she mostly wears black). “You really should wear more colour,” said Renasha. I began thinking about having a slightly similar colour deficiency myself (my wardrobe is mostly made of blues and greys). The only way I usually bring a touch of colour to what can only really be described as a very unicoloured uniform is by the shoes I wear. And these little babies are just the thing I need to shine a light on my darkblue-jeans-grey-sweater formula. (NL) Chute sneakers by Lacoste (€ 75) Available from Lacoste (Brussels and Knokke). lacoste.com

07.

Cos’ we told you so

In its ongoing battle for design democratisation, COS keeps coming up with stronger collections each year, pushing its high and low concept on the high street. With the belief that great fashion shouldn't be out of bounds, it's ironic how many insiders actually shop there to find stylish, reliable pieces. Staying true to its minimal roots, Collection of Style has been growing steadily since its London launch in 2007. Revisiting extreme trends to make them more appealing to the adoring masses, the collection anticipated our longing for colour this season. A pair of lightweight cotton chinos in a saturated shade is all you need for brightening up the office routine. Think preppy, but don't be a bore. (PP) Collection of Style chinos by COS (€59).

Available from COS (Brussels and Antwerp). cosstores.com

See page 96 for full stockist information.

Visit thewordmagazine.be/ dribbles/letherebelight for full purchase links.

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The fashion Word Consume Photography

Here comes the hotstepper Defined by a newfound confidence and somewhat of a playful arrogance, the summer solstice has injected a little cheek back into our daily grind, with hints of an inner elegance and signs of a deep, very deep sense of fulfilment proof that a ray of light is very often all you really need.

Photography Sébastien Bonin

Fashion Laurent Dombrowicz

Style

Dress Kristofer Kongshaug, Black leather covered camera pendant Natalia Brilli

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Shirt, skirt and platform sandals Jimmy Choo, Latex leggings Manish Arora, Leather headpiece Natalia Brilli

Jacket Vanessa Bruno, Open boots Cacharel, Headpiece Christophe Coppens

Sequined and embroidered chiffon dress Christian Dior, DegradĂŠ cotton trench coat Dries Van Noten, Platform sandals Jimmy Choo

Chiffon dress and cardigan John Galliano, Black leather neckpiece Natalia Brilli

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The fashion Word

Hat Christophe Coppens for Romain Kremer

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Photographer SĂŠbastien Bonin Photographer's assistant Christian Jimenez Fashion Laurent Dombrowicz Stylistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assistant Nicolas Dureau Retouching Jonathan Steelandt Hair and make-up Inge Devos for Dior and Redken

Model Nana Keita @Angels Models Paris See page 96 for full stockist information.

Visit thewordmagazine.be/office/hotstepper for a behind the scenes short.

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The columns Consume Talent Nostalgia We love New release

02.

Now: Blossoming radiance

The rural East Flanders region known as Meetjesland isn’t exactly famous for its musical exports (except the cringing Eurovision contestant Tom Dice). It is however home to Ping Pong Tactics, the country’s most exciting and noisy bright young things. Dries Dauwe (drums) and Bert Huyghe (vocals, bass) formed the band in 2008, recruiting the latter’s then 16-year-old brother Thomas to take on guitar duty. With a radically DIY approach and a colourful aesthetic, their debut – 11 furiously erratic and spontaneous no-wave tinted tracks – was taped on second hand cassettes and sold in a bag with a lollipop and a balloon. Not loud enough to fit in with the local metal scene yet too deconstructed to achieve national airplay, the band ended up in the strange sonic no-man’s land of lo-fi.

Although the boys rapidly gained a loyal following in Ghent, even securing an opening slot for Wavves at Brussels’ L’Ancienne Belgique, they’re still relatively unpopular back in their hometown. “It’s really hard to explain how redneck and conservative our area is,” says Bert. “Most of our songs sound like the place they’re made in – a very grey and sad zone,” adds Dries, whose parents’ shed in Lembeke serves as a rehearsal and recording studio.

At first listen, their tunes carry a bright, summery and overwhelming feel. Hope shines through, yet reality always seems to catch up with the music, pervading it with melancholic undertones. And that pretty much sums up their core. “After every ambitious sentence we utter, we always just say ‘then we can go shovel shit under a train’. We want to make it, but also know we might end up becoming postmen in our villages,” Bert cynically jokes.

An LP on indie label Smoke&Dust is planned for September, but “it will still be recorded on a four-track,” assures Thomas. “We’re not leaving the shed just yet.” (RW)

03.

Trivia: All that glitters is not gold

© Joke De Wilde

© Yana Foqué

01.

Found: Teenage riot

myspace.com/pingpongtactics

Playing on a boat under a solar eclipse in Japan, touring with a spiritual advisor, inviting the audience to play their instruments and take over gigs in a communal state of trance… Any cynic would be forgiven for dismissing Gang Gang Dance as yet another hyped-up posse of new-age cranks. Naming their last album Saint-Dymphna (2008), the patron saint for the mentally ill, probably didn’t help silence the band’s detractors. Yet, every inch of the excitement surrounding their much-lauded fourth LP was fully deserved, and finally acknowledged the New York based quartet, sometimes referred to as “world beat slicing experimentalists”, as having come of age. Eye Contact, their first release on 4AD, sees them push their musical reach a step further, testing out its boundaries.

Relocating their New York studio to the Mojave Desert influenced the album’s purveying mood, giving it a resolutely bright, enlightened and natural feel. “It marked a clear change,” agrees singer Lizzi Bougatsos, “and change is always bright.” From the progressive 11-minute opener Glass Jar to the infectious beat-heavy final cut Thru and Thru, the 10 track album is a cosmic trip through continents, a colourful, eclectic and experimental album which defies any genre or category. The soulful Romance Layer even features a cameo from Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor, who just “really wanted to sing on the album,” jokes Lizzi. Keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist Brian DeGraw describes the album’s general tone as being like a dark egg revealing iridescent colours when cracked open. Diagnosed with synaesthesia (a perceptive condition that allows him to see colours and shapes in sounds), Brian picked the artwork, a macro photograph of a sleeping insect covered in morning dew by Miroslaw Swietek, based on what he “saw” in the record. (RW)

Visit thewordmagazine.be/office/teenageriot

Eye Contact is out now on 4AD

In 2006, Belgium was one of the first European countries to include download sales figures to calculate chart positions. This proved especially crucial for singles, given that 90% of their sales now happen with the click of a mouse, explains Sam Jaspers of Ultratop. Created in 1995 and funded by the country’s record companies, Ultratop produces the official music charts based on data gathered from in-store sales, online sales and digital downloads, alerting record labels to the fact that their artists have hit the gold mark. Back in 1995, international artists had to sell 25,000 units (now 15,000) to be certified gold, whereas local acts or singles sung in French and Dutch had to clock up 15,000 units (now 10,000). And, whilst these figures may seem peanuts when compared to the US or UK’s, it is important to note that Belgium is composed of two completely different markets: one in the Flemish-speaking North of the country and another in the French-speaking South. This goes some way in explaining why local acts rarely manage to go platinum, with notable exceptions like Helmut Lotti, Clouseau, Axelle Red, dEUS, Plastic Bertrand, Technotronic, Vaya Con Dios or more recently Stromae. Whether the award will be produced or not is up to the record labels, since they are the ones who, ultimately, will have to fork out for it being produced. And, with a price tag varying between €200 and €1,000, whether or not an artist gets the gold treatment really just depends on how creative the agency will get. “Rihanna’s Rated R album, for example, had a bit of an S&M vibe to it, so her gold record award included black leather and steel,” explains Patrick Guns, sales and marketing director at Universal, whose roster of artists have, for the most part, made it gold or platinum. And as far as the actual object is concerned, don’t be fooled by its shiny gold sparkle – vinyl records may have been covered with a gold laminate a while back but, these days, a plain gold-coloured CD usually does the trick. (RW)

myspace.com/ganggangdance 4ad.com

ultratop.be

Music

05.

