Around the block

I am working on some kind of creativity block lately, so I accepted the challenge of the Berlin-based photographer Matthias Heiderich. He advises us to take a walk around the block and look at banal things in a new light.

I live in Ixelles. I took a walk around the block this morning and here are the results. Let me know which ones you like, so I can upload them to my photography site:-)

Grateful for your feedback!

art & marges

A small, lesser-known museum in the Marolles.

For over 25 years, it has been defending the artists outside the classical cultural circuit, the outsiders, the self-taught or psychologically fragile. 

The entrance costs only 4 euros. I heartily recommend their last expo, "Il était une fois l'art brut" ("Once upon a time, there was art brut"). The raw or outsider art is usually associated with the possible origins of art: the childhood, the primitive, the savage, the confinement.

Jean Dubuffet is considered the father of art brut. The nicest thing about this expo is the classification by colours, easy to grasp even by a child. So don't hesitate to spend an hour with your family in this charming museum...

Address: 312-314 rue Haute, 1000 Brussels

K.LOAN

Not an ordinary furniture store.

For some reason, I don't like impeccable design furniture, but the one bearing the signs of the inexorable passage of time, a stain of rust here and there. This does not only apply to furniture, also to architecture, books etc.

More than that, K.Loan has an atmosphere. You can feel the hand and the soul that combined the objects, transcending their condition, telling a story.

I dare say: K.LOAN is a labyrinth of delicacy and force.

 P.S. This is not an ad.

2 venues in Brussels: 101 Rue Blaes and 537 Chaussée de Boondael 

La verrière Hermès

Recipe for a perfect evening: take a writer, an art critic and a psychoanalyst.

Go to the Hermes shop on avenue Louise. Cross the shop. Go to the back. Mingle with the pique-assiettes (spongers, trenchermen). Sip from a glass of champagne. Make conversation about contemporary art. Look at the sky through the glass roof.

Day-dream. Smile as much as you can. Don't think about yesterday or tomorrow. Relax...

Venue: 50 boulevard de Waterloo, 1000 Brussels

Résidence Palace

Another breathtaking example of Art Deco in Brussels, hidden jewel within the European quarter. Built after the plans of Swiss architect Michel Polak, it opened its doors in 1927. 

Résidence Palace is a complex of buildings situated between rue de la Loi and Chaussée d'Etterbeek. The oldest building consists of 180 luxury apartments of 3 to 20 rooms each. Apart from that, the complex hosts conference rooms, a press centre, a pool, Turkish baths and a theatre. 

My personal favourite is the restaurant on the ground floor. The cherry on the cake is the ceramic fountain in the patio, of Andalusian inspiration. A perfect venue if you want to impress your date...

Address: rue de la Loi 155, 1040 Brussels

Arne Quinze

Arne Quinze is a contemporary Belgian sculptor. Initially a graffiti artist in the eighties, he is now famous for several urban interventions.

In Brussels, you can admire two of his masterpieces. One in the fancy Kwint restaurant and one nearby the Flemish parliament, in the tranquil Louvain street.

Quinze employs materials which are rarely used together: iron and wood. Most of his sculptures feature a red-orange colour. A feast for the eyes...

Check out Arne Quinze's official website for more info. 

Théâtre de la Vie

The theatre is one of my big loves, although I dislike being in the spotlight.

Brussels has quite a generous theatrical offer. Beside the big theatres everyone has heard of, I was surprised to recently discover a few small theatres, very cosy and good.

Théâtre de la Vie ("The Theatre of Life") is one of them. While waiting in the lobby for the beginning of a play, I couldn't refrain from staring at the rest of the audience. Beautiful people, mostly young, students, dreamers, wearing colourful clothes.

I witnessed there an amazing one-woman show, "Chair(e) de poule". The play was about womanhood in all its facets. The actress, Janie Follet, performed every stunt imaginable on stage: at some point she smashed some eggs with her body and improvised a slide which she used with the joyfulness of a child.

Unfortunately, the play is no longer tête d'affiche. Another hidden jewel I can recommend is Théâtre des Bosons.

P.S. I sincerely dread drama in real life.

On a more romantic note, here is one of my favourite Shakespeare readings ever:

Address for Théâtre de la Vie: rue Traversière, 45 1210 Bruxelles. 

Archiraar

Have you seen the movie "The Cube"? This is how I felt like when I entered the Archiraar gallery.

The owner is an architect. The dazzlingly white walls seem to be closing in on you. And the bright neons enhance the feeling of unrest. 

I recently went to the preview of "Constellations" by Vincent Chenut (by the way, previews are the best occasions to meet interesting-looking people). "Constellations" consists of maps who have been scraped with a scalpel and only few trails of the original maps are visible. 

Brussels is packed with art galleries, but also with people who can afford them. A lot of contemporary art, but also African and 19th century stuff. 

Forget about New York and Paris, Brussels is the new capital of art. 

Address: Rue de la Tulipe 31A

Laurent Gerbaud

Best hot chocolate in town!

Unctuous, thick, not two sweet. Genuine molten chocolate. Served with a glass of plain water. 

Bright, minimalist interior. Transparency. Cool, eclectic music. Splendid view on Palais des Beaux-Arts and Hotel Ravenstein. A treat for the soul. 

Bonus: you get a free praline to go with your hot chocolate. I for one am a sucker for the ones with salted almonds and dried prunes. 

Location: 2 rue Ravenstein, 1000 Brussels

Credits for the first photo here. 

Marx wrote the Communist manifesto in Brussels!

