Volume 04 — Issue 03
Neighbourhood Life + Global Style
Neighbourhood Going bananas Life Cracking up Style Heaven on earth Music Golden boy Culture Is tropical + The Photography Special
The yellow album 4 The editor's letter
Publisher and editor-in-chief At the time of writing this, hype-heroes-of-the-moment Odd Future Nicholas Lewis (full name Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All) had apparently just ripped Brussels apart, setting the city’s La Chocolaterie venue Editor (an offshoot of VK) alight with its rough, rugged and raw rap, more Randa Wazen inclined to make you head-bang than head-nod. Led by oddball-in- chief Tyler, The Creator, the collective of rappers, producers, visual Designers artists and skaters from Inglewood, Los Angeles, had slowly been facetofacedesign climbing the hype charts over the last few months in what now seems + pleaseletmedesign like an all too familiar path to indie supremacy: rave reviews on Pitchfork, the set everyone talks about at SXSW and an appearance on Writers Late Night with Jimmy Fallon racking up the YouTube hits. Rozan Jongstra Rose Kelleher Something about the pack of skaters’ phenomenal rise really irked Nicholas Lewis me though. It wasn’t their output and talent, as both those were Jack Moyersoen unquestionable (the gang’s average age is 19 and they already have Philippe Pourhashemi over 12 full length-LPs to their name, all available as free downloads Sam Steverlynck on oddfuture.com). Rather, it was the industry-created hype that Robbert van Jaarsveld grated. Everyone from Benz Gomori (Data Transmission) to Ross Randa Wazen Allen (The Meltdown) was heavy-rotating Tyler’s Yonkers. Magazine covers (NME) started appearing with his cheeky grin blown up across Photographers/Illustrators them. And blogs were abuzz, literally. I knew it was only a question Ulrike Biets of time before we received a press release describing the band as "the Tine Claerhout next big thing" (true to form, the VK’s press release arrived a day later. Pierre de Belgique The term it used was "sensation"). Hype. It’s become so staged, so Joke De Wilde calculated and so immediate. Sarah Eechaut Veerle Frissen And that’s exactly the kind of hype we tried to distance ourselves Merel ‘t Hart from for this yellow album. Hype is good. Hype is a necessary evil. Melika Ngombe Heck, hype sells. But hype also ends careers too soon (Die Antwoord, Murielle Scherre anyone?). We tend to go for talent that we know aren’t one-hit-wonders, Yassin Serghini artists we pretty much are sure we’ll hear more of in the future. Truth Virassamy is, we might even go for bands that disappear or self-implode before the release of their first album, but whose music we still very much feel Intern passionate about (Stavin’ Chains springs to mind here). Kathy Boros (communication) Joke De Wilde (photography) Some of these you’ll find in our recently expanded Style section (Heaven Tanudirejda), some appear in our Music briefing (Ping Pong For subscriptions (5 issues) Tactics and Jealov), some get a little shine in our Photography Special Transfer € 21 (Belgium), (Arnaud Uyttenhove and Laure Flammarion) whilst others turn the € 30 (Europe) or € 45 (World) temperature up a notch in our Culture pages (photographer Tine to account n° 363-0257432-34 Claerhout). We’re not saying they’re "the next big thing", or that they’re IBAN BE 68 3630 2574 3234 likely to become household names just yet. We’re just saying we love BIC BBRUBEBB stating your full what they do and they deserve a mention, a page, a feature. name, email and postal addresses in the communication box. Nicholas Lewis
Visit us thewordmagazine.be Like us facebook.com/ TheWordMagazine Follow us @TheWordMgz Download us thewordmagazine.be/ipad
The Word is published five times a year by JamPublishing, 107 Rue Général Henry Straat 1040 Brussels Belgium. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without prior permission is strictly prohibited. All information correct up to the time of going to press. The publish- What did you expect ? ers cannot be held liable for any changes in On this cover this respect after this date. © Joke De Wilde Yellow man U T
CAD_02_0051_Insertion_The word_V2.indd 1 04/05/11 12:50 What did you expect ? U T
CAD_02_0051_Insertion_The word_V2.indd 1 04/05/11 12:50 6 The contents
Neighbourhood STyLe The PhoTograPhy SPeciaL
21 40 65
Sixty years old and still smiling Stairway to Heaven Into the wild
22 48 68 Shave your style. Open door policy Here comes the hotstepper Polaroid perfect pages
Life MuSic cuLTure “Circle, Spiral, Line – Spin the world!” Ronnie Abaldonado, 27, B-Boy 32 56 82
The grandaddy of clubbing Found: Teenage riot Tropical waves
34 58 86
Teenage giggles It takes a lot of beans to make a Chilly My trophy weighs a ton
38 62 90
The house of yellow Adam Goldberg Goodmorning sunshine Watch exclusive video footage of Ronnie and fi nd out how to shave, style & trim your statement of style with cruZer on braun.com cruZer
BR-2976-1101-cruZerFace-Ronnie_v2.indd 1 28.04.11 17:49 Shave your style. “Circle, Spiral, Line – Spin the world!” Ronnie Abaldonado, 27, B-Boy
Watch exclusive video footage of Ronnie and fi nd out how to shave, style & trim your statement of style with cruZer on braun.com cruZer
BR-2976-1101-cruZerFace-Ronnie_v2.indd 1 28.04.11 17:49 8 The contributors
It’s a Word’s world
Laurent Dombrowicz Pierre de Belgique Sam Steverlynck Kathy Boros stylist graphic designer writer communications intern
COFFEE CAN BE FUN
Pages Pages Pages 48 — 55 30 28, 65
About About About About Born in Belgium, Laurent spent Pierre Rousteau (aka Pierre de Brussels-based art critic Following communications and the earlier parts of his career Belgique) is a young graphic Sam Steverlynck is a writer PR studies at Brussels’ IHECS, as fashion director for Belgian designer who gets a kick out who contributes to various where she penned a year-end magazine Weekend L’Express, of researching mediums and publications such as
laurentdombrowicz.com
COFFEE IS NOT WWW.DOLCE-GUSTO.BE JUST BLACK
S33012055 Annonce Coffee Fun Dolce Gusto Mai.indd 1 6/05/11 16:57 COFFEE CAN BE FUN
COFFEE IS NOT WWW.DOLCE-GUSTO.BE JUST BLACK
S33012055 Annonce Coffee Fun Dolce Gusto Mai.indd 1 6/05/11 16:57 10 The yellow board Exhibitions Arts Music Shows Parties
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01. With a tagline that reads “Intimately documenting music”, ‘SUP Magazine has pretty much become our favourite publication ever since it was first introduced to us by Emmanuel from fashion boutique Mapp two years back. / 02. The Velvet Underground & Nico LP, or how a simple banana became one of the most iconic album artworks ever. Having Andy Warhol as a manager probably helped. / 03. Make sure you memorise these as, seeing the way things are going, they might not be around for much longer. / 04. The split 7-inch released by Dutch garage band Believo! and current musical crush Ping Pong Tactics (read about them on page 66) / 05. The key to Word HQ. / 06. Picking Yellow Label Tea would have made more sense, although it really is Twinnings' blend which fuels our day. / 07. A tin of LaJaunie’s liquorice drops. The tin's design has remained untouched ever since its creation by a watchmaker in 1880. / 08. Mais il est où le soleil ?’s Spring Summer 2011 catalogue, shot by Alex Salinas (who had also shot our snow white fashion story back in March 2009). Our love for fashion, photography and graphic design all-in-one. / 09. Nothing beats a ready-to-go, instant cup of coffee. We hear the one Dolce Gusto’s coffeemaker makes is pretty much second to none. / 10. The original lemon-flavoured Bonbon Napoleon, created in 1912 by Louis Janssen. / All photography Yassin Serghini. Neighbourhood 11
Belgium ( 01 10 )
01. urban decay 03. raw power 01. To say that Jeff Wall has profoundly influ- Although Bruno Bisang is renowned for enced the art of the last three decades would his perfectly smooth, flawless and sexy ad be an understatement. By incorporating his campaigns and editorials, his latest exhibition love for classical painters in his photography, at the Young Gallery sees him pick a medium he redefined the paradigms of the medium. A far closer to his heart: Polaroids. Compiling carefully picked selection, The Crooked Path the best of his numerous series such as will showcase an extensive selection of his Portraits, Glamour, Fashion, Celebrities, prints alongside works by other artists such Backstage and, of course, Nudes, all the
as Marcel Duchamp, Diane Arbus, Robert snapshots are natural, raw and uncut. The © JeffWall Frank, Helen Levitt, Frank Stella, Bruce Swiss photographer’s shots always give the 02. Nauman and Dan Graham, establishing a impression of a private, intimate moment, dialogue between his own creative process creating believable instants that ring true, or and the very influences it draws upon. Various in his words: “images of a moment in time that themes such as minimalism, historical photog- are magical”. raphy, conceptual and post-conceptual pho- tography as well as literature will be evoked Bruno Bisang: Polaworld throughout this major exhibition displaying Until 20th July about 130 works of art. Young Gallery, Brussels younggalleryphoto.com Jeff Wall: The Crooked Path From 27th May to 11th September Bozar, Brussels 04. Teen spirit bozar.be Continuously shaping a radical vision of a certain womanhood, Charlotte Beaudry’s paintings and drawings feature androgynous * teenage models detached from their context, LaST dayS evolving in a loosely pictorial space. The To See works of the Brussels-based artist are always
figurative, but never realistic. With the fierce- Powell,© Tom Courtesy of the artist and Hauser & Wirth Seydou Keïta ness of a punk slogan, Get Drunk will feature 03. @ Fifty one Fine art Photography a collection of drawings, paintings as well (antwerp), until 11th June – Recognised by as a series of works stemming from various many as the father of african photogra- approaches linked to her work. Constructed phy, the late Seydou Keïta captured the around a sensory expression of femininity colourful social life of his native Bamako and squeezed between the turmoil of adoles- through exquisite portraits shot between cence and the doubts of adulthood, her work 1948 and 1977. perfectly captures the ambiguous smell of gallery51.com teen spirit.
Charlotte Beaudry: Get drunk 02. The shock doctrine From 28th May to 14th August The godfather of grotesque and parody Wiels, Brussels master has been ripping American pop culture wiels.org to bits for the past four decades with his inimi- tably provocative style, chaotic aesthetic and transgressive humour. For this first solo show * of his in Brussels, Charles Riva Collection LaST dayS presents a selection of video, photographic and To See
sculptural works from 1993 to 2009. Highlights © Bruno Bisang include the Heidi video (created with fellow gavin Turk 04. American Mike Kelley), 79 photographs from @ aeroplastics (Brussels), until 11th his Pirate Party series, as well as the sculp- June – Britain’s enfant terrible is back tures Captain Dick Head and Silver Santa, an at aeroplastics, this time articulating iconic silver garden gnome proudly brandish- his latest show around the theme of “a ing what appears to be, well, a giant buttplug. meaningless worthless gesture”. Sticking Definitely not for the faint-hearted. with his tongue-in-cheek trademark style, the artist shows new paintings, Paul McCarthy: Selected Works videos and installations, as well as a Until 2nd October creepy puppet show. Charles Riva Collection, Brussels aeroplastics.net
charlesrivacollection.com © Charlotte Beaudry 12 The diary
05. 05. big, bright and bold 07. Silkscreened bliss Carroll Dunham’s crude paintings come Les Tontons Racleurs set up shop in the across as the works of a six years old who’s Recyclart art centre for six months during stumbled upon his older brother’s porn col- which their mission is to share their love for lection, although closer inspection reveals silk-screening, initiating the public to this masterpieces that engage the growing tensions timeless printing technique. The Brussels- that underlie the act of painting and its artistic based collective is composed of Nicolas as well as historical legacy. At first influenced by Belayew, Maud Dallemagne and Pierre- Post-Minimalism, process and conceptual art, Philippe Duchâtelet, all graduates of Brussels’ the New York based artist was soon attracted to Erg art school. Their residency features a new the tactility and allusions to the body. Pushing exhibition each month, - as well as concerts, colour, form and line to build compositional silkscreen workshops and collaborations with pressures, Dunham skillfully moves over the various artists such as Olivier Bhérer-Vidal,
© Gladstone Gallery ever-closing gap between abstraction and repre- illustrator Félicie Haymoz and designer Benoît 06. sentation. For this show, The Gladstone Gallery Deneufbourg - and will also be part of the presents five new paintings in which beauty and Design September circuit. brutality collide, with a comic twist enhanced by vivid colours and the suggestion of contem- Les Tontons Racleurs porary psychedelia. Until 30th September Recyclart, Brussels Carroll dunham recyclart.be Until 18th June Gladstone Gallery, Brussels gladstonegallery.com * The PaRTy
© Satoru Toma To Go To 07. 06. fringe operator Satoru Toma left his native Japan when opus he was 25 to move to France, before settling @ Midi Station (Brussels), on 4th June down in Brussels in 2005. Fascinated by – With performances (Voin de Voin), the city’s light, he spent years exploring the interactive arts (Citizen Clem and capital’s outskirts, often hopping on a tram or Romain Poirier) and dance acts (Chateau bus and riding through unknown areas until Flight, Lady Jane and Kid Strike to name the final stop. Dragging a large format camera but a few), opus promises to inject a on his shoulder, he patiently wanders the city’s little humph into the oft-forgotten Midi outter limits without any specific destina- Station. tion or purpose, capturing posh residential opus-brussels.com neighbourhoods, industrial sites, villages, rural landscapes and forests. All these places, with no apparent link, are found side by side on the
© Les Tontons Racleurs borders of the city and constitute the beautiful 08. heavenly creatures 08. and at times puzzling sights of his latest series, Sarah Moon’s dreamlike, dark and myste- which will be displayed at the sumptuous rious creations capture the many facets of the Contretype gallery. feminine mystique. Rising to fame in the 70s with her iconic Cacharel campaigns, Moon Satoru Toma: on The Borders blurs the lines between reality and fiction in From 8th June to 4th September her delicately crafted scenes, where themes of Contretype, Brussels childhood and memory persist. She doesn’t contretype.org hesitate to physically affect and scratch negatives to etch the notion of passing time into the very core of her art. This exhibition * brings together a large collection of her work, LaST dayS handpicked by the artist herself, which mixes To See her fairytale-like scenes with surreal settings, evoking brutality interwoven with elegance cristof yvoré and grace. Beautiful visions of women, cap- @ Zeno X (antwerp), until 11th June – tured by a woman. French painter yvoré’s still life close-ups, chunky, crusty and overdone, are created with Sarah Moon: Coincidences paint he mixes himself. Grainy and heavy- From 8th June to 14th August handed, they make for layered viewing. Botanique, Brussels
© Sarah Moon zeno-x.com botanique.be Neighbourhood 13
United Kingdom ( 11 16 )
09. round and round 09. 11. controversial hero Opened in 2000, La Verrière is discreetly Since Ai Weiwei’s arrest in Beijing by located at the back of Hermès' flagship store in Chinese authorities on 3rd April, the entire Brussels. Part of the prestigious French maison’s art community has mobilised to demand his patronage of the arts, the stunning space has been release. The petition launched by the Solomon promoting contemporary artists with four exhi- R. Guggenheim Foundation has already amassed bitions each year. Opening just in time for Art more than 125,000 signatures and the Tate Brussels is Lionel Esteve’s monumental There Modern, who hosted his landmark Sunflower Are No Circles installation. The French-born, Seeds installation, has placed a large sign on it’s Brussels-based artist has created an impressive façade reading “Release Ai Weiwei”. Determined arachnid-like sculpture made of plastic pearls, to proceed with his planned projects, the Lisson glitter and fishing lines, transforming these Gallery will show some of Weiwei’s key sculptur- mundane objects into strange constellations and al and video works from the past six years. More phantasmagoric planets. The five meter wide than ever, now is the time to get acquainted with structure slowly rotates, unfolding in movement the vision of this controversial figure, described and reaching up to seven meters diameter. as “the best artist to have appeared since the Cultural Revolution in China.” Lionel estève: There are No Circles nd Until 2 July © Fabien de Cugnac ai Weiwei La Verrière, Brussels 10. Until 16th July hermes.com Lisson Gallery, London lissongallery.com
* The ShoW 12. on the dot you CaN’T MISS We’re all familiar with Joan Miró’s colour- ful abstract canvases, yet few may know his hungry eyes astonishing output (spanning over an impressive @ FoMu (antwerp), until 5th June – often six decades) in depth. This major exhibition sneered at, hungry eyes proves that food makes this possible, gathering over 150 paint- photography can be elevated to an art of its ings, works on paper and sculptures from col- own, beyond its trivial use in commercials lections from around the world. It also explores or cookbooks. Featuring the works of Tony the wider context of his work, highlighting Le duc, Valérie Belin and dimitri Tsykalov, his political engagement, the influence of his expect a mouth-watering experience. Catalan identity, the Spanish Civil War and fotomuseum.be the rise and fall of Franco’s regime. Whether blackening or setting fire to his works, such as May 1968 and Burnt Canvas II (1973), or creat- ing euphoric explosions of paint in Fireworks
10. american wild child © Galerie Rodolphe Janssen (1974), Miró continued to reflect the political Somewhat of a spiritual son to John Waters, 11. mood in his radical and pioneering practice. Robert Crumb, Paul McCarthy or William S. Burroughs, Justin Lieberman’s work explores the Joan Miró: The Ladder of escape grotesque and absurd nature of American culture. Until 11th September Following a troubled youth, the artist – who Tate Modern, London lost his right eye at the age of two, battled heroin tate.org.uk addiction and acute schizophrenia, and was sentenced to a four year probation and commu-
nity service after burning a building down – has Courtesy of the artist * attracted attention for his mixed medium works 12. LaST dayS (collages, sculptures, paintings to installations, To See digital art) that explore his radical interior world. Almost five years after his "Cultural Exchange" friedrich Kunath exhibition at the Sorry We’re Closed gallery, @ White Cube (London), until 4th June – The he will present a new set of sculptures at the firstu K solo show by this exciting La-based Rodolphe Janssen Gallery, ranging from the odd artist features a blend of paintings, sculp- to the fascinating. tures, drawings, video and photography, exploring the similar and universal themes Justin Lieberman of the human condition: love, loss, loneli- From 26th May to 16th July ness, optimism and dejection – all served Rodolphe Janssen Gallery, Brussels with his same “sunshine and noir” twist.