Rise and shine: Jealov

In the ongoing debate of digital vs. analogue, we know where our ears tilt. And whilst converting our entire iTunes library into vynil remains a persistent lifetime achievement fantasy, managing to pull that one off seems quite unlikely. Lack of money, lack of time and, in many cases, lack of availability. We’ve come to find the perfect alternative to that one. Valve amplifiers. Just like guitar amps, the principle remains the same: vacuum tubes (or thermionic valves) shaped like lamps increase the amplitude of the audio signal, literally warming it up and giving it a fuller, softer sound. Such precise and state-of-the-art technology usually comes its customary prohibitive price tag, but if you’re looking to shop in an affordable price range, the Melody MI880 will most definitely do the trick. Founded by a sound engineer, the Australian company has devoted its research and expertise to create a line of tube amps, preamps and integrated amplifiers. With its sleek design and smooth black lacquer finish, the MI880 is nothing short of gorgeous and can be connected to any music device, including MP3 players. Paired with the right set of speakers, the difference is instant. Unlike transistors, valve amplifiers are not ideal to crank up the sound at high volumes, are less resistant and wear out much faster. Therefore one shouldn’t rely on it to get a party started or to expect to use it eight hours a day listening to the radio. Purist audiophiles and music lovers on the other hand, craving that lost intimacy and presence, will be rewarded with listening experience that is almost magical. Just think of it as the perfect tool for listening to your favourite artist in your living room, eyes closed, and actually getting the feeling that that person is in there with you, forgetting for a moment that the sound is coming from two wooden boxes. (RW) Melody Audio MI880 amplifier.

Available from New Music (Brussels).

© Joke De Wilde

© Yassin Serghini

04.

Gear: It’s all in the tubes

You could say the story is getting old. Three gifted guys get together, form a ‘collective’, and dabble in everything creative – music, photography, video. The lot. Well-versed in the art of getting their name up (targeted, well-crafted promos). Well-versed in the connects that need to be made nowadays to get heard (remixes of songs that have entered the popular domain).

You could nearly call them the indie boy bands of the new millennium, the only difference here is the talent that underpins the concept.

And the concept is Jealov, a trio of university students (med students Rick and Mathieu, and Yann, an engineering student) who’ve been hitting just about all the right notes of late.

“Jealov is definitely a holiday, maybe a depressing holiday,” says Rick, the band’s singer/beat maker, describing their music with perfect precision. One huge, pared-down mash-up of influences - they credit everyone from Flying Lotus to How to Dress Well as having shaped their sound -, the band blends bass-heavy beats with melancholic melodies, shape-shifting from time-to-time into something altogether more soulful yet gritty, the singing especially, which seems to seep in from the background.

“I like the fact that my voice isn’t perfect, that is sounds unsure,” continues Rick, with Mathieu adding “We don’t want to sound too perfect.”

And, with a recent signing to LA-based Mush Records (also home to Her Space Holiday, Aesop Rock and cLOUDDEAD), their indie credentials shouldn’t fear being sucked into the mainstream just yet. (NL)

newmusic.be melodyvalvehifi.com

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06.

Jokes: The king of covers

Old-fashioned, at times annoying, and mostly uninspiring, we certainly never thought of lounge music as “funny” listening. That’s until we discovered Richard Cheese – the alter ego of 45 year-old LA-based singer/ comedian/actor Mark Jonathan Davis – whose cheesed-out covers of mainstream and alternative hits managed to turn the elevator music genre into a hilarious exercise. Active since 2000, he’s now released 10 albums of irreverent swinging remakes with jazz trio Lounge Against The Machine (milking the dairy joke with members aliases like Bobby Ricotta, Frank Feta and Billy Bleu), spoofing cult classics with titles such as I’d Like a Virgin, Sunny Side of The Moon, OK Bartender, Tuxicity, or Aperitif For Destruction. With Cheese’s trademark crooner style and falsely naïve emphasis on explicit lyrics, bubblegum pop hits are suddenly exposed for all their vapid absurdity, angst-laden anthems (System of a Down’s Chop Suey, Slipknot’s People Equals Shit) take a humorous pathetic turn and the offensive (Nine Inch Nails’ Closer, Nirvana’s Rape Me) verges onto the profoundly disturbing. The result is riotous and nothing short of plain genius. Paying his very own “fromage homage” to the biggest names in music, Davis selects songs that “have that special... something, songs that will be around five, 10, 20 years from now.” By no means the sole perpetrators of the Vegas loungestyle cover genre, RC & LATM remain the loudest and edgiest, pushing the latent irony of current Top 40 hits to the farthest. Don’t miss the band’s only headlining concert in Europe this year, at London’s HMV Forum on 6th July. (RW) Let It Brie comes out in July on 26 th July. richardcheese.com

Visit thewordmagazine.be/radar/ richardcheese for a video edit of our favourite Richard Cheesey covers.

jealov.be

The Word with New release Talent We love

It takes a lot of beans to make a Chilly

All photography © Alexandre Isard

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With more facets to his talent than a chameleon on shuffle mode, Chilly Gonzales is a hard man to pin down. His new album, The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales, just out, we caught up with the Canadian-born virtuoso in his Paris appartment to talk bathrobe fetishes, wannabe industry poseurs and paying for you own Guinness World Record title.

Interview Randa Wazen

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Is the Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales really the first ever all-orchestral rap album?

I have no idea. Abd Al Malik probably sung with an orchestra, there’s been a lot of orchestrated hip-hop but there’s always those crashing beats in there. I’m sure there have been special projects but as far as a whole album? I’ll stand by that for now…

ˆ “There are a lot of guys, but these ones are up there, in the NBA of rap. It’s the only meritocracy left” ˇ It’s definitely your most intimate to date.

Every song’s lyrics read like a page torn from a diary. Having stressed the difference between “the artist as a masturbator” and “the entertainer as a love maker” in the past, do you feel you’re tilting more towards masturbation on this one?

I hope not. I just try to avoid putting anything on stage or on an album that I feel would not be entertaining. I think the only difference with this one was that I was really thinking about the people who know me, who follow me on Twitter (@chillygonzales), who are regularly at my shows. It could seem like masturbation to someone who’s not interested, but I do consider it to be a fundamentally communicative album because getting really personal is something I haven’t done yet.

You’ve been strongly influenced by rap – which names would you recommend to someone who has no real background in that genre?

My mini-mission especially with people who aren’t into this stuff is to get them into the rap of today. Everyone loves Biggie Smalls, Tupac, Wu-Tang and A Tribe Called Quest, but a lot of them have lost track. If they like crazy rap, I’ll get them to listen to Lil Wayne. If they like really good funky rap, then Rick Ross cause he’s kind of the Biggie of today, with a big huge voice. There are a lot of guys, but these ones are up there, in the NBA of rap. It’s the only meritocracy left. The most successful rappers are considered the best, which isn’t the case in other genres like French chanson.

You mentioned your education played a big part in your over-achieving nature and drive. Has it mellowed down over time?

It’s like people who grew up catholic – you may get out, but it’s always there and there comes a point when you have to accept it.

“You’re nothing if you’re not successful” is the kind of sentence that’s hanging over my head all the time. The Ivory Tower movie was a bit about the moment where I was fighting it in a way. I think being a pure sell-out is not good and being a pure artist neither. My whole life will be reacting to this brainwashing I had.

“Unspeakable” sounds very intriguing and mysterious – yet it seems unspeakable because it’s just plain honest. Subjects like money and ambition have become very taboo. Is that why you chose this word?

