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April 20, 2016 \ newsweekly - € 0,75 \ read more at www.flanderstoday.eu current affairs \ p2

Kind to animals

politics \ p4

BUSiNESS \ p6

In their footsteps

innovation \ p7

education \ p9

art & living \ p10

She’s a lady

Antwerp Zoo and Planckendael animal park will no longer euthanise any surplus animals, according to their new ‘no-kill’ policy

Traditions and rituals are the focus of this year’s Heritage Day, featuring hundreds of activities across Flanders and Brussels

Singer Lady Linn tells us about embracing pop, becoming more productive and how the new album isn’t her only baby these days

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© Jeong Gyu Hyeon

Flower power

A revitalised Floralies transforms Ghent into an urban garden Owen Stafford More articles by Owen \ flanderstoday.eu

After a six-year break, the Floralies returns to Ghent, turning the city’s parks and squares into a massive celebration of plants and flowers.

G

hent will soon be in bloom as floral arrangements and pop-up gardens take over the heart of the city.

Starting on 22 April, the city will host Floralies, a 10-day bustling flower and plant festival.

The event features floral art installations, massive temporary gardens, workshops and greenhouses on a five-kilometre route in the city’s arts quarter. The focus will be on four sites: Sint-Pietersplein, the Leopold Barracks, the Bijloke and Citadelpark.

But Floralies isn’t just a festival – it’s big business. Aside

from behind-the-scenes networking events peopled by horticulturists, distributors and urban landscapers from around the world, major names in the world of floral art will be displaying their skills and creations. They include Flanders’ Thomas De Bruyne, Mark Colle, Stef Adriaenssens and Tom De Houwer, but also acclaimed floral artists from countries such as Japan, the US, Russia and Canada.

Dating back to 1809 and still under the auspices of the Royal Society for Agriculture and Botany, the Floralies has evolved over the years. Since 1985, it has been held in Flanders Expo, but the 35th edition marks its return to the city’s streets and squares.

“It’s coming back,” says the festival’s managing director, Dirk De Cock. “From this year on, Floralies will happen

every four years – we’re going ‘Olympic’.”

Although it has always been a feature of the festival, artistic installations will take centre stage this year. “This is the first time that art is being celebrated on such a grand scale,” says Pieter Toebaert, the festival’s creative director.

Each site will have a specific theme. The Bijloke concert hall and its garden will be the subject of East meets West, featuring Japan, the festival’s guest country. Set among camellias, azaleas, bonsai trees and other creations from the Eastern and Western worlds will be a Japanese garden.

The special exhibition, Toebaert says, reflects on the successful relationship between Ghent and its Japanese sister city of 45 years, Kanazawa. Another highlight will be the work of leading Japanese florist Akane Teshigahara, continued on page 5

\ CURRENT AFFAIRS

March Against Hate draws 10,000 Action in Brussels to show solidarity with victims of 22 March terrorist attacks Alan Hope Follow Alan on Twitter \ @AlanHopeFT

B

etween 7,000 and 10,000 people took part in a March Against Hate in Brussels at the weekend to show support for the victims of last month’s terrorist attacks and their families. More than 160 organisations were represented, and some victims and relatives were later received by the prime minister.

Led by religious representatives, members of the citizens’ collective Hart Boven Hard and human rights workers, the march set off from North Station and was joined by a second march coming from Molenbeek.

The march was originally due to take place on 27 March but was postponed after warnings of a possible threat. Those taking part were asked not to bring large bags or rucksacks; instead, many carried flowers, which they then laid in front of

Vorst prison worried about facilities for terrorist suspects

the Beurs, where a memorial has grown up. The event closed with speeches at Fontainasplein.

“I can see why some people think the time has passed and that now is the time to return to everyday life,” said Arno Kempynck of Hart Boven Hard. “I’ve seen how many local commemorations there have been, but a great many people still thought there was a need for a national demonstration. This is not about mourning. This is a clear message against fear and a call for terrorism to be stopped.”

The event ended with a delegation of victims and their families being received by the prime minister, when they were assured that the government was ready to provide help for any urgent financial problems, including medical costs. Government aid, as an advance on a later insurance payout, can go up to €15,000.

© Sally Tipper

Widespread criticism of protest by air-traffic controllers

Unions representing prison officers at the Vorst correctional facility in Brussels have complained that the building is not suitable for the detention of terrorist suspects.

The prison is currently home to 10 such suspects, including alleged airport bomber Mohamed Abrini and Osama Krayem, thought to have been part of the plot to bomb the Brussels metro.

Government policy is to keep terrorism suspects apart from other prisoners to limit the spread of radicalisation. The problem at Vorst is the number of prisoners coming in from Vorst, Molenbeek and Schaarbeek. Vorst prison will have trouble maintaining the cordon sanitaire. “We just don’t have the necessary infrastructure,” said ACV union representative Mohamed Barcha. “We have no special cells, meaning we can’t keep the suspects apart. Two, three or four would be manageable, but no more. We have neither the cells nor the staff to cope.”

Meanwhile, another two suspects, brothers Smail F and Ibrahim F, were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the Brussels bombings. The two are thought to have links with Osama Krayem and an apartment on Kazernenlaan in Etterbeek used

by Krayem and Khalid El Bakraoui, the Brussels metro bomber. They were released after questioning. \ AH

Belgian air traffic controllers (ATC) have received widespread criticism for a protest action last week that led to hundreds of flight cancellations to and from airports across the country. The action came just days after the airline industry was getting back to normal following the 22 March bombings at Brussels Airport.

Controllers started calling in sick on Tuesday in large numbers, leaving the rest unable to cope with the traffic. The action was not announced ahead of time, and no official union statements have been made.

The protest is not supported by the Belgian Guild of Air Traffic Controllers. “The guild

has not called on anyone to call in sick or stay away from work or anything of the kind,” a spokesperson said.

The action follows a protest carried out earlier in the year when ATC staff refused to take part in training sessions covering the introduction of new flight routes. As a result, the routes could not be introduced.

Unions have since approved an agreement with management over a number of issues, including minimum retirement age.

Prime minister Charles Michel called the action “irresponsible” and said that he would “not accept it. This is doing major

damage to our country and our image.”

And he promised to take legal action against any doctor who issued a false medical certificate for ATC staff.

“This means more economic damage for the airport itself, but also for the whole tourism sector,” added Peter De Wilde, administrator-general of Toerisme Vlaanderen. “Brussels Airport is a crucial entry point for tourists. Let’s not even think of the damage there will be to the reputation of our country if this dispute carries on.”

The action ended on Thursday as day shift and afternoon shift staff turned up for work as usual. \ AH

Antwerp Zoo introduces no-kill policy for surplus animals The Royal Society for Zoology Antwerp, which manages Antwerp Zoo and animal park Planckendael in Mechelen, has announced the introduction of a no-kill policy. This means that healthy animals that the parks have no space for will not be euthanised.

The agreement was made in co-operation with animal rights organisation Gaia and Flemish minister for animal welfare, Ben Weyts. The problem of so-called surplus animals caused widespread controversy in 2014 when a zoo in Denmark put down a giraffe because it was not genetically fit to breed with the zoo’s herd. The giraffe was later autopsied in public and fed to the zoo’s big cats.

Planckendael last year euthanised a Saharan oryx, a type of antelope no longer extant in the wild, also for space reasons.

© Courtesy Antwerp Zoo

From left: Gaia’s Michel Vandenbosch, minister Ben Weyts and Dries Herpoelaert, director-general of the Royal Society for Zoology

The charter signed with Gaia and Weyts recognises two types of surplus animal: those that form part of the international breeding programmes to which the zoo is affiliated and whose numbers can be controlled, and other species maintained

for educational purposes, which can be allowed to breed naturally.

If a surplus situation should arise, it will be dealt with by one of a number of options, from returning animals to the wild to sending them to other zoos. “We evaluated the breeding programmes and reduced the number of surplus animals to the absolute minimum,” said Michel Vandenbosch of Gaia. “We hope other zoos follow this example.”

“The Antwerp Zoo and Planckendael make great efforts for the animals in their care, and Gaia serves as a critical social partner,” said Weyts. “We are all partners together in the fight for better animal welfare. This charter is a crucial link in a considered animal welfare policy. I am proud we in Flanders can play a pioneering role.” \ AH

€762,000

42.2% €400,000

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One in 10 approved by minister-president Geert Bourgeois for the restoration of the Royal Society of Zoology’s building in Antwerp, adjacent to the zoo. The building dates from 1897

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retailers round prices up or down to the nearest 0 or 5 cents, according to a poll by the NSZ union.

Rounding off has been permitted for cash payments since 2014, but the practice is not popular

for extra security for Brussels’ federal museums, which include Jubelpark, Museums of Fine Arts, Musical Instruments Museum, Royal Library, Planetarium and the Institute of Natural Sciences

speed cameras vandalised in Flanders in 2015, according to mobility minister Ben Weyts, with repair costs of €176,256

of primary school children in the Flemish periphery around Brussels speak Dutch as a second language, education minister Hilde Crevits has announced – up from 28.7% seven years ago

april 20, 2016

WEEK in brief

face of flanders

The remains of 19 First World War soldiers have been discovered in Langemark-Poelkapelle in West Flanders by the archaeological cell CO7. The area was the front line for most of the war a century ago. The soldiers are thought to have died in one of the first gas attacks in 1915, and are mostly British, though at least two Germans have been identified. The dig, carried out for the gas company Fluxys, also uncovered a number of graves from Roman times.

sion. The winners include CollectActif in Brussels, which opened a field kitchen in Maximilianpark last year when it was home to hundreds of refugees living in tents, and IMS Onthaalklassen in Antwerp, which provides host families for refugee children. Winner Philip Hardeman from Veurne opened up his garden to allow refugees to grow their own vegetables, which Ypres’ public library won for its organisation of discussions between foreigners and school children.

Khalid Zerkani, accused of being the biggest recruiter of jihad fighters in Belgium, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison on appeal by a court in Brussels. Zerkani was sentenced at first instance to 12 years. At the same time, Fatima Aberkane, who travelled several times to Syria and sent her three sons to fight there, was also sentenced to 15 years, up from the original sentence of eight years.

Patrick Dewael, fraction leader for Open VLD in the federal parliament, has been chosen to chair the investigative committee looking into the terrorist attacks at Brussels Airport and on the metro on 22 March. The committee will have 15 members besides the chair.

Drivers interested in finding out what the traffic situation will look like on the Brussels Ring after planned works have been completed, can consult a new online simulator developed by the Flemish roads and traffic agency. The works include the separation of carriageways for local and through traffic between the junction with the E40 direction Liège and Ghent. \ werkenaandering.be/simulator

Electronic payments company Bancontact has dropped the name Mister Cash, 26 years after the two systems merged. According to CEO Kris De Ryck, the change comes as more than 90% of customers use the Bancontact name alone, but is also symbolic. “We want to say goodbye to cash,” he said. Bancontact carried out 1.31 billion transactions last year, up 5.2% on 2014.

Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen, which works with refugees and asylum seekers, has handed out a series of hospitality awards to projects aimed at social inclu-

Satellic, one of the companies responsible for operating the new road toll system in Belgium introduced on 1 April, will have €900,000 deducted from its contract after it was found to have failed to meet some criteria, said Flemish mobility minister Ben Weyts. The main problems concern the availability of on-board units used to measure distances travelled and tolls due.

The court of appeal in Brussels has overturned a fine of €2.3 million imposed on Bpost in 2011 by the postal and telecommunications regulator for discriminatory tariffs.

Bpost offered a discount to clients with a large volume of mail, but calculated the discount for postal processing companies differently from other businesses. Regulator BIPT issued a fine, which Bpost appealed. The procedure involved a question to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, which ruled the differential tariffs were legal.

The Brussels-Capital Region has agreed to lift the city tax paid by hotel guests in the wake of the terrorist attacks last month. The income from the tax usually goes to municipalities, and the region has

€12 million set aside to compensate them. The region has earmarked another €3.5 million for measures to help companies in the tourism sector, suffering from the slump in business.

Visitors to the rooftop of multistorey car park Parking 58 in Brussels will be able to recreate the experience when the building is replaced in 2020 by a new administrative centre for the city. The winning plans for the new building, announced last week, will include a rooftop garden open to the public.

The rooftop is famous among residents of the capital for its 360-degree view of the centre of the city.

Jana Robeyst, a 26-year-old biologist from Ghent, was killed while working in the rain forest of Congo-Brazzaville. Robeyst, a graduate of Ghent and Antwerp universities, was in the country for the Wildlife Conservation Society and was attacked by one of the elephants she was observing for her research. She had previously worked with Przewalski horses in Mongolia and baby elephants in Thailand.

Eight Muslims from Antwerp have joined together to battle Islamic State propaganda on social media. “We want to sow the seeds of doubt in the minds of young people about what IS is offering them,” one of the group JihadTegenExtremisme told De Standaard. Belgium has sent more radicals to fight in Iraq and Syria per head of the population than any other country in Europe.

A group of some 60 Roma people have built a sort of shanty town along the railway line linking Laken and Jette in Brussels. The families have constructed shacks from building materials found in the area. According to a volunteer for the social aid charity Foyer, the group previously lived in a squat in Evere. Neither Jette nor BrusselsCity has taken action because of a dispute about exactly whose land they are occupying

OFFSIDE Animal instincts The people who fix Antwerp’s stray cats were in the limelight at the weekend, as the city paid tribute to their efforts in helping make sure that the stray cat population isn’t too much of a pest. Antwerp’s animal protection agency CAD catch the feral cats, spay or neuter them and treat them for fleas, lice, worms and whatnot. The cats are then taken back to the place they were found – so that they don’t lose their territory – and released.

The volunteers make sure the cats are fed, which helps reduce the nuisance that would be caused by foraging cats – ripping open rubbish bags, for example, or kill-

Erik De Soir As Brussels Airport got back up and running after the 22 March terrorist attacks, staff have had to adjust to a traumatic work situation. So has Erik De Soir, the trauma psychologist charged with counselling the members of the fire service in Brussels and Zaventem. He shared his experience on the VRT website.

“Soldiers with their guns at the ready seem more alert than ever,” he wrote. “I notice how they regularly exchange a word with passengers, then there’s a smile and sometimes a handshake. Being a soldier is cool again, and everyone knows how many of them carried out heroic acts in those first awful minutes following the attacks.”

Inside the terminal he meets one of the survivors, who lost a good friend in the bombing. De Soir tells her the story of Hades, who shared power over the world with Zeus and Poseidon, and who rigidly refused ever to let anyone return once they arrived in his realm. “That’s an image of what trauma does to you,” he explains. “Victims of trauma can only return from that Hell if they find a way to express what they have been through.”

De Soir, 50, was born in Kinshasa, and he considers his exposure to nature and to traditional philos-

© Karel Hemerijckx

erikdesoir.be

ophy to have been formative. He came to Belgium at the age of 18 to study, and later became an instructor at the Royal Military School in Brussels.

He was also a volunteer with the fire and ambulance service of Leopoldsburg in Limburg, and later graduated as a clinical psychologist. He is the co-founder of the counselling centre De Weg Wijzer in Leopoldsburg and is now Flanders’ top expert in trauma psychotherapy.

De Soir was called in, for instance, to help families of the victims of the Pukkelpop storm disaster in 2011 and with the families and schoolmates of the victims of the Flemish school bus crash in Switzerland in 2013.

He won Flanders’ Psychologist of the Year award in 2012.

His passages through the airport, he says, have left him with many questions. “I’m intrigued by how the return to work at Zaventem took place, and more so how things will go when the departures hall finally opens up again,” he wrote. “What sort of counselling will the personnel get prior to going back into that building?

Will there be any kind of memorial? Will passengers ever be able to enter the building again feeling as normal as before?”

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

© BeMSA Hasselt

ing birds. Last Saturday, these kind hearts were greeted at City Hall by animal welfare alderwoman Nabilla Ait Daoud and treated to coffee and cake. They got the chance to meet their fellow catlovers and exchange experiences.

Also on Saturday, animal lovers

of another sort had the chance to bring their beloved pets to the Jessa Hospital in Hasselt to be treated for whatever ails them.

The doctors were provided by the Belgian Medical Students’ Association (BeMSA), who treated teddybears and other stuffed toys.

The initiative TeddyBear Hospital, explained Anne-Sophie Verboven of BeMSA Hasselt, “helps children to become familiar with the instruments and apparatus in a hospital.

Some children are anxious about doctors and hospitals. TeddyBear Hospital allows them to become familiar with the surroundings in a safe and anxiety-free manner.” \ AH

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

Editor Lisa Bradshaw DEPUTY Editor Sally Tipper CONTRIBUTING Editor Alan Hope sub Editor Bartosz Brzezi´nski Agenda Robyn Boyle, Georgio Valentino Art director Paul Van Dooren Prepress Mediahuis AdPro Contributors Rebecca Benoot, Derek Blyth, Leo Cendrowicz, Andy Furniere, Lee Gillette, Diana Goodwin, Clodagh Kinsella, Catherine Kosters, Toon Lambrechts, Ian Mundell, Anja Otte, Tom Peeters, Senne Starckx, Christophe Verbiest, Denzil Walton General manager Hans De Loore Publisher Mediahuis NV

Editorial address Gossetlaan 30 - 1702 Groot-Bijgaarden tel 02 467 23 06 editorial@flanderstoday.eu subscriptions tel 03 560 17 49 subscriptions@flanderstoday.eu or order online at www.flanderstoday.eu Advertising 02 467 24 37 advertising@flanderstoday.eu Verantwoordelijke uitgever Hans De Loore

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\ POLITICS

5TH COLUMN Why ministers resign

Why do ministers quit? One reason is political responsibility, not to be confused with personal responsibility.

For instance, when 1980s public enemy number one, serial killer Marc Dutroux, escaped from a courthouse in 1989, no-one held Johan Vande Lanotte (SP.A) and Stefaan De Clerck (CD&V), the then interior affairs and justice ministers, personally responsible.

But both resigned promptly as they felt politically responsible. The resignation was seen as a sign of statesmanship.

Not resigning can be held against a minister. This was the case for interior minister Charles-Ferdinand Nothomb (CDH) after 39 football fans died at Heizel Stadium in 1985. Similarly, Mark Eyskens (CD&V) held on to his foreign affairs portfolio after it was revealed that his services had granted a visa to a known terrorist – spotted shopping for chocolates near Brussels’ Grote Markt in 1991.

“In any other country, I would have had to resign, but not in this monkeys’ country,” Eyskens said later. Apenland – monkeys’ country – is now a political idiom.

Another reason ministers quit is because they feel they can no longer function in the post.

This was the case in 2008, when a magistrate hinted at political meddling in the Fortis bank case. Justice minister Jo Vandeurzen (CD&V) resigned instantly, and hours later prime minister Yves Leterme (CD&V) announced the end of his government. Fault was never found with either of them.

Being unable to function in the post is the reason federal mobility minister Jacqueline Galant (MR) cited for her resignation last week, after revelations of a EU report criticising security at Brussels Airport.

The minister claimed she had never seen the report and spoke of “orchestrated, theatrical confusion,” making it impossible for her to continue.

The truth is she had lost the support of fellow party member and prime minister Charles Michel. Support is crucial. Just ask Elio Di Rupo (PS). In 1996, the then federal minister was falsely accused of paedophilia. He held on to his portfolio only because he never lost the support of his fellow ministers. He went on to become prime minister.

Or take current federal interior minister Jan Jambon (N-VA) and justice minister Koen Geens (CD&V), who both offered to resign in the wake of the Brussels attacks.

That they are still in place today has everything to do with support.

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Federal mobility minister resigns over airport security

François Bellot replaces Jacqueline Galant in wake of terrorist attacks Alan Hope More articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

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ederal mobility minister Jacqueline Galant has resigned after it was revealed she had misinformed parliament about security at Brussels Airport, which was the site of a terrorist attack on 22 March. Galant, an MR party colleague of prime minister Charles Michel, has been replaced by the party’s rail specialist, François Bellot (pictured).

In the aftermath of the bomb attacks, the question of airport security was raised by the green coalition Groen-Ecolo. Galant was accused of having ignored a damning report by the European Commission that revealed a number of security issues at the airport.

The chair of the government mobility department, Laurent Ledoux, also accused Galant of having ignored a request for a review of airport security and of having diverted security funding

© Filip De Smet/BELGA

to help settle a dispute with staff of Belgocontrol, the air traffic control agency.

Galant denied any knowledge of the report and accused Ledoux of a “media crusade” involving “orchestrated and theatrical confusion”. Michel

confirmed that she had had no knowledge of the report, based on her own assurances.

Emails were then leaked showing that Galant’s cabinet had been aware of the EU report, and that Galant’s staff had provided her with an executive summary. Michel said it was “unacceptable” that the chamber had not been informed of this “important element”. Galant was asked to tender her resignation, which was accepted by the king.

Her replacement is 62-year-old Bellot, mayor of Rochefort, who has made a speciality of the railways while sitting as a member of the parliament’s infrastructure committee, which he also chaired for three years. He was a member of the committee that investigated the train crash in Buizingen in Flemish Brabant in 2010, in which 18 people were killed.

Flanders renews agreements with southern Africa and Unesco

Federal government’s new budget agreement rejected by unions

The government of Flanders has approved a relaunch of its co-operation with southern Africa, after more than 20 years of working together.

“Flanders and southern Africa: Partners in a changed world” is the first in a series of strategic programmes on bilateral relations, part of the government’s long-term agenda in Visie 2050.

