The Word Magazine

Its all in the name: Hunting and Collecting

Renasha Khan — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:08:55 +0000

With autumn comes the new season’s arrivals at Brussels’ most talked about concept store, Hunting and Collecting. As the name suggests this is about sourcing the very best of fashion, design and art around, and is a labour of love for owners Neils Radtke and Aude Gribomont. Joining their collective experiences of not only the fashion industry but also fields spanning events planning, visual arts and stage direction, they have succeeded in presenting downtown Brussels with an innovative and creative retail experience. More than a mere expansive store, this huge space also encompasses an exhibition area on the lower ground floor, which is soon to show the works of Korean artist Kwangho Lee (who we interviewed in our Rough edges edition.)

Hunting and Collecting: book corner

What’s impressive about Hunting and Collecting is the careful selection of brands and products defined by distinctive identity, edge and quality. What can be seen as a part of the contemporary zeitgeist acutely focused on independent craftsmanship and artistry, the chosen collections are meticulous representations of Aude and Neils’ aesthetics and are proving popular with not only the fashion-conscious of Brussels but also a wider online audience and international clientele. Largely enabled by the online shop, which has been running successfully since May, a few short months after the store opened in February of this year.

Hunting and Collecting: changing cabin

Hunting and Collecting: garlands

This season see’s the boutique decorated in an ‘Alpine’ scheme, eschewing cliché with its amusing and whimsical arrangement of wooden furniture, ski-gear, furs and even trees. Amongst this one can find womenswear gems from designers like Mouton Collet, Rag & Bone and personal favourite Stine Goya while the men’s range boasts Alexander Olch, White Mountaineering and Our Legacy to name a few. Check out an exciting new collection Silent by Damir Doma as well as jewellery by Arielle de Pinto and the much-lauded Pamela Love. An eclectic portfolio of designers and brands are continually rotated to create a captivating and unique retail space which extends to a heady mix of books, magazines and even technology in the form of AIAIAI’s very slick TMA1 headphones .

Hunting and Collecting: the store

Upcoming exhibitions, events and note-worthy collaborations include the fore-mentioned Kwangho Lee exhibition Lifelike Design running from 10th September- 30th September as well as the launch of the Le Mont St Michel menswear range designed with Das Pop frontman Bent Van Looy, which is being celebrated with a party and catwalk on 15th September.

Hunting and Collecting

Rue des Chartreux 17 Kartuizerstraat

1000 Brussels

+32 2 512 74 77

huntingandcollecting.com

The writing’s on the (toilet) wall

Randa Wazen — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 08:53:04 +0000

With our Rough Edges issue hitting the streets this week, we thought we’d accompany what is, in our opinion, our loveliest issue to date with a gritty series on some of Brussels most recognisable toilets and their art-school doodles, drunken graffiti, neighbourhood gossip, worrying personal ads and misspelt existential musings.

Photography Jochem Thyssen

Zebra Bar, Place Saint-Géry 33 Sint-Goriksplein 1000 Brussels

Café Kafka, Rue De La Vierge Noire 6 Zwarte Lievevrouwstraat 1000 Brussels

A L'Imaige De Nostre-Dame, Impasse des Cadeaux 3 Geschenkengang 1000 Brussels

A L'Imaige De Nostre-Dame

Gecko Bar, Place Saint-Géry 16 Sint-Goriksplein 1000 Brussels

Au Soleil, Rue du Marché au Charbon 86 Kolenmarkt 1000 Brussels

Au Soleil

Le Pantin, Chaussée d'Ixelles 355 Elsense Steenweg, 1050 Brussels

Le Pantin

Free University of Brussels (ULB), Avenue Franklin Rooseveltlaan 50 1050 Brussels

Free University of Brussels (ULB)

Scanning Arequipa

Randa Wazen — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:27:08 +0000

With only three days to go until our Rough Edges Issue comes out, we thought it fitting to run with a series that’s been tantalising our rough-sides so much we actually featured it in September’s edition at the last minute. Yves Decamps’ Scanning Arequipa series documents his four-year stay in Peru, where he settled with his wife and children. Allowing everyday experiences to guide his lens, he focused on the small and wonderful, the riveting result providing a beautiful testimony to the region’s quirks, heavy catholic heritage, omnipresent landscape imagery, and extreme security measures.

Photography Yves Decamps

The series’ last image will also be making a brief cameo in our September edition, out this Friday. Distribution points and subscription info available from here.

