Belgium Me, Myself & I Lifestyle Lonesome Cowboys Fashion Mole ...

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volume 02 — issue 04
Neighbourhood Life +Global Style
Belgium Me, Myself & I Lifestyle Lonesome Cowboys Fashion Mole Men
Design When Right Met Left Culture Micro Mad + The Design Special

WWW.ESSENTIEL.BE
MATHIAS SCHOENAERTS PHOTOGRAPHED BY MICHEL DE WINDT

4
The Word Magazine is
Nicholas Lewis
Benoît Berben
Editor-at-large
Hettie Judah
Design
Delphine Dupont
+ pleaseletmedesign
Fashion
Eléonore Vanden Eynde
Photography/Illustration
Ulrike Biets
Pierre-Philippe Duchâtelet
Sarah Eechaut
Eledone
Studio Habousha
Sarah Michielsen
Chryssa Nikoleri
Opération Panda
Yassin Serghini
Writers
Hettie Judah (HJ)
Nicholas Lewis (NL)
Alia Papageorgiou (AP)
Rena Smith (RS)
Karen Van Godtsenhoven (KVG)
Randa Wazen (RW)
Thank you's:
Jeff Berben
Lea Munsch
Melisande McBurnie
Muriel Bleus
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EDITOR’S LETTER THE FIRTS
In all honesty, the decision to forego putting out a summer edition was essentially due to
the editorial team needing to switch off from the daily desktop grind. Once our May-June
issue sent off to the printers, we could all look forward to a couple of weeks removed from
the real world. After decamping to various parts of the world – everywhere from Bayreuth
to Bangalore - we came back to the kingdom psychologically reinvigorated and with strong
resolve to do things differently. Gone were the days, we told ourselves, of working day-inday-out,
barely seeing daylight and not really going any further than Stuttgart. We’d now at
least take a walk around the block fi rst thing in the morning or go for those lunchtime dives
we promised ourselves. And, well, as good resolutions go, it all started encouragingly well.
Then we remembered that not only did we have this September-October issue to dream up
and produce, we also had a major design exhibition to put together. And it doesn’t stop there.
It also suddenly dawned upon us that simultaneously moving our offi ces to the ground fl oor
of our townhouse (which for some in the team is an offi ce, whilst for others is a home) would
be a good idea. There was the small issue of launching The Word Blog by September too.
Oh, and there was that perennial problem of the USB issue, which somehow seemed liked
the longest ever on-going publishing project. We were determined to getting that one out by
September too – at last.
Needless to say, sweat droplets started dripping and the holidays we had just come back
from suddenly seemed a distant memory. And we could forget about neighbourhood
morning strolls and dips in the local pool. In no time at all, we were back to our old selves…
Although we did pull it off. The Nano Issue is packed with some major minor gems, from
Peter Pan collectors and canine companions to toilet tribulations and tales of fi nancial
industrial espionage in the fashion sector. We managed to pull off a superstar cast of participants
(Sylvain Willenz, BaseDesign, Wallpaper Magazine and Damien Hirst to name a
couple) and secure a key location (the former Tissus Flagey store, on Place Flageyplein itself)
for our design exhibition, being held throughout the month of September. The USB issue
is fi nally slated for a September subscriber send off too and won’t disappoint. It includes
everything from interviews with local electro minimalist Darko and label boss/producer/DJ
Peanut Butter Wolf to live sessions with Eagles of Death Metal and sit downs with the creators
of a next generation online radio player. The Word Blog looks set to hit the web by the
time this issue hits the stands – expect small wonders, offi ce gossip, stuff that’s on the team’s
radar and daily dribbles (keep an eye out on www.thewordmagazine.be). And it seems we’ll
be occupying the whole ground fl oor of Maison du Word in a couple of weeks or so.
Good resolutions might have been ditched and long forgotten about, but we sure got through
the to-do list. To be honest, glad we’re back in play after a summer long publishing hiatus
and can’t wait to get back into the thick of it.
See you on all on Thursday 10 th September for the opening of our exhibition…
As Word as ever,
Nicholas Lewis
© Sarah Eechaut
On this cover
Toy Story
The Word is published six 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 is correct up to the time of going to press. The publishers cannot be held liable for any changes in this respect after this date.

6
01. The Firsts
The Cover The Nano Issue p01
Ad Essentiel p02
Editor's Letter Volume 2 – N° o4 p04
Ad Bombay Sapphire p05
The Contents You're looking at it p06
Ad Levis p07
The Contributors It's a Word's world p08
Ad Perrier p09
The Diary Post-its p10
The Diary Belgium p11
Ad Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen p13
The Diary United Kingdom p14
The Diary France p16
Ad Brussels Philharmonic p17
The Diary Holland p18
Ad Aspria p19
02. Belgium
The Nano Papers Title page p20
The Nano Papers A brave new nano world p21
The Nano Papers Little “d”, big difference p22
The Nano Papers Small applications… p23
The Nano Papers Follow the leader p24
The Nano Papers Itsy bitsy… + When music… p25
The Institution Jacqueline by day, Mamy by night p26
03. Lifestyle
THE NANO ISSUE THE CONTENTS
The Debate Nano – the fl ip side, the down… p28
The Dream Maison du Word p30
The Way To the power of one p34
Ad Veuve Cliquot p39
The Word On My little doggy p40
The Other Word On Me, my toys and everyone I know p42
The Showstoppers Miniaturised marvels p44
Ad Cachemire Coton et Soie p47
The Tease India on a Leica p48
04. Fashion
The Fashion Word The story of Dash Draper and… p50
05. The Design Special
The Cover The Design Special p62
The Design Papers The hunting set p63
The Processes Love what you do when you're… p64
The Progression This is where we are p68
The Special Showst… Wrap around the stock p72
Ad Bema-Graphics p75
06. Design
The Future A staggeringly small world below p76
Ad Rado p79
07. Culture
The Shelf Desktop reading p80
The Pencil Far from impressed p82
The Eye One for the nation p84
Ad The Word Magazine p93
08. The Lasts
The Stockists Stockists p94
Ad O-live p95
The Round Up Advertisers p96
What's Next The Nippon Issue p98
Ad Ristorante Bocconi p99
Ad Absolut p100

FASHION FOR WALLS
by Levis Ambiance
www.levis.info

8
It’s a
Word’s
world
THE LITTLE ISSUE
Pierre-Philippe
Duchâtelet
Graphic Designer/Illustrator
We fi rst heard of Pierre-
Philippe’s work through
Anouk, who helps out with the
magazine’s distribution now
and again, and after a couple of
clicks on his website, decided
he’d be best suited to take up
the challenge of illustrating our
piece on Belgians’ obsessions
with bourgeois family names as
well as the paper on the business
of small applications. His positively
abrasive style, coupled
with a canny understanding of
the subject matter, lent itself perfectly
with what we were after.
—
Pages n° 22, 23
THE CONTRIBUTORS
Sophie Uhoda
Architect
We made a brief call for
submission for our Utopian
Community Living project to
which Sophie responded with so
much enthusiasm and panache
that we promptly made her The
Word’s unoffi cial architect
of the small. From drawing
up plans, putting up with our
constant exuberant demands,
going back to the drawing board
countless times and making
miniature lamps out of toothpaste
tube tops, she gave it her
all, diving head fi rst into the
project as if dreaming up her
own home.
—
Pages n° 30, 31, 32, 33
Eledone
Illustrator/Comic Artist
Keen for a change of scenery,
we asked Eledone to have a go
at broadly illustrating this
issue’s Nano theme for The
Shelf page. Resolutely sinister,
juicier and more explicit than
most, we found her style to fi t
perfectly with the issue at hand,
namely Belgians’ knack for total
obliviousness when faced with
a situation requiring even the
slightest of attention. Although
she admitted to fi nding the
assignment hard to begin with,
you wouldn’t think so by looking
at the end result.
—
Pages n° 82, 83
Chryssa Nikoleri
Photographer
This is how the story went.
We interviewed a Greek greenie
for our feature on anti-nanoisms
who we had hoped to photograph
in Brussels. Schedules not
permitting, we were forced to
revise our plans and fi nd a Greek
photographer, one based in
Thessaloniki more specifi cally.
In steps Chryssa and her straightforward,
no-frills-attached
portraiture. A multi-disciplinary
photographer with more than a
trick in her bag, she came through
magnifi cently with her scouting
shots – and the resulting portrait.
—
Page n° 29

E.R. : J. Nijskens - NWMD - 221, Rue de Birmingham - 1070 Bruxelles Ogilvy

10 THE SPECK ISSUE
THE DIARY

The next few weeks’
agenda fi llers
01. Coming of age
Anniversaries are,
among other things, a time to
remember, and old Delvaux
is as steeped in history as it is
in luxury. The retrospective,
curated by our very own Editorat-Large
Hettie Judah, shows off
how the luxury baggage travelled
from the horse-drawn days of
1829 to rail, sea and into the air.
Since, focus has been fashionforward
thinking, with designs
in salmon skin, toile de cuir and
vinyl. This year, Delvaux seals
the deal as a by-word for Belgian
luxe, as they join forces with other
national icons; this exhibition at
Antwerp’s fashion hothouse, collaborative
handbag design with
Hannelore Knuts and appointing
Veronique Branquinho at creative
helm for the House. (RS)
Delvaux:
180 years of Belgian Luxury
From 17 th September 2009
until 22 nd February 2010
☞ Mode Museum, Antwerp
www.momu.be
02. Hot
wired
Since his last exhibition
at Xavier Hufkens in 1987,
Antony Gormley, has established
himself on the international
picture frame, winning the
Turner Prize in 1994, often using
his own body as material, making
his name synonymous with his
humanoid sculptures in steel,
concrete, and now in solid and
see-through cellular structures
inspired by the work into the
construction of bubbles and foam
by Scottish scientist Lord Kelvin.
The central installation will be
a massive, awe-inspiring form of
a person made 10 times bigger
through which you can wander,
where the human frame becomes
truly architectural. (RS)
Aperture by Antony Gormley
From 17 th September
until 22 nd October 2009
☞ Xavier Hufkens Gallery, Brussels
www.xavierhufkens.com
03. Fold, crumple & tear
The second installment
in The Word’s series of
exhibitions – set to coincide with
Design September – presents
the commissioned works of
emerging and established
designers and artists. Following
an international call for submissions,
the editorial team selects
the strongest entries, exhibiting
them in a disused retail space
during the month of September
on Brussels’ Place Flageyplein.
Taking their cue from a page in
the magazine called The Guide,
artists and designers showcase
their interpretation of the page
with a comical twist. Taking part
are Sylvain Willenz, BaseDesign,
Damien Hirst and Wallpaper
Magazine to name but a few. (RS)
Follow the Guide
From 11 th September
until 30 th September 2009
☞ Tissus Flagey - Place Flagey
24 Flageyplein, Brussels
www.thewordmagazine.be
Belgium
04. Lights, camera,
confusion
Prepare to be
taken by the hand through an
ever-changing picture of light,
sound and colour in what Ann
Veronica Janssens describes as
her experiments; but it’s not quite
clear whether this is more the
case for the viewer or the artist.
Alongside 10 new sculptures
are six audio and video experiences
of an alienating, dreamlike
sensuality that warps the viewer’s
perception of time and space,
where we slip gently from reality
to be dazzled by flashing lights
and infinite sounds. Kant once
said time and space are the only
things we can be sure of, and after
coming out of this art-trip, you’ll
maybe claim the same. (RS)
Serendipity
by Ann Veronica Janssens
From 5 th September
until 15 th December 2009
☞ Wiels, Brussels
www.wiels.org
THE FIRSTS
( 01 09 )
01.
02.
03.
04.
11
© Ann Veronica Janssens © The Word Magazine
©Antony Gormley
© Wout Hendrickx