galerierodolphejanssen.com © Successió Miró/ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2011 whitecube.com 14 The diary
13. Post-apartheid euphoria 15. a moment in history 13. In the struggle against apartheid, activists Just like its current revival, London’s in South Africa extensively used photography East End found itself at a pivotal moment in as a means to document the regime’s atrocities. history in the early 70s, going through a time Figures and Fictions features over 150 works by of rapid social and economic change. In 1972, 17 South African photographers – from estab- the Whitechapel Gallery commissioned lished figures to emerging talent – responding Magnum photographer Ian Berry to docu- to the country’s powerful rethinking of issues of ment its changing face for the exhibition This identity across race, gender, class and politics. is Whitechapel. The show’s re-edition fea- All aspects of life – including sex, ethnicity, tures over 30 photographs by Berry from the race, gender, religion and class – were regu- 1972 exhibition, alongside rarely seen archive lated by law until 1994. Celebrating the end of materials including artists’ letters, films and the half-decade long rule, many of the works books produced at the same time. As East displayed represent subjects who compose London once again prepares for change with themselves for the camera, asserting a newfound the 2012 Olympics, this show is an opportu- dignity and distinction. nity to take a closer look at what the area was
like nearly 40 years ago. © Pieter Hugo. Courtesy of Michael Stevenson, Cape & Yossi Town Milo, New York Figures and Fictions: Contemporary 14. South african Photography This is Whitechapel Until 17th July Until 4th September Victoria & Albert Museum, London Whitechapel Gallery, London vam.ac.uk whitechapelgallery.org
* 16. club kids The ShoW The Serpentine Gallery is currently hosting
you CaN’T MISS a new exhibition by 2008 Turner Prize recipient © John Bodkin Mark Leckey. The London-based artist has 15. Philip-Lorca dicorcia: roid developed a multi-disciplinary practice drawing @ Sprüthmagers (London), until 18th on his personal experiences, frequently return- June – oscillating between unpretentious ing to the themes of desire and transformation. snapshots and sumptuously staged com- Discover some of his best-known works, such positions, the american photographer’s as Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore (pictured), an work retains a baroque quality infused exploration of underground dance culture in the with a dark humour. his large prints have UK from the mid-70s to the early 90s, examin- the rawness of documentary shots yet the ing the way in which clubbers metamorphosed perfect static staging of movie stills. to a state beyond the mundanity of their daily spruethmagers.net existence through the brands they wore, the way they danced and the drugs they took. And although some of these images are over 30 years old, they still retain a present-day relevance. 14. The ones to watch One of the founding principles of the Royal Mark Leckey: See, We assemble Academy of Arts was to mount an annual open Until 26th June exhibition to finance the training of young Serpentine Gallery, London artists in the RA Schools. Now in its 243rd serpentinegallery.org year, the Royal Academy’s annual Summer Exhibition is the world’s largest open submis- sion contemporary art show, displaying the *
works of emerging and established artists in all The oPeNING © Ron McCormick media including painting, sculpture, photogra- To Go To 16. phy, printmaking, architecture and film. The show plays a significant part in raising funds to Not (an exhibition) finance the students, so visitors will not only get @ Print house Gallery (London), on 9th to discover works by a new generation of future June – To celebrate its launch, No way (a YBA’s, they will also perform the noble deed of new independent agent supporting artists truly supporting the artists of the future. and musicians) kicks-off a month-long exhibition featuring works by six upcoming Summer exhibition 2011 artists from London and New york with From 7th June to 15th August a rooftop party in up-and-coming hipster Royal Academy of Arts, London hang out dalston.
royalacademy.org.uk no-way.org.uk Courtesy of the artist, Gavin Brown’s enterprise, New York, Galerie Daniel Bucholz, Cologne, and Cabinet Gallery, London EAU DE LACOSTE L .12.12 THE LACOSTE POLOSHIRT IN A FRAGRANCE COLLECTION
08:28 File: 631716-1_LAC_TheWord_295x210_KV.pdf Trim HxW: 295mm x 210mm 25/02/2011 Media/Insert: TheWord_295x210_KV Bleed HxW: 301mm x 216mm
16 The diary
( 17 18 ) ( 19 20 ) Holland France BRUSSELS ANDERLECHT Two steps axay from the House of Eras- me, in a commerccial district, this building located on 2 a13ca proposes: commercial ground floor with workshop 143 m² - 1 apt 1 bedroom of 66 m² and 1 flat of 17. The king of cool 17. 19. Piercing the dark mystery SCHAERBEEK 30 m² In the midst of his newfound career as a Few sculptural traditions carry such a exceptional house at 2 min - 1 apt 1 bedroom of 66 m² and 1 flat of walking distance from the 30 m² - 1 apt 1 bedroom of 66 m² director, Anton Corbijn often takes time out to powerful mystique as Vodun (or voodoo). Rogierplace, near all type photograph some of his favourite artists, includ- The ancient religious cult and philosophical of transportation, at 5 min from the Dansaertstreet. large Centre Brussels near Dansaert area: Nice ing Gerhard Richter, Alexander McQueen, tradition originating from the “slave coast” of appartment DUPLEX 135m2, 2008 + livingroom, 2 bedrooms, SAINT-GILLES
Richard Prince, Iggy Pop, Anselm Kiefer, West Africa is still wide-spread and contin- © GrŽ gory Halliday parking place 1 car. Livingroom +/-30m²- 1 bathroom, separate storage/ Damien Hirst, Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen ues to fascinate. An exceptional selection of separate diningroom + 16m²- fitted ktichen luxurious 1 BRUSSELS laundry room, 1 toilet, fully - 3 bedrooms (20m²;12m²;12m²) bath- bedroom and Lucian Freud. These exquisitely composed, Vodun sculptures from maverick explorer and One of the nicest view over brus- furnished kitchen. Nice view room - showerroom - 2wc. Individual gaz apartments for sale with and access to large garden. heating. Appartment with a lot of light. In deeply human photographs represent the very Vodun expert Jacques Kercharche’s collec- good condition. Excellent situation near a view over best of Corbijn’s œuvre as a portrait photog- tion, along with archive film footage of his centre and european institutions shops,Dansaert area, metro(Yser) and ring. Brussels. by MŽ tro, 2 minutes from MŽ tro All the rapher. The unique intimacy and apparent expeditions to Africa, is currently displayed Yser, 2 balconies (one with south apartments WOLUWE SAINT-LAMBERT coolness of these monumental black-and-white at the Fondation Cartier, shedding a light on view on a farmbrussels centre, one have been with north view on the canal and the completely prints capture the character of each subject, these mysterious and impenetrable statu- renovated atomium.) quiet neighboors, sur- blurring the lines between various photographic ettes and allowing visitors to gain a better and are rounded by parks. equipped genres, a trademark he developed early on and understanding of an art often feared and with a
that has been widely copied since. © Anton Corbijn misunderstood. wooden 18. floor, fully equipped anton Corbijn: Inwards & onwards Vodun: african Voodoo kitchen From 23rd June to 1st September Until 25th September (microwave WATERMAEL-BOITSFORT oven / Dans clos tr• s calme, une tr• s belle Superbe et lumineux penthouse situé Foam, Amsterdam Fondation Cartier, Paris 7eme étage d’un agréable immeuble. Il se dishwasher / fridge /…), videophone, foam.org fondation.cartier.com maison de 1999 avec tr• s grand compose comme suit: hall, vaste réception complete bathroom with shower, new Expatjardin, living 50m?², cuisine super-Visiten pierreING naturelle avec feu ouvert, first. grande window frames with double glazing, UCCLE Ž quipŽ e, 4 chambres + possibilitŽ cuisine équipée, salon télé/family room, security door, airconditioning Salon, cuisne, 2chbres, sdb avec bureau, salle de bains (possibilitŽ areaccès interested à la 1ere interrasse, simple 5 chambres savings plans or more complex * * douche, dressing, grenier. Dble dÕ une 2• me), grand garage 2 parquétés avec accès à la 2eme terrasse, vitrage,As an chauffageexpatriate, central. would Jardin, you likevoitures. to invest or save in Belgium? schemes2 salles de such bain complètes, as investments buanderie... in mutual funds, the ING Expat LaST dayS The ShoW coin calme. Prix : 950.000€ Garage pour 3 voitures. To See you CaN’T MISS For the purchase of a property in Belgium, our experts will experts will guide you in your new fiscal environment, on the set out the purchasing and taxation process for you. They basis of your investment profile. To find out what ING can Tamara Muller The School for objects criticised @ Galerie Bart (amsterdam), until 18th @ Palais de Tokyo (Paris), until 19th June – can also deal with your mortgage loan, your outstanding do for you, don’t hesitate to call us on +32 (0)2 464 66 64. June – even though the grotesque faces examining the most mundane commer- loan balance insurance and even your fire insurance. If you in Tamara Muller’s paintings are often cial products of our consumer society, based on herself, any viewer could easily alexandre Singh’s latest installation identify with their uncanny realism. The offers a biting sense of ironic archaeol-
contrast with the often-unfinished bodies © Adam Fuss ogy by slapping pompous statements might underline the disturbing dichotomy 19. onto his objects. Toasters never were www.ing.be/expat UCCLE ANDERLECHT between the innocence of youth and this funny. which has been totally Godeaux - Bemel area, adulthood, although their humour and wit palaisdetokyo.com renovated and recon- house 3 façades of +/- won’t fail to put a smile on our face. structed and was sold 240m*, completely reno- galeriebart.nl to the European Com- vated in 2004, living room mission. There are differ- 42m*, fully equipped ent luxurious 1 bedroom kitchen (microwave oven 20. Liquid ghosts apartments for sale with / dishwasher / fridge /…), Evanescent and transparent, Marc a splendid view over breakfast corner, 4 bed- 18. all the fuss Desgranchamps’ distinctive paintings find Brussels. All the apart- rooms, closets, wooden Adam Fuss is no average photographer. The their own place at the junction between ments have been completely renovated and are equipped floors, bathroom, toilet, British artist has gone to great lenghts to disas- observed reality, dreams and the imaginary. with a wooden floor, fully equipped kitchen (microwave oven Jacuzzi, 2 shower rooms, garage + space in front of the sociate himself from conventional photography, Using very liquid paint, his large-format can- / dishwasher / fridge /…), videophone, complete bathroom house, garden, terrace, alarm system, security door, aircon- prefering instead to master the medium’s most vases mix opacity, transparency and overlay. with shower, new window frames with double glazing, secu- ditioning. elementary and primitive forms. He sometimes The main subjects and man-made objects fade rity door, airconditioning. allows the vital fluids of animals – such as whilst the natural elements of the background snakes or rabbits – to corrode the silver salts of persist, creating a strange impression of a world BRUSSELS FOREST the light-sensitive photographic emulsions and that is present, yet on the verge of disappear- Facing the nice Parc Cin- villa 4 facades of 300m*, quantenaire very spa- completely renovated has come to master the old and highly complex © Yuji Ono ing. More than 40 paintings and a wide choice cious 4 bedroom house in 2000, living room, processes of the daguerreotype, the calotype, 20. of works on paper retrace the artist's career facing the Parc- 3 bath- wooden floors, fireplace, the photogram, or the platinum print to a degree from 1987 to now, constituting his largest solo rooms - fully equipped separate dining room, fully that remains unrivaled. A Survey of his Work exhibition to date. kitchen – garage. One equipped kitchen, break- will show the variety of subjects and techniques large and nice living fast area, laundry room, explored by this present-day alchemist. Marc desgrandchamps room, 2 quiet bedrooms, 4 bedrooms, wooden Until 4th September kitchen is equipped, all in floors, office area, bath- adam Fuss: a Survey of his Work Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris good conditions. Quiet room, shower room, cellar, garden 5acres, nice terrace, garage From 11th June to 4th September mam.paris.fr neighboors, surrounded by parks. A lot of light. In good con- 2 or 3 cars, alarm system. dition. Excellent situation near shops, theatre,... Huis Marseille, Amsterdam
huismarseille.nl © Jean-Louis Losi Paris © ADAGP, 2011. Courtesy Galerie Zürcher, Paris – New York
ING Belgium SA/nv - Avenue Marnix 24, B-1000 Brussels – Brussels RPM/RPR - VAT BE 0403.200.393 - BIC (SWIFT) : BBRUBEBB - Account: 310-9156027-89 (IBAN: BE45 3109 1560 2789). Publisher : Philippe Wallez - Avenue Marnix 24, 1000 Brussels.
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ING Belgium SA/nv - Avenue Marnix 24, B-1000 Brussels – Brussels RPM/RPR - VAT BE 0403.200.393 - BIC (SWIFT) : BBRUBEBB - Account: 310-9156027-89 (IBAN: BE45 3109 1560 2789). Publisher : Philippe Wallez - Avenue Marnix 24, 1000 Brussels.
295x210_ING_Expat_immo_UK - DEF.indd 1 05/05/11 11:38 18 The diary
The pick of festivals to come
beLgiuM beLgiuM beLgiuM beLgiuM beLgiuM beLgiuM ------Les ardentes dour festival boomtown Micro festival feest in het Park Pukkelpop Liège/Luik dour Ghent Liège/Luik oudenaarde hasselt 7th to 10th July 14th to 17th July 19th to 23rd July 6th august 11th to 14th august 18th to 20th august
Good vibes, great food For its 23rd edition, the Giving the Gentse Feesten The name really says it all: With a prime location The Streets, Deftones, and an ever-improving Belgian alternative Mecca a bit more of an alterna- a far cry from the frenzy of (a green park surrounding Crystal Castles, Skunk line-up have lead Les is bringing out the big guns, tive edge, the Boomtown most large-scale summer Oudenaarde’s beautiful Anansie, Blonde Red- Ardentes to transition from with hip-hop heavyweights festival has won the hearts festivals, the Micro Festival pond), a laid-back atmos- head, The Offspring, low-key affair to leader of (Cypress Hill, House of and soul of the city’s more limits itself to one day and phere and a strong line-up Trentemøller, Lykke Li, the Belgian festival scene. Pain, Public Enemy, Ice demanding music-loving one single stage, showcas- (Pete Doherty, Stereo MC’s, Warpaint, Mark Ronson, Dipping in every musical Cube), a Britpop revival tribes since its first edition ing eight carefully hand- T.O.K., Mr Vegas, Das Pop, James Blake, Crookers, genre possible, the sixth (Pulp, Suede), as well as in 2002. This year sees picked acts hailing from Does It Offend You Yeah?, Miles Kane, The Raveon- edition of the Liège/Luik some of the most exciting it bring, amongst others, indie rock's various sub- The Subs, Triggerfinger, ettes, The Subs, A-Trak, festival won’t disappoint. acts around. The 200 Avi Buffalo, The Phoenix genre such as Australian DeWolff, DJ Rolando, Birdy Nam Nam, Anna Headliners include The names already announced Foundation, Deerhoof, no-wavers Civil Civic, Left Kruder & Dorfmeister, Calvi, Explosions In The Human League, Kelis, are simply too long to list Intergalactic Lovers, Her- Lane Cruiser's blues-punk, Ce’cile), Feest in het Park is Sky,… Oh and Foo Fight- Wu-Tang Clan, These New – all you need to know for man Dune, Spokes, Marble Die!Die!Die!'s noise pop, the ultimate summer festival ers, Eminem and dEUS. Puritans, Mr Oizo, Kele, now is to block the date in Sounds, Yuko, A Brand, Alamo Race Track's indie with a human touch. Enough said. Kate Nash, Cake, as well as your agenda. An Pierlé & White Velvet folk and The Thermals' the pimpalicious Mr Snoop as well as The Bony King upbeat college-rock. feestinhetpark.be pukkelpop.be Dogg. dourfestival.be Of Nowhere to get things lively. microfestival.be lesardentes.be boomtownlive.be
uNiTed uNiTed uNiTed uNiTed fraNce hoLLaNd KiNgdoM KiNgdoM KiNgdoM KiNgdoM ------Worldwide incubate 1234Shoreditch Lovebox field day offset festival Tilburg London London London London Sète 11th to 18th 9th July 15th to 17th July 6th august 3rd and 4th 6th to 10th July September September
If names like Lasers From Having grown into Celebrating its fifth an- Offset has been ending Set in the idyllic surround- Celebrating independent Atlantis, Echo Lake, London’s most important niversary this year, Field the festival season with a ings of Sète in the South of culture in all its forms Warm Brains, Rainbow city festival, Lovebox has Day boasts a flawless massive bang for the past France, Gilles Peterson’s (music, art, dance, movies, Arabia, The Rayographs, tripled in attendance, size line-up which blends three years, showcasing five-day Worldwide Festi- lectures), what started as or TWR72 mean nothing and programming since its yesteryear’s legends (Faust, hundreds of underexposed val has become an essential the two-day underground to you, a trip to London’s creation eight years ago. Damo Suzuki, John Cale, and emerging bands in two pilgrimage for leftfield, shindig ZXZW (changing Shoreditch Park might With a line-up that sees the Omar Suleyman, Sun Ra days only, rightfully earn- electronica-loving, bass- its name to “Incubate” in be worthwhile. Since likes of Metronomy, Busy Arkestra), present-day ing itself a “festival of the bouncing fans. And, with 2009 following Austin’s its creation in 2007, P, Jessie J, The Drums, darlings (Warpaint, Ariel year” title. And although a 2011 line-up that counts SXSW’s request) has 1234Shoreditch has been Snoop Dogg, 2ManyDJs, Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, this edition’s line-up is yet Raphael Saadiq, Dam now established itself as showcasing some of the Blondie, Scissor Sisters, The Horrors, Erol Alkan, to be announced, it cer- Funk, Jamie xx, Mount a respectable gathering most exciting acts emerging Lykke Li, Santigold, Beth Matthew Dear, James tainly won’t fail to follow Kimbie as well as Kode 9 to bringing over 200 artists from the UK, offering a Ditto and many more take Blake) and the most up the top-notch standards name but a few, it’s easy to together in an intimate perfect glimpse of all the to the stage, Victoria Park promising up-and-comers this boutique festival has see why. setting. good names to follow in is about to become a huge (Connan Mockasin, Twin gotten us used to. one single day. Dubbed the dance floor all over again. Shadow, Veronica Falls). worldwidefestival.com incubate.org “best-dressed festival” by If there were one festival offsetfestival.co.uk a handful of cynics, fashion lovebox.net you absolutely had to go to, lovers and people-watchers this one would definitely are guaranteed to get a run be the one. for their money. Follow our summer-long festival coverage (interviews, fielddayfestivals.com throw away projects, one song wonders and humming ses- the1234shoreditch.com sions) on thewordmagazine.be/tags/musicfestivals2011
20 The papers Society Industry Nostalgia Arts
The yellow papers
From investigating the use of yellow in low-cost industries to charting the many different lives of the smiley, the next few papers should put a smile on your face.