The house stands tall and proud in the midst of Brussels, at the Grand Place, on the left side of the Town Hall. The building is called "Le Cygne" ("The Swan"). 

Apparently, Marx lived in Brussels in different places between 1845 and 1848, after he was kicked out of France. Poor Karl... Friedrich Engels, with whom he drank quite a few Belgian beers, helped him write the manifesto. 

Marx allegedly suffered from poverty in Brussels, the capital of a blooming industrial country with colonies. His poverty might have influenced his thinking and radical ideas.

The agitator Marx ended up being kicked out of Belgium as well in 1848, for causing too much turmoil. 

Bibliotheca Wittockiana

The Bookbinding and Book Arts Museum bears the name of its founder, Michel Wittock. 

It opened its doors in autumn 1983.  Mr. Wittock had been an avid bibliophile and collector of books, manuscripts and autographs. 

On the first floor (a later addition), the reading room with rare books and old manuscripts can be consulted for free. The nostalgics can even follow a bookbinding workshop. 

The building is built into the ground, hidden under trees and ivy. It features a brutalist architecture. Its silence and a sensation of timelessness and safety left a lasting impression on me. 

If you have time, combine this visit with a stroll in the sinuous Woluwé park...

 

Address: 23 rue du Bémel, 1150 Brussels

Villa Empain

I discovered Villa Empain during a photo shoot with my friend, Laurent, on a cold November day. 

It is difficult to put into words the beauty of this place. The Art Deco jewel is owned by the Boghossian Foundation, belonging to a Lebanese family with Armenian roots. It hosts amazing exhibitions, concerts and conferences. 

An oval pool in the rear seems to have a decorative role. But my favourite element in the whole building is a former bathroom on the first floor, covered in mosaic of different shades of green and turquoise. 

Address: avenue Franklin Roosevelt 67

COS

I am not a shopaholic. But I have to hand it to COS: it represents a unique combination of minimalism and elegance. Everything at an affordable price.

Even better than the clothes are the accessories (in my humble opinion): shoes, jewelry, lingerie. 

I had a very interesting discussion about clothes with an artist friend. She reckoned that COS were a brand for right-wing people, self-centered, snobbish. I was quite dumbfounded by her statement, since I would certainly not consider myself right-wing. "Disenchanted with politics", someone used to call me. 

Do you think that clothes reflect someone's political beliefs? Feel free to leave a comment below...

Address: 32 avenue Louise. 

Roby Lakatos

Roby Lakatos prides himself on being the world's fastest fiddler. Gipsy of Hungarian origin, his music is one of a kind.

Ranging from classical, jazz, Klezmer to folk, his repertoire will most certainly give you goosebumps or even bring tears to your eyes. For me, Roby's music is one of the only things capable of seizing me from my daydreaming and bringing me in the very moment. 

Here some samples of the virtuoso's talent.

You can see him perform at Marché aux Vins (rue du Belvedere 14, near place Flagey) on most Fridays and Saturdays and sometimes at Archiduc. 

Le Corto

Le Corto is a student bar/ café near ULB and the Ixelles cemetery. Its slightly kitsch, but cozy interior is inspired by the world of the comics, i.e. Corto Maltese.

Drinks are original and at a reasonable price. You can enjoy for example a submarine, a shot of strong drink (possibly rum) immersed in a bigger glass of beer. Or a delicious kir, a mix of white wine and cassis syrup. 

The bar has kept its appearance since the eighties. On Saturdays, it can be booked for private events.

Take a look at their site, it's unique...

Address: 
Chaussée de Boondael 485
1050 Brussels

The ugliest place in the world

I just hope I won't be sued for this article...

Place Keym in Watermael-Boitsfort. I don't know what the architects were thinking. It's a horrendous agglomeration of Communist -looking apartment buildings and some desolate trees. Mostly frequented by sad old people and noisy children. An apotheosis of kitsch. 

I didn't even bother to take some pictures with my camera, I just downloaded some stock pictures so you know why it's best to avoid this place:-)

Feel free to give me counter-arguments if you dare (in the comment section below).

Cheers. 

LUIS

I discovered Luis' mind-blowing massages a few years ago and I can say that they became addictive. 

They are by far the best massages I have ever experienced. Better even than the ayurvedic massages I was given in India.

Luis' massages are adapted to body type and specific problems. He calls his technique mind-body integrative. As far as I could tell, he stretches the fascia, that is the soft tissue surrounding the muscles throughout the body, thus releasing tensions and stress.

Don't make big plans after his massage though. You will need to take a nap, as his treatments have a strong detoxifying effect. 

P.S. This is not an ad. Luis became a good friend and I would like to share this privilege with you. 

You can find him at this address:

23, rue de Florence
1050 Brussels

ABAO

Book shop and tea house, Abao is a hidden gem in lovely Watermael-Boitsfort.

It has an incredible choice of teas, hot chocolates and coffees from all over the world. When asking for the menu, you will be presented with a mini-encyclopaedia containing culinary explanations and anecdotes.
My personal favourites are the ice tea maison and the moelleux au chocolat.

Probably not your cup of tea if you don't like "la chanson française":-)

Official site:
http://www.abaobxl.be/info/spip.php?page=sommaire

OUPS

One thing hard to find in Brussels are really good soups. 

Coming from a country where soup is sacrosanct, I was ecstatic when I discovered this little jewel close to Place Flagey. They have warm and cold soups with exotic names and spices. They even bake their own bread every day!

The owner is a former advertising expert, perpetually smiling. 
For more info, please take your time and read this article.

Here is also the official website of this magical place.

Bon appétit!