© Rodolphe Janssen Art Gallery
© Guillaume Bresson
© Nick Ervinck © Yrjö Kukkapuro
12 THE PARTICLE ISSUE
THE DIARY
05.
06.
07.
08.
05. Designers
of the century
Parisian gallery
Patrick Seguin organises a
retrospective overview of the
four most powerful visionaries
of the modernist movement,
who defi ned an era and continue
to inspire design today. Le
Corbusier, grand daddy of the
movement, created architecture
and furniture with cousin Pierre
Jeanneret, culminating in a lowcost
urban planning project of
Chandigarh, India - a landmark
of modernist architecture. Jean
Prouvé played with techniques
in metal furniture design while
Charlotte Perriand’s pure, powerful
style took form in clean
wooden lines. An unmissable
bringing-together of an inspired
generation of artists. (RS)
Pierre Jeanneret, Le Corbusier,
Charlotte Perriand and Jean
Prouvé
From 12 th September
until 3 rd October 2009
☞ Rodolphe Janssen Art Gallery,
Brussels
www.galerierodolphejanssen.com
06. Renaissance
riots
Epic, Italian
Renaissance-style paintings are,
at first thought, an unexpected
art form to portray gang rioting
in the French suburbs. The
supernatural beauty the figures
cut in the grenade smoke and
dramatic lighting, in what looks
like something from a biblical
scene, contrasts immediately
with the brutal realism Matthieu
Kassowitz portrayed in La
Haine. But it puts an unexpected
spin on things, for the
suburbs of Paris are as far in
mind and body away from the
city centre as barbaric tribes
were to a medieval fortress they
surrounded, and suggest perhaps
that we haven’t come as far as we
think since feudal times. (RS)
Guillaume Bresson
From 1 st September
until 31 st October 2009
☞ Sorry We’re Closed, Brussels
www.sorrywereclosed.com
07. Sat upright
Did you know that
all Finnish people have sat
at least once in their lifetime
in a chair designed by Yrjö
Kukkapuro? Well now you too
can see what it’s like to be a Finn
and try out a selection of works
by the iconic Finnish furniture
designer. The overview of his
work from the 50s to today is
inspiring, as in each decade
Kukkapuro proves time and again
his fl are for staying ahead of the
game, from the 60s space age
couture designs mixing plastic
and leather to today’s eco-freako
projects developing furniture
from highly-sustainable bamboo
for UNESCO, and all with that
slick Scandinavian class. (RS)
Yrjö Kukkapuro
Until 11 th October 2009
☞ Design Museum, Gent
www.designmuseumgent.be
08. Realms of
the imagination
We enter Nick
Ervinck’s bizarre and enthralling
world of multi-media experiences
fusing computer rendered
designs, sculpture and visually
poetic video installations. And
what a strange world he has
concocted, mixing weird and
wonderful shapes with things
more recognisable to reality – the
walls of a house, the interiors
of a cathedral - but his search
for aesthetic perfection always
delivering breath-taking, beautiful
designs. Often compared
to fellow Belgian Magritte,
Ervinck’s 21 st century surrealism
challenges us with the limits of
our logic and realism, inviting us
to join his parallel world. (RS)
GNI-RI sep2009 Eitozor
by Nick Ervinck
From 5 th September
until 22 nd October 2009
☞ Smak, Ghent
www.smak.be

Met steun van de
Vlaamse minister
van Cultuur,
Jeugd, Sport en
Brussel
Brussels.
Palais des Beaux-Arts
BRILLIANT OVERTURE
Thursday 15th of October 2009. 20:00
L. van Beethoven. Coriolanus Overture
B. Bartók. Concerto for violin n° 2
L. van Beethoven. Egmont Overture
A. Borodin. Symphony n° 2
NING KAM. violin
(2nd Prize Queen Elisabethcompetition 2001)
Etienne Siebens. conductor
reservation & tickets
www.symfonieorkest.be

14
09. Grainy
lonesomeness
The dark, stark,
black-and-white photography of
ravens by Masakisa Fukase is at
once both chilling and powerful;
the birds signify death and
solitude across many cultures,
and it is little wonder the shots
were taken just after the artist’s
grueling divorce in 1976. Seen as
one of the few true photographic
expressionists, Fukase, along with
many of the post-WWII generation
of Japanese artists, attempted
to contrast the idealisation of
self-control that had gone before
them. The birds’ immutable presence
on landscapes brings questions
of how far we can indeed
escape loneliness and endings of
our own. (RS)
The solitude of ravens
by Masakisa Fukase
From 11 th September
until 17 th October 2009
☞ Fifty One Fine Art
Photography, Antwerp
www.gallery51.com
In betweeners
Bombay Sapphire Blue Nights
on 11 th , 18 th and 25 th September
and 2 nd October 2009 @ L’Axess
– Digest the Design September
talk you’ve just participated in,
or the exhibition you’ve just
taken in, with some after work
drinks at recently opened
restaurant-come-bar-comeclub
L’Axess at Tour & Taxis.
For a slightly more central
location, The Dominican
Hotel’s Lounge Bar will also
play host to the blue-coloured
spirit (17 th , 24 th September and
1 st October). Let’s just hope
Tom Dixon’s Tomtini will be
on the menu. (NL)
www.designseptember.be
Brussels Art Days II
on 12 th and 13 th September 2009
at various Brussels locations
— With schools back in play,
galleries too mark the end of
the summer with a weekend of
late and Sunday openings. (NL)
www.brusselsartdays.com
THE MINUSCULE ISSUE
© Masakisa Fukase
09.
THE DIARY
United Kingdom
10.
11.
© Sebastiaan Bremer © Steven Shearer
( 10 15 )
10. Fair folly
In these tightenedbelt
times saving is the new
spending. With recession weighing
on our purses and minds, it
seems surprising a global bank
is sponsoring an art fair; but all
the better for us, for this one is
rich with talent. Money-saving,
time-saving, life-changing,
Frieze Art Fair in Regent’s Park
houses exhibits from over 150
global galleries from Tel Aviv
to Zurich, so you can one-stopshop
for a whole year’s worth
of visual stimulation in one fell
swoop. There’ll be a sculpture
garden, educational projects,
talks, short fi lms and commissions.
(RS)
Frieze Art Fair
From 15 th October
until 18 th October 2009
☞ Regent’s Park, London
www.friezeartfair.com
11. Right on point
Sebastiaan Bremer
presents us with a novel, utterly
hybrid technique of painted
photographs in miniature, using
inks, paints or the tip of a knife
to create jewel-like blobs and
swirls of texture. The nano-photos
are peepholes to his world;
where previous work used shots
of family, lovers and friends,
this collection takes a new direction,
pointing to his inspirations.
Enthused by the Golden Age
of Dutch painting, we see the
influence of Ruysdael’s landscapes
and Dirk de Bray’s still
life, fellow countrymen to this
artist now living in New York,
representing cultural rather than
personal links to the past. (RS)
Small wonders
by Sebastiaan Bremer
From 10 th September
until 24 th October 2009
☞ Hales Gallery, London
www.halesgallery.com

12. Star
sculptor
Bold and brilliant,
world-renown sculptor Anish
Kapoor shows highlights of his
career, plus new and unseen
works in this major solo exhibition.
Kapoor’s work is at once
both bodily and spiritual; the
architectural Marsyas, a gigantic
PVC membrane stretched over
three huge steel rings is evocative
of something humanlike,
while his Sky Mirror concave
surfaces shows unexpected
distortions of viewer and gallery.
Anticipate a canon projecting
volleys of bright red wax
onto the walls of the space,
both alarmingly physical and
terribly clever, as the installation
produces a sculpture of
its own during its time at the
exhibition. (RS)
Anish Kapoor
From 26 th September
until 11 th December 2009
☞ Royal Academy of Arts,
London
www.royalacademy.org.uk
13. Heavy
meaning
Political activist,
ecologist, artist; six decades of
major works by Gustav Metzger
with some brand new pieces
are brought together to inspire
a new generation. Preoccupied
with waste in industrialised
society, something ever more
relevant today, among the work
is a ceiling-high archive of
newspapers, and re-creations of
his auto-destructive pieces from
the 1960s, like canvases sprayed
with corrosive acid. Viewers are
faced with their mortality both
on an individual and collective
level, in the age of an obsessive,
hedonistic pursuit for youth, in
denial about effects of consumption
on others and on the
planet. (RS)
Gustav Metzger
From 29 th September
until 8 th November 2009
☞ Serpentine Gallery, London
www.serpentinegallery.org
THE NEXT FEW WEEKS' AGENDA FILLERS
14. Pop
goes the art
“Good business is
the best art” said Pop Art godfather
Andy Warhol, and ever
since, artists have been harnessing
today’s celebrity cult, engaging
with mass media to propagate
their own image. We start with
Warhol’s paparazzo personality
and Pop icons, moving on
to the self-mythology of Tracey
Emin, Keith Haring, Damien
Hirst and the likes, including
Made In Heaven in which Jeff
Koons publicised his matrimony
with porn star La Cicciolina.
Engaging too boldly with the
commercial is seen as sacrilegious
in modern art ethics,
but gives birth to a brash, trash
genre that celebrates the moment
in which we live. (RS)
Pop Life: Art in a Material World
From 1 st October 2009
until 17 th January 2010
☞ Tate Modern, London
www.tate.org.uk/modern
15. Story told
Discover a fairytale
world of art and design
in this collection of fantasyinspired
furniture; 50 delightful
and mischevious objects
from contemporary designers
across Europe; Weiki Somers’
Bathboat, Joris Larman’s
Rococo swirl-radiator and Joep
van Lieshout’s bed encased in a
giant skull. Divided into three
sections, “The Forest Glade”,
with a honeycomb vase made by
bees is nature-based fantasy; in
“The Enchanted Castle” we fi nd
parodies of historical displays of
power and status; while “Heaven
and Hell” contains some chilling
pieces inspired by death and
beyond. The exhibition is a tale
of magic all of its own. (RS)
Telling Tales
Until 18 th October 2009
☞ Victoria and Albert Museum,
London
www.vam.ac.uk
© Wien Museum
© Gustav Metzger
© Gavin Turk
© Crimella
THE FIRSTS
12.
13.
14.
15.
15

© Denise Colomb
© Man Ray © facetofacedesign
© Charpin
16
France
16.
17.
18.
19.
THE WEE ISSUE
( 16 19 )
THE DIARY
16. Documenting
a people
Traditionally an
artist’s portraitist, photographer
Denise Colomb also
photographed the West Indies
– more specifi cally, Martinique,
Guadeloupe and Haiti - profusely,
bringing home over 5,000
negatives from her latest trip
meant to commemorate the 100 th
anniversary of the abolishment
of slavery. She focused her lenses
on everyday life sceneries, from
schools, port life and markets
to fi shermen, street games and
dance traditions. Mostly made
up of black and white prints,
the exhibited work – consisting
of 130 framed photographs
– reveals Colomb’s knack for
detecting the softer, human side
in her subjects whilst at the same
time telling a story. (NL)
Denise Colomb and the West
Indies (1948-1958)
From 29 th September
until 27 th December 2009
☞ Jeu de Paumes, Paris
www.jeudepaume.org
17. An idea
is born
It is sometimes diffi
cult to imagine, but all design
emanates from a drawing – be
it a CAD rendered illustration
to a couple of doodles drawn
on the back of a napkin. A way
for designers to translate mere
ideas into visual representation,
drawings form an essential
part of a designer’s creative
process – a feat made clear at
Les Arts Décoratif’s exhibition.
Presenting preparatory
studies, atmospheric drawings
and communication visuals from
world-renowned designers Marc
Newson, Jasper Morrisson and
Konstantin Grcic to name but a
few, the showcase honours the
importance of drawing in design
conception. (NL)
Dessiner le Design
From 21 st October 2009
until 10 th January 2010
☞ Les Arts Décoratifs, Paris
www.lesartsdecoratifs.fr
18. Happy new year,
une fois
If the Russians
and the Chinese have theirs,
no reason Belgians couldn’t
have theirs too. A New Year
celebration that is. Having held
its fi rst edition in May 2008,
Paris’ Belgian New Year comes
back to the city at full throttle,
promoting its idea of ‘a tradition
of the avant-garde’ and putting
forward the Belgian state-ofmind
along the cultural poles
of music, cinema, performance
and animations. With a live DJ
set by Ghinzu, a Vive la Fête
showcase as well as a day of
Belgian fi lm projections among
many other festivities, expect a
day of absurdity and very patriotic
partying. Having a Belgian
acquaintance in Paris never was
so ‘in’ apparently. (NL)
Belgian New Year
26 th September 2009
☞ Elysée Montmarte, Paris
www.nouvelanbelge.com
19. Visual
destruction
Surrealism’s fascination
with the subconscious, the
non-meaningful, is sometimes
hard to grasp and contextualise in
the larger sphere of contemporary
fine art photography. Given the
abundance of ways in which surrealists
used their photography
– from magazine publications to
advertising – the viewer had, at
least in the beginning, somewhat
of a difficult time placing their
work within the confines of
the art world. Not so with the
Centre Pompidou’s exhibition,
which brings together close to
400 works of art in an attempt
to question the surrealists’ use of
photography and illustrate the
relentless experimentation the
movement was reputed for. (NL)
The Subversion of Images –
Surrealism, Photography, Film
From 24 th September 2009
until 11 th January 2010
☞ Centre Pompidou, Paris
www.centrepompidou.fr