Yes, those are the things you can’t normally say in conversations. But mostly it just has this supervillainous feel. When I heard the epic quality of the music my brother was making it just came right away. The supervillain imagery is something I’d always had floating around. I never dressed up with a cape and a mask, it’s more about the idea of being someone who’s very gifted but uses the gift more for himself. But of course a supervillain just wants to be loved so I’ve always seen myself in that character.

What puts a smile on your face? Are you a happy man?

Yeah, very much. I really like my job, I get to make a living doing pretty much what I was put on earth to do. A good gig, a good interview, a good listening session, a good meeting, a really well written email to Drake – so that I know that I can work with him again – all those things will make me a happy man.

Anything not work related?

Of course, like my friends. But in that case,

I guess the friendship and the work is very blurry, because I’m part of this musical family with really wonderful people that happen to be great musicians too like Peaches, Feist, Mocky, Jamie Lidell, Tiga… That’s part of what makes me happy, everybody is doing so well, we manage to collaborate, still be friends and there haven’t been a lot of clashes that we couldn’t handle over 10 years. And you know, everything else that a normal person could enjoy, like relaxing.

Do you get to do that a lot? You definitely come across as being very productive, hyperactive and workaholic.

A lot of it usually comes at the end of a period of really heavy work. When all you want to do is just do nothing. And I can be quite good at that when I want to. I can watch an entire season of Mad Men in three days.

You’ll know the kind of stuff I like cause it’s all in the songs.

Like Southpark? By the way, what is the truth in Eric Cartman?

He lives in all of us. That little petulant, completely manipulative creature of pure ego and insecurity. I see myself and everybody else I’ve ever met in Eric Cartman.

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The Word with

Any good joke you heard recently?

I follow this guy called The Fat Jew on Twitter (@FATJEW), he’s really irreverent and funny. (Gets his laptop and reads a few jokes): “This joke will never be not funny: What's brown and rhymes with Snoop? DR. DRE” “Hate is a strong word. Unless you're comparing it to murderfuck. Murderfuck is a strong word.”

“Owen Wilson's nose looks like a dick that was run over by a tank.”

“If hot people don't stop pretending they're funny, I'm going to start pretending I'm hot.”

“Ladies, sex with me is about as thrilling, magical and breathtaking as watching ‘Avatar’ on an iPod.” “If everyone walked around with their orgasm face, nobody would ever get laid.”

This guy is actually LOL. I actually laugh out loud.

ˆ “A Hungarian Jew with a Cuban name is impossible in a way but I like the impossibility of it. There are a lot of musical geniuses called Gonzales too, so it seemed like a good pedigree” ˇ You’ve got strong views on wannabe artists/ poseurs. Who seems sincere to you these days?

I don’t know about sincere, but who seems like the real deal? Someone who is larger than life but manages to find something very poetic in it. Anyone from Daft Punk, with their robot costumes, to a million rappers whom I love, or someone like Philippe Katerine in France.

You moved from Canada to Berlin ten years ago and have spent the past eight years in Paris. What prompted your exile?

Total career frustration. When I signed a record deal in Canada, I thought my problems were over but that was just the beginning of my hell ride through the music business. I was grossly underprepared for being on stage, being in interviews, knowing how to act in meetings, so I made a bunch of mistakes and it was a disaster. I felt like a zero, I was going nowhere.

So I just moved to Europe, as it was better for what I wanted to do. I signed to Kitty Yo, this tiny Berlin label, and they released mine and Peaches’ album within a month of each other and it just blew up. We sold about 5,000 records but for them, we were like platinum artists!

What made you kill Jason Beck “the purist artist” to give birth to Chilly Gonzales “the pragmatic capitalist entertainer”?

It happened right around the time I came

to Berlin after the whole Canadian experience.

One of the biggest problems was that I felt I had to suppress a lot of real character traits, like my egomania, the part of me that could seem arrogant but is really just a precise confidence in one certain thing I can do. My wanting to use humour didn’t really work out so I ended up acting like all the other indie rockers, for lack of a better plan, and I hated myself for doing so.

Saying whatever everyone else says like “you know, I do what I do for myself and if everyone likes it, it’s a bonus,” which is stuff I don’t believe now and didn’t believe back then. So I just picked a name that was a bit far away from me. A Hungarian Jew with a Cuban name is impossible in a way but I like the impossibility of it. There are a lot of musical geniuses called Gonzales too, so it seemed like a good pedigree.

Another thing was that people warned me about being too all over the place musically and that it could work against me. I was really not intent on repeating the same thing over and over so I decided to make the personality so intense that it could link it all together and people would understand how I can rap and play the piano.

It’s very hard to pigeonhole you as an act.

You’ve been described as “Berlin underground prankster rapper”, “workaholic Grammy-nominated producer”, “melancholic piano virtuoso”, “Guinness World Record holder”…

I’ve had such a great life. Doesn’t that sound like a cool guy? See, my teenage self is now going like “yeah, cool!”

Those definitely are all very cool and accurate titles to have, but what would your epitaph read?

Oh jeez, you’re making me envision my death? I have no idea. I often think about what the title of my autobiography would be but I don’t have enough distance yet. I’d love to become the official piano guy that all rappers go to when they need piano parts. That would be a real achievement. I got a bit closer now with Drake, with whom I performed at the Juno Awards, which are like the Canadian Grammy’s.

So that would be the next step – being accepted and solicited in what you call the “NBA of rap”?

Yes, because all the other solicitations, which are very nice for the resume, only fill me up to a certain amount. I didn’t even really grow up with rap, I discovered it more towards my 20s. Rap really came after the Canadian problem and I thought “who I think acts cool in interviews? Who says cool shit?” and then I realised it was rappers. The way they act like themselves but very exaggerated, the way they’re very honest about ambition, at the same time they’re also very artistically ambitious too, but they don’t really have to say it. In fact it looks a bit stupid when a rapper tries to be too artistic. Look at Kanye West: he’s overreaching a bit. He’s not Matthew Barney… He’s not Alejandro Jodorowsky…

You broke the world record for the longest solo-artist performance. Playing piano for

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27 hours, 3 minutes and 44 seconds, how did you manage practicalities?

You know Guinness lets you have breaks, right? You get five minutes every hour, which you can cumulate. I did 15 minutes every three hours, but it’s still very short. I had a bit of everything; some muscle cramps three hours in, but Guinness has doctors on site. To get the Guinness stamp you have to be very formal.

You have a notary, a witness, they don’t really fuck around and it’s also a bit expensive because you have to pay for the guy from Guinness to come down on a first class Eurostar.

So you actually paid to get your own record?

Well with selling tickets I think I lost a bit of money but yeah, a totally worthwhile investment (gestures towards the framed certificate hanging in his living room). That was some of the most poetic branding I could do. After the Soft Power feeling of dilution, it was about reestablishing the two most important aspects of me: musical genius and crazy competitive guy.

ˆ “In fact it looks a bit stupid when a rapper tries to be too artistic. Look at Kanye West: he’s overreaching a bit. He’s not Matthew Barney… He’s not Alejandro Jodorowsky…” ˇ Could you describe what was going on in your head during the 27th hour?

There were some hallucinations as of hour 24, forgetting where I was, the piano,… this was during a three-year period where I had stopped smoking weed by the way, because if I had, I surely couldn’t have done it. I wanted to go one hour further than what I had announced.

Because I thought that would be cool – that when I got to 27 and everyone was going crazy, I could still continue… I couldn’t though. I did four minutes more and then my hands stopped playing by themselves. Most importantly I saw the reaction the day I woke up. It had become the number two topic on Twitter that week. I didn’t even have a Twitter account! I called my manager straight away and said I had to go to the States to work asap. I would not be sinking further into the crust of this quiche in France. It’s a really funny period because I also gained a lot of weight so now when I see photos it feels like “my weird fat French exile.” Now I’m back to how I looked before, Ivory Tower was a huge success for us, I’m my own boss, I can put out a new album eight months after the previous one and do crazy shit like that – it’s wonderful.