The agreement with partners in southern Africa is focused on sustainable development that is based on solidarity, equality, co-operation and international law. All members of the government will come forward with initiatives in line with the strategy.

“A lot has changed for Flanders and its partners in southern Africa since 1994,” ministerpresident Geert Bourgeois said, referring to the beginning of formal relations with the signing of a declaration of intent.

“With this strategy, Flanders wants to commit itself to being a reliable, flexible and innovative partner. With its partner

After weeks of discussion, the federal government has reached an agreement on its budget for 2016. The main groups affected are civil servants, drivers of diesel vehicles and smokers.

The negotiations started with a deficit of €2.2 billion to fill. The costs of security following the Paris attacks in November and the costs relating to the refugee crisis were removed from the 2016 budget, taking care of €400 million.

Taxes on cigarettes will increase, as will diesel fuel, which will bring in an extra €70 million over the coming two years. Diesel drivers also face a price increase of €2 per 50 litres in 2017, and €3 in 2018.

The government also plans to introduce a tax on earnings derived from the sharing economy, such as letting out a spare room through Airbnb. These earnings are already capped at €10,000 a year, above which the activity is treated as a business.

Businesses can look forward to a change in corporate taxation. No details are yet available,

countries, the Flemish government will work on a relationship based on a balanced political dialogue and aimed at the realisation of our common interests.”

Meanwhile, in Paris, Filip D’Havé, who serves as a representative of the Flemish region in France, signed a new agreement with Unesco directorgeneral Irina Bokova. The agreement concerns Flanders’ financial commitment to the organisation via the Flemish Trust Fund. In December, the government announced a fund of €900,000 for 2015-2016.

“I wish to thank the government of Flanders for this renewed co-operation, which is especially meaningful at a time when the destruction of culture and heritage is so much linked with extremism and people’s suffering,” Bokova said. “This is a strong symbol of our determination to respond, and harness the power of culture to heal and recover.” \ AH

but Unizo, the organisation that represents the self-employed, is arguing for a two-tier system in which companies can choose either a flat-rate 20% tax with no deductions, or remain with the current system of 28% with deductions.

Civil servants, finally, will have to work longer to achieve the same pension benefits. Years spent studying no longer count as service years when calculating their pensions. The system of saving up sick days until the end of a career will also be scrapped.

Christian union ACV chair Marc Leemans described the measures as “a new slap in the face for workers” which would be “counterproductive for the economy. This government is making people work longer, with tougher working conditions, for less purchasing power and less pension. The parties that defend that approach are turning their backs on the workers, civil servants and teachers, the sick and the disabled, the unemployed and pensioners.”

(See related story, p6) \ AH

New interactive visitor centre for Flemish parliament A new interactive visitor centre is planned in the former exhibition space De Loketten in the Flemish parliament building in central Brussels.

The centre is scheduled to open in 2018.

The hall known as De Loketten was formerly a postal cheques office, with windows for customer service similar to a post office (loket means service window in Dutch). The building was designed by Victor Bourgeois and constructed between 1937 and 1946, an occupation by the Nazis intervening.

The Flemish parliament took over the building in 2002 and completely renovated it, using the upper floors for offices and the ground floor as a public space. Designer Stefan Schöning and

architect Giuseppe Farris turned back to what Bourgeois had said in 1937 regarding his vision for the space: “To bring the dimensions of the streets of the city inside the building, to create an interior public space where the administration can come in contact with the public”. The centre, which is meant to attract schoolchildren, associations and individuals, including tourists, aims to provide a sense of citizenship and democratic values, while offering a worthwhile visitor experience.

It will be built around four modules: the parliament as the core of democracy, parliamentarianism and the rule of law, the evolution of the Flemish region and civic activism.

The team appointed to create the centre includes Flemish heritage expert Estelle Slegers, Bruges architect Koen Bovée and scenographer Koen de Visscher of visual communications firm Kodevis in Lokeren, who will also act as the project’s co-ordinator. The trio emerged as winners of a Europe-wide competition following the initial phase when University of Leuven professor Emmanuel Gerard developed the core concept.

The team has a collective record that includes the new Zwin Nature Park, the 2013 exhibition Love and Devotion at the Gruuthuse Museum in Bruges and the visitor access to the SintRombouts cathedral tower in Mechelen. \ AH

\ COVER STORY

april 20, 2016

Flower power

A Japanese garden, a mythical forest and a floral chandelier FLORALIEN.BE

continued from page 1

whereby visitors can discover the world of ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement.

The theme in the historical SintPietersplein is Past and Future, which Toebaert says combines “history and academic innovations, as it is the heart of the student neighbourhood.”

He advises visitors to look out for the location’s centrepiece, “a gigantic floral chandelier” suspended inside the square’s church. It was designed by Thomas De Bruyne with leading international florists Hitomi Gilliam of Canada and Natalia Zizko of Russia. Other highlights include an installation by Brussels-based artist Bob Verschueren, who uses only organic matter in his work, and an urban garden exhibition at the World of Kina museum.

At the Leopold Barracks’ inner courtyard, the theme Trees and the City lures visitors into a mythical forest, which, Toebaert says, will be a hit with children.

Meanwhile, nearby Citadelpark’s exhibition space Floralieshal returns to the festival’s agenda after an absence of 30 years. The theme, A Party for All the Senses, is based on the question: What do plants and flowers mean to people and society?

the organisers decided to stretch the five-year mark and delay the event until this year.

“Previously, everything we needed was under one roof at Flanders Expo,” continues De Cock. “Now we have eight entry and exit points, and we need to use public walkways and access historical buildings. We also have to take into account the construction of tents and domes, and provide electricity throughout.”

Changing the event from an indoor to an outdoor setting required a lot of discussion and fine-tuning. “The concept and design took about five years,” De Cock says. “The logistics and the production proved challenging because we needed to construct the structures in a relatively short time.”

To help with the process, Toebaert adds, multiple stakeholders, partners and sites were involved.

“There has been a lot of co-operation and interaction from the city and the province, which is what we needed.”

The festival’s visitors will certainly admire the many floral arrangements, but they are also encouraged to partake in interactive workshops scattered throughout the sites. And it wouldn’t be

© Courtesy Floralies

© Florist Movaert

We felt that for Floralies to continue for another 200 years, it needed to evolve from an exhibition to a festival The site’s main eye catcher is the concept behind the site hosted by AVBS, the federation representing Flemish nurseries and growers.

Green houseplants, garden plants, annuals and cut flowers are combined into one single, massive landscape sculpture, designed by Flemish landscape architects Inge De Bruycker, Denis Dujardin and Geert Pattyn. Another highlight is the monumental art installation “Metafloristic” across the street at the city’s Museum of Fine Arts.

In recent decades, the Floralies was held every five years, with the last edition taking place in 2010.

In order to give it a fresh sense of direction, the organisers decided to move the entire show to the city.

“Floralies has been around for over 200 years,” Toebaert says. “We felt that for it to continue for at least another 200 years, it needed to evolve from an exhibition to a festival, which meant doing so much more.”

Moving back to the city proved to be a complex undertaking, and

a family event without getting the kids involved.

The hope, De Cock adds, is that, by attending the various workshops, kids will become more enthusiastic about plants. “There will be school tours and educational trips for children,” he says. “Education is important, so we have information boards and activities to keep the kids busy.”

The Floralies website will also offer downloadable demonstrations and workshops that teachers will be able to use in lessons about nature. Family fun is also to be expected at the mythical forest at Leopold Barracks, where animated figures from Celtic mythology will help unravel historical mysteries. “We also have a workbook with questions for which children can earn rewards,” says De Cock.

As a member of Green Track, a transition network that aims to reduce the ecological footprint of the Ghent arts sector, the festival has also taken a more sustain-

© Vlaamse Tuinaannemer

Floralies includes outdoor garden displays and indoor art installations by celebrated florists, including Thomas De Bruyne from West Flanders

able approach. Organisers opted for green energy and more recycled products and have ensured access to public transportation and adequate bicycle storage.

“We need to do more with less,” explains De Cock. “It’s a long-term process that needs to happen.

While it may take several generations, we have the opportunity to encourage young people to think green.”

In 2010, Floralies welcomed some 300,000 visitors, but the organisers are hoping that the new location in the city centre will result in even more. De Cock says that the locals who may not have attended

prior editions of the festival now have the opportunity to get more engaged.

Aside from locals, the organisers also hope to attract more visitors from farther afield – and not just the casual day trippers to Ghent.

“In the UK, people spend £75 to attend the Chelsea Flower Show,” De Cock says. “Here it costs €35 for a full day’s activities. Floralies is worth crossing the English Channel for.”

Toebaert says the next edition, in 2020, will have a different theme.

22 April to 1 May

“The advantage of Ghent is that there are so many options. We’re already eyeing potential sites, so it would be nice to change things a bit.”

According to De Cock, the decision to make Floralies into an outdoor festival has received nothing but positive feedback. Now “we need to fine-tune the concept,” he says.

“There are a lot of new elements in it, so we’ll grow and improve on them. This is the direction we’ve decided on, and there’s no going back.”

Across Ghent

\5

\ BUSINESS

week in business Restaurants TGI Fridays

The US-based family dining chain, with 900 restaurants in 60 countries, is seeking a local partner to open four outlets in Belgium in 2017, including Antwerp and Brussels.

The company said that the test locations could lead to a major expansion of the chain in Belgium.

Energy Deme The Antwerp-based company, specialised in dredging, port infrastructures and wind farm developments, has bought a 2% stake in Tidal Power Scotland Limited (TPSL) for €2.5 million. Deme is also considering investing in some of TPSL’s projects to generate up to 64 megawatts. Meanwhile, Deme is also bidding for a 17.5% stake in a new 610-megawatt wind farm to be built off the Danish coast.

Cement Heidelberg The German cement group is to sell the local Compagnie des Ciments Belges (CBB), which operates four mixing plants in Flanders. The move, to prevent competition issues, follows Heidelberg’s acquisition of Italcementi, which owned the local operations.

Car parks Interparking The Brussels-based operator of 735 car parks in Europe has acquired the parking activities of the Dutch TKH Group, specialised in the management of hospitals and public service centres. The deal includes some 40 sites in the Netherlands.

Air TAM The Brazilian carrier is negotiating the launch of flights linking Brussels Airport to Sao Paulo, Brazilia and Rio di Janeiro from 2017.

Industrial equipment Pauwels Trafo The Mechelen-based manufacturer of power transformers is being sold by its Indian owners, the Crompton Greaves engineering group, to an unnamed US private equity firm.

Pharmaceuticals Fagron The supplier of pharmaceutical compounds, based in Nazareth, East Flanders, has closed its loss-making US affiliate Bellevue Pharmacy.