Brussels Philharmonic – het Vlaams Radio Orkest
Michel Tabachnik, chief conductor/music director, orchestra in residency at Flagey
Dare to discover…
the wonders of classical music
> Mahler 4 Flagey, 3/10/2009
> A New World Flagey, 29/10/2009
> Beethoven 9 BOZAR, 12/11/2009
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www.brusselsphilharmonic.be
Brussels Philharmonic – het Vlaams Radio Orkest is een instelling van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap.
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18
Holland
20. The thin
red line
Attempting to make
sense of the subject of confl ict
zones and their impact on communities,
fi ve guest curators are
invited by Noorderlicht to select
bodies of work and provide their
views on documentary photography
as they see it. With a
particular emphasis on confl icts
which take place in back alleys
and are thus far removed from
the public gaze – and consciousness
– we’re particularly keen to
see British photographer Adam
Patterson’s work on Brixton
gangs as well as Belgian Vincent
Delbrouck’s more abstract
prints. Expect to be served some
heavy-hitting poetic justice. (NL)
Noorderlicht International
Photofestival 2009 - Human
Conditions
From 6 th September
until 4 th October 2009
☞ Groningen, Holland
www.noorderlicht.com
THE SHRIMP ISSUE
What we’re giving away
Two pairs of tickets to the following concerts
© Vincent Delbrouck
THE DIARY
20. Concert Picks
The Heavy at l’Ancienne Belgique on 30 th September 2009
DJ Vadim, Breakestra and DJ Lefto at Het Depot on 29th October 2009
Four pairs of tickets to the following Symfonie Orkestr Vlaanderen concerts
Etienne Siebens and Ning Kam at Bozar on 15 th October 2009
Seikyo Kim and Pieter Wispelwey at Bozar on 19 th November 2009
What you need to do
Send an email to wewrite@thewordmagazine.be, specifying which concert you wish to go to in the subject line.
The fi rst readers to do so will each win a pair of tickets to the concert of their choice.
Conditions
Only one pair of tickets permitted per reader. Until tickets last. Applies to Belgium only. Normal conditions apply.
The Heavy
on 30 th September
@ L’Ancienne Belgique
– If Isaac Hayes was backed by
Eagles of Death Metal, you’d
get something not unlike British
dirty funk band The Heavy.
Fink
on 3 rd October @ Botanique
– Minimalist guitar riffs, dry
vocals and fragile lyrics characterise
this Ninja Tune-signed folk
man’s work. A good companion
to grey, rainy mornings.
Mahler 4
on 3 rd October @ Flagey
– The Brussels Philharmonic
plays Mahler’s fourth and shortest
symphony, combining it with
Giovanni Gabrieli’s Canzone in a
night of contrasting periods.
DJ Vadim & Breakestra
on 29 th October @ Het Depot
– British producer DJ Vadim and
Californian deep-funk maestros
Breakestra descend on Leuven’s
Het Depot for a night of liplicking
livery.

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What we have for you
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have 30 invitations to give away enabling you to kick-start your
de-stress programme with a full complimentary day in the Club.
What you should do
Send an email to marketing@aspriaclub.be together with your details
(name, address and phone number) and you’ll receive a confirmation
email from the club. The first 30 readers to register will each receive a
free invitation.
With the onset of autumn
and the return of hectic schedules
the Aspria Executive De-Stress
Package will put an end to stress.
Complete with advice, new
stress-busting ideas and free gifts
- including a free Swiss ball and
a relaxing Swedish massage -
our package is all you need
to unwind.
Find out more on
www.aspria-experts.be
Aspria Club:
the sports and wellness experts
Rue de l’Industrie 26
1040 Brussels
Tel 02/508.08.12

20 THE SKIMP ISSUE
— You might need a magnifying glass to get a glimpse of
our Nano Papers such is their insignifi cance – at least
in terms of the physical space they occupy. We hop on
a midget of a motorbike, delve into the big business that
is small applications and perfect the art of shortened
communication in what can only be a 21 st century farewell
bid to the English-language.
Writers Nicholas Lewis, Karen Van Godtsenhoven and Randa Wazen

A BRAVE NEW NANO WORLD
BELGIUM
Six inch foil realised in the Polymer Vision technology comprising several instances of the 64-bit organic transponder chip
A brave new
nano world
Nanotechnology is sizzling hot: according to the
National Council of Science and Technology
(US), “Nanotechnology will change the nature
of almost every human-made object in the next
century,”, and it's no understatement. Not only
is nanotech used to tackle big issues such as
global warming and medical care, it also makes
more mundane objects – from small electronics
to clothes and furniture - sturdier, faster
and smarter. Because it plays at the molecule
level, nanoscience is the art of manipulating
matter at the nano-scale, changing the atom's
structures. Nanotech has its roots in physics
and quantum mechanics, and is as such a very
complex science, but one with very practical
application domains in daily life.
True to its nature of a technology-fanatic
nation, Belgium is a hotbed for nano research,
with at least four globally-renowned nano
universities: Ghent, Brussels, Antwerp and
Leuven. It's also home to Europe’s biggest
independent nanotechnology research centre
– IMEC in Leuven - and other related nano
centers VIB (biotech), IBBT (broadband
technology), VITO (tech research). The synergies
of public spending (73 million euro in
2008) in nano research, IMEC’s state-of-the
art infrastructure and a fertile environment
(tax reduction) for R&D, makes Belgium a true
beehive attracting top class researchers to its
labs. There are no numbers available for people
working in nanotech, because it is not seen as
a separate industry, but nano is integrated in
all sorts of technology companies. Big names
of nano companies include Bekaert, Nanocyl,
SIRRIS and Cytec. In Flanders, nano developments
are very intertwined with IMEC and
hence focused on micro-electronics ; two new
spin-off companies, Photovoltech and Pepric,
focus on discoveries in photonics, which harnesses
the power of light. These discoveries
will enable the creation of more effi cient solar
cells, healthcare sensors and even batteries
for hybrid cars. Brussels and Wallonia-based
companies focus more on materials, such as
paints, plastics and coatings for aerospace
vehicles and hi-tech cars. Ecofriendliness and
energy-saving qualities are what make these
21
industries so attractive.
Despite its advantages though, nanotechnology
has not yet succeeded in fully winning
over the public: too little is still known about its
potential adverse effects on the human body or
the environment. For this reason, IMEC does
outreach activities with creative people and art
students, to show the world the beauty of the
invisible and the unknown. The book ‘in.tangible.scape.s’
by IMEC and Addictlab artists,
features many prime examples of converging
nanotechnology, science and art. So you have
ambient devices that allow long-distance lovers
to communicate with each other, intelligent
toys, GPS- powered transport tools, virtual
wallpaper, interactive yoga wear and even
Hussein Chalayan’s Mechanical Dress. The
fashion industry seems especially interested
in nano technology’s virtues. Nanotechnology
can make fi bers dirt- and crease-resistant,
which might mean the end of washing and
ironing. But more than that, nano fashion can
also save your life: with the new sensing and
detecting technologies, your jacket might detect
a harmful gas, a virus contamination, determine
whether you had a heart attack or simply,
whether you have fallen in love. (KVG)
© Courtesy of IMEC

© Pierre-Philippe Duchâtelet
22 THE DWARF ISSUE THE NANO PAPERS
Little “d”,
big difference ?
Tiny details can make a huge difference.
Case in point: surnames that are preceded by
a particle. One, two or three letters, preferably
written in lower case. They don’t add
up to much yet still seem to impress a great
deal. Nobility is still alive and kicking. As put
by professor Paul Janssens - one of the rare
experts in this fi eld - Belgium could almost
be featured in the Guinness book of World
Records as it is one of the very few countries
that still grants noble titles on an annual basis.
The number of nobles in Belgium is currently
estimated at approximately 30.000, six times
as many than two centuries ago. The main
reason behind this spectacular growth is that
the nobility is constantly renewing itself, as
opposed to other European countries and
monarchies where it is slowly fading away.
According to Mr. Janssens, who is also the
president of the Nobility Council of Belgium,
an interesting point is to look at the kind of
individuals who are opposed to it. “Maverick
republicans and people who are against
Belgium as a nation. They see monarchy
and nobility as an obstacle to the suppression
of the country.” Even though the title no
longer comes with legal privileges, most of
them still clearly belong to the elite. A study
conducted in the eighties showed that nobles
ran a whopping 10 percent of the 3.500 principal
national companies. Such a ratio raises
questions given that nobility only constitutes
0,3 percent of the nations population.
In order to spot these happy few, examining
their surnames is usually a good start.
Families originally from ancient nobility typically
have a particle such as de, de la, du or le
in French, van, van der, van den, de, ’t or ter
in Flemish. Since in both languages the nobiliary
particle is the same as a regular prepositional
particle that was used in the creation of
many surnames, it resulted in ambiguity and
a widespread misconception that any name
bearing a posh sounding “petit de” or “kleine
van” automatically belongs to that social class.
“The particle never had that much relevance
in Belgium,” explains M. Janssens. “It is true
that when you look at most nobles’ names,
the majority of them bear one. However,
what truly distinguishes nobles is the addition
of names, which occurs within wide and
established families. For example you have
de Kerchove de Denterghem, de Kerchove
d’Ousselghem, de Kerchove d’Exaerde.”
Towards the end of the 19th century, it
became fashionable to request additional
names, mostly by noble families wanting the
names of their castles included and bourgeois
families seeking extra cachet. The particle was
scarcely asked for, except in certain cases like
the “Frenchisation” of certain foreign names
that has spawned quite peculiar combinations
like the Polish de Lobcowicz or the Korean
Shin de Pyeongsan. Speaking of weird, intermarriages
in bilingual Belgium have also
resulted in some hybrid Franco-Flemish particles
such as van Outryve d’Ydewalle or van
de Werve d’Immerseel.
It is these “noms à rallonge” that still sound
intimidating, especially to an unaware audience.
Connoisseurs and members of the nobility
are more likely to appreciate the historical
cachet linked to certain surnames or their seniority
for example : families like de Mérode or
de Croÿ, who belong to the princely houses, or
de Kerchove and de la Faille, who are amongst
the oldest noble families in the country. And
while a vast majority of people whose surnames
are preceded by a particle are not noble,
numbers of such evidence remain inexistent in
Belgium, as there has never been an inventory.
In France however, about 49 out of 50 surnames
containing a particle do not belong to
the nobility. Tellingly, just as many nobles do
not bear a name with a particle, especially the
new ones. “Nobility status is something that
is defi ned by lineage. The name has little to
do with it,” concludes Mr. Janssens. No need
to get too excited when meeting a “petit de”, as
there’s a fat chance said person is a mere commoner.
That is of course if obsolete traditions
and outdated concepts still get your attention
in the fi rst place. (RW)