Is there an instrument you’re absolutely not familiar with but would like to have a go at?

It would be nice if I could just pull out brass and string instruments and play. But I like to delegate a lot. Boys Noize basically produced the whole Ivory Tower album, my brother took care of this whole album. I didn’t direct my movie, even though it looks like I controlled everything but I gave the most important job to someone else.

I’m through trying to do everything…

Which is funny because you tend to project this image of a control freak…

Well, newsflash: I’m growing up and improving on my character defaults, very slowly.

You crowned yourself “President of the Berlin Underground” at one point. Do you still feel underground?

I’m a bit of a Where’s Waldo? I just pop up in weird places. As Chilly Gonzales, the albums I put out are still absolutely underground but a lot more people know about what I do, and who don’t necessarily know my music. I try to do most things like press and shows because I’m basically still hustling. On the other hand I’m mentioned so often in the same breath as Feist, Peaches, Tiga, do weird things like the Juno Awards broadcast, or the iPad commercial… Can I really say I’m underground when millions have heard my music?

Could you explain the statement?

Like a lot of things I enjoy, it’s a really convincing illusion of intimacy. Seeing a guy in a bathrobe playing an upright piano is different than seeing Richard Clayderman in a smoking jacket playing on a white grand piano with a dove.

I know it’s weird for French people, because a bathrobe and slippers are something you wear when you’re sick at home.

Which might explain this mental image we could have of you as a grumpy old man…

Hey I’m aware of the cranky uncle Gonz' persona that I emanate but it’s more acute in France. In England, people would say: “he comes on in a dressing gown,” which has a very different connotation.

How many bathrobes do you currently own?

Only three. There’s a tartan one I sometimes wear around my house and two from Old England. A Swiss designer approached me because he wants to create a custom-made bathrobe with a monogram CG print all over it. That’s definitely how I see the future. With matching slippers.

The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales comes out on 6 th June on Gentle Threat.

Piano Talk on 31st May at Theatre 140, Brussels.

At what point did it become clear you’d only perform in a bathrobe and pyjamas?

Mainly since early 2009. I did it a bit on Soft Power circa 2007, but before that I had the rap costume, the pink suit, the safari suit,…

chillygonzales.com Visit thewordmagazine.be/dribbles/chillygonzales

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The throw away project Talent People Photography

Adam Goldberg Despite having Tweet-mentioned us saying he preferred “Los Feliz chanteuse and ayurvedic healer” as a description, Hollywood actor Adam Goldberg really is best known for his neurotic and incredibly hilarious performances as Joey’s roomie on Friends and, more recently, as psychotic producer Nick Rubenstein in Entourage. Fresh from a showcase of his new outfit The Goldberg Sisters, we caught up with Adam in Brussels’ Café Central for a brief chat (read it here thewordmagazine.be/radar/goldberginterview) and to give him one of our disposable cameras. He took it back to L.A. and, a few weeks later, sent us these…

Photographer Adam Goldberg

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The Goldberg Sistersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; self-

Visit thewordmagazine.

titled debut album is out

be/office/adamgoldberg or

now on [PIAS].

scan the QR code on the

adamgoldbergdilletante.com

right for Adam's complete

pias.com

series of pictures.

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The Photography Special

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The Photography Special

Into the wild “Come to Minneapolis and wear a thick jacket and boots.” Such was Alec Soth’s cryptic reply when Laure Flammarion and Arnaud Uyttenhove requested to shoot a documentary about him. Not knowing what to expect, both directors – not a couple – followed the American photographer for three years, resulting in the film Somewhere to Disappear. This documentary shows Alec working on his Broken Manual project about hermits living in the most remote areas in the US. “It was one hell of a ride,” smiles Arnaud. “A crazy road movie for which we drove 30,000 kms and journeyed throughout the entire United States from east to west and north to south.” Though Paris-based Laure had previously worked on a documentary about Chilly Gonzales, Somewhere to Disappear was Arnaud’s debut. “Besides being a film, it was a real adventure for both of us. An amazing experience to have travelled that much and met all those singular individuals. And being a photography buff, it was awesome to spend so much time with Alec, whose work I adore.” Anecdotes from their peregrinations include a hermit on methadone freaking out and holding them at

gunpoint, as well as being arrested by the FBI. In one scene featuring Tony – a daunting man living in a barred house without windows who seemed to suffer from paranoia – one notices the camera shaking. It was Arnaud trembling with fear.

The low-budget documentary was entirely funded by private money. The directors had difficulties selling their proposal, as they were constantly faced with the questions: “So what are you guys making? Is this a portrait of the photographer or the people retreating from society?” The reply was simply “both”. “We wanted this feature to be as much documentary as fiction; without interviews or the conventional codes of the documentary genre. That is why we treated Alec as a character. For us, it was more about making a poetic film. We took our time to create a slow sense of atmosphere.” Though there is no real narrative development, the documentary does have a sense of rhythm. The camera follows Alec closely in the beginning, yet shots become broader as the documentary progresses, focussing on the wild landscapes. Ghinzu’s guitarist Greg Remy (featured on page 61 of our red album), as well as Rob & L’Aiglon from Phoenix, kindly contributed to the introspective soundtrack.

Arnaud assures us that finding the hermits

was less difficult than expected: “contrary to what one might think, a hermit living by himself in the woods is connected to society.

He has electricity and Internet. Some even have a Facebook account and are members of online hermit communities!” Surprisingly enough, the interviewees were far from reluctant to chat with the crew, visibly in dire need of human interactions. They all had different reasons to retire from society but were all equally interesting. From the extremely shy teenager, to the redneck or tree hugger, the documentary portrays a motley crew, but without ever sinking in the sensationalism of a freak show.

Though Laure and Arnaud are still looking for a distributor, the documentary has already been screened in Minneapolis’ Walker Art Museum, Toronto’s Hot Docs festival and the LACMA in L.A. It will also be featured in the upcoming Rencontres d’Arles Photography Festival. Seems like its directors will have to wait a bit before they can retreat themselves.

(SS) somewheretodisappearthefilm.com See overleaf for a director’s cut of behind-the-scenes images.

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The photography papers

Directors Laure Flammarion and Arnaud Uyttenhove

The Photography Special

Dustin at Joshua Tree

Staring into the wild: Alec Soth

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The photography papers Online Nostalgia

Polaroid perfect pages

The kinky collectors Pornaloid

“What better medium to capture your girlfriend naked?” suggests Gilles Kasverdenko, co-founder of Tumblr instant hit Pornaloid.

A tasteful, passionate and only but slightly kinky blog roll, Pornaloid is instant erotica: “A Pornaloid is a game. It’s sexy, never vulgar,

or just that little bit,” continues Gilles who, together with designer and pleaseletmedesign founder Damien, started the page about a year ago. Scouring the web for these lost moments of intimacy, their collection blends found images, their own, as well as submissions they receive – the one and only rule they’ve imposed on themselves being that every picture must be an authentic instant.

© Sasha Smut

© Stuart Mitchell

On the left, a curated collection of the suggestive and sexy. On the right, a story about a story, with hints of celebrity. Both are online projects. And both make Polaroids a very possible project after all.