\6

FIT wins investment prize

Flemish trade agency wins in Dubai for expansion of Nippon Shokubai Alan Hope More articles by Alan \ flanderstoday.eu

F

landers Investment & Trade (FIT), the Flemish government agency promoting export and foreign investment, has won Best European Investment Project at the Annual Investment Meeting (Aim) held by the government of the United Arab Emirates.

Aim attracts major public and private sector investors from across the world.

FIT won the prize thanks to the Japanese company Nippon Shokubai, which earlier this year announced plans to build a new factory at its Zwijndrecht site. The company makes super-absorbent polymers, such as those used in disposable nappies. The €350 million investment will make it the company’s second-largest production centre, creating 70 new jobs on top of the 90 already there.

© Courtesy FIT

From left: Local Nippon Shokubai plant manager Roel De Vil, Nippon Shokubai Europe president Hidetaka Yatagai, ministerpresident Geert Bourgeois and FIT director Claire Tillekaerts

“I am incredibly proud to accept this prestigious prize,” said FIT director Claire Tillekaerts.

“An investment project is often a long-distance

event, and it is not always successful. This is a feather in the cap for the whole FIT team, in Brussels and abroad.”

“I want to congratulate Flanders Investment & Trade, Claire Tillekaerts and all of her colleagues,” said Flemish minister-president Geert Bourgeois. “This trophy is a sign of recognition and well-earned respect for the performance of the agency.”

Bourgeois went on to point out the region’s latest investment figures. “There have never been so many projects in Flanders as there were last year – 227 for a total value of €2.7 billion, good for 4,350 jobs. And FIT was involved in more than 60% of the new inward investments.”

The Nippon Shokubai project was awarded FIT’s own Investment of the Year prize earlier this year.

Lufthansa to announce decision on Brussels Airlines this month

Socialist unions strike in response to new budget

The German airline Lufthansa will announce on 27 April whether it plans to acquire the remaining share in Brussels Airlines. Lufthansa owns 45% of the airline and is expected to bid for the remainder, according to German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Lufthansa took an option to buy the shares when it acquired its current stake in 2008. The option became active in 2011. Brussels Airlines is a member of Lufthansa’s frequent flyer programme, Miles & More. The package of 55% of the airline could be worth €250 million, the newspaper said.

Lufthansa is particularly attracted by Brussels Airlines’ flights to Africa, as well as its presence in Brussels, but sees it as too small to be viable on its own. The airline would come under the care of Eurowings, which would take over certain central functions. Whether the Brussels Airlines brand would continue is not known.

Two weeks ago, Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr visited Brussels and met with King Filip, prime minister Charles Michel, Brussels Airlines CEO Bernard Gustin and chair Etienne Davignon. Whether the subject of the takeover was raised has not been revealed. \ AH

Members of the socialist union ABVV were due to go on strike on 19 April, as Flanders Today went to press. The strike is in protest at budget measures announced by the federal government, including an end to the 38-hour week.

Workers were asked to gather at squares in Brussels (Muntplein), Charleroi and Liège.

“It was never our intention to resort to industrial action or strikes, but when negotiations with government and employers are made impossible, we have to make ourselves heard,” said the union’s general secretary Marc Goblet. According to a spokesperson, this was the first in a series of actions.

Meanwhile, the socialist union representing federal civil servants has announced a 24-hour strike for next Tuesday, 26 April.

That will affect staff at most of the ministry offices, including finance, social security, labour and public health, as well as the court of auditors and other

Belgian businesses pay more for electricity than neighbours Belgian businesses are paying between 16% and 40% more for electricity than the average price in neighbouring countries. This creates a competition handicap of some €400 million a year, according to a study carried out by Deloitte for Febeliec, the federation of industrial energy consumers.

Deloitte’s figures show businesses in Flanders paying between €6 and €11 more per megawatt-hour, while those in Wallonia pay €7 to €18 more. “For energy intensive companies, the additional cost runs into millions of euros a year, a handicap that can’t be made up for in the tough competitive world of today,” says Febeliec.

Last year’s high electricity prices were the result of the continued closure of a number of nuclear power plants. Towards the end of the year, it was announced that two of them would re-open, and the other two would operate beyond the expected permanent closure.

Spot prices came down rapidly to a

© Ingimage

level close to that in neighbouring countries, but by that time many companies had signed contracts for 2016 at the higher price level, the report says, forcing them to carry the price handicap forward.

In some cases, that was for one or two trimesters, in other cases for the whole year.

The federation is now calling for the government to introduce a cap on energy prices, so they can be better aligned to the prices paid in neighbouring countries. “If energy costs in Belgium are higher, the various government levels need to take measures to restore the competitiveness of our industries,” Febeliec said. \ AH

© Dieter Boone/Solidair/pvda.be

government agencies.

The union claims that Charles Michel’s government “has once more sought the money for its budget deficit in the pockets of public sector employees,” according to a statement, while the Panama Papers demonstrate “there is plenty of income to be found elsewhere”.

The action is expected to have some effect on public services, although air-traffic controllers at Belgocontrol and rail authority NMBS staff are not involved. (See related story, p4) \ AH

Flanders can restrict free green power to region, says court Flanders may restrict the distribution of cheaper green energy to energy produced in the region, according to the advocate-general of the European Court of Justice, in an opinion published last week. The Court still has to rule, but takes the advocate-general’s advice in most cases.

The case was brought by power supplier Essent, which supplies green energy in Flanders, most of which is imported from the Netherlands.

Distribution of green energy in Flanders is free, but a policy from the early 2000s restricts that free distribution to energy produced in the region.

In 2006, the Council of State said that rule was illegal, and Essent filed a case for damages in Brussels, calling for €16 million. The Brussels court asked Luxembourg to rule on whether the policy was in line with EU law.

If the full court follows the advocate-general’s advice, Essent’s case for damages could be reduced, or even rejected. \ AH

\ INNOVATION

april 20, 2016

Solving the riddle

week in innovation

Leuven scientists identify and find a cure for a rare immune disorder

The Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM) in Antwerp has developed a test that can determine with certainty an infection by the zika virus. The virus, spread by certain kinds of mosquitos, can cause birth defects if a pregnant women contracts it. Until now, doctors needed to find the virus directly in the blood or other bodily fluids during the acute infection phase, which lasts up to five days from being infected. ITM has been able to use a molecular test after that phase, but it only worked for up to a week after infection, after which it was impossible to confirm if it was in fact zika. The new test eliminates that uncertainty.

Andy Furniere More articles by Andy \ flanderstoday.eu

Two scientists from KU Leuven and VIB have found a cure for a rare disease that causes severe lesions and muscle pain, and has plagued one West Flemish family for three generations.

I

t may have taken them a decade, but researchers at the University of Leuven (KU Leuven) have finally determined the cause of a mysterious disease that has plagued one West Flemish family for three generations.

The disease – known as PAAND – causes severe skin lesions, muscle pain and general exhaustion. It first came to light about 10 years ago, when paediatric rheumatologist Carine Wouters was confronted with the case of a 13-year-old boy who was brought to the emergency department at Leuven University Hospital.

“Because of a cardiac muscle infection, the boy suffered from heart problems, but we quickly realised that the condition was part of a broader auto-inflammatory disease,” says Wouters.

To her amazement, the doctor soon discovered that other members of the young patient’s family were exhibiting similar symptoms. “But the cause remained unknown,” she says.

The boy’s father, who prefers to remain anonymous, has suffered from the same mysterious disease for most of his life. “Since I was five, I have had severe muscle pains, and I’ve suffered from extreme exhaustion,” he says. “Sometimes, I couldn’t even stand up and had to stay home from school for days, just to recover.”

He eventually finished school and found a job, but the condition made his career as a truck driver no

Mental health workshops in English

© Wim Kempenaers

Professor Adrian Liston (left) and Carine Wouters not only figured out what was causing a rare disease, they cured it

take the form of open wounds, as if the skin had been burned. During cold weather, the symptoms generally get worse.

Altogether, 12 members from three generations of the West Flemish family are afflicted with the disease. Until now, doctors could only ease their suffering with antiinflammatory drugs and painkillers.

The breakthrough discovery of PAAND is the result of an extensive DNA comparison between the patients’ blood and that of their family members who are not affected by the disease.

The study was led by KU Leuven professor Adrian Liston, who also works at Flanders’ life sciences research institute VIB. Liston’s

Their immune system diverted energy into fighting an infection that wasn’t actually there, with disastrous consequences less difficult. “The older I got, the more frequently I had to pull over to the side of the road and rest for a few hours,” he says.

The pain was so unbearable, he often couldn’t sleep through the night. As more health problems accumulated, the now 50-year-old man was forced to quit his job.

The disease also causes fever sensations and – most visibly –skin lesions. While the former truck driver has sores on his back, one of his brothers suffers from skin lesions on his face, some of which

More certain test for zika virus

team collaborated with scientists from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne, Australia.

The researchers traced the cause to a mutation of a gene known as MEFV. They determined that the mutation tricks the body into responding to a bacterial skin infection, even if there isn’t one.

The response causes the skin to produce an inflammatory protein called interleukin-1 beta, which causes skin lesions, fevers and pain.

“If you have the flu, the fever and

exhaustion you experience are the result of your immune system putting a lot of energy into battling the infection and not having enough energy left to allow you to function normally,” Liston explains.

With PAAND, he continues, “the immune system diverts much of that energy into fighting an infection that isn’t actually there, with disastrous consequences”.

Only one of the parents needs to carry the mutation for the disease to affect their children, though it isn’t necessarily passed on to every child.

“These insights were made possible because DNA analysis has become more innovative and affordable,” explains Liston. “We also couldn’t have done it without the collaboration with our colleagues abroad.”

Once they understood how the disease operates, the scientists started looking for a treatment.

They found it in a drug called anakinra, also known under the brand name Kineret. While the drug is used in treating rheumatoid arthritis, Liston found it also has the ability to block the protein that causes PAAND. In partnership with the University of Leeds in the UK, the drug was tested on a British patient who was diagnosed with PAAND. The results were striking; the patient’s skin lesions cleared rapidly, and the fevers and pain stopped entirely.

The medication is now being tested on five members of the family from West Flanders, including the father.

“I hope the drug can make our lives more normal,” he says.

For the time being, his son is recovering from a second heart transplant and cannot take the medication. The scientists are planning to involve him and other patients at a

later stage.

Dr Wouters, who has stood by the Flemish family over the past 10 years, is happy that their resilience has finally been rewarded.

“We hope that the discovery will improve the quality of life for many other people in Flanders and abroad,” she says. Doctors in France and Lebanon have already indicated that they also have patients with PAAND. The treatment was first carried out in the UK because the country’s health-care system reimburses the drug anakinra. For the tests on Flemish patients, KU Leuven researchers negotiated directly with the drug’s manufacturer, the Swedish company Orphan Biovitrum.