Small
applications
mean big
business
Tastes in smartphones may differ, but no one can
deny that Apple’s app store has shaken things
up in the software world. The Word talked to
Belgian serial entrepreneur Bart Decrem, CEO
of Tapulous, home to the most downloaded
game in the app store, and most popular iPhone
application, Tap Tap Revenge.
Software used to come in physical packages,
on CDs that had to be installed and upgraded.
Nowadays, it behaves like a service on the
web, or at least, it lives on the web and you
download it. The openness of many software
platforms and social networks, along with
the advent of mobile surfi ng, brought along
‘molecular’ software, to be plugged into any
system, taking up very little space. By losing its
material form though, software risked becoming
yet another kind of free web content (like
music and newspapers). But then came the
iTunes app store, proving that money could
be made from even the tiniest, free apps. The
central entry point for over 63, 000 apps and
counting, the app store had one billion downloads
in the fi rst nine months of its existence.
SMALL APPLICATIONS MEAN BIG BUSINESS
Tap Tap Revenge was downloaded 10 million
times during that period and is still the most
installed application. “The iPhone marked
the beginning of mobile 2.0. Engagement was
dramatically bigger than any mobile device
that came before. That means the iPhone App
Store is disruptive. Old models die, new ones
will emerge. You no longer produce a product
and ship it, but you create one as a free service
and build business on top. Tap Tap Revenge is
a free service, but we license new music every
week, offer game enhancers and keep it fresh
with continuous updates. The goal is to build
a social network around the game that keeps
people coming back. People like our game
because it’s simple, fun and there’s something
new every week. We have also invested a lot of
time in the user community,” says Bart. Some
critics doubted whether the app store would
prove profi table for anyone but the producers
of the top ten apps, but Decrem retorts: “For
10 to 30, 000 dollars, you can produce a very
good app. You don’t need to charge very much
to make a profi t, especially not when you offer
the app as a service and monetise in a more
creative way, which is much easier since the
advent of in-app commerce with the iPhone 3
OS.” Bart is also excited about other revolutions
the app store will bring about: “It's like
the Internet back in 1994. It was hard to make
money then, but very important to fi gure out
how it worked. Here’s a new medium coming
of age, and we’re still learning from each other.
Some companies have made a lot of money,
some developers a bit, and some people very
BELGIUM
23
little. However over time, there will be a smaller
number of established brands/companies, that
get a large piece of the pie, just like with the
internet.” Bart is an open source enthusiast but
says other platforms and smartphones will not
only have to be compatible, but offer as good a
user experience as Apple, or they won’t stand a
chance. He predicts the app store model will be
taken up by many systems, and is open for collaboration
with anyone: “As long as I like what
I’m doing and I am part of an exciting usercentered
development, I couldn’t be happier,”
says our man who made a big business out of
small apps. (KVG)
Widget
A small graphical object that gives access
to a specifi c application or user interface.
The widget is just the symbol for it, the
entry point.
Application
Any piece of software that makes you do
things, or does things for you: it is software
that directly interacts with the user.
Plug-in
An extension of an existing program
that brings new functionality to its host.
Plug-ins are often developed by users, so
that they can add functionality without
intervening with the basic software.
© Pierre-Philippe Duchâtelet

© Virassamy
24 THE MIDGET ISSUE THE NANO PAPERS
Follow the
leader
The infl uence of Twitter cannot be understated:
with an exploding userbase showing
no sign of slowing down, its effects on communication
and search behaviour are so big
that giants like Facebook and Google watch it
very closely, jostling for its acquisition. This
year especially, Twitter has entered the mainstream:
celebrities have found their place in the
Twittosphere, news services tweet their output
and brands recognise the value of interacting
with potential customers. The one hundred
and forty character limit has affected many
journalists, marketing people, politicians,
brands and opinion makers. Its nickname of
‘microblogging site’ has made Twitter the posterchild
of the ‘molecular’ online evolution.
So, even if you don’t tweet, you are still subject
to Twitter’s far-reaching infl uence.
After early adoption in 2006 and 2007 by
techies and bloggers, the Belgian Twittosphere
gained much traction in 2008, with more
marketeers, journalists and media. 2009 saw
the adoption of Twitter by politicians, if only
for the last months of their election campaign.
Despite its constantly growing user base, the
percentage of the Belgian active Twitter population
is quite small, and hard to pinpoint.
However, Belgian ‘tweople’ are an active
lot, organising ad hoc ‘twunches’, fl ashmobs
and pillowfi ghts on a regular basis, which
accounts for a lot of the media hype.
Belgian Twitterers are often multilingual,
with some users tweeting in three languages.
The French-speaking community has Brussels
as its epicenter, whereas Flemish Twitterers
more often come from Ghent or Antwerp,
where a lot of start ups and creative industries
are based. Profi ling indicates that the French
community accounts lean more towards
‘independent’ bloggers and personalities,
whereas the Flemish accounts are, although
still personal, more often tied to a company
(Netlash, Techcrunch). Belgian celebrity profi
les mirror Belgians’ major interests, since
two of the most followed Twitter accounts
are cyclists: Robbie McEwen, Aussie by birth
but living in Flanders, and Astana-manager
Johan Bruyneel, Belgian by birth but living in
Spain, each have more than twenty thousand
followers. Trending topic #tourdefrance was
the doing of many Belgians this summer.
To truly benefi t from using Twitter, you
must remember that online reputation is a big
deal, as Atog says: “Your avatar and biography
have to please me. It doesn’t have to be real,
but originality convinces me.” Account
manager Pekesenertjes says, “the only rule is
that your tweets have to add value, and the
Twitter karma will come back to you.” When
asked how they perceive Twitter, Belgians
follow their nature: they compare it to a cocktail
party or a pub: “You need to look around a
bit at fi rst, you don’t know where your friends
are, but it’s generally well worth it. I have
found customers, new friends and people
that inspire me,” says Pekesenertjes. Atog
confi rms: “I've met the coolest people in real
life through Twitter meet ups. So there’s a discovery
and a social incentive in using Twitter,
and that’s where the threat for Google lies:
because people trust their social circle better
than a web spider, they tend to search more
things via Twitter.” (KVG)
Follow us @NicholasTheWord

Itsy bitsy
rider
Our initial interest in this little beast of roadragers
started off rather sinisterly. Indeed, my
girlfriend and I had just walked out of her place
when we saw a twenty-something lying on the
ground, motionless. He had just crashed into
a pole, having lost control of his Honda Dax.
Setting aside the obvious trauma of the accident
(fear not though, the youngster made
it), the mini-motorbike’s distinctive design (a
rounded headlight, upright steering bars and
chrome fenders) and ingenious compactness
instantly hit the right chord. “Must fi nd out
more,” was the only thought buzzing in my
head, and every lead we followed up on led
to the same person time and again: Papa Dax,
president of the Antwerp Dax Association
(Belgium counts about 16 such associations)
for the past 25 years. A self-confessed Dax
fanatic, he is somewhat of an institution in
Antwerp, always to be seen roaming the city’s
streets on his devilish Dax.
The Honda Dax was fi rst introduced to
Belgians in 1970, on the back of the period’s
penchant for lifestyle two-wheelers - Vespas,
When music
became
child’s play
If you’re familiar with the W bus line going
from Brussels to Rhode-Saint-Genèse,
chances are you’ve spotted Marc Resibois on
his way to work fi ddling with his PSP, Koss
Portapro headphones fi rmly fi xed to his mop
of bleached hair. It might look as if he’s playing
a random game, but this self-confessed “nerd
with a social life” is actually creating music
as one of the few chiptune artists in Belgium.
8-bit music was born when cyber punks hacked
computer games and created intros presenting
themselves. Specifi c software was designed in
order to make music for these intros, slowly
generating a whole scene in the late nineties.
Another movement involved the recycling of
used and old machines that were worthless in
order to get something interesting out of them.
“Many people think that when we do chiptunes,
we’re just taking video games music and
re-organising it”, explains our man, who goes
by the stage name M-.-n, aka Marc Nostromo.
ITSY BITSY RIDER + WHEN MUSIC BECAME…
Caminos, Boosters and the likes. The motorbike
quickly became the transport mode
of choice for thrill-seeking teenagers who,
growing tired of their bicycles’ speed limitations,
opted instead for the Dax’s more aggressive
drive. Former Dax lover Nico Jacobs:
“When you are 16 and never experienced
nothing else than a bicycle, driving a Dax
feels like driving a small motorcycle.” Indeed,
the Dax always held a particularly strong
emotional appeal amongst its enthusiasts as
“But the idea is to use these old consoles as new
music instruments. It’s a tiny scene so most of
us know each other and do it as a hobby. The
philosophy is quite DIY and open source,
music and programs are distributed for free.”
Bored with the Gameboy sounds, Marc went
on to create the LittleGPTracker, a program
that would allow him to use samples and different
consoles such as a PSP, offering a wider
range of tunes. Unlike traditional instruments,
the equipment is cheap and ultra-portable so
BELGIUM
25
Papa Dax fondly points out: “They ride well,
are cute and the contact with the road is more
intense since you’re closer to it.”
Unique to the Dax is the sound it emits.
Indeed, its roar is particularly recognisable
and, to some, the sole reason they loath the lowrider.
“I remember driving in a group of approximately
seven riders and setting off car alarms as
we drove past,” admits Jacobs who, pushing his
obsession to acceptable limits, actually named
his son Dax. Now if that isn’t fatherly love… (NL)
chiptunes can be made virtually anywhere,
like standing in line at the post offi ce. But it
goes without saying that you’d better be tech
savvy before attempting it. “It’s defi nitely
geekier than a guitar! ” Marc concedes. (RW)
[M-.-n] will be playing at ‘Buzz On Your Lips’,
together with Robots in Disguise (UK), Covox
(SW), Droon and Tex Taiwan at Kultuur Kafé on
17 th October 2009
© Ulrike Biets © Sarah Eechaut

26 THE MICROSCOPIC ISSUE
THE INSTITUTION
Paying a visit to the restroom is almost
inevitable when clubbing. Yet it’s quite likely
that those five, 10 or 15 minutes won’t leave
much of an impression 24 hours later. Such
an assessment can’t be made for anyone
who’s been to the Mirano in the last decades.
In all fairness, the toilets are nothing
special. However, the old lady looking after
them, charging every customer 50 cents
per passage, is one hell of a character…
Jacqueline Wagner, aka Mamy, is probably
one of the most famous figures of Belgian
nightlife. Lorenzo Serra, the art director
and co-founder of the Dirty Dancing parties
held weekly there for the past six years,
sums it up quite well: “In 25 years, one out
of four people living in Brussels must have
handed her a coin at least once in their lifetime.
People either bitterly resent giving her
money, or they do it with great delight.”
Jacqueline by day,
Mamy by night
— She’s 68, looks like a regular grandma, but has the quick wit of a kid, curses
like a trucker and can be a real badass when rubbed the wrong way. Having
spent more than 25 years in the restrooms of the capital’s hottest club, she’s seen
all of Brussels looking worse for wear and knows everybody’s dirty secrets.
Holding the fort : Mamy
Writer Randa Wazen
" People my age are
retarded. When I see
those grey haired
oldies complaining
about this and whinging
about that,
it drives my crazy. "
Jacqueline, a typical “brusseleer” with
a heavy accent, used to run a tavern that
went bankrupt. Along with her husband, she
answered an ad to work at the Mirano in the
eighties. She started out doing cleaning work
and one night, help was needed downstairs in
the lavatories. “I thought it was very amusing
so I continued,” she recalls. Amusing wouldn’t
be the fi rst thing to come to mind when talking
about such an unpopular job, but Mamy
managed to turn it into a fascinating experience.
Let’s face it; the woman has seen some
crazy shit go down. When it comes to clubbing,
forget the dance fl oor, the VIPs or even
the bar; the restroom is where it all happens.
Breakups, hook ups, chemical intakes, fi ghts,
gossip, you name it.
The good, the bad and the very ugly
Everybody confi des in Mamy, opening up about
his or her life, heartaches and deepest secrets.
She even jokes about how she could write the
wickedest of memoirs on earth if she set her
mind to it. What she enjoys most is the direct
contact with people from all kinds of horizons,
© Ulrike Biets