With plans to publish these gems in books that will feature a selection of snapshots by regular “pornaloiders”, such as Stuart Mitchell, April Lea Hutchinson, Kevin Kay, Collin J. Rae, Sascha Smut, Phil Garcia, Thibault Tourmente or Joël Blanter, as well as others by special guests. pornaloid.com

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The Photography Special

Cee lo Green Pharrell Williams

Spoek Mathambo

Erykah Badu

The thrill-seeker No Balls, No Glory: A Polaroid Story

“Jay Electronica called me once at 3am for some small talk and I ended up Polaroid shopping and clubbing with Theophilus London in Berlin,” recalls blogger/model/photographer/party promoter Elisabeth Ouni, the brains behind No Balls, No Glory: A Polaroid Story, a blog the

Ostende/Oostende native started three years back. A diary that is just as much about the story as it is about the story behind the story, it is the intimate and honest way her trials and tribulations are recounted that draws you in. That, and the mind-boggling amount of instant classics she’s amassed. She’s photographed everyone from Pharrell, Erykah Badu and Gil Scott Heron to Snoop Dogg and M.I.A, although these many

successes haven’t tamed her resolve one bit. Her wish list still counts a number of targets (soul and R’n’B legends Grace Jones, Stevie Wonder, Beyonce, Diana Ross and Sade to name but a few) and she’s still working on getting that Jay-Z Polaroid. Something tells us it’ll only be a matter of time before Mr Carter’s saying cheese. apolaroidstory.wordpress.com

The round up Arts Consume Galleries

The walls we watch If you’re into your art, Belgium and its many fine art galleries come pretty close to being heaven on earth. If you’re a photography buff though, the country can come across as a deserted island, with only a handful of spaces exclusively dedicated to the art form. Here, we handpick five galleries that single-handedly put photography firmly on the national (and, in some cases, international) map.

Photographer Sarah Eechaut

U

SS

EL S

Writers Nicholas Lewis and Randa Wazen

BR

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01.

Espace photographique Contretype

“Our aim is for first-time photographers to exhibit with us first, in the hope of then being taken on by a gallery,” says Contretype founder Jean-Louis Godefroid (pictured bottom left), pinpointing his foundation’s purpose.

Founded in 1978 (the first such venue in the city exclusively dedicated to photography), Contretype essentially is an exhibiting space that sometimes also dabbles in book publishing. Housed in the splendid Hotel Hannon (named after former Solvay Director General and passionate photographer Edouard Hannon) off the city’s Avenue Brugmannlaan, Contretype has over the years built up a reputation as a breeding ground for emerging talent, the last obligatory stop before “making it”. Indeed, recent graduates intent on having their photographs exhibited flock to the space for its reputation as an institution that favours talent over commercial viability as well as for its residency program. Curators, gallery owners and collectors, on the other hand, see Contretype as a necessary filter – a trusted source of information that somehow always seems to “get it right”. Dirk Braeckman, for example, had his first Brussels solo show here. (NL) Satoru Toma's On the Borders runs from 8th June to 4 th of September.

Avenue de la Jonction 1 Verbindingslaan 1060 Brussels contretype.org

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The Photography Special

02.

Box Galerie

03.

Polar+NKA*photography

Nestled in a quiet street of the Châtelain/Kastelijn neighbourhood, Box Galerie shows photography in its purest form. Its founders Stefan De Jaeger and Alain D’Hooghe (pictured above) are no newcomers to the medium. De Jaeger achieved worldwide fame with his monumental Polaroid mosaics, whilst Alain has delved into every possible aspect of the medium – publishing, reviewing, curating, and teaching – except its practice. The desire to found Box Galerie six years ago emerged from a growing frustration both friends felt. “Nothing in Brussels offered the kind of photography we were into,” Alain admits.

Being both avid collectors, their selection criteria are simple: “Would we hang it in our living room?” is the question that precedes every selection that will grace the gallery’s clean and luminous white walls. Favouring longstanding relationships over quantity, they only represent 25 photographers and don’t do “one-shots” – a philosophy that reflects D’Hooghe's personal way of collecting: “I prefer owning 10 prints by two photographers than the other way around.” (RW)

Pascal Polar Gallery’s first floor has been entirely devoted to photography since 2004. Managed by Eric Kawan (pictured above), Polar+NKA*photography offers ancient, modern and contemporary plastician photography devoid of geographical or temporal limits. With a strong background in art direction, Eric Kawan (co-founder of creative strategy firm The Ad Store), is the kind of man who knows exactly what he wants. The choice of photographers he banks on is always based on three essential factors: their work must bear a signature of their own, general consistency, and technical qualities. “I know it’s popular these days, but I don’t care much for blurred or half failed images,” he explains. Relatively unfussed by commercial restrictions, Polar+NKA*photography is all about edge and innovation. A gallery aimed at confirmed collectors and neophyte amateurs, eager to discover new things, fresh talent and newfangled languages. (RW) Chaussée de Charleroisesteenweg 108 1060 Brussels pascalpolar.be

Larry Fink’s Beautiful People runs until 2nd July Rue du Mail 88 Maliestraat 1050 Brussels Little Box Galerie @ Filigranes Corner 21 Avenue Louis Lepoutrelaan 1050 Brussels boxgalerie.be

The round up

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01.

Fifty One Fine Art Photography

02.

Stieglitz 19

Opened in 2000 by former photographer Roger Szmulewicz (pictured above), Fifty One Fine Art Gallery moves in the upper echelons of the collecting community. The only Belgian gallery to be present at Paris Photo, more than half of its clients come from abroad which, when one considers the considerable amount of art collectors in Belgium, says a lot about photography’s place in art hierarchy. Pairing its high and low sensibilities with an obvious commercial nous, the gallery has over the years brought an impressive roaster of blue-chip photographers to its walls (Irving Penn, Saul Leither, Diane Arbus, Cindy Sherman), whilst at the same time building up its own stable of artists (Malick Sidibe, William Klein, Seydou Keita) with whom Szmulewicz never writes up a contract, preferring instead an informal gentleman’s agreement to seal the deal. “The job (of gallery owner) is already so ingrate that it would be sad if it didn’t fit (on a personal level),” he says. A calm and collected 38-year-old, Szmulewicz’s foray into photography, it is important to note, clearly comes from the heart. Case in point: when we met, he really began to spring to life when talking about Editions 51, a collection of photographs each printed to the tune of 51 editions from some of the gallery’s photographers. (NL)

“Photography galleries will always be marginal.” Not exactly the kind of thing you’d expect a newly-minted gallery owner to state. Then again, Stieglitz 19 founder Dries Roelends (pictured above) isn’t exactly your runof-the-mill gallery owner. Think of him as more of an obsessive, someone whose passion for photography ran so deep through his veins that he simply had to do something about it. And that something resulted in a refreshingly intimate photography gallery housed on the first floor of his Antwerp townhouse, and whose main purpose is to give emerging photographers a platform to showcase their work.

Up and comers such as 223 and Aurore Valade have had shows at Stieglitz, as have more established names such as Jimmy Kets and Françoise Huguier. Unbound by any commercial, geographic or technical limitation, the gallery’s program is as varied as Roelends’ passion is wide, lending it something of a light-hearted and unpretentious feel.

Without a doubt the kind of gallery you could see yourself buy your first print in. (NL) Jimmy Kets’ solo show Shot in Flanders runs until 5th June.

Arthur Goemaerelei 19

Don’t miss Malian photographer Seydou Keita’s solo show at the gallery,

2018 Antwerpen

which runs until 11th June.

stieglitz19.be

Zirkstraat 20 2000 Antwerp gallery51.com

© Persuado

A FILMMAKER

200 seconds

is all it takes to win up to €15,000 worth of Nikon film equipment

Nikon’s ‘I AM A FILMMAKER’ competition is for short films up to 200 seconds long. The competition is open to everyone, from students, pro and semi-pro filmmakers to advanced enthusiasts.