Writers Robbert van Jaarsveld, Rozan Jongstra, Rose Kelleher, Sam Steverlynck and Randa Wazen Neighbourhood 21
ˆ “It’s a bit ironic that the smiley was originally meant for people who were not having a nice day at all ”
ˇ © Virassamy ©
However, the smiley became fairly popular to the end of the Cold War, along with a smörgas- Sixty years as it gained a life of its own in the outside world, börd of designer drugs serving as main diet. Why where Bernard and Murray Spain picked it up. did the acid house generation adopt the happy face as The Spain brothers were business partners who its lead spokesperson? Probably because the smiley old and still added the slogan “Have A Nice Day” and pro- most accurately depicts the state of mind of some- ceeded to merchandise the living crap out of it. body who has been running exclusively on beats, smiling Since neither Ball nor State Mutual had ever reg- pills and powders for 35 hours straight ¯\(ºд°)/¯. istered the design, the smiley had become part of As the XTC-bubble popped, the fad faded into In the brief half century during which the smiley the public domain and was therefore free to use. the 90s and back into the public arena. The smiley face – official mascot of denial and unwarranted By the end of 1971, the Spain brothers had sold even went to court when Nicolas Loufrani (son of optimism, ultimate avatar of mass delusion and a whopping 50 million smiley face buttons, mugs French journalist Franklin Loufrani, who claims to psychotic positivism – has been around, it has t-shirts and stickers ($_$). The smiley became have invented the symbol in 1963) sued Wal-Mart been incorporated and transformed by just big money, and thus corrupted, embodying the in 1997. The supermarket giant had been slapping about anyone in the business of making a point, cynicism of the post-60s era when everyone smileys on the back of their staff uniforms since processed into everything including its own anti- began to realise that the fight had been lost and 1996 – you know, because it’s so much fun to work matter (). The most widely-known version was the bad guys had won. Parody and satire ensued, at Wal-Mart :’( In 2009, the judge ruled in favour of designed in 1963 in less than 10 minutes by a culminating in the 12-issue Watchmen comic Wal-Mart but Loufrani’s son and his London-based graphic designer named Harvey Ball who got book series – a dark and gloomy story that shows company SmileyWorld – who sure know how to paid $45 to come up with a low-cost, high visibil- that even superheroes are not immune to cor- put the creative in creativity (¬_¬) – continue to ity concept to boost plummeting morale around ruption if Richard Nixon gets to serve a second scourge the planet in pursuit of fake smileys that are the workspace. The suits at State Mutual Life term in the White House. The smiley became the inferior to their original design. I couldn’t help but Insurance in Massachusetts had been dealing symbol of the bland, faceless corporate America; smile when going through the corporate promo-clip with bickering employees who seemed incapable an industrialised, serialised entity stupidly grin- for SmileyWorld in which Loufrani’s copyrighting of concealing their disappointment with office ning in denial while the planet burns. of the smiley face (as opposed to actually designing life┌║┐(•_•)┌║┐and commissioned Ball to draw Then, the 80s rolled in, coating the world in a it) is labelled “an act of genius”. I guess that sums up four lines on a Post-It. It’s a bit ironic that the white blanket of cocaine and hedonism. The debate the story: the only brilliant thing about the smiley is smiley was originally meant for people who were on capitalism vs. communism had officiously been the way people continuously succeed in coming up not having a nice day at all; in fact, they hated settled, eliminating the need for conscious thought. with new ways to squeeze every single last cent out their jobs and quite possibly each other >:O. House and techno became the official theme music of it. (RVJ) 22 The papers
ˆ “ Geel is where you supposedly belong if you’re a little ‘cuckoo’ ” ˇ © Joke De Wilde
community mental health programmes and is check up on patients, drop off medicine, offer open door a highly successful form of treatment, explains advice or even mediate if necessary. What’s Johan Claeys, communications advisor of the more, patients can turn to the OPZ for activi- OPZ. “Patients generally have a history of ties, therapy, hygienic care and trainings where policy several different centres before they come to us. they are taught how to manage money, take When they do, it is the first time they actually public transport and use the Internet. “The dis- To many a Flemish ear, the word “yellow” is feel welcome in society. They gain social skills, trict nurses are also there to monitor progress. synonymous with “crazy”. This link can prob- become more enterprising and as they now Ideally, there should be an evolution curve. ably be explained by the existence of the small belong to a social network, they no longer feel Some patients stay with a family for 40 years, Antwerp provincial town of Geel (the Flemish isolated. In Geel, mental patients are given the however, in a best case scenario, they go on to word for “yellow”) which, despite only count- chance to feel normal.” Patients are treated with live independently – with a little backup from ing 15,000 inhabitants, is world renowned for the respect they deserve, as mayor Peeters notes. us. There is often a significant chance that they its mental institution. From the playground to “They’ve always been a part of our community; can learn to take care of themselves and function the office, Geel is where you supposedly belong everybody knows at least one family that fosters normally in society,” Claeys concludes. Geel’s if you’re a little “cuckoo”. How annoying it must patients. We refer to them as our guests - they’re slogan, “je komt er, je blijft er,” loosely translates be to have your town mocked throughout the just like everybody else, but need a little extra as “whoever comes, stays.” The mayor enthuses: centuries. “I can’t say we notice any mockery,” care.” As far as them being a nuisance, Peeters “Hospitality, that’s what we’re all about. We says mayor of Geel Frans Peeters. “In fact, we’re insists he cannot recall a single incident in the 17 open our doors to people - and there’s room for very proud of the Openbaar Psychiatrisch years he’s served as the town mayor. everyone.” (RJ) Ziekenhuis (OPZ), our psychiatric centre. Technically, anybody with their heart in After almost 700 years, it has become an intrin- the right place can become a foster family. “We opzgeel.be sic part of our identity.” don’t exclude single people or gay couples, for geel.be Hospitality defines Geel’s residents, as the example. There is a screening process of course, dense pilgrimage to Saint Dymphna’s church but as long as people have enough room, they are Welkom In Geel (2010) by Bert Boeckx – EPO . (patron saint of the mentally ill) in the early 14th in principle eligible to foster,” Claeys explains. century led them to open their doors to patients, Patients generally stay with their family 24/7. welcoming them into their homes. Geel’s Foster The OPZ provides additional support, such Family Care system is one of the world’s first as district nurses who drop in regularly to 23 24 The papers
ˆ “ Yellow is an eye-catching, attention-grabbing marketing tool that spells ‘ affordable’ ”
ˇ © Virassamy ©
Loud, conspicuous branding that requires how long would it take for us to associate the That’s yellow sunglasses – think the garish interior of a brand with luxury?” But this is unlikely, he adds. Ryanair cabin or a Zeeman's back-to-school “IKEA's whole strategy is deliberately based poster – does not endear the luxury shopper. around value for money.” Yellow's mass appeal spelt L-o-W They happily pay a premium for “quieter”, less means you won't find it over the door of the air conspicuous markings. They seek exclusive conditioned emporiums on Brussels’ Boulevard Gucci, Chanel or Mercedes will never push membership of an elite “club”. IKEA, Telenet, de Waterloolaan, London’s Bond Street or the money-off coupons through your letterbox. Just Lidl and Zeemans do not discriminate. They Parisian Avenue Montaigne. But this snobbish like they will never use yellow in their corporate are aware of the effect their eye-watering use rejection fortunately applies to corporate iden- colour portfolio. Yellow is used in marketing to of yellow has on bargain-hunting customers, tity only, and doesn't extend to products them- mean cut-price bargains for the proletariat, and and have embraced it with just as much gusto as selves. Marc Jacobs may still send Kate Moss the last thing a luxury brand wants is for custom- their bejeweled cousins have turned their finely sashaying down the catwalk in a saffron boiler ers to think that their products are made “for the sculpted noses up at it. So what colour is luxury? suit but he'll never adorn his fashion house with masses”. Low-cost brands have no such neurosis. Burgundy evokes images of chesterfield couches the same shade. Moët & Chandon are as likely Think IKEA, Ryanair or Lidl. Their screaming and hunting jackets in most. “Research shows to use yellow in their branding as they are to be yellow billboards pull in the crowds, leaving the that primary colours like yellow grab your atten- found handing out free samples at your local discretion of forest greens and burgundies to the tion, but that they also convey a simple message,” Delhaize. But consumers still associate cham- more discerning brand manager. Yellow is an Says Roger. “Burgundy is a mix of different pagne with yellow, along with happiness, sun- eye-catching, attention-grabbing marketing tool colours, it's a very specific shade. It communi- shine and other “priceless” stuff. (RK) that spells “affordable”. Suzy Chiazzari of Iris cates sophistication and complexity, that there International School of Colour Therapy says is more to the brand that a simplistic message”. iriscolour.co.uk “yellow is highly visible. Wanting to stand out in So what if a discount brand like IKEA the crowd is considered by some to be brash and changed their corporate colour to burgundy pushy, so it depends whether you want to send out tomorrow, would we begin to associate burgun- the message of accessibility or exclusivity”. Roger dy with cheap? Roger says “IKEA is a hugely Pruppers, Assistant Professor of Marketing at influential brand, but I'm not sure that it could Amsterdam University agrees. “Bright yellow has change the meaning of a colour all by itself. Visit thewordmagazine.be/dribbles/that- the capacity to really grab attention, and that's Perhaps, you could ask the question the other syellow for an album of flashy yellow logos. something luxury brands don't want”. way around: If IKEA started using burgundy, The Word & Levis presents
The yellow album’s colour chart — A collaborative study in different shades of yellow G8.06.90 G0.08.84 G0.20.80 G7.18.87 G5.27.85 G3.34.84 G0.35.85 G5.36.83 G2.51.81 G0.55.80 F8.50.80 G0.50.80 26 The papers
ˆ “ It was initially a one-page yellow leaflet, essentially because the printer ran out of paper and that yellow was the only colour left ”
ˇ © Joke De Wilde
leaflet, essentially because the printer ran out online-only users the option to unsubscribe. Information of paper and that yellow was the only colour The online platform was launched in 1999 left. Other telephone companies slowly began and counted nearly 50 million visits per bringing out their own versions, with the first month (of which 2.5 million unique visitors) is gold Belgian edition coming out in 1969. in 2010. Those jaw-dropping figures certainly At a production level, everything begins don’t mean the axe is hanging over the print Light years ago, when “Yahoo!” was just a with the advertising sales team, whose staff run’s head – according to a recent survey, victorious exclamation mark and “Google” accounts for more than half of the company’s 77% of respondents said they still preferred simply read as a typo in “goggle”, pulling out 600 plus internal workforce. Once content is the “real thing”. “It will still be printed, but the Golden Pages was an instant reflex if the tap confirmed with the advertisers, contracts are published as a niche product and not as a core leaked, or the boiler had broken down. And loaded into the system along with graphic mate- of our company,” explains Vice President whilst The Golden Pages (Pages d'Or/Gouden rial which is then sent to the graphic depart- of Marketing Jose Lema-Abreu. “Online is Gids) may seem like an ubiquitous institu- ment, where any one of 11 full-time designers where we will be seeing the growth.” Using its tion from the past, it remains a mammoth proceed to work on the ad’s layout. Following MySite platform, Truvo has produced more advertising monster very much anchored in approval of the artwork, the final copy is fed than 25,000 websites in Belgium, offering the present. The ten regional Golden Pages to the automated, algorithm-defined digital their clients an in-depth expertise in improving volumes issued by Truvo year after year count pagination system for placement. Finally, the the search engine optimisation (SEO), as well about 10,000 pages each. With a circulation excruciatingly laborious task of proofreading as the capacity of influencing Google rank- of three million, the Antwerp-based company is taken care of by two employees who examine ings and benefitting from their traffic. “We is by far the largest publisher in Belgium. No an average of 144 pages a day. Between produc- now employ 75 IT experts. The profile of the other company or media boasts such a wide tion and print (done in Germany), the whole company has changed so much,” admits Marc and diverse portfolio of clients (estimated to operation costed €10 million in 2010 alone. De Wachter, Director of Marketing. And, con- number 90,000) all of which book a mind-bog- And that’s excluding distribution, managed by sidering the recent shift from online to mobile gling 900,000 ads throughout the ten volumes. a temporary staff of 1,000 “extras” whose sole (Golden Pages apps are now also available for With these numbers in mind, it’s safe to say task is to deliver the books at every landline or iPhones, Androids, iPads and GPS devices), that the yellow-tinted people’s address book’s mobile phone subscribers’ doorstep. the currents of change are only set to become reach remains unrivalled. Given Belgium’s fairly low Internet pen- stronger. (RW) First introduced in the United States by etration rate (67%), print-only users are the Berry telephone company in 1908, the still going strong. That being said, Truvo goldenpages.be Yellow Pages initially were a one-page yellow encourages the circulation decrease by giving truvo.be Nautica-WorldMag.indd 1 Tel. : +32 (0)2 772 25 50 — [email protected] •••• resistantupto100meters water Steel case, crown, bezelscrewdown 2-wayrotating •••••••• • 29/04/11 15:20 28 The papers
ˆ “ In his grotesque and trashy universe, the L.A. based artist deconstructs the American entertainment industry”
ˇ distorting disney
Belgium is often said to have the highest density of art collectors in the world. Though most keep their collection hidden, some prefer sharing their pride and joy with the public. Charles Riva – partner of the Sutton Lane gal- leries in London and Paris – is one of the latter. This 37-year-old Frenchman, who splits his time between Brussels and New York, opened his collection three years ago through a series of exhibitions made accessible to everyone. Housed in a contemporary “maison de maître” in Ixelles/Elsene, the shows take place on the first floor, while Riva lives in the above apart- ment, whose walls are lavishly decorated with artworks. “I love waking up in the morning in my bathrobe, have a little coffee and then look at my art works,” he reflects. He estimates his collection to reach approximately 300 pieces, including high flyers like the Chapman Brothers, Christopher Wool, Jonathan Meese and Sterling Ruby. Riva is the first to downplay his attributed sense of altruism: “opening this collection to the public is not as generous as it may sound. I often buy works, but never have the opportunity to see them all gathered in one room. I have been putting a lot of time in cataloguing my collection over the past three years. As it took me so much effort, I thought I might as well show it to the public and present it accordingly.” Riva intends to collect artists in depth and compares the act to that of a jigsaw puzzle: buy the most emblematic pieces first and complete the missing links after. He loves showcasing retrospectives, though they are rather humble due to his space and budget limitations. “I’m no François Pinault or Bernard Arnault,” he admits. Last year saw him presenting a nice overview of Andreas Hofer, and he is currently showcasing a mini-survey of Paul McCarthy. In its compactness, Riva’s collection gives a good idea of McCarthy’s ver-
satile practice, which includes performance, © Mara McCarthy sculptures, drawings, videos and installations. In his grotesque and trashy universe, the L.A. based artist deconstructs the American without nose – and thus “castrated”. The torture looting and raping. Though an impressive work, entertainment industry by fusing the visual does not stop there, as another bronze sculpture Riva admits with a smile that “it is a difficult language of Disney classics with horror, porn, has his testicles hanging right under his face. piece to live with. I am not sure I would be able B-movies and the abject in general. The results Other iconic sculptures such as Santa Claus to have it in my living room.” (SS) are unsettling, as they explore our primal fears, with a Buttplug and the so-called Captain Dick while revealing dark, Freudian implications. Hat, whose “hat” explains his bizarre name, are Paul McCarthy: Selected Works Often targeting Disney characters, which he also on view. Besides the tantalising video Heidi Until 2nd October sees as the earliest form of child indoctrina- in which the epic fairy tale becomes a story of Charles Riva Collection tion, one of his recurring figures is Pinocchio horror and perversity, one of the central pieces Rue de la Concorde 21 Eendrachtstraat - an interesting Freudian case. Included in the in the show is Pirate Party Portfolio. These 79 1050 Brussels exhibition is the sculpture Drop Head/Bounce pictures form a narrative and are extracted from Head, a red, silicone casting of a Pinocchio a performance in which some randy pirates go charlesrivacollection.com BO ZAR EX PO
27.05 > 11.09.2011 JEFF WALL The Crooked Path
The Thinker, 1986 - Transparency in lightbox - 221 x 229 cm © Jeff Wall - courtesy of the artist
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download us thewordmagazine.be/ipad 32 The institution Nightlife Society Heritage People Music
The grandaddy of clubbing
As resident DJ then creative director of Brussels’ Fuse, DJ Pierre pretty much single-handedly shaped the city’s nightscape for an entire generation. We sit down with dance don to talk early beginnings, DJ snobbisms and the current 90s techno revival.