ut she also has to put up with some gruesome
scenes. While the “dancing” occurs upstairs,
she gets stuck with the “dirty” downstairs.
Surprisingly, she explains that women are by
far fi lthier than men and has countless examples
to back it up. Like the story of a girl who once
smudged blood all over the bathroom stall, or
the one who urinated while standing in line, or
even the one who vomited in the sink and got
her head shoved in it by Mamy when she caught
her doing it. Some folks are in such a hurry that
they never make it downstairs therefore it’s not
unusual to fi nd puddles of urine behind the
big black curtain at the back of the club’s main
room and sometimes even faeces in champagne
buckets. The wackiness doesn’t end here.
Mamy almost witnessed a heavily pregnant
woman giving birth in the ladies’ room,
saw another one compulsively inserting and
removing her tampon while sitting on the
fl oor, or even ambitious ladies attempting to
relieve themselves in urinals. Some scenes
left her speechless, like opening a stall and
fi nding two guys in the middle of a romp and
candidly answering “we’re fucking” when
asked what they were doing. Others had her
in stitches, as in when a sharply dressed snob
got vomited all over her suit by a young man
who obviously had one too many. Some things
on the other hand, are no joking matter to
her. Viciously opposed to drugs, her biggest
phobia is to fi nd someone who’s overdosed.
So she makes sure it doesn’t happen on her
watch by asphyxiating those who stay too
long in a booth with air-freshener. Another
trick is to apply a layer of pure bleach on the
toilet fl ushes and seats. “Sometimes I’ll hear
someone scream and I know it worked.” The
hardest part is to remain cool when insulted.
“Some guys can get really nasty. Some even
try to physically assault me. That’s harsh.”
Thankfully, she can rely on the regulars, who
often hang out with her downstairs, but especially
on Mike, whom she calls her “bodyguard”.
He worked at some point for the club
and he’s been coming every week for the past
six years, keeping her company and making
sure no one messes with Mamy.
Not your average grandma
“Past a certain hour, the toilets of the Mirano
are not like a zoo, they are a zoo.” In order to
keep up with the chaotic atmosphere, Mamy
usually needs a drink or two – whilst a good
JACQUELINE BY DAY, MAMY BY NIGHT
sense of humour also helps. She casually jokes
with everyone, especially when asked stupid
questions. She’s heard thousands of excuses
from clubbers reluctant to pay the toilet fee.
Fed up with people presenting her with large
bills, she once prepared a bag fi lled with
49,50 euros worth of fi ve cents coins. Believe it
or not, when a guy handed her a fi fty that night,
she left him with no choice but to go home with
said bag. “Sometimes I wonder if we come from
the same planet,” she ponders. “At night, people
are not the same as they are during the day.”
The same could easily be said of her. When we
met her in broad daylight at a local tavern she
goes to every day for a cup of coffee, she struck
us as being the most normal looking sixty-yearold
in the world. “On Saturdays I might seem
a bit loony but during the rest of the week I am
just a grandma.” She irons, cleans up her place,
watches the Young and the Restless, spends
time with her eleven grand children, walks her
pet Chihuahua ( which she christened Dirty )
and basically leads the life of a retired lady. Yet
as much as she might look her age, Jacqueline
sure doesn’t sound like your average grandma.
As a matter of fact, she admits she doesn’t have
a single friend her age and despises regular old
women. “People my age are retarded. When I see
those grey haired oldies complaining about this
and whinging about that, it drives my crazy. My
grandchildren prefer going on holidays with me
rather than with their parents. I think in a way, I
stayed stuck somewhere in my twenties.”
" One ritual
she religiously repeats
though is taking
a bath in which
she dilutes two caps
of bleach as
a symbolic gesture. "
A die hard personality, odd routines
Jacqueline arrives every Saturday around
10.30pm, sets everything up, has a drink
and then goes down to her station, which
she’ll never leave for the next seven hours.
BELGIUM
27
Whether she sees 40 people or a 1000, her
salary remains the same as she is paid by the
hour. Around 5.30am she’ll bring her till up,
count it and is gone by six. Sundays are her
lazy days, especially since she never sleeps
after a shift. One ritual she religiously repeats
though is taking a bath in which she dilutes
two caps of bleach as a symbolic gesture. The
woman swears by bleach and simply can’t get
enough of it! “Once my boss even jokingly
asked me if I drank bleach… I use it for everything.
It works like a charm.”
Before each party Lorenzo introduces her
to the guest DJs and performers so she knows
who can go in for free. The artists are usually
intrigued by her outgoingness and brutal
honesty. “Unlike most lavatory attendants,
she is not a piece of furniture that morphs into
the background. She goes over to people, says
hello, cracks jokes,” he explains. Amongst the
many artists she’s met, her favourite is without
a doubt Felix Da Housecat, with whom she
shares a very intense bond. She is so fond of
the house producer and DJ that she even once
brought him home cooked meatballs, warning
him that she wouldn’t allow him to begin his
set unless he ate the whole dish. “When you
think of how internationally famous and
respected he is, no one would ever dare doing
that. Yet she doesn’t care, and he loves her for
it.” Some artists can’t get over her age and even
go up to Lorenzo telling him that he’s crazy to
employ someone that old. “One of them once
asked me if I was not afraid she might have a
stroke during a shift. I never really thought of
it… But she’s a tough cookie.”
And she sure is. Jacqueline never missed
a shift in more than 25 years. “My husband
passed away on a Friday, but I was working
the following night. My mother passed away on
a Friday too and I went to work the following
night. I went there with a fl u, with a cast on my
arm, on my leg, a broken rib but I never missed
a single Saturday,” she fi rmly states, which
says a lot about her die hard personality. “I’m a
thorough person. When I set my mind to something,
I do it. If I like you I like you. If I don’t,
I don’t.” Mamy plans on working for as long
as she can. “Contrary to popular belief, I love
my job. The day I have to drag myself to work,
I’ll quit. It’s as simple as that.” With the Dirty
Dancing parties now over, the whole crew left
the Mirano to relocate to the K-Nal. Though
they did make sure to bring Mamy along…

28
THE ATOMIC ISSUE
Nano – the fl ip side,
the down side ?
The fi rst time I met George Paschalides we
went for coffee, talked about politics in general
– and Greece’s Green Party specifi cally – ,
and then got around to his personal activism.
Not only was he quite often in Brussels and
several other cities as an NGO member allocated
by the European Environmental Board,
or the European Consumers Association,
partaking in roundtables and conferences on
nanotechnology, but in his own municipality
he was fi ghting as hard as he could - and for
as long as anyone would listen. (One hour was
my fi rst experience.)
Nanotechnology may promise to be the
next best thing since sliced bread, handing
us wrinkle free clothes, streak-free window
cleaners, medicines and procedures that work
better but what do we really know about it?
What if, thanks to its nano qualities, it also
has the possibility to enter into our DNA
helix and change it ?
Paschalides, is on the board of governors
of the Greek Green Party (Ecologist Greens)
which fell short of being listed in the previous
European Elections but proudly points to the
fact that for the fi rst time in political history,
his party achieved one seat in the European
Parliament.
He currently works for the Ministry of
the Environment in Greece, is on the board
of directors of an NGO dealing with product
and packaging issues, as well as being a lecturer
on nanotechnology to postgraduate
medicine students.
Nanotechnology, he says, is a kind of catchphrase
for a growing range of activities and uses
at the nano-level, although these can be focused
more specifi cally on particles (such as carbon
or silver), materials (engineered with nano
structures, such as carbon nano tubes that make
up carbon nanofi bres), and products (from cosmetics
to textiles). “Those involved claim that
they will bring about improvements, providing
new products and services, enabling increased
and new human personal abilities, and generally
reshaping societal relationships through
innovation in many different sectors.”
“Some future applications include better
targeted medicines, more effi cient energy
storage and lighting, better insulation materials
or enhanced physical characteristics
of natural resources, including products of
dubious importance such as stain-free fabrics,
lighter and stronger tennis rackets and selfcleaning
windows,” says Paschalides.
THE DEBATE
However, all of these upbeat, ‘miraculous’
assessments of the benefi ts of nanotechnologies
and materials are reminiscent of the
promises made when nuclear energy and biotechnology
were fi rst introduced. At the time,
they were credited with the potential to solve
global energy needs or abolish world hunger;
Nanotechnology is too, in some circles.
Similarly, many chemicals and substances
were welcomed for their benefi ts before their
negative impacts on human health and the
environment were identifi ed and understood,
including DDT, asbestos and PCBs.
In response, Paschalides and other civil
society groups worldwide are calling for a
precautionary approach to the use of nanotechnologies
and materials since there is a wide
gap in what is known - and what is not - about
them in terms of environmental and human
health impacts.
" All of these upbeat,
‘miraculous’ assessments
of the benefi ts of
nanotechnologies are
reminiscent of
the promises made
when nuclear energy
and biotechnology
were fi rst introduced. "
“Safety tests performed so far on bulk
materials are not extendable down to the
‘nano’ level enough to confi dently predict
safety levels,” says the anti-nano crusader,
citing an EU Scientifi c Committee opinion.
Legal restrictions in the nanomaterial
sector are still sketchy. An unfi nished and
confl icting study, recognising a repeated
failure of existing chemical regulatory frameworks
to manage the risks on nanomaterials,
underlines that existing regulations do not
require manufacturers to treat nanomaterials
as new chemicals, a position reaffi rmed by the
European Commission in 2008.
What NGOs such as Greenpeace, The
Australian Greens, and other society groups
suggest is clearer defi nitions and labelling.
Legislation should start dealing with nanos
and their existence in any sector - whether
these are chemicals or food.
“Preventing known and potential exposures
to nanomaterials that have not yet
been proven safe according to established
criteria should be the ultimate aim of effective
management of nanomaterials,” says
Paschalides.
A detailed labelling of the lifecycle of
nanos has also been requested by the UK
Royal Society and the Royal Academy of
Engineering.
Full lifecycle, environmental, health, and
safety impacts must be assessed prior to commercialisation
they stress.
Many more worried heads seem to be
rearing; it’s not just the NGOs anymore.
On her fi rst trip to Brussels, President
Barack Obama’s newly appointed
Commissioner to the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), Margaret A. Hamburg,
recently described what concerns the US may
have on this “emerging technology”.
The scope of nanotechnology spans “across
almost every product that the Food and Drug
Administration in the US regulates; drugs,
medical devices, cosmetics and - even I was
surprised to learn - clothing and fabric creation,”
as well as affecting many other products
not in the FDA’s reach, she said.
“But because it is emerging and relatively
new we are still examining what are the best
ways to study it and use it in products and
the best ways to regulate it and to monitor for
safety,” Hamburg said.
It is still an area where the US needs to
“determine what are the best oversight mechanisms
and I would say it is an evolving area
and one where the benefi ts and opportunities
clearly are enormous but one where we want to
reassure the public that the appropriate protection
mechanisms are in place,” she stressed.
If it was up to the NGOs it would not just
be labeling and precaution. Products that
were new would not enter the market, a pre
market registration would be established and
legal frameworks would be made, not just any
frameworks, nano specifi c frameworks.
Above all, research into the possible
impacts of nanomaterials on the functioning
of natural and human systems would be a priority
in nano technology’s advancement.
The future is undoubtedly bright; the
potential for nanorobotics and technologies
to challenge and elevate us to the next progressive
stage is exciting, but fi rst, a clearer
picture of the fi eld’s many unknowns would
be wise, if only to avoid any unexpected surprises
in the future.
At least, that’s what the fl ip side plays like. (AP)

© Chryssa Nikoleri
Standing fi rm : George Paschalides
NANO – THE FLIP SIDE, THE DOWN SIDE?
LIFESTYLE
29

30 THE POCKET ISSUE THE DREAM
Maison
du Word
— Slowly reaching that
stage in our lives where
we are now referred to as
‘fi rst-time home buyers’,
we thought it high time to
dream up our ideal pad –
on a miniature scale that is.
Enlisting the expertise of
architect Sophie Uhoda,
we hand built a utopian
communal living space
loosely inspired by our
current offi ce-come-housecome-debauchery-den.
Taking as starting point a
children’s wooden model
garage we bought in an
antiques shop, we updated
the former structure with
modernist tones whilst
at the same time keen to
preserve the building’s
original features.
Architect and model-maker
Sophie Uhoda
Interior Designer
Delphine Dupont
& Sophie Uhoda
Photography
Operation Panda
The original façade,
a sharp contrast to the gardenfacing
one and its large windows.
(See picture 03)