To finance the project, Wouters and Liston used money from a research fund they set up in 2015 to finance the diagnosis and treatment of immune disorders in children, most of which are so rare they are not covered by health insurance. According to the European categorisation of rare disorders, PAAND affects less than one in 2,000 people.

The two scientists have called on Belgium’s federal health minister Maggie De Block to focus more attention on diseases like PAAND. “Rare diseases are not rare,” Wouters says. “We know some 6,000 of them, and more innovative techniques could help us to identify new ones.”

According to Liston, more newborn babies should also be screened for immune system deficiencies. This, he says, could help prevent medical conditions later in life, which “not only affect the person’s overall health, but result in high costs to the social security system”.

The University of Leuven (KU Leuven) is launching English-language workshops to promote the emotional well-being of its international students. The programme MindMates has been offering such workshops in Dutch since 2014 and pointed out that the age group 18 to 24 is characterised by major personal, social and intellectual developments.

KU Leuven statistics indicate that one in five of its first-year students show symptoms of depression, but only 20% of them seek help. In response to this revelation, the university launched MindMates, which encourages students to address their feelings and to talk about them to its student-volunteers.

The programme also provides an online platform with information about emotional health and professional help.

Stem action plan in primary education Flanders’ education minister, Hilde Crevits, has launched an action plan in primary education to promote Stem subjects – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – and technical and scientific study streams to students. The plan was introduced in secondary schools in 2012, and now 75,000 primary school teachers will receive advice on how to make the subjects more exciting to pupils, with access to online materials to guide them through various Stemrelated projects. The plan has a particular focus on pupils in the final year of primary school, where the subject Science and Technics was introduced this academic year. Crevits also launched the learning network STEM+, in which teachers, teacher educators, schools, researchers and other partners can meet and exchange experiences. \ AF

\7

\ EDUCATION

april 20, 2016

A lab for the arts

week in education

Leuven’s former medical lab transformed into artistic hotbed

The council that deals with official complaints from students in higher education about their exam results has announced that it can no longer cope with the number of complaints. In 2005, when the council was founded, there were only 50 students who complained, compared to about 700 last year. While the number of complaints has increased spectacularly, there are still only three judges who examine the cases once a week. A result of the situation is that students are waiting more than a month for a decision, rather than the target of 15 days. Flemish education minister Hilde Crevits said that the council’s annual budget will be increased by €28,000, one-fifth of the current budget.

Tom Peeters More articles by Tom \ flanderstoday.eu

T

ucked away on a small square at the very end of Vital Decosterstraat, the exact location of Leuven’s new art hub is not so well known. But a quick glance at the grandeur of its protected front, combining elements of Italian Renaissance and Art Nouveau, and it’s obvious that its history must be something special.

When it opened in 1899, the Bacteriological Institute was indeed the pride of the University of Leuven (KU Leuven), emphasising its aim to become a leading force in medical research. After the faculty of medicine left the building in 1957 it had multiple functions, housing a medical centre and departments of the faculty of agriculture.

In 2010 the Flemish government protected the (by then empty) building as a monument with historical value. Since the space still showed solid artistic and architectural qualities, a new, cultural, destination became the obvious course of action. At least that’s what Professor Katlijn Malfliet, the vice rector for culture, thought.

She saw the empty building as an opportunity to tackle the lack of decent artist workspaces for KU Leuven students and staff, and soon the idea of BAC Atelier was born. After some basic renovations – new electricity, doors and floors – the building now houses 10 artist studios, two hangars for visual arts and two pavilions for performing or audio-visual arts and music.

“All these workspaces are free for students and staff of KU Leuven and the KU Leuven Association,” says Kristina Seyfried, who’s in charge of the project. After the first deadline, out of more than 30 applications she helped choose 15 artists.

© Rob Stevens/KU Leuven

By offering free workspace to students and staff from KU Leuven, the BAC Atelier will become a cross-disciplinary space for generations of artists

She was positively surprised by the diversity of the applications, she explains. “We were a bit afraid that most of them would come from students at the Luca school of arts, because we know they don’t have so many workspaces. But the mix

instead we’ve got a lot of interdisciplinary artists, such as photographers making installations and collages.” Considering the focus on artistic experimentation and cross-fertilisation, that’s a definite plus.

This might not be a laboratory of pure sciences, but it certainly will be one of artistic sciences was just ideal.”

The ratio between students and staff is almost 50-50, and the mix of disciplines is also balanced. “We have someone with a day job in the operating theatre at the Gasthuisberg hospital, and a group of women preparing their graduation in graphic design. We might have expected more painters, but

The interdisciplinary platform KU Leuven aims to establish here is supported by a desire to connect upcoming young artists with more experienced, (semi) professional artists. That’s why they took the architects and arts duo Gijs Van Vaerenbergh in for a four-year residency. With their multidisciplinary design practice they will set up

collaborations with students from the Faculty of Architecture.

Pieterjan Gijs considers their presence a counterweight for the temporary users of the space.

“Our collaboration works at different levels, from just being in the building and thinking how we can transform it to really shaping the interaction and cross-fertilisation between practice, education and research.”

He explains that a deeper interaction between the three areas has become more important in recent years, adding that their own practice, working with students and interns in an environment that resembles a lab, isn’t so different from what the amateur artists will do in their new workspaces.

So it’s not just the new name of the building – BAC Atelier – that’s bridging past and future. “This might not be a laboratory of pure sciences,” says Gijs, “but it certainly will be one of artistic sciences.”

Q&A Olivia Venot is a PhD student in astronomy at the University of Leuven.

Thanks to images from Nasa’s Hubble Space Telescope, she has peered into the atmosphere of a super-Earth – an extra-solar planet larger than our own

Because we know how each molecule absorbs light, we were able to recognise the spectral signature of HCN in Hubble’s data.

This is some kind of first, is it not? Though scientists have already studied planets that orbit a star other than the sun…

Indeed, it’s not the first time that an exoplanet’s atmosphere has been studied. In 2002, a molecule – sodium – was detected in an exoplanetary atmosphere for the first time. But this was a warm gaseous giant planet, like Jupiter or Saturn. These planets are called “hot Jupiters” or “warm Neptunes” because they have temperatures higher than their equivalents in the solar system.

Many other molecules have been observed since then: water, carbon monoxide, methane, carbon diox-

The super-Earth you studied is called 55 Cancri e. What’s special about it?

It was discovered in 2004. It’s definitely special, because it’s quite an exotic example of a super-Earth.

It orbits very close to its star – less than 1/50th of the distance between Earth and the sun – which results in a surface temperature above 2,000 degrees Celsius. It orbits also very rapidly around its star. One year on this planet only lasts 0.73 Earth days.

ide… But in our study, we’ve observed for the first time a molecule – HCN, or hydrogen cyanide – in the atmosphere of a superEarth, that’s to say, a rocky planet, one with a surface.

How did you detect the highly poisonous hydrogen cyanide?

We observed what’s called a primary transit: when the planet passes in front of its star, this creates a drop in the luminosity of the star. But with a high-resolution magnifier like Hubble, we can see that this drop in luminosity is not the same at all wavelengths.

In fact, it depends on the composition of the planet’s atmospheres.

Exam council awash in student complaints

Will you be looking at other exoplanets or super-Earths?

My colleagues and I will look at other planets in future, yes,

because plenty of worlds need to be studied by astronomers. But first things first: we will observe this one further to confirm our findings and maybe detect other molecules. \ Interview by Senne

Ghent schools collaborate on drop-out plan Ghent has launched Operatie Geslaagd (Operation Passed) to reduce the number of students leaving school without a diploma. Forty of Ghent’s 56 secondary schools are collaborating on the new plan. About 17% of secondary school students in Ghent drop out. Statistics show that they have much more trouble finding work than their peers with diplomas. The new plan aims to cut the number by 25% over the next four years. The schools will provide statistics on drop-outs and truancy to the city’s new Education Centre, which will create action plans adjusted to the needs of each school and map the data it receives so schools can compare their situation to other schools.

Anti-radicalisation framework tested Flanders will test a new education framework developed by the Council of Europe to battle radicalisation at school. Under the framework, students would be taught 20 core competences concerning attitudes and values, such as citizenship and the critical use of the internet and other media. As a separate course in Flanders, the framework could become part of the eindtermen – the final requirements to graduate from secondary school.

The goal is to introduce the plan across the region, and 40 teachers and teaching educators will now examine whether the programme would work as a separate course or should be integrated into other disciplines. Eleven other countries are also testing the plan. \ AF

Starckx

\9

\ LIVING

week in activities Passchendaele Museum Weekend An annual event at the Memorial Museum in Passchendaele, this year focusing on the First World War from the German perspective. Living history demonstrations with costumed re-enactors, guided exhibition tours and walks, battlefield tours, authentic military vehicles and children’s workshops. Reservations and fee for some activities. 23-24 April 10.0018.00, Berten Pilstraat 5A, Zonnebeke; free with museum admission (€8.50) \ passchendaele.be

Sea Week A week of guided walks, workshops and activities to educate and inspire, along the coast from De Panne to Knokke-Heist. The theme for this 20th anniversary edition is Time, so take some time to relax and enjoy the beauty of sand, sea and sky. On 22 April, there are walks from 5 to 17km in De Panne, with entertainment and activities along the way. 22 April to 5 May, various locations; free

The power of tradition

Discover world rituals as Heritage Day plays generation game Lode Demetter More articles by Lode \ flanderstoday.eu

ERFGOEDDAG.BE

W

ith hundreds of free activities in one day, the region’s major heritage event invites people to discover rituals that have been passed down through the generations and remain valuable and relevant to our lives today.

Now celebrating its 16th anniversary, Erfgoeddag, or Heritage Day, has become a tradition in Flanders and Brussels. It focuses on our tangible heritage – objects, monuments, buildings – as well as intangible heritage, such as stories, songs and traditional skills.

This year’s edition has Rituals as its central theme. All over the world people cherish rituals inherited from their parents and ancestors; Erfgoeddag offers the chance to find out more about such traditions in Flanders and abroad, and to discover why they are so powerful.

Most of the day’s activities are open to adults and children alike. They are hosted by a range of organisations, including socio-cultural groups, local history clubs, museums, theatres and schools.

In Bruges, for example, at the Rijksarchief, you can visit Wonen op wielen (Living on Wheels), a unique encounter with caravan dwellers, as they invite you into their van and introduce some of their daily rituals. There’s also a photo exhibition on specific birth rituals in their community.