Writer and photographer Jack Moyersoen
Pierre Noisiez was born in 1973 in Tournai/ ˆ couldn’t make it. “The party was a total failure, Doornik, “a small and quiet city packed with art we were playing in front of an empty venue!” students” (the town is home to St-Luc architec- “It’s funny because the Pierre laughs. However, the owner loved their ture school). The son of a schoolteacher and a music, and suggested they come play every week. civil servant, Pierre had the brains to be a great music styles that seem so It is during these formative days at the academic, had he set his mind to it. Considered fresh to today’s kids sound Zanzibar that Pierre started using turntables as somewhat of a wonder-kid by his teachers, he with pitch-control (allowing to control the speed featured amongst the elite sent to the physics and like ersatz of stuff I was of a song in order to blend it with the previous chemistry Olympics to represent his school. But, already playing 15 years one). This had a profound effect on his musical as is the case with most teens, music and parties taste as he felt progressively drawn to disco and ranked way higher on Pierre’s priority list than ago” house music, which allowed more harmoni- theorems and formulas. Just imagine the frustra- ous and creative mixes. It is while mixing at the tion of being stuck in a small town like Tournai/ Zanzibar that Peter Decuypere – owner of the Doornik, which never seemed to provide enough ˇ 55 Club and future founder of the Fuse and the exciting parties to satisfy its thrill-seeking teen- deejay in the 70s – introduced them to those I love Techno parties – discovered him. Peter agers. As a result, Pierre and his friends started genres. The success of their local parties con- immediately fell in love with Pierre’s musical organising parties in a small local club called vinced them to take things a step further and style and offered him a slot in his reputable club. Mazur 14 by the time they were 15. They mostly throw a party in a larger venue called Zanzibar One thing leading to another, he soon got booked played disco, hip-hop, funk and a bit of electro, located in the neighbouring town of Courtrai/ to mix at the Café d’Anvers every Sunday with after Jean-Marie Vansoye – their musical guru Kortrijk. They unfortunately did not foresee Coeni, the veteran deejay considered to be the and an art teacher who used to be a disco-funk that, not being motorised, most of their friends father of Belgium's house scene. When Peter later Life 33
transformed El Disco Rosso, a popular Spanish dancing club in Brussels' Marolles/Marollen neighbourhood, into the city's first techno sanc- tuary, Pierre had earned enough credibility to be offered a residency despite being only 21 years old. The collaboration would last over 17 years and counting, with Pierre now also working as a consultant and programmer for the club, recom- mending party concepts and fresh talent.
ˆ “We started by releasing our tracks under a Creative Commons licence that is free, but soon realised that people were more interested in ‘stealing’ something with a face-value than downloading it for free!”
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With more than 20 years of experience in the clubbing scene and a personal collection of over 10,000 vinyls, Pierre has an encyclo- paedic knowledge of dance music and learned to adapt to the tastes of the several generations of teens who dance to his beats every weekend. “It’s funny because the music styles that seem so fresh to today’s kids sound like ersatz of stuff I was already playing 15 years ago,” he confesses. “There really is a current trend sup- ported by Berghain, Berlin’s biggest techno new arrival from underneath his counter with Valley (60,000), Germany’s Mayday (25,000), club, to emulate sounds from the 90s. That’s excitement is indeed a dying breed. or Ghent’s I Love Techno (30,000), Pierre also what feels weird in my longevity: the realisation However, the flip side of music’s democrati- runs the label [LesIzmo:r] which he created of how music trends are cyclic.” However, he sation is also one of its motors: the inexhaustible with friend Jessica Bossuyt. The label organises does recognise that his current audience of 18 profusion. Deejays are faced with such an infinite parties, releases upcoming deejays and handles to 35-year-olds is much more open to different catalogue of tunes that it is tempting to take the the promotion and bookings of their artists. styles of music than when he started. easy way out. “It has become a jungle in which “We started by releasing our tracks under a Along the way, he also had little choice but one can easily get lost. Most deejays buy their Creative Commons licence that is free, but to adapt to the digital innovations that have tracks online from BeatPort, home to thousands soon realised that people were more interested revolutionised media consumption. He now and thousands of tracks of very variable quality. in ‘stealing’ something with a face-value than exclusively mixes with digital files and hasn’t As a result, most people who shop there don’t look downloading it for free!” he remarks. In fact, to bothered taking the time to convert his huge further than its ‘Top 100’ page.” To help shoppers, get through the mutating business model that the record collection to MP3’s. “I am not nostalgic. BeatPort also publishes famous deejay’s charts, music industry is ongoing, adaptation is key. But I got tired of carrying heavy vinyl flightcases but that’s something in which DJ Pierre does not Pierre’s longevity in the field proves that imag- around when I could hold it all in a hard drive indulge. “I still have a somewhat old-school men- ining him spinning for our grandchildren might the size of a wallet! There still are a couple of tality by which I like to keep my tracks secret,” he not be that much of a stretch. deejays that mix exclusively with vinyls but confides. “I still remember the days when we used it feels more like a kind of a snobbism to me,” to put blank stickers over our vinyls so that no one Pierre explains. He does however regret the lost could see what we were playing!” proximity with record shop owners. The pas- In addition to his deejaying and regular sionate vendor who would unveil an exclusive slots at huge gatherings such as the Dutch Dance 34 The Word on People Nostalgia Jokes
Teenage giggles A tribute paid to the days when adults simply didn’t “get it”, everything seemed possible and anything could turn into a laughing fit, here’s what happens when you ask a couple of liberated and totally unobstructed teens to let loose in the studio.
Photographer Merel‘t Hart
Anna Franziska Jäger – 14
In her second year of Latin and Greek studies. Likes acting and The Big Lebowski.
“Some time ago, I went to see that terribly bad movie called Burlesque. Before the whole thing started, my friend popped a bottle of apple cider and the cork flew right against the screen. The whole crowd looked at us and we, of course, burst out in total laughter.” Life 35
Elise Lippens – 15
In her fourth year of Greek and mathematics studies. Loves fashion and going out with friends.
“I could have a giggle fit every day if I’m with the right person(s). The last time wasn't so long ago. A boy with too much confidence was rollerblading in front of a whole crowd and fell. It was so hilarious, we just couldn’t stop laughing.” 36 The Word on
Louise Demey – 14
In her third year of human sciences studies. Loves tennis, music and photography. Her sister Marie, 17, is in her fifth year of arts and architecture studies. Loves tennis and writing songs.
Louise: “My friends and my sister make me smile – laughing is actually the only thing we really do when we hang out. We talk about strange things that happened in the past and about the ridiculous stuff that we've experienced, sometimes it's really hilarious.”
Marie Demey – 17
Marie: “Most of the time we can't control ourselves and we laugh until it hurts. Sometimes we laugh so hard until we cry.”
Elise Lippens and Anna Franziska Jäger Life 37
Elsa Capalidi – 14
In her fourth year of tourism studies. Plays piano, follows music lessons and enjoys sports.
“I usually laugh for any old thing. I just can’t help cracking up when somebody gets mildly hurt.”
Visit thewordmagazine.be/wonders/teenagegiggles for the complete album of giggling teens. 38 The other Word on People Photography
The house of yellow
Diehards wear scarves, slap bumper stickers on their cars or might even get tattooed. And although he probably has all of the aforementioned, Raphael Selderslaghs’ absolute devotion to childhood football club Koninklijke Lierse Sportkring runs much deeper than that. A sticker simply wouldn’t have cut it. Taking football fanaticism to a whole new level, the former security agent painted his entire house with the club’s official colours, yellow and black.
Photographer Joke De Wilde Life 39
Visit thewordmagazine.be/wonders/houseofyellow for more details of Raphael's house. 40 The encounter Talent
Stairway to heaven Born in Bali but based in Antwerp, Heaven Tanudirejda understands the power of precious stones. His pieces have a resonance and style of their own, combining vintage crystals with high tech details. We meet him in his top floor atelier to talk powerful women and loud assistants.
Interview Philippe Pourhashemi Photographer Veerle Frissen
How do you make your pieces? Do you have Which elements inspired you for your last col- by powerful women. They don't have to be loud a plan when you start working on them? lection? I loved your use of colour and gold. or in your face. It's more about having an inner Actually, I don't. It's all quite instinctive. I Well, it's kind of silly, but for this last col- sense of strength. Oriental women try to be that start making something and see where it takes lection, I decided to watch my favourite DVDs way, but society does not allow them to. I saw me. I realised over the years that I loved using until I passed out. I can't even remember how that all the time with my friends and family. my hands and that's what brings me the most joy. many films I picked. 40 or 50, perhaps. I was thinking about what would happen if Finding There's a bit of a super power thing going When did you leave Bali? I imagine it must Nemo met Blade Runner, mixing Disney ele- on with your jewels. They have this energy have been quite a shock for you when you ments with a futuristic vibe. Stanley Kubrick coming out of them, which is quite strong arrived in Belgium. was on the top of my list, too. and unusual. I haven't been back home for seven years now Really? It's odd, because I cannot make and miss it, especially the food! (mutual laughter) There's always this Sci-Fi element in your jewellery when I'm in a bad mood. If I feel nega- There's so much nature in Bali, we have the sea and work, combined with the tribalism of tive one day, I know I cannot work and won't the jungle. Everyone there dreams about concrete jewellery. be able to achieve anything. For me, jewellery and skyscrapers, but now that I'm here, I under- I think I make armours in a way, even is a gateway to a world of fantasy. Clothing is stand the island's appeal. I go to Paris for work and though it's unconscious. I try to protect women more about reality, but jewellery escapes that love it as a city, but I cannot breathe there. and don't want them to be weak. I'm attracted practical aspect somehow. It's connected with Style 41 longing, dreams and desires. I guess every jewel- lery designer thinks about that dimension, even though it's not always conscious.
There's something timeless about it, too. Jewellery gets passed on from generation to generation, giving it a tangible narra- tive weight. Exactly. There are always stories attached to jewellery. It's as if people passed on their goals and aspirations to a new generation. It has permanence and generosity.
ˆ “I met Anna Wintour there last September. I remember she made sure everyone heard she loved my pieces”
ˇ Tell me about your meeting with Anna How do you find life in Belgium? Where do you find them? Wintour. What was that like? I tried to live in Paris and Florence before, Mostly flea markets. I have people looking I was selected by Vogue Italia to be part but always came back here. I feel comfortable for them abroad and a friend of mine in Russia of Who is on Next?, an exhibition dedicated in Antwerp. There's a good quality of life in who contacts me regularly whenever he finds to upcoming designers at Palazzo Morando Belgium and it's so silent here. something good. I guess having friends who in Milan. I met Anna Wintour there last travel really helps. September. I remember she made sure everyone I find Brussels pretty quiet, too. heard she loved my pieces. She said that in front Well, Brussels is a bit too loud for me. (more Do you always mix vintage with new? of Giorgio Armani and Stefano Gabbana, which laughter). When it's so calm around you, you can Yes, I do. We sometimes work on certain was amazing. I was so happy. We appeared on just sit down and listen to your own thoughts. It pieces using only antique stones, but that makes vogue.com later, too, which was cool. really helps you focus and create what you want. them so expensive. Combinations are easier for It's like having this stronger connection to your- us. When I look at Swarovski crystals, they're Do you think she will select your pieces for self. Actually, the thought of a loud assistant almost too shiny for me. We like using tradi- shoots? talking all the time makes me ill. tional techniques with more innovative ways, I think she's going to wait and see how my that's what gives the jewellery its elaborate style. work develops. I could tell that from the way she How many people do you have in your team? looked at it. To be honest, one good collection It's the three of us now and I really like What are the challenges you find yourself is a start, but you cannot judge someone before them. It's important for me to commit to these confronted with? 10 or 15 collections. After all, my line is only people and picture myself with the same team in It has been difficult lately and the tragedy four years old. the long run. I couldn't do it otherwise. in Japan has not made things any easier. Some of my clients there had to cancel their orders, That's the problem with fashion right now. How old are you? but I'm lucky to have people elsewhere who have There's this expectation that everyone I'm 28, but will turn 29 in June. Let's say been faithful to me. should be big within three seasons, but it I want to be 28 for as long as I can! doesn't really work that way. Who stocks your line in Belgium? It takes very long. You have to be patient to What are these drawings on the table? Ra buys the collection. Belgium can be a succeed and people forget about that too often. I'm working on a private order for a tough market, because people are not so open- Canadian client. She used to buy my pieces from minded. I know people like what I do, but their What are your projects at the moment? Holt Renfrew in Toronto and ended up contact- taste can be quite conservative. I'm planning on introducing clothing with ing me directly to request specific things. I have the jewellery line and started thinking about no idea how she got hold of my number, but she How did you find studying at the Royal how to get it right. I don't like clothes that expose started calling and has been a regular client. Academy in Antwerp? the body too much and prefer subtle statements Her wishes are always quite clear and she knows It was a great experience for me. I did wom- to things that are too overt. An open back is what she wants. enswear with jewellery and graduated with a sexier for me than obvious cleavage. BA. Before I came to Europe, I was planning Are these the crystals you're going to be on applying for Central Saint-Martins, but the Do you think that comes from your cultural using? The colour reminds me of pink tuition fees were ridiculous, like £25.000 a year. background? pepper. It probably does. My grandmother is This shade's quite beautiful. When sun- That's insane. We all love fashion, but Japanese and my father is Chinese. He's from light hits the glass, it has this nude glow, which maybe not that much. Shanghai. Women there used to have their looks great on your skin. The crystals I selected Yes. I'm with you on that one. clothes made and never really strayed from for this necklace are vintage and come from a their usual style. They had the same dress made Viennese chandelier. They are more than 100 over and over again... They used accessories, fur years old and you have to clean them first before coats and jewellery to update their look. using them. heaventanudiredja.be 42 The insider Industry Photography ˆ “ The fashion scene is not what it used to be and there’s too much money involved nowadays for people to piss about ”
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he's on his feet all day – sometimes for more many pictures as possible, since I contribute to MY than 15 hours – rushing from one venue to several titles who have distinctive styles. Once Backstage CY another, trying to secure the best shots he pos- I have what I want, I'm already moving onto sibly can. It's not all air-kisses and pats on the the next look. It's only when I do the edit in the CMY pass back though: “I remember getting kicked out of evening that I realise I have pictures I love. I get K this Belgian designer's show by this brutal PR more of a kick out of doing fashion editorials, Based in Sydney and Brussels of all places, person in Paris a few years ago. I was used to especially when all the elements fit together. photographer Sonny Vandevelde – a perenni- shooting that collection each season and was That's always a blast. The backstage is not a ally tanned, 40-something Belgo-Australian there with other photographers when she sud- controlled environment, I'm only document- photographer – enjoys the best of both worlds. denly stormed in and started yelling at us. She ing what's happening there.” Designers and A regular fixture on the global catwalk circuit, was really insulting and I didn't even know who models appreciate Sonny’s unassuming and Sonny criss-crosses the world’s fashion capi- the hell she was. 'Get the fuck out!' was all she laid-back demeanour and there's something tals – New York, Paris, Milan – shooting ever said to me. I just couldn't believe it and spontaneous and fresh about his images. They the backstage going-ons of the most exciting celebrate life, emotions and movement. Pretty catwalk shows on the planet. Renowned for much self-taught, he was obsessed with images his fun and upbeat backstage snaps that reveal from an early age. “I remember loving cameras an acute sense of belonging to the close-knit and the whole idea of capturing moments as world of fashion shows, Sonny relishes the a kid. I ended up backstage because I knew tribal tension of a show’s backstage: “There's people working with designers and did it just a feeling of kinship and community during the for fun. I was capturing whatever was going on shows, because you get to know everyone, from until magazines suggested I publish my pictures the models and make-up artists to the hair- for them. Now I work for Grazia, GQ, Vogue dressers and production teams. I spend a lot China, Oyster, Dansk and other international www.fingerfest.be Aguila of time talking to other photographers as well. titles. I was told once by this producer guy to go There's a crew of about eight of us that will had to leave… One day she had me removed for a job that I really enjoyed doing, instead of June 25, 2011 Disco Bloodbath always be at the major shows and we are faced by a security guard, who actually knew me. just thinking about the cash. That's got to be the Brasserie Belle-Vue (Damon Martin & Ben Pistor) with the same problems and challenges. Every Here I was, escorted by this guy who felt sorry best piece of advice I've ever been given.” (PP) show is different that way.” Behind the veneer he had to do this, in front of the whole Belgian Brussels Rob n Zoopsie of glamour and high fashion, Sonny’s job is press who were like 'Hey Sonny, where are you sonnyphotos.typepad.com demanding and draining. The fashion scene going?' When I told them I was being thrown is not what it used to be and there's too much out, their jaws dropped.” Despite the many money involved nowadays for people to piss uphill battles, Sonny clearly enjoys his work: about. The excesses of the supermodel era are “Some people say that getting the image you passé and Vandevelde's job now also involves want is an orgasmic experience, but I wouldn't a great deal of politics. During the shows, go that far. I'm really focused on trying to get as somethingto.com yikebike.com smnovella.be C
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www.fingerfest.be Aguila June 25, 2011 Disco Bloodbath Brasserie Belle-Vue (Damon Martin & Ben Pistor) Brussels Rob n Zoopsie
somethingto.com yikebike.com smnovella.be 44 The showstoppers Fashion Beauty Technology Consume
Let there be light
With our wardrobe summer lift nearly complete, there still are a couple of things we need to bag before setting sail for the month. Need a watch, a pair of sunglasses, shoes, a perfume, a pair of Chinos and sandals. Easy.