01.
MAISON DU WORD
LIFESTYLE
31

32 THE INFINITESIMAL ISSUE THE DREAM
As always, the project began with high expectations
: each resident was to have a specifi c
role ( interior designer, farmer, administrator,
etc…) and we even planned to create an advisory
board which was meant to include the
likes of Luc Schuiten and CO2logic ( to name
but a few ). We were forced to slightly rethink
our plans of inclusiveness though when the
holiday migration hit us hard, although the
brief remained the same.
First and foremost, the project was meant
as an exploratory study into urban community
living, a sort of activist hippie community
for 21 st century living. This meant that
we based the project on the typical semidetached
“Maison de Maitre” prevalent in
Brussels. We were also very keen to build a
place which combined our private and professional
lives, one which refl ected the blurry
lines which existed between our living and
working spaces. This was extended to our
communal public-private partnership : each
couple was to be given a private quarter (complete
with children’s room, parents’ room and
bathroom) whilst all the kitchen, dining area,
living room and garden were open to all.
The key words were : open plan, modular,
organic ( in terms of how the house blended
into its environment ) and referential ( considering
the heritage ). Similarly to the magazine,
we wanted our house to be functional,
operating along the lines of the “less is more”
dictum. Needless to say we gave strong consideration
to the project’s overall sustainability
and environmental impact, although
having fun and trying out something new was
just as intrinsic.
Getting down to specifi cs, we had a couple
of imperatives. We all were keen on a common
library, a large dining area able to seat us all, a
greenhouse and botanical garden, a children’s
playground, as much green space as possible
and an indoor basketball court (the building’s
original structure lent itself perfectly for this
last request). Lots of space and an unrestricted
fl ow of light were essential.
After close to two and a half months, we
fi nally opened the doors to our dreamed-up
miniaturised den end of July… all we need
now is to fi gure out how to downsize ourselves.
(NL)
Previous pages
01. Maison du Word in full view
These pages
02. Aerial view of the
basketball court-come-lounge, complete
with wall-mounted library
03. The garden-facing facade
04. View of the interior from the main entrance
02.
The original arcades.
The indoor basketball court, a central
feature in the renovation process.

03.
04.
MAISON DU WORD
LIFESTYLE
Terraces help to maximise the
indoor living space.
Stairs which double up as a
library. Central to the project
was the optimisation of each
zone as a living space.
Check The Word Blog for before and after photographs of Maison du Word. www.thewordmagazine.be
33

34 THE ITSY-BITSY ISSUE
To the
power of
one
— We have somewhat of
an obsessive fascination
for characters who pursue
their passion and core
beliefs at all costs. Indeed,
some of the country’s fi nest
retail, cultural and food
outfi ts stem from these one
man bands’ steadfast vision
and indefatigable energy.
We therefore thought it
high-time to give centre
stage to these sole players
and their emporiums.
Photography Sarah Eechaut
Writer Nicholas Lewis
THE WAY
Alice Gallery
Opened by Alice van den Abeele and Raphaël
Cruyt in December 2004, Alice Gallery is a
cultural hotspot which encompasses a shop,
a gallery and a project room. Located at the
end of Rue Antoine Dansaertstraat, Alice’s
boutique has, as she puts it, “fi ve big shelves
fi lled with what we like.” A natural extension
of her own passions and tastes, the boutique
peddles everything from art books, t-shirts,
Vejà sneakers, sunglasses and screen prints.
The neighbourhood cultural powerhouse is
especially reputed for the art shows it puts
on – Maya Hayuk being the most recent
one. Attracting everyone from skateboarders
looking for a book on board design and
the Spanish out-of-towner on the lookout for
an original print by a local artist to the architect
who needs to buy a present for a friend’s
birthday, Alice has, in the space of fi ve years,
become a name to be reckoned with on the
cultural trail.
One other shop you admire and why ?
Icon, a fashion boutique on
Rue A. Dansaertstraat. Michèle, the owner,
will not let you buy what you want if she
thinks it does not fi t.
What future plans do you have for the shop ?
We just changed the set up of the shop to
have a project room in addition to the gallery.
We will hold exhibitions every two months
in this new space. We’ll start the season
with local artist NEB from Brussels. We’ll
also have a show by LA based artist Cleon
Peterson in the main gallery.
Your motto ?
Look straight ahead and keep on going.
Rue Antoine Dansaertstraat 182
1000 Brussels
www.alicebxl.com

Septante Sept
Owner Pierre Marino-Smette opened
Septante Sept, his limited edition design
store, in October 2006. Huddled in the heart
of Brussels’ Chatelain area, the shop stocks
an incredible array of items –approximately
150 designers can be found in the intimate yet
packed store. The perfect spot to fi nd a last
minute gift or discover emerging local talent,
Pierre loves, as he puts it, “to make people discover
new things; things I like. I started with
music as a DJ and party promoter; now it's my
love for objects, fashion and art that I want to
share.” Mostly catering to thirty-something
European ‘Bourgeois Bohemes’, Septante Sept
is defi nitely the place to hit if you’re keen to
get a sense of the pulsating local fl avor.
TO THE POWER OF ONE
One other shop you admire and why ?
Jewelry designer Marie Le Lorrain’s boutique
on Rue Berkendael 175 Berkendaalstraat,
1050 Brussels.
What future plans do you have for the shop ?
In September, the shop will be part of
‘Design September’ with an exhibition dedicated
to young Belgian designers working
with light.
Your motto ?
Always try to surprise myself and therefore
surprise my customers.
Rue du Page 77 Edelknaapstraat
1050 Brussels
www.septantesept.be
LIFESTYLE
35
L’épicerie Fine de la Senne
Valérie and Christian opened their savoury
deli and gourmet kitchenette in August 2004.
Nestled in the pedestrian street linking
Boulevard Anspachlaan to Rue du Marché
au Charbon/Kolenmarkt, their eatery
attracts the area’s locals, employees on their
lunch break, the neighbourhood’s gay community
as well as tourists. Famed for its wide
selection of fresh vegetables and anti pasti,
L’épicerie also plays host to the odd exhibition
or two (Valérie’s doing) whilst always
playing a pleasant selection of tunes, courtesy
of Christian. Aptly named after the 19th
century river fl owing underneath it, L’épicerie
is without a doubt the team’s favoured downtown
lunchtime den.
One other shop you admire and why ?
Prive Joke (men and womens fashion boutique),
Look 50, Fox Hole (vintage clothes)
and Septante Sept.
Your motto ?
Diversity, friendship and a good glass of wine.
Rue du bon Secours 4 Bijstandstraat
1000 Brussels
www.epiceriefi nedelasenne.be

36 THE TEENY-WEENY ISSUE
Delecta
The Delecta fi rst opened its doors in 2001,
although current owner Coralie Rutten –
dubbed “La Biche” – took the place over in
2007. A bar-come-eatery which doubles as
the “place to be” every Thursday night, what
was formerly a grocery store has managed to
build quite a following since : a two minute
walk from the up-and-coming Flagey area, the
bar attracts neighbourhood regulars as well as
the city’s writers, musicians, graphic designers,
actors and the likes. “I need people to feel
at ease at the Delecta. It’s an intimate place,
where lots of things happen – meetings, creations,
exchanges,” says the joyful host. With
a wide selection of dishes winning the hearts
and minds of her clientele – the mix platter of
meats, cheeses and grilled vegetables served
with toasts being the most in demand – we’ve
made the Delecta our home away from home
for some time now.
THE WAY
What future plans do you have for the shop ?
Improve the place in general, and continue
with our acoustic concerts and DJ nights on
Thursday evening.
One other shop you admire and why ?
I like places with a soul. I admire the
Archiduc and Sibémol for their persistence
after all these years.
Your motto ?
I operate through intuition. I sometimes look
up to my ceiling and ask for some assistance.
Rue Lannoy 2 Lannoystraat
1050 Brussels

Choosy Juice Bar
One-time Word contributor Laura Vannerom
started juicing it in October 2006. Housed in
an intimate, pink-lined shop off Rue du Midi/
Zuidstraat, the idea to open up came, well,
quite naturally to Laura: “I had worked in
bars and restaurants and also some offi ce jobs
but neither made me happy, so it was kind of
natural to think about starting my own business.
I decided on a juice bar in May 2006
and six months later it was up and running.”
Essentially a meeting point for local fruit
fi ends, Choosy has more than 45 juice mixes
on its menu and also offers a simple food
menu - a soup and salad of the day, a couple
of sandwiches and some desserts. Its specialty
though: the brightly coloured Choup juice, a
heady mix of apple, beetroot, ginger, orange
and pineapple.
TO THE POWER OF ONE
One other shop you admire and why ?
Restaurant Le Vismet, for its consistency
and quality.
What future plans do you have for the shop ?
I would like to develop the events part.
For starters Choosy will be catering at
PassiveHouse 2009 (Tour&Taxis). I’d also
like to do something with the space above
the shop on the fi rst fl oor, perhaps have
workshops or more seating for groups, or
even rent it out for meetings and parties.
Your motto ?
Be Choosy, be healthy, be delicious and
Carpe Diem.
Rue des Pierres 40 Steenstraat
1000 Brussels
www.bechoosy.be
LIFESTYLE
37
Plaizier
Plaizier, open since the summer of 1977, is the
brainchild of Wijnand and Mieke Plaizier-
Vermeiren. A tiny fi ve by 10m shop, the multifaceted
store started off as a gallery, going on
to publish its own series of postcards as well
as working closely with artists on publishing
books and catalogues. The closest the city of
Brussels has to a visual archive, Plaizier has
over the years built up an impressive collection
of postcards, posters and small-print
books with a special emphasis on the capital
city. Catering to everyone from Brussels buffs,
to Japanese, Chinese and European tourists,
Plaizier is a personal affair and an extension
of Mieke’s interest : “We continue to follow
our own subjective choices and after years we
now have people who like the same things (as
us).” A pleasure indeed…
What future plans do you have for the shop ?
O.W. Link exhibition in Congres station (until
4 th September 2009) and we hope to continue
publishing cards, prints and calendars.
Rue des Eperonniers 50
Spoormakersstraat
1000 Brussels
www.plaizier.be

38 THE SCANTY ISSUE
THE WAY
Peinture Fraîche
Peinture Fraiche, an art bookstore in
Brussels’ Chatelain district, opened its
doors in February 1989. Founded by Benoît
Waterkeyn and Dominique Michaux, this
high-art treasure-trove stocks everything
from limited-edition fi ne art photography
books and obscure Japanese graphic design
publications to Korean architecture magazines
and one-off publishing marvels. A
meeting point for the city’s creative folk, the
store attracts, as its owners tell us, “all types
of passionate people, of all ages.” We strongly
recommend the bookstore for anyone looking
to be inspired.
One other shop you admire and why ?
Plaizier, for its uniqueness and the pleasure
its window display always brings us.
What future plans do you have for the shop ?
To remain a small bookshop and to continue
doing our job as best as we can.
Your motto ?
One amongst many: living without beauty, is
like living without light.
Rue du Tabellion 10 Notarisstraat
1050 Brussels
Veals & Geeks
Opened in April 2008, Veals & Geeks has
quickly cemented a reputation for retail curatorial
excellence – shaped, nearly entirely,
through owner Stan’s longstanding personal
passions. An avid crate-digger and vintage
video game afi cionado, he has stocked the
boutique-come-gallery with everything from
records and DVDs to magazines, books and
vintage video games. Attracting a nerdy bunch
of shoppers – “We have die hard music fans,
lost travelers, record geeks and magazine freaks
from all over the world visiting the store,” Stan
says –, this is one store you’re sure to come out
of a little less ignorant, such is the prevalent
expertise fl owing through the air. A refreshing
addition to downtown shopping…
One other shop you admire and why ?
Catherine, the cheese shop on Rue du Midi
23 Zuidstraat, I appreciate the seasonal products
and the old fashioned atmosphere.
What future plans do you have for the shop ?
We're currently adding more furniture to
expand the record section and we have a
showcase coming up for Hank Harry's new
album in September.
Your motto ?
Hey Ho, Let’s Go.
Rue des Grands Carmes
8a Lievevrouwbroersstraat
1000 Brussels
www.vealsandgeeks.com

Notre savoir-faire se déguste avec sagesse - Ons vakmanschap drink je met verstand
www.veuve-clicquot.com

40 THE MEAGER ISSUE
THE WORD ON
My little
doggy
— Before the rise of
celebrity Chihuahuas
and superstar Pugs made
walking your dog just
another fashion fad to
follow, Belgian grannies
were reputed for keeping
a very special place in
their hearts for their
often particularly tiny
tail-waggers. Here, we
meet Maria, Isabelle and
Yolande to fi nd out why
their four-legged fl ea bags
get the sofa treatment.
Photography Sarah Eechaut
Maria Duitshouwer is 88 and lives in
Brussels. She got her dog – a York called
Pruts – after her husband lost 15kgs
following the death of their previous dog.
It too was called Pruts.