Antwerp’s thorn

Randa Wazen — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 07:38:23 +0000

Belgium has a number of reputable festivals all year-round but if you’re looking for a low-key urban initiative, Deurne is now to be added to your summer ‘to-do list’: this municipality of Antwerp premiered a “route of art” and festivities between Wednesday 18th and Sunday 22nd August. Named Deurnroosje after the Sleeping Beauty tale (i.e. Doornroosje in Dutch, which literally translates into the ‘the rose with thorns’), it was organised to demonstrate that this overlooked area also has something to offer. And it proved fairly successful.

Words and photography Vincent Duraud

The idea behind the event burgeoned in the mind of Joke Termonia, who owns a furniture shop and a café in the area. She wanted her part of town to finally step out of Antwerp’s shadow and attract positive public attention to an area usually associated with run-down buildings and lower living standards. Local businesses were closely associated to the event, as a mixture of music performances and artworks were sprinkled around the neighbourhood and mostly on the main street Turnhoutsebaan. This section of the city has become more and more desolate, yet its decline also comes with a very particular history, which has given the little side streets much charm. In what the official program calls “shelter art”, one could spot paintings and sculptures in such random places as DIY stores or electric equipment secondhand shops. The concept encouraged a dynamic relationship with the passerby who could enjoy the thrill of finding the artworks in the middle of old rusty tools or washing machines. The main galleries of the area were also active, such as the Djikstra Gallery, hosting a big opening on the first night.

The gallery manager, André Adriaanse, was the curator for an outdoors art “viewpoint” of the festival as well: he installed seven small containers whose metallic colours and cubic shapes perfectly suited the nearby local cultural centre’s 60s building. “The idea for the festival was there for about a year,” he explains, “but it was only a week before the official start that I was asked by Joke to help.” So he borrowed the containers from the Verbeke Foundation located in rural Flanders, and asked local artists to fill them in. Some of them chose to reflect on the concept of place, whether through photography, sculptures or installations, with model containers or rusty cylinders for example.

The heart of the festival lies in the Salle Jeanne Simons, a bar attached to the Pluym furniture store. There, one will find a young crowd chatting next to older patrons in what could be a romantic movie decor. Anther space Joke Termonia recently acquired was also used for “sleeping room art”, whilst in the back a small warehouse improvised as a concert place saw a string of performances, from modern jazz gigs to poetry reading entitled “the creation of the earth for dummies”. The bohemian atmosphere inherent to the place will enchant the visitor and “help bring attention to Deurne in a more positive way”, according to Joke. “This place is so free, open. Anything goes here”, adds André – who’s casually smoking up in the quiet background garden. Although he readily admits that more organisation efforts, especially regarding publicity, will be necessary next year for the festival to attract more people, he remains optimistic about the future of Deurne.

The throw away project: Jimmy Edgar

Ulrike Biets — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 07:36:41 +0000

When we met Jimmy Edgar at Dour festival, he was holding a bottle of whiskey in one hand and his buddy Otto von Shirach with the other. We asked him to let go of Otto and take our disposable camera instead. Which he did. The first single of Jimmy’s new album ‘XXX’ is called Hot Raw Sex and by the looks of the pics he shot for us, the man is for real.

Photography and captions Jimmy Edgar

"Should I put on some lipstick before we do this?"

"Stay like this while I show you my 'intensions'"

"Re: 'look what I did to you', perfection too bad it's not permanent"

"Despite falling out of bed head wounds, cigarette burns and chest xrays we are actually quite normal bloodsuckers"

"When the flash is too bright black nails licking bleeding lips"

"Re: 'can I wear your shirt?' yes, can I wear your everything?"

"Don't scare me like that, xoxo"

"From this angle is how I will steal your heart"

"And this is how I will steal yours"

"I have a cardboard play house in Berlin, and this weekend I don't give a fuck about being in complete disarray"

The throw away project: The Black Box Revelation

Randa Wazen — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:20:48 +0000

When we caught up with Jan and Dries of two-man band The Black Box Revelation at Les Ardentes, they were in the midst of their summer festival marathon. The boys were happy to capture their gypsy lifestyle with a disposable camera and got so carried away that when we ran into them a few hours later, they had already gotten through the entire film. We gave them a second one, and both cameras just arrived in our mailbox this week, along with a handwritten note. Here’s the result of their recent adventures throughout Belgium, Germany, France and the Netherlands, clearly demonstrating that life on the road is not half as glamorous as one could imagine, but it sure looks like fun times.

The (bloody) backstage at Lokerse Feesten

Randa Wazen — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 07:54:04 +0000

If you’re familiar with The Word, you probably know by now we’re not too keen on reporting facts the conventional way. When we decided to cover the season’s festivals, we intended on doing it with somewhat of a twist. Front-stage pictures taken during the first three songs of a set – from the exact same angle, with the exact same lighting, resulting in every single photographer having the exact same pictures – , quickie concert reviews and seven-minute interviews weren’t exactly on our agenda. Instead, we attempted to feature a different side of these mass gatherings with backstage anecdotes, informal portraits, and getting a direct glimpse into the artists’ perception of a summer on the road by handing them disposable cameras. It seemed like a good idea.