Writers Nicholas Lewis, Philippe Pourhashemi and Randa Wazen
01. Scent of a summer
We all need to indulge in our girly side once in a while. Marc Jacobs knows cool chicks inside out and is sure to please his cute, adoring fans with Daisy Eau So Fresh, a bubbly and unpretentious summer fragrance. Six colour- ful daisies adorn its clear bottle, turning the removal of the top into an amusing, tactile experience. The scent itself couldn't be more upbeat, with notes of grapefruit, apple blossom, violet, wild rose and plum bringing some much-needed joy and sweetness to our daily grind. (PP)
Daisy Eau So Fresh by Marc Jacobs 125ml bottle (€93). Available from Ici Paris XL and Marc Jacobs retailers. marcjacobs.com Style 45
02. it’s all in the detail
You’re going to have to up the antes if you want us to even consider wearing a watch. The thing is, we’re not exactly wrist-wearers, preferring instead to, erm, go naked. But every now and then, a particular model pops up on our radar. With its subtle quirkiness, under- tones of a deep-rooted design discipline and a functionality befit of its origins (Swiss, what else?), it really is the streamlined purity of its squared-shaped dial complemented by just the one yellow hand that sealed it for us. That, and the fact that we actually caught ourselves wondering what wardrobe staple it’d be a best fit with. And there goes another item to add on the “wallet watch list”. (NL)
R5.5 XXL Platinum watch by Rado (€3,100). Available from Cosyns (Brussels), Slaets Horloges (Antwerp) and Van Bignoot (Ghent). rado.com
03. bag raider
Bags can be a hard one to pull off during the summer months. The trick is to pick a style light enough to complement your summer breeze, but strong enough to contain your daily essentials. Colour is crucial, as are form and function. These are all prerequi- sites venerable French leather goods staple Lancel has mastered, and this is never more so evident than with its Premier Flirt slinger. A “be-easy”-type bag with enough pizzazz to turn the right kind of heads, its supple shape, exquisite craftsmanship and lemon, ostrich- print leather were the perfect match for the kind of summer we’re planning on having: unplanned, colourful and off-the-beaten- track. (PP)
Premier Flirt handbag by Lancel (€699). Available from Lancel (Brussels). lancel.com
04. byzantine bling
Glastonbury, Coachella, and the likes have morphed into runways of late, and after endur- ing the sore sight of Wellies in all shapes, sizes and colours for the past five years (thanks, Kate), the timing feels ripe to re-inject some much-needed glam into festival footwear. Fresh off the Paris-Byzance collection, which pays tribute to Coco Chanel’s fascination for Byzantine jewellery, these black leather sandals are draped in enough gemstones to blind anyone, no matter the sunglasses. And if heroin-chic is what you’re going for, trust us – prancing around battered fields in these whilst holding a beer in a plastic cup couldn’t possibly get more deliciously decadent. (RW)
Leather sandal with glass beads by Chanel (price on request). Available from Chanel (Brussels). chanel.com 46 The showstoppers
05. Not just another pair of aviators
When it comes to eyewear, few designs have stood the test of time like aviators. And whilst the original Ray-Ban’s may be perfect WELCOME TO OUR WORLD for purists, those unwilling to risk meeting PARIS - NEW YORK 2011 half a dozen tear-dropped shade-adorning clones on a simple run to the local grocery WORKS BY might favour the variations offered by some of the countless brands who’ve also exploited the classic design. Debuting its sunglasses collection this spring, this Tru Trussardi THE DEFINITIVE REFERENCE FOR FASHION, PHOTOGRAPHY, model, with its generous golden frame and IMAGE MAKING, ADVERTISING, PRODUCTION AND EVENTS vintage demeanour, carry the badass vibe of a WWW.LEBOOK.COM South-American druglord, whilst its discreet branding and subtle use of leather accents on its brown rims elicit Italian chic. Think Pablo Escobar meets Marcello Rubini. (RW)
Aviator TR12819 sunglasses by Tru Trussardi (€199). trussardi.com
06. got colour? All Basquiat Works Basquiat. Used by permission. L © Estate of Jean-Michel
At the end of a shoot on a recent night, a bunch of us where having a cigarette break in the garden. Talking about what we still felt was missing from the photograph we were trying to finish (we were on set for our book page), the discussion suddenly shifted to Randa’s fashion sense and, more spe- cifically, her choice of colours (she mostly wears black). “You really should wear more colour,” said Renasha. I began thinking about having a slightly similar colour deficiency myself (my wardrobe is mostly made of blues and greys). The only way I usually bring a touch of colour to what can only really be described as a very unicoloured uniform is by the shoes I wear. And these little babies are just the thing I need to shine a light on my dark-
blue-jeans-grey-sweater formula. (NL) icensed by Artestar, New York
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07. cos’ we told you so
In its ongoing battle for design democratisa- tion, COS keeps coming up with stronger collections each year, pushing its high and low concept on the high street. With the belief that great fashion shouldn't be out of bounds, it's ironic how many insiders actually shop there to find stylish, reliable pieces. Staying true to its minimal roots, Collection of Style has been growing steadily since its London launch in 2007. Revisiting extreme trends to make them See page 96 for full stockist CONNECTIONS : THE CUSTOM-MADE TRADESHOW FOR ALL THOSE WHO COMMISSION CREATIVE TALENT more appealing to the adoring masses, the col- information. FOR CAMPAIGNS, EDITORIALS, CATALOGS AND OTHER VISUAL PRODUCTIONS lection anticipated our longing for colour this Visit thewordmagazine.be/ BERLIN season. A pair of lightweight cotton chinos in a dribbles/letherebelight for SEPTEMBER 2011 saturated shade is all you need for brightening full purchase links. up the office routine. Think preppy, but don't LONDON be a bore. (PP) WINTER 2011
Collection of Style chinos by COS (€59). LOS ANGELES Available from COS (Brussels and Antwerp). JANUARY 2012 cosstores.com BY INVITATION ONLY - REGISTER AT WWW.LEBOOK.COM/CONNECTIONS WELCOME TO OUR WORLD PARIS - NEW YORK 2011 WORKS BY
THE DEFINITIVE REFERENCE FOR FASHION, PHOTOGRAPHY, IMAGE MAKING, ADVERTISING, PRODUCTION AND EVENTS WWW.LEBOOK.COM All Basquiat Works Basquiat. Used by permission. L © Estate of Jean-Michel icensed by Artestar, New York
CONNECTIONS : THE CUSTOM-MADE TRADESHOW FOR ALL THOSE WHO COMMISSION CREATIVE TALENT FOR CAMPAIGNS, EDITORIALS, CATALOGS AND OTHER VISUAL PRODUCTIONS BERLIN SEPTEMBER 2011 LONDON WINTER 2011 LOS ANGELES JANUARY 2012 BY INVITATION ONLY - REGISTER AT WWW.LEBOOK.COM/CONNECTIONS 48 The fashion Word Consume Photography
here comes the hotstepper
Defined by a newfound confidence and somewhat of a playful arrogance, the summer solstice has injected a little cheek back into our daily grind, with hints of an inner elegance and signs of a deep, very deep sense of fulfilment proof that a ray of light is very often all you really need.
Photography Sébastien Bonin Fashion Laurent Dombrowicz Style 49
Dress Kristofer Kongshaug, Black leather covered camera pendant Natalia Brilli Shirt, skirt and platform sandals Jimmy Choo, Latex leggings Manish Arora, Leather headpiece Natalia Brilli Jacket Vanessa Bruno, Open boots Cacharel, Headpiece Christophe Coppens Sequined and embroidered chiffon dress Christian Dior, Degradé cotton trench coat Dries Van Noten, Platform sandals Jimmy Choo Chiffon dress and cardigan John Galliano, Black leather neckpiece Natalia Brilli 54 The fashion Word
Hat Christophe Coppens for Romain Kremer Style 55
Photographer Sébastien Bonin
Photographer's assistant Christian Jimenez
Fashion Laurent Dombrowicz
Stylist’s assistant Nicolas Dureau
Retouching Jonathan Steelandt
Hair and make-up Inge Devos for Dior and Redken
Model Nana Keita @Angels Models Paris
See page 96 for full stockist information.
Visit thewordmagazine.be/office/hotstepper for a behind the scenes short. 56 The columns Consume Talent Nostalgia We love New release
01. 02. 03. found: Teenage riot Now: blossoming radiance Trivia: all that glitters is not gold © Yana Foqué
The rural East Flanders region known as © Joke De Wilde Meetjesland isn’t exactly famous for its musical exports (except the cringing Eurovision In 2006, Belgium was one of the first European contestant Tom Dice). It is however home countries to include download sales figures to to Ping Pong Tactics, the country’s most Playing on a boat under a solar eclipse in Japan, calculate chart positions. This proved especially exciting and noisy bright young things. Dries touring with a spiritual advisor, inviting the crucial for singles, given that 90% of their sales Dauwe (drums) and Bert Huyghe (vocals, audience to play their instruments and take now happen with the click of a mouse, explains bass) formed the band in 2008, recruiting over gigs in a communal state of trance… Any Sam Jaspers of Ultratop. Created in 1995 and the latter’s then 16-year-old brother Thomas cynic would be forgiven for dismissing Gang funded by the country’s record companies, to take on guitar duty. With a radically DIY Gang Dance as yet another hyped-up posse Ultratop produces the official music charts approach and a colourful aesthetic, their of new-age cranks. Naming their last album based on data gathered from in-store sales, debut – 11 furiously erratic and spontaneous Saint-Dymphna (2008), the patron saint for the online sales and digital downloads, alerting no-wave tinted tracks – was taped on second mentally ill, probably didn’t help silence the record labels to the fact that their artists have hand cassettes and sold in a bag with a lollipop band’s detractors. Yet, every inch of the excite- hit the gold mark. Back in 1995, international and a balloon. Not loud enough to fit in with ment surrounding their much-lauded fourth LP artists had to sell 25,000 units (now 15,000) to the local metal scene yet too deconstructed was fully deserved, and finally acknowledged be certified gold, whereas local acts or singles to achieve national airplay, the band ended the New York based quartet, sometimes referred sung in French and Dutch had to clock up up in the strange sonic no-man’s land of lo-fi. to as “world beat slicing experimentalists”, as 15,000 units (now 10,000). And, whilst these Although the boys rapidly gained a loyal fol- having come of age. Eye Contact, their first figures may seem peanuts when compared to the lowing in Ghent, even securing an opening slot release on 4AD, sees them push their musical US or UK’s, it is important to note that Belgium for Wavves at Brussels’ L’Ancienne Belgique, reach a step further, testing out its boundaries. is composed of two completely different they’re still relatively unpopular back in their Relocating their New York studio to the Mojave markets: one in the Flemish-speaking North of hometown. “It’s really hard to explain how Desert influenced the album’s purveying the country and another in the French-speaking redneck and conservative our area is,” says mood, giving it a resolutely bright, enlightened South. This goes some way in explaining Bert. “Most of our songs sound like the place and natural feel. “It marked a clear change,” why local acts rarely manage to go platinum, they’re made in – a very grey and sad zone,” agrees singer Lizzi Bougatsos, “and change is with notable exceptions like Helmut Lotti, adds Dries, whose parents’ shed in Lembeke always bright.” From the progressive 11-minute Clouseau, Axelle Red, dEUS, Plastic Bertrand, serves as a rehearsal and recording studio. opener Glass Jar to the infectious beat-heavy Technotronic, Vaya Con Dios or more recently At first listen, their tunes carry a bright, final cut Thru and Thru, the 10 track album is Stromae. Whether the award will be produced summery and overwhelming feel. Hope shines a cosmic trip through continents, a colourful, or not is up to the record labels, since they are through, yet reality always seems to catch up eclectic and experimental album which defies the ones who, ultimately, will have to fork out for with the music, pervading it with melancholic any genre or category. The soulful Romance it being produced. And, with a price tag varying undertones. And that pretty much sums up Layer even features a cameo from Hot Chip’s between €200 and €1,000, whether or not an their core. “After every ambitious sentence Alexis Taylor, who just “really wanted to sing artist gets the gold treatment really just depends we utter, we always just say ‘then we can go on the album,” jokes Lizzi. Keyboardist and on how creative the agency will get. “Rihanna’s shovel shit under a train’. We want to make multi-instrumentalist Brian DeGraw describes Rated R album, for example, had a bit of an it, but also know we might end up becoming the album’s general tone as being like a dark S&M vibe to it, so her gold record award postmen in our villages,” Bert cynically jokes. egg revealing iridescent colours when cracked included black leather and steel,” explains An LP on indie label Smoke&Dust is planned open. Diagnosed with synaesthesia (a percep- Patrick Guns, sales and marketing director at for September, but “it will still be recorded tive condition that allows him to see colours and Universal, whose roster of artists have, for the on a four-track,” assures Thomas. “We’re not shapes in sounds), Brian picked the artwork, a most part, made it gold or platinum. And as far leaving the shed just yet.” (RW) macro photograph of a sleeping insect covered as the actual object is concerned, don’t be fooled in morning dew by Miroslaw Swietek, based on by its shiny gold sparkle – vinyl records may myspace.com/pingpongtactics what he “saw” in the record. (RW) have been covered with a gold laminate a while back but, these days, a plain gold-coloured CD Visit thewordmagazine.be/office/teenageriot Eye Contact is out now on 4AD usually does the trick. (RW) myspace.com/ganggangdance 4ad.com ultratop.be Music 57
04. 05. 06. gear: it’s all in the tubes rise and shine: Jealov Jokes: The king of covers
© Yassin Serghini Yassin © Old-fashioned, at times annoying, and mostly uninspiring, we certainly never thought of In the ongoing debate of digital vs. analogue, lounge music as “funny” listening. That’s we know where our ears tilt. And whilst until we discovered Richard Cheese – the converting our entire iTunes library into vynil alter ego of 45 year-old LA-based singer/ remains a persistent lifetime achievement comedian/actor Mark Jonathan Davis – fantasy, managing to pull that one off seems whose cheesed-out covers of mainstream quite unlikely. Lack of money, lack of time and, and alternative hits managed to turn the in many cases, lack of availability. We’ve come elevator music genre into a hilarious exer- to find the perfect alternative to that one. Valve cise. Active since 2000, he’s now released
amplifiers. Just like guitar amps, the principle © Joke De Wilde 10 albums of irreverent swinging remakes remains the same: vacuum tubes (or thermionic with jazz trio Lounge Against The Machine valves) shaped like lamps increase the ampli- You could say the story is getting old. Three (milking the dairy joke with members tude of the audio signal, literally warming it gifted guys get together, form a ‘collective’, and aliases like Bobby Ricotta, Frank Feta up and giving it a fuller, softer sound. Such dabble in everything creative – music, photog- and Billy Bleu), spoofing cult classics with precise and state-of-the-art technology usually raphy, video. The lot. Well-versed in the art titles such as I’d Like a Virgin, Sunny Side comes its customary prohibitive price tag, but of getting their name up (targeted, well-crafted of The Moon, OK Bartender, Tuxicity, or if you’re looking to shop in an affordable price promos). Well-versed in the connects that need Aperitif For Destruction. With Cheese’s range, the Melody MI880 will most definitely to be made nowadays to get heard (remixes of trademark crooner style and falsely naïve do the trick. Founded by a sound engineer, the songs that have entered the popular domain). emphasis on explicit lyrics, bubblegum pop Australian company has devoted its research You could nearly call them the indie boy bands hits are suddenly exposed for all their vapid and expertise to create a line of tube amps, of the new millennium, the only difference absurdity, angst-laden anthems (System preamps and integrated amplifiers. With its here is the talent that underpins the concept. of a Down’s Chop Suey, Slipknot’s People sleek design and smooth black lacquer finish, And the concept is Jealov, a trio of university Equals Shit) take a humorous pathetic turn the MI880 is nothing short of gorgeous and students (med students Rick and Mathieu, and and the offensive (Nine Inch Nails’ Closer, can be connected to any music device, includ- Yann, an engineering student) who’ve been Nirvana’s Rape Me) verges onto the pro- ing MP3 players. Paired with the right set hitting just about all the right notes of late. foundly disturbing. The result is riotous and of speakers, the difference is instant. Unlike “Jealov is definitely a holiday, maybe a depress- nothing short of plain genius. Paying his very transistors, valve amplifiers are not ideal to ing holiday,” says Rick, the band’s singer/beat own “fromage homage” to the biggest names crank up the sound at high volumes, are less maker, describing their music with perfect in music, Davis selects songs that “have that resistant and wear out much faster. Therefore precision. One huge, pared-down mash-up of special... something, songs that will be around one shouldn’t rely on it to get a party started or influences - they credit everyone from Flying five, 10, 20 years from now.” By no means to expect to use it eight hours a day listening to Lotus to How to Dress Well as having shaped the sole perpetrators of the Vegas lounge- the radio. Purist audiophiles and music lovers their sound -, the band blends bass-heavy beats style cover genre, RC & LATM remain the on the other hand, craving that lost intimacy with melancholic melodies, shape-shifting loudest and edgiest, pushing the latent irony and presence, will be rewarded with listen- from time-to-time into something altogether of current Top 40 hits to the farthest. Don’t ing experience that is almost magical. Just more soulful yet gritty, the singing especially, miss the band’s only headlining concert in think of it as the perfect tool for listening to which seems to seep in from the background. Europe this year, at London’s HMV Forum your favourite artist in your living room, eyes “I like the fact that my voice isn’t perfect, that is on 6th July. (RW) closed, and actually getting the feeling that sounds unsure,” continues Rick, with Mathieu that person is in there with you, forgetting for adding “We don’t want to sound too perfect.” Let It Brie comes out in July on 26th July. a moment that the sound is coming from two And, with a recent signing to LA-based Mush richardcheese.com wooden boxes. (RW) Records (also home to Her Space Holiday, Aesop Rock and cLOUDDEAD), their indie Melody Audio MI880 amplifier. credentials shouldn’t fear being sucked into the Visit thewordmagazine.be/radar/ Available from New Music (Brussels). mainstream just yet. (NL) richardcheese for a video edit of our favourite Richard newmusic.be Cheesey covers. melodyvalvehifi.com jealov.be 58 The Word with New release Talent We love It takes a lot of beans to make a Chilly All photography © Alexandre Isard
With more facets to his talent than a chameleon on shuffle mode, Chilly Gonzales is a hard man to pin down. His new album, The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales, just out, we caught up with the Canadian-born virtuoso in his Paris appartment to talk bathrobe fetishes, wannabe industry poseurs and paying for you own Guinness World Record title.