Isabelle Neirynck is 85 and lives in Ledegem.
She got her dog – a West Highland white
terrier called Blaffi e – after being burgled.
He is now the house’s watchdog – seriously.
MY LITTLE DOGGY
LIFESTYLE
Yolande Steurbaut is 69 years old and lives
in Ghent. She has always been surrounded
by dogs and apparently cannot live without
one. Her dog – a Shih Tzu named Benjy –
keeps her company.
41

42 THE LONESOME ISSUE
THE OTHER WORD ON
Me, my toys
and everyone
I know…
— Passions and hobbies,
however expensive they
become, always keep the
child in all of us alive and
kicking. In the following
series on collectors, we
meet those who have a soft
spot for the small – from
miniature Delft china
and Marklin trains to
downsized excavators.
Photography Sarah Eechaut
Willy Van Delsen from Herzele collects
it all – from the rarest to the kitschiest.
His house is as packed as Ali Baba’s cavern
with everything from vases, lace and Delft
colour-coordinated into separate rooms.

D. Gids collects Marklin trains. Meticulous
in his approach, his collection is minutely
archived in a fl oor-to-ceiling cabinet.
Tom ‘Kraan’ Maervoet’s father used to
work as an excavator operator. Little did
he know that by giving his son a miniature
crane for his 7 th birthday he would kick start
a fascination with the excavating beasts.
All his are on a scale of 1:50.
ME, MY TOYS AND EVERYONE I KNOW…
LIFESTYLE
43

44
Miniaturised
marvels
— We’re aiming for a clean slate this time around. Be it our
Vodka followed by an espresso, some clothing accompanied
by a bib or some soap, we’re not about to be caught out by some
unexpected accident, however small it may be.
Photography Operation Panda
Writer Nicholas Lewis
01. Barking mad
THE INSIGNIFICANT ISSUE
Even the meanest of brutes will be forced
to crack a smile when he lays eyes on
Labrador’s canny set of illustrated T’s.
Created by Antwerp-based designer and art
director Ilse Pierard, we were instantly drawn
to her illustrations’ simplicity laced with
witty references. With the 2009 collection
including, amongst others, a pink paint brushwielding
eagle, the undertones of understated
humour hit just the right chord with the offi ce’s
comic cognoscenti. Printed on 100 percent
Organic Cotton American Apparel t-shirts,
we chose the backdoor ice cream polar bear as
our motif. Nothing but joy…
From € 25 to € 40
www.labradortshirts.be
THE SHOWSTOPPERS

03. Have a little spirit
We already had somewhat of a penchant for
their different-fl avoured vodkas – Ruby
Red being our poison of choice at the
moment – but this here is outright positive
provocation if you ask us. Neatly packed
into a set of fi ve, we found Absolut’s spirited
mini-mart to be the perfect (regulating)
partner in our quest to minimise our summer
alcohol intake to 50ml a pop. We forgot to
limit the amount of pops per night though.
Oh well, next year.
ABSOLUT Five
Available from all good supermarkets
MINIATURISED MARVELS
LIFESTYLE
02. Take away
They might seem slightly on the frivolous
side upon fi rst inspection, but a closer
look - and a tryout - will reveal sheer good
sense and a serious dose of ingenuity. An
elongated, strap-on bib which morphs into
a tablecloth, Bavetton is described as an
‘accessory for contemporary kids’. Given
the plethora of different motifs and colour
patterns it comes in, you tend to imagine this
tablebib on the same type of toddler to sport
Baby Dior overalls, drinking from a Philippe
Starck baby bottle. Created by trained-architect-turned-product-designer
Lara Boudron,
Bavetton is unexpectedly functional and
agreeably liberating judging by the hit it was
with the offi ce’s recently delivered arrival,
Sienna. We got her two.
BAVETTON, € 39,50
Available amongst others at Espace Bizarre
Rue des Chartreux 19 Karthuizersstraat
1000 Brussels
www.labaronnepython.com
04. For play
Fed up with over-the-top luxury lines or
bottom-of-the-line ill-suited collections
for your little one ? Cotton & Milk’s
understated kids’ wear collection is probably
just what you’re after. The side-project
of freelance knitwear designer Justine
Glanfi eld, the newly-launched label includes
cotton sleeveless v-neck jumpers, strap-on
long skirts and exquisite high-topped socks.
Imbued with 21 st century New England
references, the label distinguishes itself
through its sturdy knitwear and maritime
infl uences – most sweaters come with everso-cute
shoulder buttons.
www.cottonandmilk.com
45

46
THE LIMITED ISSUE
06. Scented scrub
The ‘LustAball’, created by Ghent-based
contemporary artist Karien Vandekerkhove,
are soaps made of 100 percent extra virgin
olive oil and infused with a wide selection
of different essential oils – from French
lavender and Belgian Callebaut chocolate to
Egyptian geranium and Spanish rosemary.
Handmade in Belgium and a follow-up to her
‘Adoraballs’ collection, the 118gr rounded
rinse reminded us how much more we preferred
soap bars to shower gels when given
the choice. For our own guest restroom, we
picked the Thai Lemongrass scented scrub…
LustAball From € 5,70
www.karienvandekerkhove.com/soap
THE SHOWSTOPPERS
05. Pressto!
Cleverly packed into a neat leather-lined
carry pouch and graced with a functional
Italian design edge befi tting the best of
espresso bars, Handpresso’s Outdoor set
will have any design buff scrambling for
the presser. Including a downsized espresso
machine, a thermos-fl ask, four unbreakable
espresso cups and even two napkins,
the brew bag has it all worked out. You’d be
forgiven for expecting a ‘break glass in case
of emergency’ window such is the sense of
purpose to this on-the-go barista.
HANDPRESSO Outdoor Set
From € 169
Available from Natural Caffé
Avenue Louise 196a Louizalaan
1050 Brussels
www.handpresso.com

a
a
a
a
a
the
cachemire coton et soie
contagious and creative sensation
crash course in seduction
character of classic sophistication
cachemire coton et soie
clear cut superiority
THE WORD & CACHEMIRE COTON ET SOIE
conspicuous consumption satisfi ed
cherry on the cake of style…
cachemire coton et soie
C / C / & / S
cachemirecotonetsoie.com
Rue Franz Merjay 53 Franz Merjaystraat
1050 Brussels
02 647 09 88
Opening Hours
From Monday to Saturday / 11h00 to 18h30

48 THE MINIMAL ISSUE
THE TEASE
Ready for takeoff ( London Heathrow )
India on
a Leica
Early June, my girlfriend and I set off
for 20 days in India. We both needed
a change of scenery, and the south of
India seemed like the right place to do
so. We began by a week of ‘do-nothing’
in Mangalore – and the family townships
of Kallianpur and Bramavar – visiting
relatives, dodging the monsoons, feasting
on fi sh curries and reading everything
from 032C’s summer issue to James Frey’s
Bright Shiny Morning. We then moved up
to Bangalore for some memorable karaoke
Bollywood-style and drink parking lot
‘mixed chai’ with two good friends –
having such of a good time we changed
our fl ight back to Mangalore twice. After
a couple of days back in Mangalore, we
fi nished the trip off with four days in
Mumbai. You might say we did things
backwards given the intensity that is the
capital city, although we prefer to be of
the opinion of ending the trip on a high…
Photography Nicholas Lewis &
Mélisande McBurnie
Using Leica’s new D-Lux 4 digital camera
Iddlies (rice pancackes) delivered for
breakfast every morning ( Mangalore )
Bandit Queen in-the making (Bangalore)
Because they do! ( Mangalore )
And they mean it! ( Mangalore ) Drive-through ‘mixed chai’ ( Bangalore )

INDIA ON A LEICA
LIFESTYLE
A billion magazines for a billion people ( Crawford market, Mumbai ) Straight out of a movie scene ( Mumbai )
A colourful selection of pan – chewing tobacco mixed with fresh betel nuts,
catechu, cardamom and lime ( Mumbai )
India’s answer to Tony Soprano ( Mumbai )
Municipal water fountains. Drink at your own risk ( Mumbai )
Say ‘Paneer’ ( Mumbai )
Leica D-Lux 4, from € 699
www.leica-camera.be
49

50
THE MINOR ISSUE
— Lunchroom meetings are being held, briefcases
exchanged and documents thrown to the shredder. Judging
by our bankers’ suspicious behaviors and hush-hush
demeanors, something big is about to go down, requiring
their undivided attention.
Photography Vincent Fournier
Styling & Production Eleonore Vanden Eynde
THE FASHION WORD

Left: Shirt Iceberg, Tie Paul Smith from Balthazar, Cardigan Closed
Right: Shirt Iceberg, Tie Paul Smith from Balthazar, Jacket Essentiel Vintage Phone from Ping Pong

Left : Vest Chauncey, Trousers Giorgio Armani, Shirt COS, Shoes Hermès, Vintage Bow Tie
Right : Vest Hermès, Trousers Agnès B, Shirt COS, Shoes J.M. Weston, Vintage Bow Tie, Briefcase Delvaux

Suit, Tie and Shoes Ermenegildo Zegna, Waistcoat Ralph Lauren, Shirt Essentiel

Suit Lacoste, Shirt Comme des Garçons

Left : Suit Paul Smith from Balthazar, Shirt Calvin Klein, Tie Yves Saint Laurent, Shoes J.M. Weston
Middle : Suit Agnès B, Shirt Gucci, Shoes Hermès, Vintage Bow Tie
Right : Suit COS, Shirt Lagerfeld, Shoes J.M. Weston, Vintage Bow Tie

Suit Hermès, Waistcoat Agnès B, Shirt Hugo Boss, Tie Givenchy from Francis Ferent, Shoes Paul Smith,
Cuff Links Givenchy, Vintage Light from Ping Pong

Left : Suit Essentiel, Shirt H&M Trends Collection, Shoes J.M. Weston, Belt Louis Vuitton, Vintage Bow Tie
Middle : Suit Essentiel, Shirt Degand, Tie Tommy Hilfi ger, Belt Delvaux, Cuff Links Louis Vuitton, Shoes Giorgio Armani
Right : Suit Essentiel, Shirt Lagerfeld, Shoes J.M. Weston, Belt Louis Vuitton, Vintage Bow Tie

Suit Ermenegildo Zegna, Shirt Paul Smith from Balthazar, Tie Degand, Briefcase Delvaux,

Belt Hermes, Shoes Paul Smith from Balthazar, Hat Maison Michel

Left : Suit and Shoes Giorgio Armani, Vest Degand, Shirt Filippa K, Watch Longines