Sadly, the folks at the Lokerse Feesten didn’t seem to grasp the concept. Despite carrying a valid photo-pass, our photographer – who shoots on film – was not allowed at the front-stage because the camera was “not big enough”. No, really. The security team made a life mission of preventing any spontaneous contact between artists and mere mortals, including members of press, and quickly got onto our case. We’re not going to bore you with trivial details, but it ended with us being declared persona non grata and being subsequently evicted from the site in a completely unnecessary hostile fashion. Our photographer’s right hand was stabbed along the way by what was no more than a glorified steward posing as a security agent, visibly affected by the kind of self-importance that reminds us of a certain experiment. Her hand required surgery and will be paralyzed for at least two weeks. Now you tell us Robbie, was that really necessary?

Photography Ulrike Biets

Here’s some of the material we were able to get despite our limited access. It would be a shame not to share something that (questionably) deserved shedding blood for.

After a hilarious two-hour show where he was beheaded, hung, stabbed by a sword, skewered in a nail-filled coffin, impaled by a giant syringe, rolled around in a wheel chair and beaten up, Alice Cooper was in high spirits and even smelled surprisingly good.

Hygiene is obviously not something his camp take lightly and even the truck and tour bus crew had their own private toilets.

We caught Air’s Jean-Benoît Dunckel after their gig and gave him a camera. He digged the idea and promised to send it back with their tour adventures.

M.I.A.’s current tour features three “vocalists” dressed in customized burqas that stand and dance on stage during the entire gig. They’re actually random girls that are picked up in every city. Their mics are on mute and the headgear conveniently conceals the fact that they do not know the lyrics.

For her Belgian stop, the singer asked lingerie designer Muriel Scherre from La Fille d’O (pictured right) to hook her up with three models. It’s a shame they were covered from head to toe since the girls were obviously banging hot and so was the underwear.

Remember him? He was one of the redheads featured in the controversial Born Free video, directed by Romain Gavras. It turns out White Boy, as he is nicknamed, is also a dancer and has the sickest moves we’ve seen in a while.

M.I.A. invited all the ladies in the crowd to join her but (surprise, surprise) the security team did everything they possibly could to prevent the stage invasion from happening. Annoyed, the singer refused to perform the next song until she was sufficiently surrounded.

Some lucky girls made it, one of which Natalie (in the white t-shirt), who posed as a rock star in our current issue’s fictitious breakthrough band.

Why even bother printing out a set list if you’re going to ignore it anyway? “She’s always fucking it up completely”, moaned a confused White Boy, who never quite knew when it was his cue to jump in and show off his moves.

Paul Weller is dubbed the “Modfather”. We’ll simply refer to him as the “Silver Fox”.

The Horrors‘ frontman Faris left the festival with one of our disposables. We’re hoping to get it back if he makes it at Kurt + Kelly’s Dark Decades exhibition, opening later this month and which will feature some of his drawings.

Pete Doherty vs. the Throw Away Project: Round II. We managed to catch him before the Babyshambles gig and asked him about our camera. He actually remembered the story. We gave him a new one and he promised he’d send it back. Given he also looked pretty loaded this time, we won’t be holding our breath.

The one thing that didn’t suck about this festival was the free of charge Baywatch pinball machine.

Here’s one of the charming goons we had the privilege of encountering. We’ll see who gets the last laugh…

Inside the Glorybox

Renasha Khan — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 09:00:24 +0000

Glorybox Store

Newly opened and already making its presence felt on the fashion thoroughfare of Dansaert, Glorybox is a bastion of Belgian and French design. Stocking new designers solely from Belgium and France is a primary and appealing feature of the boutique, distinguishing it from other shops in the area. Another somewhat atypical quality is the friendly, inviting and genuinely fashion loving atmosphere of the boutique. Sophie Novali, founder, is emphatic about this point, dismissing hoity attitudes held by so many in her industry; ‘It’s just clothes after all’. Saying that, Novali is definitely serious about her threads. Originally an advertising aficionado, Novali transformed her love of fashion and understanding of the industry from her Ad days into what is now GLORYBOX Communications & events Agency and Glorybox the boutique.

Glorybox Store

Offering wares from designers such as Jessie Lecomte, Orlane Herbin, A Wolf at my Door, Leslie Ferre, Bruno da Silva and Filles à Papa, it’s an eclectic range of clothing all brought together by an ethos of quality, innovation and most importantly, wearability. Being the first point of sale for many of these new designers, stocking at times entire collections and including items from past collections makes Glorybox somewhat unconventional in its style, looking away from conceptual high fashion and driven purely by the pursuit of classical elegance with quirky design that can be worn season after season.