Interview Randa Wazen Music 59
Is the Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales really the first ever all-orchestral rap album? I have no idea. Abd Al Malik probably sung with an orchestra, there’s been a lot of orchestrated hip-hop but there’s always those crashing beats in there. I’m sure there have been special projects but as far as a whole album? I’ll stand by that for now…
ˆ “There are a lot of guys, but these ones are up there, in the NBA of rap. It’s the only meritocracy left”
ˇ It’s definitely your most intimate to date. Every song’s lyrics read like a page torn from a diary. Having stressed the differ- ence between “the artist as a masturba- tor” and “the entertainer as a love maker” in the past, do you feel you’re tilting more towards masturbation on this one? I hope not. I just try to avoid putting any- thing on stage or on an album that I feel would not be entertaining. I think the only difference with this one was that I was really thinking about the people who know me, who follow me on Twitter (@chillygonzales), who are regularly at my shows. It could seem like mas- turbation to someone who’s not interested, but I do consider it to be a fundamentally commu- nicative album because getting really personal is something I haven’t done yet.
You’ve been strongly influenced by rap – which names would you recommend to someone who has no real background in “Unspeakable” sounds very intriguing I guess the friendship and the work is very that genre? and mysterious – yet it seems unspeakable blurry, because I’m part of this musical family My mini-mission especially with people because it’s just plain honest. Subjects like with really wonderful people that happen to who aren’t into this stuff is to get them into the money and ambition have become very be great musicians too like Peaches, Feist, rap of today. Everyone loves Biggie Smalls, taboo. Is that why you chose this word? Mocky, Jamie Lidell, Tiga… That’s part of Tupac, Wu-Tang and A Tribe Called Quest, Yes, those are the things you can’t normally what makes me happy, everybody is doing so but a lot of them have lost track. If they like say in conversations. But mostly it just has this well, we manage to collaborate, still be friends crazy rap, I’ll get them to listen to Lil Wayne. If supervillainous feel. When I heard the epic and there haven’t been a lot of clashes that we they like really good funky rap, then Rick Ross quality of the music my brother was making it couldn’t handle over 10 years. And you know, cause he’s kind of the Biggie of today, with a big just came right away. The supervillain imagery everything else that a normal person could huge voice. There are a lot of guys, but these is something I’d always had floating around. I enjoy, like relaxing. ones are up there, in the NBA of rap. It’s the never dressed up with a cape and a mask, it’s only meritocracy left. The most successful more about the idea of being someone who’s Do you get to do that a lot? You definitely rappers are considered the best, which isn’t very gifted but uses the gift more for himself. But come across as being very productive, the case in other genres like French chanson. of course a supervillain just wants to be loved so hyperactive and workaholic. I’ve always seen myself in that character. A lot of it usually comes at the end of a You mentioned your education played a period of really heavy work. When all you big part in your over-achieving nature and What puts a smile on your face? Are you a want to do is just do nothing. And I can be drive. Has it mellowed down over time? happy man? quite good at that when I want to. I can watch It’s like people who grew up catholic – Yeah, very much. I really like my job, I get an entire season of Mad Men in three days. you may get out, but it’s always there and there to make a living doing pretty much what I was You’ll know the kind of stuff I like cause it’s comes a point when you have to accept it. put on earth to do. A good gig, a good inter- all in the songs. “You’re nothing if you’re not successful” is the view, a good listening session, a good meeting, kind of sentence that’s hanging over my head a really well written email to Drake – so that Like Southpark? By the way, what is the all the time. The Ivory Tower movie was a bit I know that I can work with him again – all truth in Eric Cartman? about the moment where I was fighting it in a those things will make me a happy man. He lives in all of us. That little petulant, way. I think being a pure sell-out is not good completely manipulative creature of pure ego and being a pure artist neither. My whole life Anything not work related? and insecurity. I see myself and everybody else will be reacting to this brainwashing I had. Of course, like my friends. But in that case, I’ve ever met in Eric Cartman. 60 The Word with
Any good joke you heard recently? I follow this guy called The Fat Jew on Twitter (@FATJEW), he’s really irreverent and funny. (Gets his laptop and reads a few jokes): “This joke will never be not funny: What's brown and rhymes with Snoop? DR. DRE” “Hate is a strong word. Unless you're com- paring it to murderfuck. Murderfuck is a strong word.” “Owen Wilson's nose looks like a dick that was run over by a tank.” “If hot people don't stop pretending they're funny, I'm going to start pretending I'm hot.” “Ladies, sex with me is about as thrilling, magical and breathtaking as watching ‘Avatar’ on an iPod.” “If everyone walked around with their orgasm face, nobody would ever get laid.” This guy is actually LOL. I actually laugh out loud.
ˆ “A Hungarian Jew with a Cuban name is impossible in a way but I like the impossibility of it. There are a lot of musical geniuses called Gonzales too, so it seemed like a good
pedigree” to Berlin after the whole Canadian experience. Those definitely are all very cool and accu- One of the biggest problems was that I felt I had rate titles to have, but what would your to suppress a lot of real character traits, like epitaph read? ˇ my egomania, the part of me that could seem Oh jeez, you’re making me envision my You’ve got strong views on wannabe artists/ arrogant but is really just a precise confidence death? I have no idea. I often think about what poseurs. Who seems sincere to you these days? in one certain thing I can do. My wanting to use the title of my autobiography would be but I don’t I don’t know about sincere, but who seems humour didn’t really work out so I ended up have enough distance yet. I’d love to become the like the real deal? Someone who is larger than acting like all the other indie rockers, for lack official piano guy that all rappers go to when they life but manages to find something very poetic of a better plan, and I hated myself for doing so. need piano parts. That would be a real achieve- in it. Anyone from Daft Punk, with their robot Saying whatever everyone else says like “you ment. I got a bit closer now with Drake, with costumes, to a million rappers whom I love, or know, I do what I do for myself and if every- whom I performed at the Juno Awards, which someone like Philippe Katerine in France. one likes it, it’s a bonus,” which is stuff I don’t are like the Canadian Grammy’s. believe now and didn’t believe back then. So I You moved from Canada to Berlin ten just picked a name that was a bit far away from So that would be the next step – being years ago and have spent the past eight me. A Hungarian Jew with a Cuban name is accepted and solicited in what you call the years in Paris. What prompted your exile? impossible in a way but I like the impossibility “NBA of rap”? Total career frustration. When I signed a of it. There are a lot of musical geniuses called Yes, because all the other solicitations, record deal in Canada, I thought my problems Gonzales too, so it seemed like a good pedigree. which are very nice for the resume, only fill were over but that was just the beginning of Another thing was that people warned me about me up to a certain amount. I didn’t even really my hell ride through the music business. I was being too all over the place musically and that grow up with rap, I discovered it more towards grossly underprepared for being on stage, being it could work against me. I was really not intent my 20s. Rap really came after the Canadian in interviews, knowing how to act in meetings, on repeating the same thing over and over so I problem and I thought “who I think acts cool so I made a bunch of mistakes and it was a dis- decided to make the personality so intense that in interviews? Who says cool shit?” and then aster. I felt like a zero, I was going nowhere. it could link it all together and people would I realised it was rappers. The way they act So I just moved to Europe, as it was better for understand how I can rap and play the piano. like themselves but very exaggerated, the way what I wanted to do. I signed to Kitty Yo, this they’re very honest about ambition, at the same tiny Berlin label, and they released mine and It’s very hard to pigeonhole you as an act. time they’re also very artistically ambitious Peaches’ album within a month of each other You’ve been described as “Berlin under- too, but they don’t really have to say it. In fact it and it just blew up. We sold about 5,000 records ground prankster rapper”, “workaholic looks a bit stupid when a rapper tries to be too but for them, we were like platinum artists! Grammy-nominated producer”, “melan- artistic. Look at Kanye West: he’s overreach- cholic piano virtuoso”, “Guinness World ing a bit. He’s not Matthew Barney… He’s not What made you kill Jason Beck “the purist Record holder”… Alejandro Jodorowsky… artist” to give birth to Chilly Gonzales I’ve had such a great life. Doesn’t that “the pragmatic capitalist entertainer”? sound like a cool guy? See, my teenage self is You broke the world record for the longest It happened right around the time I came now going like “yeah, cool!” solo-artist performance. Playing piano for Music 61
27 hours, 3 minutes and 44 seconds, how did you manage practicalities? You know Guinness lets you have breaks, right? You get five minutes every hour, which you can cumulate. I did 15 minutes every three hours, but it’s still very short. I had a bit of everything; some muscle cramps three hours in, but Guinness has doctors on site. To get the Guinness stamp you have to be very formal. You have a notary, a witness, they don’t really fuck around and it’s also a bit expensive because you have to pay for the guy from Guinness to come down on a first class Eurostar.
So you actually paid to get your own record? Well with selling tickets I think I lost a bit of money but yeah, a totally worthwhile invest- ment (gestures towards the framed certificate hanging in his living room). That was some of the most poetic branding I could do. After the Soft Power feeling of dilution, it was about re- establishing the two most important aspects of me: musical genius and crazy competitive guy.
ˆ “In fact it looks a bit stupid when a rapper tries to be too artistic. Look at Kanye West: he’s overreaching a bit. He’s not Matthew Barney… He’s not Alejandro Jodorowsky…” It would be nice if I could just pull out brass Could you explain the statement? and string instruments and play. But I like to del- Like a lot of things I enjoy, it’s a really con- egate a lot. Boys Noize basically produced the vincing illusion of intimacy. Seeing a guy in a ˇ whole Ivory Tower album, my brother took care bathrobe playing an upright piano is different of this whole album. I didn’t direct my movie, than seeing Richard Clayderman in a smoking even though it looks like I controlled everything jacket playing on a white grand piano with a dove. Could you describe what was going on in but I gave the most important job to someone else. I know it’s weird for French people, because a your head during the 27th hour? I’m through trying to do everything… bathrobe and slippers are something you wear There were some hallucinations as of hour when you’re sick at home. 24, forgetting where I was, the piano,… this Which is funny because you tend to project was during a three-year period where I had this image of a control freak… Which might explain this mental image we stopped smoking weed by the way, because if I Well, newsflash: I’m growing up and improv- could have of you as a grumpy old man… had, I surely couldn’t have done it. I wanted to ing on my character defaults, very slowly. Hey I’m aware of the cranky uncle Gonz' go one hour further than what I had announced. persona that I emanate but it’s more acute in Because I thought that would be cool – that You crowned yourself “President of the France. In England, people would say: “he comes when I got to 27 and everyone was going crazy, Berlin Underground” at one point. Do you on in a dressing gown,” which has a very different I could still continue… I couldn’t though. I did still feel underground? connotation. four minutes more and then my hands stopped I’m a bit of a Where’s Waldo? I just pop up playing by themselves. Most importantly I saw in weird places. As Chilly Gonzales, the albums How many bathrobes do you currently own? the reaction the day I woke up. It had become the I put out are still absolutely underground but a Only three. There’s a tartan one I some- number two topic on Twitter that week. I didn’t lot more people know about what I do, and who times wear around my house and two from even have a Twitter account! I called my manager don’t necessarily know my music. I try to do most Old England. A Swiss designer approached me straight away and said I had to go to the States to things like press and shows because I’m basically because he wants to create a custom-made bath- work asap. I would not be sinking further into still hustling. On the other hand I’m mentioned so robe with a monogram CG print all over it. That’s the crust of this quiche in France. It’s a really often in the same breath as Feist, Peaches, Tiga, definitely how I see the future. With matching funny period because I also gained a lot of weight do weird things like the Juno Awards broad- slippers. so now when I see photos it feels like “my weird cast, or the iPad commercial… Can I really say fat French exile.” Now I’m back to how I looked I’m underground when millions have heard my The Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales comes out before, Ivory Tower was a huge success for us, music? on 6th June on Gentle Threat. I’m my own boss, I can put out a new album eight Piano Talk on 31st May at Theatre 140, Brussels. months after the previous one and do crazy shit At what point did it become clear you’d only chillygonzales.com like that – it’s wonderful. perform in a bathrobe and pyjamas? Mainly since early 2009. I did it a bit on Soft Visit thewordmagazine.be/dribbles/chillygonzales Is there an instrument you’re absolutely not Power circa 2007, but before that I had the rap familiar with but would like to have a go at? costume, the pink suit, the safari suit,… 62 The throw away project Talent People Photography
adam Goldberg Despite having Tweet-mentioned us saying he preferred “Los Feliz chanteuse and ayurvedic healer” as a description, Hollywood actor Adam Goldberg really is best known for his neurotic and incredibly hilarious performances as Joey’s roomie on Friends and, more recently, as psychotic producer Nick Rubenstein in Entourage. Fresh from a showcase of his new outfit The Goldberg Sisters, we caught up with Adam in Brussels’ Café Central for a brief chat (read it here thewordmagazine.be/radar/goldberginterview) and to give him one of our disposable cameras. He took it back to L.A. and, a few weeks later, sent us these…
Photographer Adam Goldberg Music 63
The Goldberg Sisters’ self- Visit thewordmagazine. titled debut album is out be/office/adamgoldberg or now on [PIAS]. scan the QR code on the adamgoldbergdilletante.com right for Adam's complete pias.com series of pictures. 64 The PhoTograPhy SPecial The PhoTograPhy SPecial 65
gunpoint, as well as being arrested by the FBI. In was less difficult than expected: “contrary Into the wild one scene featuring Tony – a daunting man living to what one might think, a hermit living by in a barred house without windows who seemed himself in the woods is connected to society. “Come to Minneapolis and wear a thick jacket to suffer from paranoia – one notices the camera He has electricity and Internet. Some even have and boots.” Such was Alec Soth’s cryptic shaking. It was Arnaud trembling with fear. a Facebook account and are members of online reply when Laure Flammarion and Arnaud The low-budget documentary was entirely hermit communities!” Surprisingly enough, Uyttenhove requested to shoot a documen- funded by private money. The directors had the interviewees were far from reluctant to chat tary about him. Not knowing what to expect, difficulties selling their proposal, as they were with the crew, visibly in dire need of human both directors – not a couple – followed the constantly faced with the questions: “So what interactions. They all had different reasons to American photographer for three years, result- are you guys making? Is this a portrait of the retire from society but were all equally inter- ing in the film Somewhere to Disappear. This photographer or the people retreating from esting. From the extremely shy teenager, to the documentary shows Alec working on his Broken society?” The reply was simply “both”. “We redneck or tree hugger, the documentary por- Manual project about hermits living in the most wanted this feature to be as much documentary trays a motley crew, but without ever sinking in remote areas in the US. “It was one hell of a ride,” as fiction; without interviews or the conven- the sensationalism of a freak show. smiles Arnaud. “A crazy road movie for which tional codes of the documentary genre. That Though Laure and Arnaud are still we drove 30,000 kms and journeyed through- is why we treated Alec as a character. For us, looking for a distributor, the documentary has out the entire United States from east to west it was more about making a poetic film. We already been screened in Minneapolis’ Walker and north to south.” Though Paris-based Laure took our time to create a slow sense of atmos- Art Museum, Toronto’s Hot Docs festival and had previously worked on a documentary about phere.” Though there is no real narrative devel- the LACMA in L.A. It will also be featured in Chilly Gonzales, Somewhere to Disappear was opment, the documentary does have a sense of the upcoming Rencontres d’Arles Photography Arnaud’s debut. “Besides being a film, it was a rhythm. The camera follows Alec closely in Festival. Seems like its directors will have to real adventure for both of us. An amazing expe- the beginning, yet shots become broader as the wait a bit before they can retreat themselves. rience to have travelled that much and met all documentary progresses, focussing on the wild (SS) those singular individuals. And being a pho- landscapes. Ghinzu’s guitarist Greg Remy (fea- tography buff, it was awesome to spend so much tured on page 61 of our red album), as well as time with Alec, whose work I adore.” Anecdotes Rob & L’Aiglon from Phoenix, kindly contrib- somewheretodisappearthefilm.com from their peregrinations include a hermit on uted to the introspective soundtrack. See overleaf for a director’s cut of behind-the-scenes methadone freaking out and holding them at Arnaud assures us that finding the hermits images. 66 The photography papers
Directors Laure Flammarion and Arnaud Uyttenhove The PhoTograPhy SPecial 67
Dustin at Joshua Tree
Staring into the wild: Alec Soth 68 The photography papers Online Nostalgia
Polaroid perfect pages On the left, a curated collection of the suggestive and sexy. On the right, a story about a story, with hints of celebrity. Both are online projects. And both make Polaroids a very possible project after all. © Stuart Mitchell © Sasha Smut
The kinky collectors or just that little bit,” continues Gilles who, With plans to publish these gems in books Pornaloid together with designer and pleaseletmedesign that will feature a selection of snapshots founder Damien, started the page about a year by regular “pornaloiders”, such as Stuart “What better medium to capture your girl- ago. Scouring the web for these lost moments Mitchell, April Lea Hutchinson, Kevin Kay, friend naked?” suggests Gilles Kasverdenko, of intimacy, their collection blends found Collin J. Rae, Sascha Smut, Phil Garcia, co-founder of Tumblr instant hit Pornaloid. images, their own, as well as submissions Thibault Tourmente or Joël Blanter, as well A tasteful, passionate and only but slightly they receive – the one and only rule they’ve as others by special guests. kinky blog roll, Pornaloid is instant erotica: imposed on themselves being that every “A Pornaloid is a game. It’s sexy, never vulgar, picture must be an authentic instant. pornaloid.com The PhoTograPhy SPecial 69
Cee lo Green Pharrell Williams
Spoek Mathambo
Erykah Badu
The thrill-seeker Ostende/Oostende native started three years successes haven’t tamed her resolve one bit. Her No Balls, No Glory: A Polaroid Story back. A diary that is just as much about the story wish list still counts a number of targets (soul as it is about the story behind the story, it is the and R’n’B legends Grace Jones, Stevie Wonder, “Jay Electronica called me once at 3am for some intimate and honest way her trials and tribula- Beyonce, Diana Ross and Sade to name but a small talk and I ended up Polaroid shopping and tions are recounted that draws you in. That, and few) and she’s still working on getting that Jay-Z clubbing with Theophilus London in Berlin,” the mind-boggling amount of instant classics Polaroid. Something tells us it’ll only be a matter recalls blogger/model/photographer/party pro- she’s amassed. She’s photographed everyone of time before Mr Carter’s saying cheese. moter Elisabeth Ouni, the brains behind No from Pharrell, Erykah Badu and Gil Scott Heron Balls, No Glory: A Polaroid Story, a blog the to Snoop Dogg and M.I.A, although these many apolaroidstory.wordpress.com 70 The round up Arts Consume Galleries
The walls we watch If you’re into your art, Belgium and its many fine art galleries come pretty close to being heaven on earth. If you’re a photography buff though, the country can come across as a deserted island, with only a handful of spaces exclusively dedicated to the art form. Here, we handpick five galleries that single-handedly put photography firmly on the national (and, in some cases, international) map.