© Artur Eranosian/Faro

This year’s Erfgoeddag offers visitors the chance to immerse themselves in traditions modern and ancient

interest in Flanders’ cultural heritage is Huis van Alijn in Ghent. On Erfgoeddag, it offers a journey through rituals. Spokesperson Griet Desutter: “One wing of our museum is entirely dedi-

\ west-vlaanderen.be

Zythos Beer Festival The biggest and most prestigious beer festival of them all, Zythos offers 88 booths, mostly small and independent brewers, pouring over 500 beers, including some of the hardest to find as well as new beers. Each 10cl tasting costs €1. A starter’s packet costs €10 and includes a glass and five tokens. 23 April 12.00-23.00 & 24 April 11.00 to 21.00, Brabanthal, Brabantlaan 1, Leuven; free \ zbf.be

Amateurama Three-day festival of amateur arts in Leuven, including music, theatre, improvisation, photography and more. Get your groove on, hippy-style, at a DJ party in the basement of the Schouwburg with music from the 1960s and ’70s. 21-24 April, across Leuven; free-€10 \ amateurama.be

Royal Greenhouses Every spring, the 19th-century greenhouses at the royal palace in Laeken are opened to the public for three weeks. Closed Mondays. No advance ticket purchase, so expect to queue. On 26 April, the route is adapted for wheelchair users and visitors with disabilities. Until 6 May, Koninklijk Parklaan, Brussels; €2.50 \ monarchie.be

\ 10

One wing of our museum is entirely dedicated to the big moments in life and the rituals that go along with them “This is the third time we’ve participated in Heritage Day,” says Rita Janssens of the nonprofit organisation Mensen van de weg, the group behind this activity. “Most people don’t know much about the way caravan dwellers live, yet they may have welcomed some of them into their own house without realising it, like one or more of the travelling knife grinders, who are an important subgroup. Our organisation wants to promote the interests of this travelling community and its rich heritage.”

One museum that has always shown a particular

cated to the big moments in life and the rituals that go along with them: birth, first communion, marriage, death…

“On Heritage Day, we offer our visitors a unique experience by creating a surprising dialogue between rituals from days gone by and presentday answers to them. For example, traditional funeral ceremonies are juxtaposed with modern poets who will be reading poems written especially for the burial of people who died alone.”

In another room, an illustrator will be making drawings based on pictures and other objects

from the museum’s collection, and there will be workshops, music and other activities.

The Koninklijk Atheneum secondary school in Anderlecht in Brussels has worked with heritage organisation Leca on a film project about rituals made by youngsters in the capital. They set out on a quest to discover the rituals that bind and strengthen them in their particularly diverse community, and a selection of the films will be shown at an interactive exhibition.

And at the Edouard Remy assisted living centre in Leuven, an exhibition and theatre production will shed light on rituals related to cake. Why do we put candles on birthday cakes? Why do wedding cakes have three layers? How do they bake cake in other parts of the world?

Erfgoeddag offers 700 activities in more than 250 municipalities across the region, free of charge.

An app available from the Faro website helps visitors create a programme for the day. The project is

24 April Across Flanders and Brussels

BITE Grape and grain meet at new festival for lovers of drink When we’re first becoming adults, we’re advised not to mix our drinks, especially not the products of the grape and the grain. There may or may not be a scientific justification for that advice, but it’s sensible to be cautious and always aware of what you’re putting in your stomach.

The organisers of Meug are doubtless cautious people who praise moderation above all else, but they’re asking for fireworks by bringing together beer-lovers, wine-lovers and whisky-lovers in one place for one giant tasting festival.

The event seems to have been inspired back in October when the three organisations held a Lovers’ dinner in Antwerp, prepared by chef Michael Roelandts, with beer, wine and whisky pairings.

Meug (the word means lust or desire) features 14 beer stands, 10 wine merchants and 11 distillers,

with more than 120 types of drink to be tasted.

Highlights include a distillate of the Pannepot beer from De Struise brewers, a bit of a legend among beer lovers that fits somewhere between a strong dark ale and a stout. Essen off-license De Caigny is fielding this rarity, with a selection of barrel-aged beers and fresh IPAs.

MEUG.BE

De Dochter van de Korenaar in Baarle-Hertog specialises in barrel-aged beers, like their Noblesse Extra-Ordinaire Pure-Oak Series matured in new oak, the Peated Oak Aged Embrasse matured in Islay whisky casks, and the Renaissance aged for 18 months in casks of Puligny Montrachet.

Gin, allegedly, is old hat: the Next Big Thing will be vermouth. Whether they mean you’ll be drinking it neat is doubtful. However, it’s a versatile ingredient in all sorts of cocktails, not just the Martini, the Gibson and the Negroni. It’s bitter, and bitter is here to stay. It’s being presented by Vinovatie in a variety of shapes and colours. \ Alan Hope

30 April Zuiderpershuis

Waalsekaai 14, Antwerp

april 20, 2016

Reinventing the wheels Tomorrow’s bikes star in new exhibition at Ghent’s Design Museum Owen Stafford Follow Owen on Twitter \ @OwenStafford

B

ikes are a serious business in Flanders, Europe’s biggest cycling region in Europe after Denmark and the Netherlands. In 2014, the Flemish government spent some €90 million on cycling infrastructure to improve safety and comfort. And the same year, it set up a knowledge centre to work on encouraging people to cycle.

So given the commitment the region has shown to embracing biking, it’s fitting that a Flemish city should host an exhibition extolling the virtues of bikes and examining their future.

Bike to the Future at the Design Museum in Ghent explores developments in cycle design, innovation and technology. It was created in collaboration with the Romebased IMF Foundation to address the question of how bikes and cycling will evolve and be reinvented in the coming years.

The overarching message is that cycling should be given a higher priority as an alternative means of transport, especially in light of rising pollution, global warming and fossil fuel depletion.

Its popularity has been rising around the world in recent years.

DESIGNMUSEUMGENT.BE

“Today, cycling is seen as a solution for health issues,” museum spokesperson Bernadette De Loose says. “It’s sustainable, with low costs and zero emissions, and cities are now being planned with bikes in mind.”

On entering the exhibition, the visitor is immediately struck by its scale: a multitude of accessories, a photography series, a children’s area, a screen showing videos of new hi-tech infrastructure and bike models and prototypes hanging on walls and from the ceiling.

One such prototype is the M.A.S.S Snow electric bike by French designer Philippe Starck, designed using a Bosch electric motor, with large juggernaut tyres and a synthetic fur cover to protect the battery.

It can travel up

to 45 kilometres per hour.

You’ll also see various models of cargo bikes, designed to transport goods within their frames. A particular highlight is an Italian prototype called Kangaroo (pictured), with a pouch that can be loaded and integrated into the bike’s central body. Other eye-catching prototypes include fold-up bikes and models made from wood.

Local companies are well represented, with bikes displayed from Jaegher of West Flanders as well as pro cycling legend Eddy Merckx. Another notable model comes from Flemish designers Tobias Knockaert and Karel Vincke: ElevenTwentySeven, manufactured using laser technology.

Accessories figure prominently, too, especially relating to navigation and safety: Hövding airbag helmets, the iflash One magnetic bike light, and the hammerhead navigation system and aluminium mudguards from West Flanders company Curana.

A contender for the standout exhibit, in the museum’s courtyard, is “Parkcycle Swarm”.

A collaboration between Danish designers N55 and Rebar, it consists of mobile grass platforms, with bikes attached for transportation, and can be installed anywhere in a city.

The platforms merge to create temporary green spaces where people can relax with friends, have a picnic or bask in the sun. “It’s like bringing your garden with you to create an oasis in a busy city centre,” says De Loose.

While design and innovation are the main focus, Bike to the Future also highlights other issues. “We’ve worked to include aspects of community and mobility,” says De Loose.

“Mobility is not just about the bike itself, but also about infrastructure.”

Ghent has been continuously expanding its infrastructure in an effort to increase the city’s bicycle culture, she explains. “Ghent will become the capital of cycling in Flanders and Belgium, so the exhibition has come to the right place.”

The city’s intensive bicycle policy has seen the introduction of projects that include cycle bridges over the E40 motorway and R4 ring road, a 2.5-kilometre bicycle highway alongside the main Ghent-Bruges rail line, and several pedestrianised streets.

The exhibition also provides information on places where cyclists can go to share their passion with other enthusiasts.

“In Ghent we have the Fietskeuken, or Bike Kitchen, where people can meet up, eat and drink and repair their bikes or get help from others,” De Loose explains.

And the show caters for children, too, with school groups welcome. “We’re proposing special programmes for schools,” De Loose explains. “And we have a children’s educational area where they can draw and make decorations for their bikes.”

Until 23 October

© Riccardo Randi, Andrea Sangalli, Edoardo Ferrari

Design Museum Gent Jan Breydelstraat 5, Ghent

50 weekends in Flanders: Fish from the North Sea in Ostend TINYURL.COM/50WEEKENDS

Flanders Today has launched an e-book with ideas for how to spend a year’s worth of weekends. Visit the link above this article to get your free copy of 50 Weekends in Flanders. We’ll also print one of our suggestions every week here, too.

Ostend has some fine fish restaurants where you can eat sole brought to shore just a few hours earlier or shrimps pulled out of the water by horseback fishermen at Oostduinkerke. \ visitoostende.be

VISTRAP The quayside fish market in Ostend is a lively, friendly place where locals go to buy their fish. The stands are often run by local fishermen’s wives who remain cheerful even in a howling gale. Look out for the stand named

table himself. The Ostend sole comes with homemade chips and a pot of mayonnaise.

Nowhere does it cheaper. Or better. Langestraat 119

© Toerisme Oostduinkerke, Westtoer

Lima, run by an old Ostend fishing family.

Visserskaai RENE’S IN DE STAD KORTRIJK René Coolsaet runs a simple fish restaurant named after the Flemish city where his father was born. He cooks the food himself in a tiny basement kitchen and brings it to the

DE MOSSELBEURS Here is one of the best places on the coast to eat mussels. It’s a striking, contemporary restaurant with a black-and-white tiled floor, lamps hung from wooden winches and a spiral staircase leading to a romantic mezzanine. It all feels very shipshape. The diners sit in straight rows at tables covered with starched white cloths. The mussels come in traditional black pots, swimming in a sea of chopped vegetables. \ demosselbeurs.be

CROMWELL This old-style fish restaurant is on Ostend’s

main square. Locals come for the fresh oysters, crisply fried shrimp croquettes and plump Ostend sole. It sometimes feels crowded, but it has an appealing Belgian atmosphere and some very friendly waiters who never let a wine glass stand empty for long. Wapenplein 6 FORT NAPOLEON Take the free ferry across Ostend harbour and follow the signs to Fort Napoleon.

You come to a massive brick fortress built in the dunes by Napoleon and occupied

by German soldiers in the Second World War. The building was brilliantly restored in 2006 by the Ostend architects Govaert & Vanhoutte as a fortress museum – and brasserie. \ Derek Blyth \ fort-napoleon.be

\ 11

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\ ARTS

april 20, 2016

week in arts & CULTURE €110 million for renovations of Brussels museums

Federal home affairs minister Jan Jambon, whose portfolio also includes the government's buildings agency, has approved spending of €110 million for renovations to Brussels’ Royal Museums of Fine Arts and the Museum of Art and History in Jubelpark, he told the federal parliament.