Glorybox isn’t all clothes though; there is wealth of great jewellery and accessories. I found myself rather transfixed with the delicate, feminine and beautifully crafted rings and necklaces of Christelle Larose from Lille, France. Deft and understated with rose gold, semi-precious stones and minute filigree the collection is contrasted with Lena Klax’s self touted ‘Excessive accessories’ from the ‘Step Up’ collection (pictured above). Characterised with chunky gold chains and oversized heads of lions, polar bears or their paws this is a distinctive and brazen range. there’s also are a few great bags and purses, most memorable of which are a metallic leather clutch by Filles a Papa and a new arrival from new designer David Giampiccolo in the form of punk-inspired peep-toe ankle boots (pictured below).

David Giampiccolo

Defined by the concept of L’allure de Glorybox, the store looks to create a universe focused on making the shopper feel really good- something its founder feels is the real crux of fashion. A shopping destination for all those in love with charming design, friendly atmosphere and feeling fabulous, Glorybox is indeed beyond your fashion expectations.

GLORYBOX
Rue Leon Lepage 10 Leon Lepage Straat
1000 Brussels
+32 (0) 2 511 04 88
www.theglorybox.com

Naked and bare

Devrim Bayar — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 14:28:16 +0000

Cultural life in Brussels might shift into lower gear during the summer but contrary to popular belief, it does not die and disappear into a vortex of oblivion. Amongst the recommendable activities available to those whom, by choice or by necessity, will spend the better days of the summer in the city, the opening of a new contemporary art gallery has obviously caught our attention.

Marc Strijbos, the gallery owner, and Jodie Hruby, the artistic director, didn’t wait for the end of the holiday season to inaugurate this new space located downtown, on the ground floor of a new building rue Vieux Marché aux Grains/Oude Graanmarkt. Unlike most gallery owners, who tend to christen their ventures after their own names, they baptized the space “Naked State,” in reference to the simplest and truest condition of art they want to promote.

For the inaugural exhibition, entitled “Terminal Beauty,” Jodie presents her selection of emerging artists she spotted at the Master graduation jury in the art schools La Cambre (Brussels), Sint Lukas (Brussels) and Hisk (Ghent). The proposal is of course generous – offering a real visibility and a professional context to artists coming out of schools – but it is furthermore successful. Gathering the works of artists, who at first glance don’t share much except for their young age, is indeed a delicate exercise. Jodie readily avoided falling into the trap of the “store display” layout. Instead, she even blocked her own window by a large repetitive structure of Kevin Aerts. Visitors should therefore cross the entrance to see the show…

Sophie Giraux, L'espace d'une année en une minute; video projection; 4'00" loop, 2010, edition of 3

Maxime Crombez, Structure (framed), 2010

Inside, videos, paintings, drawings and installations are gathered. If no statement or even artist name is given (”the naked state”), Jodie, who works in the space, will happily provide you with any requested information and, by the same occasion, share her enthusiasm for the works exhibited. She may, for instance, explain that a video projection of the numbers 1 to 31 succeeding at a rapid rate is based on a precise calculation (1 year equals 1 minute) and that this unbridled race of numbers reminds us of the transience of time. She may also direct your attention to a small slide projection showing a simple list of words (such as “rain,” “room”…), and tell you they correspond to the tools of the artist’s grandparents, a couple of professional magicians, needed for their performances. Seemingly trivial words loaded with enchanting powers…

Overall, a sense of fragility dominates, which goes along the exhibition context (a new gallery dedicated to emerging artistic languages). The accuracy of the selection, coupled with Jodie’s generous and optimistic attitude can only be a good omen. A gallery to see and to follow!

Sarah Majerus, Untitled; oil on canvas; 130cm x100cm, 2010

Jodie Hruby

Rue du Vieux Marché aux Grains 57 Oude Graanmarkt
1000 Brussels
+ 32 (0) 2 512 13 11
www.nakedstategallery.com

Looking for a portrait photographer with a twist

Nicholas Lewis — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 10:06:58 +0000

We’ll be throwing a prom-influenced party in September, to mark the begining of the school year (and give us a good reason to bring out our dust-covered tuxedos and cheesy pick-up lines). As such, we’re looking for a portrait photographer we could work with to create a yearbook, along the same lines as the photographs you see below. If you think you can pull off what will surely be an ambitious and head-twisting project, drop us a mail at n.lewis@thewordmagazine.be. We’re looking to get the ball rolling on this by end of August at the latest.