Writers Nicholas Lewis and Randa Wazen Photographer Sarah Eechaut
BRuSSeLS
01. espace photographique contretype
“Our aim is for first-time photographers to exhibit with us first, in the hope of then being taken on by a gallery,” says Contretype founder Jean-Louis Godefroid (pic- tured bottom left), pinpointing his foundation’s purpose. Founded in 1978 (the first such venue in the city exclu- sively dedicated to photography), Contretype essentially is an exhibiting space that sometimes also dabbles in book publishing. Housed in the splendid Hotel Hannon (named after former Solvay Director General and passionate photographer Edouard Hannon) off the city’s Avenue Brugmannlaan, Contretype has over the years built up a reputation as a breeding ground for emerging talent, the last obligatory stop before “making it”. Indeed, recent graduates intent on having their photographs exhibited flock to the space for its reputation as an institution that favours talent over commercial viability as well as for its residency program. Curators, gallery owners and collec- tors, on the other hand, see Contretype as a necessary filter – a trusted source of information that somehow always seems to “get it right”. Dirk Braeckman, for example, had his first Brussels solo show here. (NL)
Satoru Toma's On the Borders runs from 8th June to 4th of September.
Avenue de la Jonction 1 Verbindingslaan 1060 Brussels contretype.org The PhoTograPhy SPecial 71
BRuSSeLS 02. 03. box galerie Polar+NKa*photography
Nestled in a quiet street of the Châtelain/Kastelijn neigh- Pascal Polar Gallery’s first floor has been entirely devoted bourhood, Box Galerie shows photography in its purest to photography since 2004. Managed by Eric Kawan (pic- form. Its founders Stefan De Jaeger and Alain D’Hooghe tured above), Polar+NKA*photography offers ancient, (pictured above) are no newcomers to the medium. De modern and contemporary plastician photography devoid Jaeger achieved worldwide fame with his monumental of geographical or temporal limits. With a strong back- Polaroid mosaics, whilst Alain has delved into every ground in art direction, Eric Kawan (co-founder of crea- possible aspect of the medium – publishing, reviewing, tive strategy firm The Ad Store), is the kind of man who curating, and teaching – except its practice. The desire to knows exactly what he wants. The choice of photographers found Box Galerie six years ago emerged from a growing he banks on is always based on three essential factors: frustration both friends felt. “Nothing in Brussels offered their work must bear a signature of their own, general the kind of photography we were into,” Alain admits. consistency, and technical qualities. “I know it’s popular Being both avid collectors, their selection criteria are these days, but I don’t care much for blurred or half failed simple: “Would we hang it in our living room?” is the images,” he explains. Relatively unfussed by commercial question that precedes every selection that will grace the restrictions, Polar+NKA*photography is all about edge gallery’s clean and luminous white walls. Favouring long- and innovation. A gallery aimed at confirmed collectors standing relationships over quantity, they only represent and neophyte amateurs, eager to discover new things, 25 photographers and don’t do “one-shots” – a philoso- fresh talent and newfangled languages. (RW) phy that reflects D’Hooghe's personal way of collecting: “I prefer owning 10 prints by two photographers than the Chaussée de Charleroisesteenweg 108 other way around.” (RW) 1060 Brussels pascalpolar.be Larry Fink’s Beautiful People runs until 2nd July
Rue du Mail 88 Maliestraat 1050 Brussels
Little Box Galerie @ Filigranes Corner 21 Avenue Louis Lepoutrelaan 1050 Brussels boxgalerie.be 72 The round up
aNTWeRP 01. 02. fifty one fine art Photography Stieglitz 19
A FILMMAKER © Persuado
is all it takes to win up to €15,000 200 seconds worth of Nikon film equipment Opened in 2000 by former photographer Roger Szmulewicz “Photography galleries will always be marginal.” Not (pictured above), Fifty One Fine Art Gallery moves in exactly the kind of thing you’d expect a newly-minted the upper echelons of the collecting community. The only gallery owner to state. Then again, Stieglitz 19 founder Nikon’s ‘I AM A FILMMAKER’ competition is for short films up to 200 seconds Belgian gallery to be present at Paris Photo, more than half Dries Roelends (pictured above) isn’t exactly your run- long. The competition is open to everyone, from students, pro and semi-pro of its clients come from abroad which, when one considers of-the-mill gallery owner. Think of him as more of an the considerable amount of art collectors in Belgium, says obsessive, someone whose passion for photography ran so filmmakers to advanced enthusiasts. a lot about photography’s place in art hierarchy. Pairing its deep through his veins that he simply had to do something high and low sensibilities with an obvious commercial nous, about it. And that something resulted in a refreshingly Your entry will be judged by a professional jury So if you please both the jury and the public, you the gallery has over the years brought an impressive roaster intimate photography gallery housed on the first floor of of blue-chip photographers to its walls (Irving Penn, Saul his Antwerp townhouse, and whose main purpose is to give which includes Jan Verheyen, Jaco Van Dor- could win equipment worth €15,000 ! Leither, Diane Arbus, Cindy Sherman), whilst at the same emerging photographers a platform to showcase their work. mael, Valérie Pierre, Rob Rombouts, Mark De The competition is open until August 31st 2011, time building up its own stable of artists (Malick Sidibe, Up and comers such as 223 and Aurore Valade have had William Klein, Seydou Keita) with whom Szmulewicz never shows at Stieglitz, as have more established names such as Visscher, Jo Vermaercke and representatives full details about it at www.nikonfilmfestival.be, writes up a contract, preferring instead an informal gentle- Jimmy Kets and Françoise Huguier. Unbound by any com- from Brussels Short Film Festival and Gent which is also where you can upload your film man’s agreement to seal the deal. “The job (of gallery owner) mercial, geographic or technical limitation, the gallery’s is already so ingrate that it would be sad if it didn’t fit (on a program is as varied as Roelends’ passion is wide, lending International Film Festival and with the support and ask people to vote for it. The competition personal level),” he says. A calm and collected 38-year-old, it something of a light-hearted and unpretentious feel. from Scam-Sofam. There are two prizes to be is being held in collaboration with the Brussels Szmulewicz’s foray into photography, it is important to note, Without a doubt the kind of gallery you could see yourself clearly comes from the heart. Case in point: when we met, buy your first print in. (NL) won. The jury prize is €10,000 worth of Nikon Short Film Festival and the Gent International he really began to spring to life when talking about Editions film equipment and the prize for the most public Film Festival. A selection of entries will be shown 51, a collection of photographs each printed to the tune of 51 Jimmy Kets’ solo show Shot in Flanders runs until 5th June. editions from some of the gallery’s photographers. (NL) votes is €5,000 worth of Nikon film equipment. during the Gent Film Festival. Arthur Goemaerelei 19 Don’t miss Malian photographer Seydou Keita’s solo show at the gallery, 2018 Antwerpen which runs until 11th June. stieglitz19.be NIKON Zirkstraat 20 www.nikonfilmfestival.be FILMFESTIVAL 2000 Antwerp BELGIUM gallery51.com
NIKON_CM_WORD_210x295.indd 1 09-05-2011 17:10:48 A FILMMAKER © Persuado
is all it takes to win up to €15,000 200 seconds worth of Nikon film equipment Nikon’s ‘I AM A FILMMAKER’ competition is for short films up to 200 seconds long. The competition is open to everyone, from students, pro and semi-pro filmmakers to advanced enthusiasts.
Your entry will be judged by a professional jury So if you please both the jury and the public, you which includes Jan Verheyen, Jaco Van Dor- could win equipment worth €15,000 ! mael, Valérie Pierre, Rob Rombouts, Mark De The competition is open until August 31st 2011, Visscher, Jo Vermaercke and representatives full details about it at www.nikonfilmfestival.be, from Brussels Short Film Festival and Gent which is also where you can upload your film International Film Festival and with the support and ask people to vote for it. The competition from Scam-Sofam. There are two prizes to be is being held in collaboration with the Brussels won. The jury prize is €10,000 worth of Nikon Short Film Festival and the Gent International film equipment and the prize for the most public Film Festival. A selection of entries will be shown votes is €5,000 worth of Nikon film equipment. during the Gent Film Festival.
NIKON FILMFESTIVAL www.nikonfilmfestival.be BELGIUM
NIKON_CM_WORD_210x295.indd 1 09-05-2011 17:10:48 74 The invitation Architecture Behind the scenes
Be my guest What if we were to sneak inside some of Belgium's most acclaimed photographers’ studios and aim the camera at them for a change?
Photographer Sarah Eechaut The PhoTograPhy SPecial 75
Of all Belgian photographers, Dirk Braeckman (°1958) is probably the most eminent and mysterious one of the lot. Having profiled him in our January - February edition, we couldn't resist the temptation to revisit his large warehouse-like studio, located on the riverside of Ghent’s charming Voorhoutkaai. Despite never shooting in his studio, he spends a fair amount of time there, researching, printing, and experi- menting in his darkroom – which he had referred to as his “sacred sanctuary”, specifying that no-one was ever allowed in. Somehow, he decided to break with tradition, inviting our photographers Sarah and Joke to have a peak and even take a picture. It was the third time he ever let someone in that room. braeckman.be 76 The invitation
Charlie De Keersmaecker (°1975) has shot the likes of Brian Ferry, Skin from Skunk Anansie, Dries Van Noten, Regina Spektor, Tim Vanhamel, dEUS, and many more. He settled in this old sawmill located in a quiet dead-end street near Antwerp’s Central station, two years ago. “It used to be rented by someone who builds instruments. That's how I stumbled upon it. I needed to get a guitar fixed and saw the ‘for rent’ sign,” Charlie explains. Not content with shooting rock stars for a living, he leads the chaotic life of one and is therefore always relieved to retreat in his studio/office. He works alone except on shoot- ing days – when an army of assistants, stylists, make-up artists and models invade the space, which somehow screams “garage rock”.
charliedekeersmaecker.com The PhoTograPhy SPecial 77
Elke Boon (°1973) became known in the late 90s for her fragile pho- tographic portraits of youngsters. Mainly focusing on self-portraits, through drawings, photographs and video, she works and lives in a townhouse in Ghent’s central De Muide district. The vast space is empty and white, with a quiet atmosphere and bathing in natural light, although she admits working exclusively at night. “I need emptiness to work.” Uses the space to work, research, build tests for her installation set-ups and to make music (Elke is one half of the band Mary & Me, with Pieter-Jan De Waele). She’s currently writing material for their second album, as well as preparing an exhibition at Antwerp’s FoMu, which opens end June. elkeboon.be maryandme.be 78 The photography showstoppers Talent Consume Publishing Technology
Those everyday little things What better way to tackle our pick of items that tickle our fancy this month than by pigeonholing them into categories? Not just any categories. Categories we entertain somewhat of a love and hate relationship with. Love because they inspire our everyday. Hate because they make our everyday budgets smaller by the day.
Writers Nicholas Lewis and randa Wazen Photographer Melika Ngombe
01. 02. 03. books Publishing Memberships
Two recent discoveries have kept our passion for print very much alive. Paris-based independent Divided into six chapters (Body, Objects, publishing imprint Editions FpCf (the brain- Spaces, Words, Scenes, Faces and Masks), child of graphic designer Claire Schvartz and ‘La Photographie n’est pas de l’art’ brings university professor Maxime Milanesi) launched together art collector Sylvio Pearlstein’s its fanzine Tell Mum Everything Is Ok with the monumental private collection of photo- sole purpose of championing emerging photogra- Since its creation nearly 25 years ago, graphs. Built up over four decades, the collec- phers. With a participative approach to content- Charleroi’s Musée de la Photographie has tion clearly is a passionate and very personal producing (each fanzine’s visual narrative is accumulated an impressive collection of more undertaking, as rich as it is eclectic, and this shaped using photographs that the pair find, or than 80,000 pictures and 2 million negatives, book is the closest you’ll ever get to seeing it receive), an aesthetic that tilts towards the “less- making it the closest to heaven on earth for in its entirety. is-more” (all you get are the photographs and the true photography lover. Tracing back to their credits) and a limited print run (the fourth the very origins of photography in 1860 and Left: La Photographie n’est pas l’art, Collection Sylvio edition was printed to the tune of 500 copies), renewing its displayed selection on a regular Perlstein (2009) – Musee d’Ixelles, Bruxelles Tell Your Mum Everything Is Ok is the kind of basis, each visit offers a new look at the cute and cuddly photography fanzine we’d like evolution of the medium, and their frequent If there ever was a granddaddy of fashion pho- to see more of. On the other side of the spectrum, exhibitions examine the work of the greatest tography in Belgium, Serge Leblon would be Belgian publishing house Le Caillou Bleu is the photographers in depth. This membership prime contender. Having shot fashion editorials closest the country gets to Steidl. Founded by card will grant its happy owner free entrance for the likes of Vogue, Dazed & Confused, 41-year-old Fabrice Wagner, the company, in the at the museum for one year, invitation to Another, all the Belgium-based photographer words of its founder, “publishes photography exhibition openings, subscription to Bulletin really needed to crown his career was a book. books of all type.” And, although the photogra- Photographie Ouverte, a 10% reduction on And, thanks to the initiative of BaseDesign who phers selected deserve mention (Satoru Toma, gift-shop books and items, as well as free spearheaded the project, this full-paged opus Andre Cepeda, Christophe Bourgeois), it really entrance in Lausanne’s Musée de l’Elysée. is pretty much it. “Pretty much” because word is the books’ finishing (textured covers, different A must-have, in every sense of the word. is a second volume is on its way very shortly. types of paper stock) that define Le Caillou (RW) Goes to show how monumental Leblon’s oeuvre Bleu’s catalogue. (NL) really is. (NL) Les Amis du Musée de la Photographie membership card editionsfpcf.com (from €20 to €70) Right: Serge Leblon, Fashion (2011) - Lido cailloubleu.com Available from the Musée de la Photographie lidobooks.com museephoto.be The PhoTograPhy SPecial 79
04. gear
Depending on the kind of getaway you’re gearing up to, either one of these cameras is the perfect one for you. If it is a city trip you’re going on, Sony’s new Cybershot DSC-TX10 – compact and reactive – is the perfect camera to take along: as good at taking portraits of the little one as it is at captur- ing urban landscapes. If, on the other hand, you’re setting sail for slightly further (and rougher) shores, Canon’s Coolpix P7000 – solid and sturdy – is the camera to bring along. Perfect for those Safari treks… (NL)
Left: Nikon Coolpix P7000 (€500,67)) nikon.be Right: Sony Cybershot DSC-TX10 (€350) sony.be
05. Magazines
In this day-and-age of instant, digital photography, sifting through the rubble and spotting talent has become harder than ever. Fortunately for us, these three magazines do a spot-on job. The View – a semi-annual platform for contemporary photogra- phy – has lead the way since its creation in 2005, doing justice to the photographs it publishes with its weighty paper stock, discreet varnish and generous format. Smaller-scaled and slightly more concep- tual, Bokeh’s short texts add to the visual poetry of its selection, whilst quarterly Foam Magazine (a quarterly published by Amsterdam’s museum of the same name) presents eight portfolios around a single theme. Pictured is their Spring 2011 “Happy Issue”.