Your entry will be judged by a professional jury

So if you please both the jury and the public, you

which includes Jan Verheyen, Jaco Van Dor-

could win equipment worth €15,000 !

mael, Valérie Pierre, Rob Rombouts, Mark De

The competition is open until August 31st 2011,

Visscher, Jo Vermaercke and representatives

full details about it at www.nikonfilmfestival.be,

from Brussels Short Film Festival and Gent

which is also where you can upload your film

International Film Festival and with the support

and ask people to vote for it. The competition

from Scam-Sofam. There are two prizes to be

is being held in collaboration with the Brussels

won. The jury prize is €10,000 worth of Nikon

Short Film Festival and the Gent International

film equipment and the prize for the most public

Film Festival. A selection of entries will be shown

votes is €5,000 worth of Nikon film equipment.

during the Gent Film Festival.

www.nikonfilmfestival.be

NIKON

FILMFESTIVAL BELGIUM

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The invitation Architecture Behind the scenes

Be my guest What if we were to sneak inside some of Belgium's most acclaimed photographers’ studios and aim the camera at them for a change?

Photographer Sarah Eechaut

The Photography Special

Of all Belgian photographers, Dirk Braeckman (°1958) is probably the most eminent and mysterious one of the lot. Having profiled him in our January - February edition, we couldn't resist the temptation to revisit his large warehouse-like studio, located on the riverside of Ghent’s charming Voorhoutkaai. Despite never shooting in his studio, he spends a fair amount of time there, researching, printing, and experimenting in his darkroom – which he had referred to as his “sacred sanctuary”, specifying that no-one was ever allowed in. Somehow, he decided to break with tradition, inviting our photographers Sarah and Joke to have a peak and even take a picture. It was the third time he ever let someone in that room. braeckman.be

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The invitation

Charlie De Keersmaecker (°1975) has shot the likes of Brian

Ferry, Skin from Skunk Anansie, Dries Van Noten, Regina Spektor, Tim Vanhamel, dEUS, and many more. He settled in this old sawmill located in a quiet dead-end street near Antwerp’s Central station, two years ago. “It used to be rented by someone who builds instruments.

That's how I stumbled upon it. I needed to get a guitar fixed and saw the ‘for rent’ sign,” Charlie explains. Not content with shooting rock stars for a living, he leads the chaotic life of one and is therefore always relieved to retreat in his studio/office. He works alone except on shooting days – when an army of assistants, stylists, make-up artists and models invade the space, which somehow screams “garage rock”.

charliedekeersmaecker.com

The Photography Special

Elke Boon (°1973) became known in the late 90s for her fragile photographic portraits of youngsters. Mainly focusing on self-portraits, through drawings, photographs and video, she works and lives in a townhouse in Ghent’s central De Muide district. The vast space is empty and white, with a quiet atmosphere and bathing in natural light, although she admits working exclusively at night. “I need emptiness to work.” Uses the space to work, research, build tests for her installation set-ups and to make music (Elke is one half of the band Mary & Me, with Pieter-Jan De Waele). She’s currently writing material for their second album, as well as preparing an exhibition at Antwerp’s FoMu, which opens end June. elkeboon.be maryandme.be

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The photography showstoppers Talent Consume Publishing Technology

Those everyday little things What better way to tackle our pick of items that tickle our fancy this month than by pigeonholing them into categories?

Not just any categories. Categories we entertain somewhat of a love and hate relationship with. Love because they inspire our everyday. Hate because they make our everyday budgets smaller by the day.

Writers Nicholas Lewis and randa Wazen

01.

Books

Divided into six chapters (Body, Objects, Spaces, Words, Scenes, Faces and Masks), ‘La Photographie n’est pas de l’art’ brings together art collector Sylvio Pearlstein’s monumental private collection of photographs. Built up over four decades, the collection clearly is a passionate and very personal undertaking, as rich as it is eclectic, and this book is the closest you’ll ever get to seeing it in its entirety.

Left: La Photographie n’est pas l’art, Collection Sylvio Perlstein (2009) – Musee d’Ixelles, Bruxelles

If there ever was a granddaddy of fashion photography in Belgium, Serge Leblon would be prime contender. Having shot fashion editorials for the likes of Vogue, Dazed & Confused, Another, all the Belgium-based photographer really needed to crown his career was a book.

And, thanks to the initiative of BaseDesign who spearheaded the project, this full-paged opus is pretty much it. “Pretty much” because word is a second volume is on its way very shortly.

Goes to show how monumental Leblon’s oeuvre really is. (NL) Right: Serge Leblon, Fashion (2011) - Lido lidobooks.com

Photographer Melika Ngombe

03.

Memberships

02.

Publishing

Two recent discoveries have kept our passion for print very much alive. Paris-based independent publishing imprint Editions FpCf (the brainchild of graphic designer Claire Schvartz and university professor Maxime Milanesi) launched its fanzine Tell Mum Everything Is Ok with the sole purpose of championing emerging photographers. With a participative approach to contentproducing (each fanzine’s visual narrative is shaped using photographs that the pair find, or receive), an aesthetic that tilts towards the “lessis-more” (all you get are the photographs and their credits) and a limited print run (the fourth edition was printed to the tune of 500 copies), Tell Your Mum Everything Is Ok is the kind of cute and cuddly photography fanzine we’d like to see more of. On the other side of the spectrum, Belgian publishing house Le Caillou Bleu is the closest the country gets to Steidl. Founded by 41-year-old Fabrice Wagner, the company, in the words of its founder, “publishes photography books of all type.” And, although the photographers selected deserve mention (Satoru Toma, Andre Cepeda, Christophe Bourgeois), it really is the books’ finishing (textured covers, different types of paper stock) that define Le Caillou Bleu’s catalogue. (NL)

Since its creation nearly 25 years ago, Charleroi’s Musée de la Photographie has accumulated an impressive collection of more than 80,000 pictures and 2 million negatives, making it the closest to heaven on earth for the true photography lover. Tracing back to the very origins of photography in 1860 and renewing its displayed selection on a regular basis, each visit offers a new look at the evolution of the medium, and their frequent exhibitions examine the work of the greatest photographers in depth. This membership card will grant its happy owner free entrance at the museum for one year, invitation to exhibition openings, subscription to Bulletin Photographie Ouverte, a 10% reduction on gift-shop books and items, as well as free entrance in Lausanne’s Musée de l’Elysée.

A must-have, in every sense of the word.

(RW) Les Amis du Musée de la Photographie membership card

editionsfpcf.com

(from €20 to €70)

cailloubleu.com

Available from the Musée de la Photographie museephoto.be

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The Photography Special

04.

Gear

Depending on the kind of getaway you’re gearing up to, either one of these cameras is the perfect one for you. If it is a city trip you’re going on, Sony’s new Cybershot DSC-TX10 – compact and reactive – is the perfect camera to take along: as good at taking portraits of the little one as it is at capturing urban landscapes. If, on the other hand, you’re setting sail for slightly further (and rougher) shores, Canon’s Coolpix P7000 – solid and sturdy – is the camera to bring along. Perfect for those Safari treks… (NL) Left: Nikon Coolpix P7000 (€500,67)) nikon.be Right: Sony Cybershot DSC-TX10 (€350) sony.be

05.

Magazines

In this day-and-age of instant, digital photography, sifting through the rubble and spotting talent has become harder than ever. Fortunately for us, these three magazines do a spot-on job. The View – a semi-annual platform for contemporary photography – has lead the way since its creation in 2005, doing justice to the photographs it publishes with its weighty paper stock, discreet varnish and generous format. Smaller-scaled and slightly more conceptual, Bokeh’s short texts add to the visual poetry of its selection, whilst quarterly Foam Magazine (a quarterly published by Amsterdam’s museum of the same name) presents eight portfolios around a single theme. Pictured is their Spring 2011 “Happy Issue”.

View Photography Magazine (€15) viewmag.be Bokeh (€5) Foam Magazine (€17.50) foam.org/magazine

06.

Tech

Given the amount of camera phone contests we’re often asked to take part in, we thought it was high time we took a closer look at smartphones that put photography at their core.