The two institutions have become more and more rundown, with water damage forcing the removal of some of the collections. The buildings agency and the Beliris Fund are to come up with a master plan for the works. A priority is the repair of the Fine Arts Museum’s roof, at a cost of €35 million.

Poison dart frog to combat ants at Botanical Garden

The lady goes pop

Lady Linn is inspired by Twin Peaks on album that leaves jazz behind Christophe Verbiest More articles by Christophe \ flanderstoday.eu

With the release of her fourth album, Flemish big band singer Lady Linn reflects on collaboration, drawing inspiration from TV series and drifting farther and farther away from jazz.

L

ady Linn and Her Magnificent Seven are responsible for one of the most remarkable stories in Flemish music of the past decade. In 2008, their debut swing jazz album, Here We Go Again, was one of the year’s most successful.

The record went on to be certified platinum, and the band played the widest range of festivals possible, from Rock Werchter to Jazz Middelheim.

Eight years later, I’m sitting in Lady Linn’s living room in Laarne, just outside Ghent, surrounded by her many musical instruments. Her new album, Keep It a Secret, comes two years after High. In-between, she wrote the score for Flemish film Café Derby, the directorial debut of her friend Lenny Van Wesemael. And she gave birth to a son, Lionel, two months ago.

While Lionel’s father, bass player Filip Vandebril, takes the little one for a stroll, I congratulate Lady Linn – the stage name of Lien De Greef – on years of hard work. “I’ve been productive, yes,” she answers, “but I never thought of it as hard work. I used to teach, and that felt more like working than making music. Of course, I’ve done my best, but I still believe I can work harder.”

Writing the soundtrack for Café

Derby proved to be a good exercise.

“I had to keep working until the director was satisfied,” she says. “It helped that the director was a good friend of mine. We could communicate very openly. And I liked that for once I did not have to base the music on my own experiences.”

Still, it was a challenge because she’s not used to working for other people. “At the beginning, I was overdoing the vocals,” she says.

“But Lenny was very diplomatic in telling me that was not the idea.”

She’s also resolute when asked if she’d like to write more soundtracks. “Certainly! I’m glad Lenny gave me so much confidence, but I think I can still do better.”

The collaboration altered the way she writes her own music. “Before, I would work on new songs when I felt like it. Now I try to work every day. The process has become more structured – and far more productive.”

Apart from the anticipation of having a baby (reflected in the track “Slowly”) and the experience of love, the new album draws inspiration from films and television series. “I re-watched Twin Peaks while writing the songs,” she says. “I don’t think you can hear it directly, but the series’ dreamy and mysterious atmosphere inspired some of them. The lyrics of ‘Dark’, for instance, are based on actual dreams.”

Fifteen years ago, Lady Linn studied jazz at the Ghent Conservatory. Around that time, she was

LADYLINN.BE

also active in the electronic pop group Bolchi and the hip-hop band Skeemz. “Back in secondary school, I also played in some rock groups,” she says. “One of them was a cover band that played live a lot, giving me the opportunity to get loads of stage experience.”

First, she wanted to study classical piano. “I wasn’t bad, but certainly not good enough,” she admits. “I love playing the piano. I use it to write songs, but if I have to play it in front of an audience, I’m sure as eggs to black out – time and again!

This never happens when I’m singing. Never.”

She started Lady Linn and Her

I realised that this is what I like doing the most, even more than performing. It really peps me up; it makes me happy.”

Starting with the album High, the band’s recordings have been credited only to Lady Linn. She is still performing with Her Magnificent Seven, in concert and in studio, but the choice, she says, reflects a musical change. “With each album, I drifted farther and farther away from jazz.”

Although Keep It a Secret, which releases this week, isn’t devoid of jazz, you can best file it under pop music. She admits that jazz used to be an obsession. Doesn’t she miss

If I have to play the piano in front of an audience, I’m sure as eggs to black out – time and again!

Magnificent Seven towards the end of her studies at the conservatory. “Since I was only playing in pop groups, I was afraid that once I finished school, I wouldn’t get to sing jazz anymore.”

After performing some standards, she started writing her own lyrics.

“I hadn’t done it since I was 16, when I would write rock songs,” she says. “Once I tried it again,

11 May

it?

“I still do low-profile gigs with jazz musicians,” she says. “But you’re right, it’s tempting to play more jazz. I even told the band that I’m thinking about writing a jazz album. So, who knows?”

After a uncharacteristic pause, she adds: “I like to ride the waves of my instinct. I’ll see where I end up next.”

The Botanic Garden Meise has introduced 40 poison dart frogs (Dendrobates truncatus) to tackle a plague of ants that are damaging plants. The frogs measure only 25 to 30 millimetres in length and are nocturnal, thus are likely to go unnoticed by visitors to the gardens just outside of Brussels. The frogs are native to Central and South America; these come from a sustainable breeder in Colombia. The poison dart frog is only poisonous because it eats poisonous insects, and has been traditionally used to poison the tips of arrows of local tribes. However, the frogs will not find such snacks in Meise.

People of Tomorrow first Flemish series on Netflix The documentary series People of Tomorrow is the first Flemish TV programme to be bought by Netflix, the world’s leading online streaming site for film and television. This means that anyone in the world can watch the series at any time they choose. People of Tomorrow, which was first aired on Eén in 2014, pieces together the stories of several young people who attended the Tomorrowland summer dance music festival in Boom.

The series follows them at the festival but also all the way to their homelands to explore what convinces them to make the journey to the other side of the planet to attend Tomorrowland. Earlier, the documentary This was Tomorrow, also about Tomorrowland, was the first Flemish film to ever be offered on Netflix.

Ancienne Belgique

Anspachlaan 110, Brussels

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\ ARTS

The Rotten reborn

Punks, vegans and activists unite to resurrect Ypres rock club Mark Andrews More articles by Mark \ flanderstoday.eu

T

he Vort’n Vis in Ypres is about to retake its rightful place in the frontline of Flanders’ alternative music scene.

Completely demolished in 2014, The Vort’n is being rebuilt over four floors at its town centre location.

Maybe some of the legions of tourists who pass it en route to the Last Post at the Menin Gate will call in to sample the special brew of fringe arts and culture.

Architecturally, the place is being completely remodelled, but spiritually it remains rooted in the DIY ethos, political activism and youthful energy of hardcore punk that originally gave birth to it in 1989.

Volunteers are now working to get the ground floor ready for the first phase of the re-opening later this spring. Meeting the deadline will be a squeeze. There’s a lot still to be done, and The Vort’n’s volunteers are taking care with their materials.

All the wood is recycled, including the stylish mosaic of salvaged pieces nailed to the walls flanking the stage. “Like in hipster coffee bars,” jokes Stijn Vanbrabant, one of the core 15 of the collective.

His colleague Jeroen Vanlerberghe estimates that the whole project will be finished by the beginning of 2018. This will include a multifunction hall, rehearsal space for local groups, accommodation for touring bands, a rooftop vegetable garden, art studios and spaces for meetings, workshops, screenings and exhibitions.

The new Vort’n will also contain Ypres’ first vegan restaurant. The production office on the top floor will have views of the Cloth Hall belfry and the Menin Gate. “It’ll be better than the Ypres Novotel,” Vanlerberghe, 28, says with a laugh.

The Vort’n Vis – the name is dialect for “rotten fish” – began life on the city’s Vismarkt. Even though the location has changed, The Vort’n’s current emblem continues the fishy motif: a swimming (or possibly severed) fish head.

“The name is also West Flemish dialect for ‘scum’,” says Jan Claus, 52, one of The Vort’n’s founders.

“There was nothing here for punks and hardcore fans in the 1980s. We had to go 100 kilometres to the Smurfpunx gigs in Aalst.”

Thanks to The Vort’n, hundreds of punk and hardcore bands have played in Ypres, most famously Green Day in 1991, as well as local legends Congress.

The themes of self-reliance, freedom and independence are essential to The Vort’n, even in its official titles. Its full name is ART – Autonoom Regionaal Trefcentrum, or autonomous regional meeting centre; its youth centre is the RVV – Republyk Vort’n Vis. And it even declared independence from Belgium and Flanders in 1991. On 1 April, naturally.

Even so, 45% of the €450,000 needed for the first phase of the rebuild comes from subsidies from the City of Ypres, the province of West Flanders and the Flemish region. The rest is from The Vort’n’s savings over the past 25 years, proceeds from its annual Ieperfest, a loan, crowdfunding and various benefits organised by sympathisers: bands, NGOs and like-minded venues. The names of contributors will be inscribed on The Vort’n’s walls.

So The Vort’n is now in that sweet spot between the powers-that-be who hold the purse strings and its own distinctly non-mainstream constituency. Its patrons are on the margins musically, politically and in what they choose to eat.

RVV.VORTNVIS.NET

Two years after it was demolished, The Vort’n Vis is ready to rise from the ashes

They are also sometimes drawn from what collective member Bert Acket calls “the fourth world”: those in the First World of the Westhoek, marginalised by income, education, mental health, narcotics or plain bad luck.

engaged music lovers with strong ethical positions. “Ecology, human and animal rights,” is how Acket, 33, summarises the venue’s stance.

Its upcoming iteration will be “a free space to meet and share ideas for a better world through art,

This is the place that has made me think about what I want to do with my life While The Vort’n has gained a reputation among some locals over the years for causing mayhem and degenerate behaviour, its dominant image is of politically

music, workshops and conversation,” he says. The new Vort’n will host an eclectic range of art and music, not just punk and hardcore, while sexist, racist, homo-

phobic and fascist behaviour will not be tolerated.

And under the slogan More Than Music, its Ieperfest invites action groups and NGOs to have a stall.

Acket is especially proud that the event has been named the greenest festival in Flanders four times and is currently one of the town’s green ambassadors.

Vanbrabant, 24, testifies to The Vort’n’s positivity. “This is the place that has made me think about what I want to do with my life,” he says. “In school I didn’t have a clue. I became a vegetarian and learned how to take care of the environment because of this place. The Vort’n is a way of life.”

Claus, the originator of it all, agrees. “This is more than a building; it’s an idea.”

Spanish artist’s empty display cases explore meaning of exhibiting MLEUVEN.BE

Brussels-based Spanish artist Oriol Vilanova has always been intrigued by the ways museums display their collections. In Leuven’s M Museum, his site-specific projects exploring the deeper meaning of exhibiting occupy three rooms, linking different methods museums use.

His meta approach becomes clear when you enter the room housing the installation “Without Distinction”. Some 35 empty display cases, on loan from various museums, libraries and archives in Belgium, ask questions not only about the act of exhibiting but also about the way visitors see and process what’s there. By explicitly showing only

\ 14

© Dirk Pauwels

the empty cases in what he calls “a material choreography”, they are no longer neutral.