View Photography Magazine (€15) viewmag.be Bokeh (€5) Foam Magazine (€17.50) foam.org/magazine
06. Tech
Given the amount of camera phone contests we’re often asked to take part in, we thought it was high time we took a closer look at smart- phones that put photography at their core. With a touch screen practically as big as the phone itself and a one-touch-does-it-all policy, Blackberry’s Torch 9800 scored high in terms of snapping-away. It scored a little lower in terms of the actual telephone (too bulky, small touch keys, a little too fidgety), but this isn’t a ‘telephone special’ now is it? (NL)
Blackberry Torch 9800 (€549,99 from The Phone House and Proximus, €549 from Base). 80 The shelf Arts Classic Photography Music Jokes
The reading retreat With summer approaching and plans for much-needed rejuvenating escapes slowly taking shape, we wanted to imagine what our retreats would resemble. This year, we’re feeling something entirely removed from civilisation. A pared-down hut lost in the middle of the Amazonian jungle with only but the bare necessities on hand: a typewriter and reading material.
Photographer Yassin Serghini
Straight in The Light (2009-2010) What Would John do? Natural habitats (2010) by Michel Mazzoni flour power - baking your Way to by Massimo Vitali aRP2 editions happiness (2010) Steidl by William Georgi Straight in the Light, Brussels-based Michel BIS Publishers Page after page, Massimo Vitali’s bright and Mazzoni’s second book, captures his monumental prints of holiday resorts packed American road trip, taking as starting point A hilarious pastiche of self-help manual meets with herds of people are both soothing and the faded and fazed-out. A photographer who cookbook, What Would John Do? reveals the mind-boggling. Capturing these popular spots sees landscapes as a meeting of spaces, his mysteries of how a humble cookie contains all in Turkey, Italy, Croatia or the French Riviera sparse, eerie and intentionally over-exposed the ingredients for a happier life. The author from dizzying heights affording the best views, images document the departed, disappeared recounts the teaches of John Altman – an the humans depicted are reduced to tiny and decayed. Looking through the book, one unemployed Dude-like neo-hippie who gives fleshcoloured cannot help but feel a mix of contrasting emo- away free cookies on San Francisco’s Baker pinheads swarming in a strange mass tions: beauty vs sorrow, escape vs reality, soft Beach draped in nothing but an apron – devel- that seems to socially gravitate around each vs heavy-hitting. Using Californian, Arizonian oping his “spread the love” mantra in seven other. Some of Vitali’s tribes of beachgoers and and New Mexican natural light to fabulous chapters meant to resemble the seven steps to bathers can be seen under temporary shelters effect, this is an intimate and insightful account bake the perfect cookie. John’s seemingly sim- (umbrellas, tents, canopies), whilst others of the maturity Mazzoni’s work has gained plistic leitmotivs – referred to as “Johnisms” simply attempt to make peace with their over the last few years. (“Go natural”, “whatever man”, or our personal surroundings. favourite: “no one is bigger than the cookie”) – In both cases, the depicted packs are pure pearls of wisdom and whether or not breathe tranquillity and peace, whilst evolving The electric Kool-aid acid Test he actually exists, or if his recipe is that good, in these heavenly “natural habitats.” (1968) matters little. What Would John Do? is about by Tom Woolfe the bigger picture. A wonderful lesson in how to Picador step back, relax, and enjoy the ride. dirty blonde - The diaries of courtney Love (2007) The Merry Pranksters were a colourful group Faber & Faber of post-beatniks lead by One Flew Over a Landscapes (2011) Cuckoo’s Nest author Ken Kesey. Embarking by Gerhard Richter Few women in show business history have on a summer-long road trip through America in hatje Cantz been as controversial as Courtney Love. Often a bus whose destination simply read “Further”, bashed by tabloids and peers, Kurt Cobain’s they went on to make history championing Landscapes have a longstanding presence widow and de facto queen of grunge never went psychedelic drugs and band-of-the-moment throughout Gerhard Richter’s vast body of work. down without a fight and has come to be known Grateful Dead. Those epic days might have As a matter of fact, their simple beauty have fas- for her loud, spontaneous and unabashedly disappeared in a fog of hazy memories and cinated the German painter for the past 35 years, wild nature. Dirty Blonde features an intimate acid flashbacks hadn’t journalist Tom Wolfe taking more of his time than any other theme. collection of notes, photographs and docu- been on that bus, notebook in hand, religiously Despite the breadth of these explorations, only ments belonging to the peroxided anti-hero, chronicling it all. The Electric Kool-Aid Acid two exhibitions have been devoted to this subject turning out to be her most intimate release Test narrates their story, describing its kooky matter so far and critics rarely made time to to date. Poignant excerpts of her childhood protagonists, their wild adventures, even explore the values and meanings of these paint- diaries, song lyrics written in juvenile hall, including tips to guarantee a fruitful, freak-out ings, dismissed as purely “aesthetic”. This is the report cards from school, old flyers, promo free LSD experience… The vivid descriptions first book to examine these gorgeous and dream- pictures, intimate photographs of Kurt and and stream-of-consciousness styles collide, like romanticised visions. Featuring over 80 their baby daughter make up this fascinating making this cult classic the closest you could plates that combine his photorealistic paintings, scrapbook containing everything you’d ever possibly get to actually being there. That’s signature blur as well as a few rough sketches need to know about the MTV Generation’s until its cinematographic adaptation, directed reminiscent of his abstract works, Landscapes is most iconic and scandalous blonde. by Gus Van Sant, hits screens later this year. a must-have for the true Richter fan. Culture 81
from left to right Natural Habitats (Steidl), Dirty Blonde (Faber & Faber), Landscapes (Hatje Cantz), Straight in The Light (ARP2 Editions), The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (Picador) and What Would John Do? (BIS Publishers) 82 The view Photography Fashion
Tropical waves
When bathing under the sun is only but a distant dream, your next best option is bringing the sun to you. What would we do to get an inch closer to the sun? Wallpaper our walls with it…
Photographer Tine Claerhout Culture 83
Hat and shirt River Island, Top Hampton Bays
Leather waistcoat Mais il est où le soleil ? Shirt Hugo Boss, Skirt Pinko, Shoes River Island, Ring Dyrberg/Kern 84 The view
Dress Comma, Blazer Escada
Swimsuit H&M, Shorts S. Oliver, Necklace Wouters & Hendrix Culture 85
Photographer Tine Claerhout
Photographer’s assistant Joke De Wilde
Fashion Benny Van de Velde
Hair & Make-Up Victoria Monvoisin
Model Lisa Verberght @ IMM Models
Retouching Jeremy @ Le Studio lestudio.be
With thanks to Fam.Segers at Gay Sauna’t Herenhuis Antwerp gaysaunaherenhuis.be Polo shirt Amy Whinehouse for Fred Perry, Skirt Hampton Bays
Leggings stylist’s own, Shoes Robert Clergerie 86 The eye Photography Heritage
My trophy weighs a ton Titles, prizes and belts are all fine, but they pale in comparison to trophies. Trophies get cleaned and polished. They get mounted on shelves and stands. Heck, they even get their very own display cabinets.
Photographer Ulrike Biets
football club Kfc herent – 634 Mechelsesteenweg, 3020 herent. Trophies won during football matches. Culture 87
The supporters’ café de Lo – 200 Koetsweg, 3010 Kessel-Lo. Trophies won by the billiard club Duc Jean since 1963.
The supporters’ café de Lo – 200 Koetsweg, 3010 Kessel-Lo. Trophies won by the foosball team ZVC Brazil since 1990. 88 The eye
Stef Nys. Won this trophy during a drinking contest, known as the “zuipbeker” in Flemish.
defcross Martial arts club – 9b Kolonel begaultlaan, 3012 Wilsele. Trophies won during kickboxing and Thai boxing matches. Culture 89
Sporthal Wilsele – 163 aarschotsesteenweg, 3012 Wilsele. Trophies won by the Leuven Bears basketball team.
café Sport Lokaal – 19 Keulenstraat, 3020 herent. Trophies won during darts championships.
Visit thewordmagazine.be/wonders/trophycabinets or scan the QR code (LEFT - RIGHT) for more pictures of trophy cabinets. 90 The portfolio Photography Talent
Goodmorning sunshine Ghent-based designer Murielle Scherre, of la fille d’O infamy, is also a true photography fanatic, continuously capturing daily delights on one of two cameras (one colour, the other black and white) she always carries around with her. Similarly to her designs and campaigns (which she mostly shoots herself), her photographs are not staged. Rather, it is the everyday realities that inspire and seduce her. Informed by random details, things that seem out of place, off guard subjects, spelling mistakes, the human body and the way energy makes the skin glow, here’s an intimate and complicit glimpse into her summer diary.
Photographer Murielle Scherre Culture 91 92 The portfolio Culture 93
Maison la fille d’O Holstraat 91 9000 Ghent lafilledo.com
Visit thewordmagazine.be/ wonders/summerdaze 94 The round-up Last 95 96 The stockists Consume We love
arpeditions dries van Noten Brussels (at Kristofer Kongshaug P.C.h. (for Nikon) arpeditions.org Stijl) kristoferkongshaug.com Rue du Midi 154 Zuidstraat Rue A. Dansaertstraat 74 1000 Brussels Base (for Blackberry) 1000 Brussels Lacoste Brussels pch.be Avenue Louise 53 Louizalaan + 32 (0) 2 512 03 13 Galerie Porte Louise 228 1050 Brussels dries van Noten antwerp Louizapoortgalerij Picador +32 (0) 486 50 55 66 (Modepaleis) 1050 Brussels picador.com base.be Nationalestraat 16 +32 (0) 2 512 20 30 2000 Antwerpen Lacoste Knokke Robert Clergerie BIS Publishers + 32 (0) 3 470 25 10 Lippenslaan 335 Chaussée de bispublishers.nl driesvannoten.be +32 (0) 5 062 67 43 Charleroisesteenweg 1A lacoste.com 1060 Brussels Caillou Bleu dyrberg/Kern +32 (0) 2 538 38 97 cailloubleu.com + 32 (0) 3 213 16 13 Lancel Brussels robertclergerie.fr dyrbergkern.com Boulevard de Waterloolaan 55 Chanel Brussels 1000 Brussels Salutpublic Boulevard de Waterloolaan 63 editions FpCf +32 (0) 2 513 48 38 salutpublic.be 1000 Brussels editionsfpcf.com + 32 (0) 2 511 20 59 Lido Slaets horloges (for Rado) Chanel antwerp (at SN3) Faber & Faber lidobooks.com De Keyserlei 42 Frankkrijklei, 46-48 faber.co.uk 2018 Antwerpen +32(0) 3 231 08 20 Louis (for Natalia Brilli and +32 (0) 3 213 50 81 2000 Antwerp Francis Ferent (for Jimmy Cacharel) slaets-co.be chanel.be Choo and Vanessa Bruno) Lombardenvest 2 Avenue Louise 60 Louizalaan 2000 Antwerp Sony Center Brussels Christophe Coppens 1050 Brussels +32 (0) 3 232 9872 Avenue Louise 104 Louizalaan Rue Léon Lepagestraat 2 +32 (0) 2 545 78 30 1050 Brussels 1000 Brussels ferent.be Mais il est où le soleil ? +32 (0) 2 640 31 47 + 32 (0) 2 512 77 97 Brussels Sony Center antwerp christophecoppens.com Fred Perry Rue Simonisstraat 55 Eiermarkt 33-35 +33 (0) 1 53 25 13 30 1050 Brussels 2000 Antwerp Comma fredperry.com +32 (0) 2 244 93 28 +32 (0) 3 233 77 82 + 32 (0)1 124 10 23 Mais il est où le soleil ? sonycenter.be comma-fashion.com h&M Brussels antwerp Rue Neuve 80 Nieuwstraat Vlaamsekaai 74 Steidl CoS Brussels 1000 Brussels 2000 Antwerp steidlville.com Rue Neuve 66 Nieuwstraat +32 (0) 2 219 03 40 +32 (0) 3 238 33 60 1000 Brussels h&M antwerp ousoleil.com The Phone house (for CoS antwerp Meir 87-89 Blackberry) Hopland 31 2000 Antwerp Manish arora Place de la Monnaie 15-16 2000 Antwerp +32 (0) 3 224 10 00 manisharora.ws Muntplein cosstores.com hm.com/be 1000 Brussels Musée de la Photographie +32 (0) 2 463 63 63 Cosyns (for Rado) hampton Bays Avenue Paul Pastur 11 phonehouse.be Avenue de la Toison d’Or 17A Korte Gasthuisstraat 12 6032 Charleroi Gulden-Vlieslaan 2000 Antwerp +32 (0) 7 143 58 10 Tru Trussardi 1050 Brussels +32 (0) 3 226 75 94 museephoto.be +32 (0) 2 251 22 51 +32 (0) 511 45 49 hamptonbays.be trussardi.com cosyns.be New Music (for Melody) hatje Cantz Chaussée d'Ixelles 343-345 Wouters & hendrix dior hatjecantz.de Elsenesteenweg Georges Brugmannplein 16 Boulevard de Waterloolaan 61 1050 Brussels 1050 Brussels 1000 Brussels hugo Boss +32 (0) 2 647 71 70 +32 (0) 3 218 54 45 +32 (0) 2 500 18 18 Avenue Louise 43-45 newmusic.be wouters-hendrix.com dior.com Louizalaan 1050 Brussels Natan XIII (for Natalia Brilli) + 32 (0) 2 538 03 63 Rue Antoine Dansaertstraat hugoboss.com 101 1000 Brussels John Galliano +32 (0) 2 514 15 17 johngalliano.com
98 What’s next Play The team
bLue used to be Word-colour. It used to be yesterday’s colour, code for nostalgia. For paying your dues. bLue is cold. It’s the untold. The discreet and the removed. bLue is hard. It’s rough. It’s unforgiving, thick and lasting. bLue runs deeps. as deep as the ink on the pages of our bLue album, the tint of choice for the next instalment in our series of colour-coded hundred pagers…
bLue…
We might do a feature on our first ever mobile phones (remember those long-shaped Panasonic 7450s?)
or a photo shoot on vintage children clothes (you know, playful prints, heavy knits and Velcro clasps)
We have to do something on tattoos. Maybe each of the magazine’s illustration should be an actual tattoo.
and denim. Lots of denim. Maybe the entire fashion feature should be dedicated to denim.
oh, and dried-out swimming pools. Now’s the chance.
Would doing a feature on bLue Note’s Belgian brotherhood be too obvious? The story does deserve to be told though.
Some smart soul also Facebook messaged us about doing something with Bic, it being their 50th anniversary or something. definitely should get back to him on that one.
The Word’s bLue album ( + the design special ) © Ghislain Amar
out on 2nd September 2011 Hotel Amigo offers you a special package : the “Art Amigo”
Illustrated catalogues of the pick of current Brussels exhibitions await you in your room, together with an entry ticket.
For more information please contact +32 2 547 47 07
The art of simple luxury
Hotel Amigo Brussels
Rocco Forte & Family Brussels S.A. • Member of the Leading Hotels of the World Rue de l’Amigo 1-3 • B-1000 Brussels Tel. : +32 2 547 47 47 • Fax : +32 2 513 52 77 [email protected] www.roccofortecollection.com
A4 Def.indd 1 2/23/11 2:19:39 PM Black sand-blasted high-tech ceramic watch. Matte rubber strap.
www.chanel.com Self-winding mechanical movement. 42-hour power reserve. Water-resistant to 300 meters.
SP J12 MARINE 210x295 The Word BEL(En).indd 1 21/03/11 20:19