With a touch screen practically as big as the phone itself and a one-touch-does-it-all policy, Blackberry’s Torch 9800 scored high in terms of snapping-away. It scored a little lower in terms of the actual telephone (too bulky, small touch keys, a little too fidgety), but this isn’t a ‘telephone special’ now is it? (NL) Blackberry Torch 9800 (€549,99 from The Phone House and Proximus, €549 from Base).

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The shelf Arts Classic Photography Music Jokes

The reading retreat With summer approaching and plans for much-needed rejuvenating escapes slowly taking shape, we wanted to imagine what our retreats would resemble. This year, we’re feeling something entirely removed from civilisation. A pared-down hut lost in the middle of the Amazonian jungle with only but the bare necessities on hand: a typewriter and reading material.

Photographer Yassin Serghini

Straight in The Light (2009-2010)

by Michel Mazzoni ARP2 Editions

Straight in the Light, Brussels-based Michel Mazzoni’s second book, captures his American road trip, taking as starting point the faded and fazed-out. A photographer who sees landscapes as a meeting of spaces, his sparse, eerie and intentionally over-exposed images document the departed, disappeared and decayed. Looking through the book, one cannot help but feel a mix of contrasting emotions: beauty vs sorrow, escape vs reality, soft vs heavy-hitting. Using Californian, Arizonian and New Mexican natural light to fabulous effect, this is an intimate and insightful account of the maturity Mazzoni’s work has gained over the last few years.

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (1968)

by Tom Woolfe Picador

The Merry Pranksters were a colourful group of post-beatniks lead by One Flew Over a Cuckoo’s Nest author Ken Kesey. Embarking on a summer-long road trip through America in a bus whose destination simply read “Further”, they went on to make history championing psychedelic drugs and band-of-the-moment Grateful Dead. Those epic days might have disappeared in a fog of hazy memories and acid flashbacks hadn’t journalist Tom Wolfe been on that bus, notebook in hand, religiously chronicling it all. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test narrates their story, describing its kooky protagonists, their wild adventures, even including tips to guarantee a fruitful, freak-out free LSD experience… The vivid descriptions and stream-of-consciousness styles collide, making this cult classic the closest you could possibly get to actually being there. That’s until its cinematographic adaptation, directed

by Gus Van Sant, hits screens later this year.

What Would John Do? Flour power - Baking Your Way to Happiness (2010)

by William Georgi BIS Publishers

A hilarious pastiche of self-help manual meets cookbook, What Would John Do? reveals the mysteries of how a humble cookie contains all the ingredients for a happier life. The author recounts the teaches of John Altman – an unemployed Dude-like neo-hippie who gives away free cookies on San Francisco’s Baker Beach draped in nothing but an apron – developing his “spread the love” mantra in seven chapters meant to resemble the seven steps to bake the perfect cookie. John’s seemingly simplistic leitmotivs – referred to as “Johnisms” (“Go natural”, “whatever man”, or our personal favourite: “no one is bigger than the cookie”) – are pure pearls of wisdom and whether or not he actually exists, or if his recipe is that good, matters little. What Would John Do? is about the bigger picture. A wonderful lesson in how to step back, relax, and enjoy the ride.

Landscapes (2011)

by Gerhard Richter Hatje Cantz

Landscapes have a longstanding presence throughout Gerhard Richter’s vast body of work.

As a matter of fact, their simple beauty have fascinated the German painter for the past 35 years, taking more of his time than any other theme.

Despite the breadth of these explorations, only two exhibitions have been devoted to this subject matter so far and critics rarely made time to explore the values and meanings of these paintings, dismissed as purely “aesthetic”. This is the first book to examine these gorgeous and dreamlike romanticised visions. Featuring over 80 plates that combine his photorealistic paintings, signature blur as well as a few rough sketches reminiscent of his abstract works, Landscapes is a must-have for the true Richter fan.

Natural Habitats (2010)

by Massimo Vitali Steidl

Page after page, Massimo Vitali’s bright and monumental prints of holiday resorts packed with herds of people are both soothing and mind-boggling. Capturing these popular spots in Turkey, Italy, Croatia or the French Riviera from dizzying heights affording the best views, the humans depicted are reduced to tiny fleshcoloured pinheads swarming in a strange mass that seems to socially gravitate around each other. Some of Vitali’s tribes of beachgoers and bathers can be seen under temporary shelters (umbrellas, tents, canopies), whilst others simply attempt to make peace with their surroundings.

In both cases, the depicted packs breathe tranquillity and peace, whilst evolving in these heavenly “natural habitats.”

Dirty Blonde - The Diaries of Courtney Love (2007) Faber & Faber

Few women in show business history have been as controversial as Courtney Love. Often bashed by tabloids and peers, Kurt Cobain’s widow and de facto queen of grunge never went down without a fight and has come to be known for her loud, spontaneous and unabashedly wild nature. Dirty Blonde features an intimate collection of notes, photographs and documents belonging to the peroxided anti-hero, turning out to be her most intimate release to date. Poignant excerpts of her childhood diaries, song lyrics written in juvenile hall, report cards from school, old flyers, promo pictures, intimate photographs of Kurt and their baby daughter make up this fascinating scrapbook containing everything you’d ever need to know about the MTV Generation’s most iconic and scandalous blonde.

Culture

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 From left to right

Natural Habitats (Steidl), Dirty Blonde (Faber & Faber), Landscapes (Hatje Cantz), Straight in The Light (ARP2 Editions), The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (Picador) and What Would John Do? (BIS Publishers)

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The view Photography Fashion

Tropical waves

When bathing under the sun is only but a distant dream, your next best option is bringing the sun to you. What would we do to get an inch closer to the sun? Wallpaper our walls with it…

Photographer Tine Claerhout

Culture

83

Hat and shirt River Island, Top Hampton Bays

Leather waistcoat Mais il est où le soleil ? Shirt Hugo Boss, Skirt Pinko, Shoes River Island, Ring Dyrberg/Kern

84

The view

Dress Comma, Blazer Escada

Swimsuit H&M, Shorts S. Oliver, Necklace Wouters & Hendrix

Culture

85

Photographer Tine Claerhout Photographer’s assistant Joke De Wilde Fashion Benny Van de Velde Hair & Make-Up Victoria Monvoisin Model Lisa Verberght @ IMM Models Retouching Jeremy @ Le Studio lestudio.be

With thanks to Fam.Segers at Gay Sauna’t Herenhuis Antwerp gaysaunaherenhuis.be Polo shirt Amy Whinehouse for Fred Perry, Skirt Hampton Bays

Leggings stylist’s own, Shoes Robert Clergerie

86

The eye Photography Heritage

My trophy weighs a ton Titles, prizes and belts are all fine, but they pale in comparison to trophies. Trophies get cleaned and polished. They get mounted on shelves and stands. Heck, they even get their very own display cabinets.

Photographer Ulrike Biets

Football club KFC Herent – 634 Mechelsesteenweg, 3020 Herent.

Trophies won during football matches.

Culture

The supporters’ Café De Lo – 200 Koetsweg, 3010 Kessel-Lo.

Trophies won by the billiard club Duc Jean since 1963.

The supporters’ Café De Lo – 200 Koetsweg, 3010 Kessel-Lo.

Trophies won by the foosball team ZVC Brazil since 1990.

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The eye

Stef Nys.

Won this trophy during a drinking contest, known as the “zuipbeker” in Flemish.

Defcross Martial Arts club – 9b Kolonel Begaultlaan, 3012 Wilsele.

Trophies won during kickboxing and Thai boxing matches.

Culture

89

Sporthal Wilsele – 163 Aarschotsesteenweg, 3012 Wilsele.

Trophies won by the Leuven Bears basketball team.

Café Sport Lokaal – 19 Keulenstraat, 3020 Herent.

Trophies won during darts championships.