It’s an ambiguous situation, because through repetition, including displaying a large

number of empty frames, they become generic. The same is true for “Anything, Everything”, Vilanova’s biggest in situ installation in Leuven. It’s made from more than 2,800 postcards (pictured),

collected through the years at flea markets. The cards depict objects, often from museums, against a coloured background.

Instead of classifying these according to museum standards – like chronologically, geographically or thematically – he focuses on the background colour. So, at a distance, the space appears to be filled with coloured panels, and the objects disappear, swapping roles between background and objects.

Until 5 June

“It seems like a magic trick,” says Vilanova, illustrating why At First Sight is the perfect name for this exhibition.

Above all, curator Valerie Verhack likens the poetry in his installations with “found objects”, brought together by coincidence and the intuition of the moment, rather than by a strict goal. “He can never precisely control the final result,” she says, which makes it an engaging experience for both artist and visitors. \ Tom Peeters

M Museum

Leopold Vanderkelenstraat 28, Leuven

\ AGENDA

april 20, 2016

A migration of melodies

PERFORMANCE

Journey West 26-30 April

Brussels My Walking Is My Dancing: Join the dancers of Rosas and P.A.R.T.S. on a very slow walking/dancing tour through the city centre, turning walking into a mindful and unique experience. 23 April 11.00-16.00, multiple starting points across Brussels

Ghent, Herentals & Asse journeywestmusic.com

W

hen people migrate, their music travels with them. Journey West explores musical cultures as they move westwards from the Middle East through Europe to the United States, through the mass migration of people due to war, oppression or imperialism.

It has happened throughout history – and is just as relevant today. “We track people who are trying to make a better life for themselves,” says musical director Max Buckholtz, “which is especially relevant right now.”

The idea came about when Buckholtz saw a painting by American artist NC Wyatt depicting the history of the settlers in the US in the 1800s.

This reminded him of all the other groups of people who have moved west over the centuries.

He decided to represent this mass migration of the Romany, Greeks, Jews and more through a

multi-instrumental performance.

Journey West's concerts demonstrate the musical and regional differences encountered by musicians on their journeys. Buckholtz describes it as “a visual and audio experience in which we have slides that change as we perform our musical selection. These contain information about the pieces we’re performing and also give a historical perspective”.

Buckholtz plays three different violins during the concert, while bandmate Dara Anissi plays oud and guitar, Mark Wienand the saxophone, flute, clarinet and penny whistle and Chad Lieberman the accordion, acoustic and bass guitar. Then there's Firas Hassan, a Syrian, on the doumbek and daf drums. Hassan used to teach percussion in Damascus before the war broke out and now works in the Popakademie in Mannheim, Germany.

\ mywalking.be

FESTIVAL Antwerp He has provided a traditional Syrian melody and an original composition, which they will perform together for the first time. Also joining this tour is Flemish percussionist Jan Moons.

Journey West donates 5% of proceeds to the United Nations Refugee Agency and the Foundation Baremboim Said, which helps migrants and the disadvantaged. \ Noreen Donovan

CONCERT

FESTIVAL

Birds of Chicago

Brussels International Guitar Festival

23 April, 20.00 This Canadian-American music collective formed in 2012 around Montreal native Allison Russel and Chicagoan JT Nero. Russel, the band’s vocalist and banjo player, had previously built a reputation with the urban-folk fusion group Po’Girl. Now the pair (pictured), together with a floating line-up

N9, Eeklo n9.be

of players, pioneer a blend of folk, pop, soul, roots and blues that they’ve dubbed “rock’n’roll poetry.”

This exclusive Belgian date sees the group performing as a five piece with guitarist Joel Schwartz, bassist Chris Merrill and keyboard player Bart de Win. \ Georgio Valentino

22-26 April BIGuitar Festival celebrates one of the music world’s most popular and versatile instruments. The guitar is a mainstay of folk, popular and art music styles the world over.

This fifth edition also celebrates the 50th anniversary of the guitar programme at the Royal Brussels Conservatory, inaugurated in the

Born in Antwerp: Opening festival for the new longterm project that serves as a spotlight for the city’s numerous professionals in the creative sector, offering workshops, shopping, concerts, exhibitions, performances and readings.

22 April 21.30, Kattendijkdok-Oostkaai 21 \ borninantwerp.be

Théâtre du Vaudeville, Brussels bigfest.be

1960s by visionary Nicolas Alfonso.

The festival features performances by conservatory luminaries and folk heroes alike. Guests hail from as far afield as Argentina, birthplace of the tango. There are also master classes, interviews, exhibitors and the finale of the international competition. \ GV

FOOD&DRINK Alsemberg (Flemish Brabant) Lambic Festival: Second annual celebration of Flanders’ famous spontaneously fermented beer, featuring tours, tastings, folk music, an artisan’s market, horse-drawn carriage rides and more. 20-24 April, De Lambiek visitor centre, Gemeenveldstraat 1 \ delambiek.be

Brussels Frunch: The temporary terrace on the courtyard of the Bip serves as the backdrop for a summery Friday afternoon hangout, with food trucks, local DJs and a bar. 15 April to 15 September on Fridays 12.00-14.30, Bip: House of the Capital Region, Koningsstraat 2-4 \ biponline.be

FAMILY

FOOD&DRINK

Maker Festival

De Nacht van de Grote Dorst

24 April, 09.30 Mechelen’s science centre Technopolis partners with home improvement chain Brico to organise this family-friendly festival devoted to innovation and elbow grease. The kids will be inspired by meeting real-life creators, designers and inventors who share the secrets of their success. They also have the chance to explore the

Technopolis, Mechelen technopolis.be

world of making themselves. There are workshops and demonstrations aplenty, including traditional forms of making stuff – calligraphy, wood- and glasswork, oil painting – and their 21st-century variants like 3D printing, digital embroidery, recycling and do-it-yourself projects. \ GV

22 April, 19.00 The free Night of the Great Thirst was conceived in 2004 to promote Belgium’s other great beer tradition: gueuze. This isn’t fancy Trappist or abbey beer but rather a humble people’s brew originating in the bucolic Pajottenland of Flemish Brabant. Gueuze is based on an unconventional fermentation process, whence

West Flanders Itterbeek Church, Dilbeek grotedorst.be

the regional brew’s distinctive flavour. Many variants, like the cherry-flavoured kriek, incorporate fruits, to both sour and sweeter effect. Local product is of course the star of the festival, but foreign beers brewed according to similar principles are also represented. \ GV

Rondje Roodbruin: Tour of the region known for its Flemish red-brown ales and unique opportunity to visit four brewers and taste their wares, ideally by bicycle or shuttle bus. 24 April 10.0018.00, Breweries De Brabandere, Omer Vander Ghinste, Rodenbach and Verhaeghe \ rondjeroodbruin.be

CONCERT Ghent

get tic

kets n ow

Massive Attack: Exclusive open-air concert by the ground-breaking British group made famous in the 1990s for its mesmerising trip hop, electronica and experimental rock. 28 August 20.00, Sint-Pietersplein \ massiveattack.gent

© Visit Flanders

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\ BACKPAGE

april 20, 2016

Talking Dutch Sorry, we don’t serve smiles

In response to: Antwerp Zoo introduces no-kill policy for surplus animals Christa Christina Witvrouwen: So happy for this, they did the right thing.

Derek Blyth More articles by Derek \ flanderstoday.eu

M

eneer, alstublieft. Excuse me? Hello? We’ve all been there. You’re sitting on a terrace at the Belgian coast trying to order a beer, and the server stubbornly refuses to notice you. And then he serves a group that arrived 15 minutes after you.

Maddening, is it not?

Het is een oud zeer – it’s an old complaint, wrote De Morgen recently, dat toeristen die op de dijk van een zonnig terras willen genieten – that tourists who want to enjoy a sunny terrace on the promenade, er de onbeleefdheid maar moeten bijnemen – have to accept that it comes with a side order of rudeness.

Raf Sonneville, former head of the Hotel School in Koksijde, thinks the coast could do better. Niet alleen over de eenheidsworst op élke kaart – it’s not just the monotonous food on every menu, tong, garnaalkroketten, mosselen en vol-au-vent – sole, shrimp croquettes, mussels and vol-au-vent, maar ook over het onvriendelijke onthaal wond Sonneville zich op – it’s also the unfriendly service that winds Sonneville up.

Obers die nieuwe klanten eerst vijf keer voorbijlopen zonder te groeten – waiters who walk past customers five times without a word of welcome, een kortaf onthaal aan de telefoon – an abrupt telephone manner, en plat ‘Westvloams’ als voertaal voor elke tourist – and a thick West Flemish accent as the basic language for every tourist.

But someone has decided to do something about it.

West Flanders’ tourist board, Westtoer, has come up with Share a Smile. Onze actie heeft tot doel om de vriendelijkheid wat op te krikken – Our campaign is aimed at boosting friendliness, says smiling project manager Liesbet Billiet.

VoiceS of flanders today

In response to: UAntwerp 11th best of world’s youngest universities Rose Mutumba: I’m proud to have studied my masters from the same university

© Ingimage

They’ve recruited a Flemish actor and comedian to get waitstaff to put on a happy face. Christophe Stienlet wordt de komende weken pleitbezorger van wat meer klantvriendelijkheid bij de kusthoreca – Christophe Stienlet has become the poster boy for a friendlier hospitality sector at the coast. Met goede wil kan je veel bereiken – you can achieve a lot with the right attitude, he said.

It’s not all the staff ’s fault, he points out. In de zomer is het aan de kust enorm druk – it’s enormously busy in the summer at the coast, Stienlet said, en dan is het niet gemakkelijk om het hoofd boven water te houden – and then it’s not easy to keep their heads above water.

Maar ook dan kan je – But even then you can, door een glimlach of een attent woordje – with a smile or a friendly word, er toch voor zorgen dat een klant met een goed gevoel weer naar huis gaat – make sure a customer goes home feeling happy.

De belangrijkste tip die ik kan geven – the most important tip I can give, Stienlet says, is blijf glimlachen – is to keep smiling. It’s a tip we could all use.

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In response to: Punks, vegans and activists unite to resurrect Ypres rock club vort’n vis: With your Help we’re making the World a better Place

Ineke Daans @inekedaans Breakfast meeting in the Antwerp sun. Lovely start to the new week. You all have a great day.

Anne Cooke @AnneCooke14 Sounds great. Next time visit Ghent too. Lovely and a little eccentric.

Post Halfway There @CocoWonka Take me back to Leuven and make me forget about my boring life.

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the last word Water filter “Learning to defend ourselves is exactly why we take part in this sport. I’ve never felt threatened for a second. In fact, some boys are afraid of us.”

Janne Laton, water polo captain, after the Belgian Swimming Union put a stop to girls training with boys “for their own protection”

© Belga/Eric Lalmand

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