Visit thewordmagazine.be/wonders/trophycabinets or scan the QR code (LEFT - RIGHT) for more pictures of trophy cabinets.

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The portfolio Photography Talent

Goodmorning sunshine Ghent-based designer Murielle Scherre, of la fille d’O infamy, is also a true photography fanatic, continuously capturing daily delights on one of two cameras (one colour, the other black and white) she always carries around with her.

Similarly to her designs and campaigns (which she mostly shoots herself), her photographs are not staged. Rather, it is the everyday realities that inspire and seduce her. Informed by random details, things that seem out of place, off guard subjects, spelling mistakes, the human body and the way energy makes the skin glow, here’s an intimate and complicit glimpse into her summer diary.

Photographer Murielle Scherre

Culture

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The portfolio

Culture

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Maison la fille dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;O Holstraat 91 9000 Ghent lafilledo.com Visit thewordmagazine.be/ wonders/summerdaze

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The round-up

Last

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The stockists Consume We love

ArpEditions

arpeditions.org

Base (for Blackberry)

Avenue Louise 53 Louizalaan 1050 Brussels +32 (0) 486 50 55 66 base.be

BIS Publishers

bispublishers.nl

Caillou Bleu

cailloubleu.com

Dries van Noten Brussels (at Stijl)

Rue A. Dansaertstraat 74 1000 Brussels + 32 (0) 2 512 03 13

Dries van Noten Antwerp (Modepaleis)

Nationalestraat 16 2000 Antwerpen + 32 (0) 3 470 25 10 driesvannoten.be

Chanel Antwerp (at SN3)

Frankkrijklei, 46-48 +32(0) 3 231 08 20 2000 Antwerp chanel.be

Christophe Coppens

Rue Léon Lepagestraat 2 1000 Brussels + 32 (0) 2 512 77 97 christophecoppens.com

Comma

+ 32 (0)1 124 10 23 comma-fashion.com CoS Brussels

Rue Neuve 66 Nieuwstraat 1000 Brussels

CoS Antwerp

Hopland 31 2000 Antwerp cosstores.com

kristoferkongshaug.com

Lacoste Brussels

Galerie Porte Louise 228 Louizapoortgalerij 1050 Brussels +32 (0) 2 512 20 30

Lacoste Knokke

Lippenslaan 335 +32 (0) 5 062 67 43 lacoste.com

Dyrberg/Kern

+ 32 (0) 3 213 16 13 dyrbergkern.com

Chanel Brussels

Boulevard de Waterloolaan 63 1000 Brussels + 32 (0) 2 511 20 59

Kristofer Kongshaug

Editions FpCf

editionsfpcf.com

Lancel Brussels

Boulevard de Waterloolaan 55 1000 Brussels +32 (0) 2 513 48 38

Lido Faber & Faber

faber.co.uk

Francis Ferent (for Jimmy Choo and Vanessa Bruno)

Avenue Louise 60 Louizalaan 1050 Brussels +32 (0) 2 545 78 30 ferent.be

Fred Perry

+33 (0) 1 53 25 13 30 fredperry.com

H&M Brussels

Rue Neuve 80 Nieuwstraat 1000 Brussels +32 (0) 2 219 03 40

H&M Antwerp

Meir 87-89 2000 Antwerp +32 (0) 3 224 10 00 hm.com/be

lidobooks.com

Louis (for Natalia Brilli and Cacharel)

Lombardenvest 2 2000 Antwerp +32 (0) 3 232 9872

Mais il est où le soleil ?

Brussels

Rue Simonisstraat 55 1050 Brussels +32 (0) 2 244 93 28

Mais il est où le soleil ?

Antwerp

Vlaamsekaai 74 2000 Antwerp +32 (0) 3 238 33 60 ousoleil.com

Manish Arora

manisharora.ws

Musée de la Photographie Cosyns (for Rado)

Avenue de la Toison d’Or 17A Gulden-Vlieslaan 1050 Brussels +32 (0) 511 45 49 cosyns.be

Hampton Bays

Korte Gasthuisstraat 12 2000 Antwerp +32 (0) 3 226 75 94 hamptonbays.be

Boulevard de Waterloolaan 61 1000 Brussels +32 (0) 2 500 18 18 dior.com

Rue du Midi 154 Zuidstraat 1000 Brussels pch.be

Picador

picador.com

Robert Clergerie

Chaussée de Charleroisesteenweg 1A 1060 Brussels +32 (0) 2 538 38 97 robertclergerie.fr

Salutpublic

salutpublic.be

Slaets Horloges (for Rado)

De Keyserlei 42 2018 Antwerpen +32 (0) 3 213 50 81 slaets-co.be

Sony Center Brussels

Avenue Louise 104 Louizalaan 1050 Brussels +32 (0) 2 640 31 47

Sony Center Antwerp

Eiermarkt 33-35 2000 Antwerp +32 (0) 3 233 77 82 sonycenter.be

Steidl

steidlville.com

The Phone House (for Blackberry)

Place de la Monnaie 15-16 Muntplein 1000 Brussels +32 (0) 2 463 63 63 phonehouse.be

Tru Trussardi

+32 (0) 2 251 22 51 trussardi.com

New Music (for Melody) Hatje Cantz

Dior

Avenue Paul Pastur 11 6032 Charleroi +32 (0) 7 143 58 10 museephoto.be

P.C.H. (for Nikon)

hatjecantz.de

Hugo Boss

Avenue Louise 43-45 Louizalaan 1050 Brussels + 32 (0) 2 538 03 63 hugoboss.com

John Galliano

johngalliano.com

Chaussée d'Ixelles 343-345 Elsenesteenweg 1050 Brussels +32 (0) 2 647 71 70 newmusic.be

Natan XIII (for Natalia Brilli)

Rue Antoine Dansaertstraat 101 1000 Brussels +32 (0) 2 514 15 17

Wouters & Hendrix

Georges Brugmannplein 16 1050 Brussels +32 (0) 3 218 54 45 wouters-hendrix.com

What’s next Play The team

Blue used to be Word-colour. It used to be yesterday’s colour, code for nostalgia.

For paying your dues. Blue is cold. It’s the untold. The discreet and the removed.

Blue is hard. It’s rough. It’s unforgiving, thick and lasting. Blue runs deeps.

As deep as the ink on the pages of our blue album, the tint of choice for the next instalment in our series of colour-coded hundred pagers… blue…

We might do a feature on our first ever mobile phones (remember those long-shaped Panasonic 7450s?)

Or a photo shoot on vintage children clothes (you know, playful prints, heavy knits and Velcro clasps) We have to do something on tattoos.

Maybe each of the magazine’s illustration should be an actual tattoo.

And denim. Lots of denim.

Maybe the entire fashion feature should be dedicated to denim.

Oh, and dried-out swimming pools.

Now’s the chance.

Would doing a feature on Blue Note’s Belgian brotherhood be too obvious?

The story does deserve to be told though.

Some smart soul also Facebook messaged us about doing something with Bic, it being their 50th anniversary or something. Definitely should get back to him on that one.

The Word’s Blue Album ( + the design special )

© Ghislain Amar

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Out on 2nd September 2011

Hotel Amigo offers you a special package : the “Art Amigo” Illustrated catalogues of the pick of current Brussels exhibitions await you in your room, together with an entry ticket.

For more information please contact +32 2 547 47 07

The art of simple luxury Hotel Amigo Brussels

Rocco Forte & Family Brussels S.A. • Member of the Leading Hotels of the World Rue de l’Amigo 1-3 • B-1000 Brussels Tel. : +32 2 547 47 47 • Fax : +32 2 513 52 77 enquiries.amigo@roccofortecollection.com www.roccofortecollection.com

www.chanel.com

Black sand-blasted high-tech ceramic watch. Matte rubber strap.

Self-winding mechanical movement. 42-hour power reserve. Water-resistant to 300 meters.