Photographer
Vincent Fournier
www.carolelambert.com
Assistant photographer
Delphine Gilson
Production and styling
Eleonore Vanden Eynde
Hair and Makeup
Bérangère Dosière & Sofi e Van Bouwel
at Touch for Chanel
Model
Jesse Clarysse
at dominiquemodels
Retouched by
Bee Factory www.beefactory.be
With special thanks to
Sara Lammens
at Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België
www.kbr.be
Ping Pong Vintage Design Shop
Rue St Georges 75 Sint Georgesstraat
1050 Brussels
Right : Raincoat Burberry, Shirt Hacket, Shoes Hermès, Trousers Giorgio Armani, Tie Alain Figaret

YOU SPEND SO MUCH TIME
TRYING TO GET IT RIGHT
DON'T ASK THE REASON WHY
DESIGN
IT'S A PART OF LIFE
OUR LOVE CAN BE DIFFICULT AT TIMES
BUT IT WAS BY DESIGN
OUR LOVE WAS DIFFICULT AT TIMES
BUT IT WAS BY DESIGN
(DIFFICULT BY DESIGN, KYLIE MINOGUE)
SPECIAL

The hunting set
The Art Basel fair seemed to contain all the
spending money left in the world. There were
expensive tans, big white teeth and plenty
of girls for whom further education meant
learning how to walk in heels the height of a
milking stool. There was art of course, and
artists, and dealers and collectors, and bars
full of journalists ; everyone knew their place.
Apart, it seems, from the little upstart Design
Miami / Basel pavilion tucked away at the back,
which besides a loose smattering of vintage
works and prototypes, was largely dedicated
to the sale and promotion of Design Art.
Despite having been a fair fi xture for
four years now, much of both the design
and art worlds still seem unclear as to what
exactly Design Art is; certainly the higher
end of the art press seems to regard it with a
slightly curled lip, if at all. Whether art made
by designers, design made by artists, people
(Brad Pitt among them) were buying. Without
waiting for the pedants to catch up, this young
genre had already defi ned itself by its own
market of collectors.
THE DESIGN PAPERS
As regular readers of The Word will be
aware, if there’s something out there waiting to
be collected - be it art or airline memorabilia -
there’s never a Belgian far behind. And so it was
that we bumped into Victor Hunt as we admired
Maarten de Ceulaer’s green suitcase cupboard
at the stand of Milan’s Nilufar gallery.
Victor Hunt is both a ‘he’ and an ’it’. Still
in his early twenties, Hunt the man ( real name
Alexis Ryngaert ) is an avid collector while
still young enough to be of a generation with
those whose work he buys, ( he was hanging
out near Maarten de Ceulaer because the pair
were driving back to Brussels together, along
with that other young gun of the Brussels scene
Raphael Charles ). As an ‘it’ Victor Hunt is
a brand name that will come attached to
Brussels’ fi rst dedicated contemporary design
gallery and project space; a disused garage on
Rue Leon Lepage set to open in November.
The Victor Hunt enterprise is comfortable
on Design Art territory. “For me, design
art is the conceptual reinvention of objects
which questions functions, techniques and
looks,” he explains, contentedly disclosing
his fondness for the kind of conceptual work
associated with the Eindhoven school and its
ex alumni. In this world, the notion of design
THE DESIGN SPECIAL
63
can hover just a whisker away from performance
– works made in situ in full public gaze,
or demanding interaction.
Design Miami / Basel is a good indicator of
what Victor Hunt is up against ; of 28 galleries
showing at the fair, three were from Brussels.
This is no bad thing. They all have their own
specialist areas – modernists, post war furniture,
glass and ceramics – but their presence
confi rms the city’s reputation with collectors.
Hunt knows what serious buyers want, because
he’s had to fi ght them for works, and he feels
that his strongest suit at the moment is his combination
of taste and a refusal to bullshit. “I can
talk very frankly to designers – they are not
intimidated because of my age – they just say
what they think,” he explains, intimating that
if work is not to his taste, he wastes no time in
mentioning it up front. The Hunt design stable
is impressive – including current Word-stars
Sylvain Willenz and Raw Edges – now he needs
to track down those wily collectors. (HJ)
During Design September Victor Hunt will
present Surveillance Patrol by Humans Since
1982 at various locations.
www.victor-hunt.com
© Yassin Serghini

64 THE MINUTE ISSUE
THE PROCESSES
Love what you do
when you’re doing it
— We asked three of our favourite design
studios to talk us through the process
behind their recent projects, and to tell us
about what excites them when they do the
things they do.
Writer Hettie Judah
The learning process:
BarberOsgerby – Lanterne Marine
(Venini)
Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby fi rst worked
with Venini in 2002 when the duo commissioned
the Murano glassworks to create
bespoke door handles for Stella McCartney’s
store in New York. They have since collaborated
with the fi rm on the creation of the
Cupola table, a monumental work in blown
glass produced for the Meta collection. Four
years ago Roberto Gasparotto, Venini’s
artistic director, invited BarberOsgerby
to develop a project of their own with the
company. Earlier this year they presented
the fi rst prototypes of the resulting Lanternes
Marine, a series of awe-inspiring vases.
“We were fascinated by the process,”
explains Jay. “Learning to work with glass is like
doing another degree. With wood or plastic and
other materials, you can quite quickly understand
the constraints.” Glass, by contrast, is
worked as a liquid, and as Edward points out,
it doesn’t become solid until the job is fi nished.
“It’s very diffi cult to manage – you can’t control
its shape, its size, even its colour.”
What thrilled the pair was not only the
challenge of working this strange, temperamental
material, but the arcane atmosphere
that informed every part of their experience
with Venini, from the ferry boats that took
them to the island, to the mystery surrounding
the chemical formulae of the glass.
“Glass companies have their own colours,”
explains Edward. “They’re a closely guarded
secret. Apparently only one guy at Venini
guards the formulas, and his father kept the
01.
02.
© All images courtesy of BarberOsgerby

03.
secret before him.” Coloured glass is created
with almost alchemical mystery. Sand from
France is mixed with white and grey chemical
powders; but only once the glass is melted
do the colours emerge. Even then the colours
vary according to humidity and atmospheric
pressure. “If it’s hot they tend to be more
vibrant – if it’s a lousy day they are more
muted,” Edward explains.
The designs of the Lanterne Marine themselves
are based on the lamps and buoys the
British designers passed in the lagoon on the
boat trip over to Murano ; coloured glass pods
with a torch-shapes vase section that rises
out of a metal cage. The different colours of
the glass are layered across one another, and
on some pieces an extra level of refl ection is
created with a double radius. But as decorative
works, they are very restrained by Murano
standards. The original marine lanterns
inspired a contrast between the hand-made
craftsmanship of the Murano glassblowers
and the laser cut anodised metal components
that form the cage. Jay explains that they aimed
for the illusion of something standardised
and geometrically controlled from the glass
blowing process ; “it’s almost more diffi cult for
these guys to get that,” adds Edward, explaining
that the production and development of
the vases has already taken years.
The moulds for all Venini pieces are
carved from pearwood, and stored in tanks
of water in the workshop. Jay explains that
once the blow stick and glass are put into the
mould the water in the wood generates a huge
quantity of steam : the glass effectively fl oats
on a bed of vapour within the mould while it
LOVE WHAT YOU DO, WHEN YOU'RE DOING IT
04.
is being blown which in turn escapes through
holes drilled through the wood.
The biggest leap of faith for the duo has actually
been in committing to their designs. “Glass
is all about subtlety,” explains Edward. “You
can sketch and do mock-ups, but it just looks
rubbish. The only way to know how something
will turn out is to commit to a mould. You have
to do the whole thing once you’ve committed
THE DESIGN SPECIAL
65
to moulds because that takes a fair amount
of money and time. When you haven’t done it
before it’s very hard to be intuitive about it.”
It is that very self-doubt and unpredictability
that excites BarberOsgerby most about working
in glass. “That fear is something that helps the
design process,” explains Jay. “If you don’t have
that fear and the timetable set by the glass workshop,
you can keep redesigning endlessly.”

66
05.
THE MODEST ISSUE
The technical process:
Front – Moment collection
(Moroso)
Sofi a Lagerkvist, Charlotte von der Lancken,
Anna Lindgren and Katja Sävström have often
produced works focused more on the story of
the process than the end-products themselves.
Most notably their Design by Animals series,
that features a wallpaper pattern ‘designed’
by gnawing rats, a vase shaped from a dog’s leg
hole in deep snow and a tabletop decorated
by the paths of wood-eating insects. This year
they presented a series of collections linked
by their abiding interest in surface and illusion,
including the Blow Up Vase for Moooi,
for which they created a digital Delft vase,
‘shot’ it in a computer game, then manufactured
the distorted result.
The Moment collection for Moroso is a
series of sofas, rugs and tables that likewise
capture a split second event. “They’re all based
on one particular moment in time,” explains
Charlotte. “We wanted to enhance the qualities
that come when you take a photograph of
something ; the tables have a light fl are on the
surface, the carpet is printed to make the perspective
look a bit false, and you see the light
from the window on the surface.” The sofas are
both caught in a haphazard state of disarray ;
one with awkwardly stacked cushions, the other
draped under a hastily thrown piece of cloth.
The photographs are digitally printed
onto the upholstery or surface of the objects ;
“when you look at the things you see something
that is at once two dimensional and
three dimensional ; two dimensional photographs
of three dimensional objects that have
been turned back into different three dimensional
objects.”
In working out the original photos for the
series, the quartet tried to keep the photographic
perspective logical ; thus from one
position in front of the objects, the pieces look
‘right’ ; correct in perspective, and in light and
shade. “It’s a surprise when you start to move
beyond that point and see, for example, the
06.
07.
THE PROCESSES
carpet from the other side ; the distortion of
the perspective becomes very weird.”
While Front’s processes in the past have
been led by advances in technology, for the
Movement series the powerful, wigged-out
results are largely due to old-fashioned craftsmanship
and attention to detail. For the sofas
they fi rst created the print by photographing
miniature sofas mocked up in their studio
from wood and cushions. The manufacturing
process took the reverse direction from
the norm ; rather than cutting cloth to fi t the
design, they fi rst had to make the cover to fi t
the photograph, and then create a sofa to fi t
the cover. Front decided to use a short-pile
velvet fabric by Kvadrat which allowed the
digital print to sink deep into the fabric.
Producers Moroso are particularly celebrated
for their skills in upholstery, so
Front went to the company’s workshops in
Udine to work out the technical details.
“They have this really skilled model workshop
where they cut out the prototypes by hand,”
explains Charlotte. “Patrizia ( Moroso ) has a
great talent for working with process and we
knew that by developing it together with the
company we’d come up with something good.
They have so many years of knowledge.”
Previous pages
01. The Lanterne Marine on the drawing board
02. The mould for the vases
03. Turning the glass
04. The fi nished vases
This page
05. The Moment collection thought up
06. Draping the sofa
07. Sketched together
Opposite page
08. The Labobrain
09. No desks mean writing on the wall
© All images courtesy of Front

© All images courtesy of Mathieu Lehanneur
08.
The thought process :
Mathieu Lehanneur – Labobrain
(private commission)
Technical process interests Mathieu Lehanneur
less than conceptual process ; although he has
recently produced both blown glass works and
tufted rugs for the limited edition market, he
regards manufacturing as a means to an end,
rather than an area to be explored for its inspirational
appeal. The processes that fascinate
him are scientifi c, and specifi cally biological;
the natural symbiosis that can exist between
fi sh and salad plants, or the power of plants to
fi lter air in our living spaces.
Last year the Harvard Professor David
Edwards, who has worked with Mathieu
in developing industrial applications for
such biological phenomena, approached the
designer to create his Paris offi ce. “He asked
me to provide certain key elements,” explains
Mathieu. “He had to be able to draw on the
walls, he didn’t want a desk, and although he
had a lots of books and archive material he
didn’t want to see them, because they stopped
him working and thinking.”
Mathieu decided to model the offi ce along
the lines of the human brain, creating two
interconnected hemispheres, one ‘Cartesian’,
dedicated to order, memory and logic, the
other to imagination, creativity and emotion.
“I have long been interested in the work of the
Canadian neurosurgeon Wilder Penfi eld,”
Mathieu explains. “He started mapping the
human brain and the way it related to the
body back in the 1950s.”
The rational ( left ) hemisphere of the
offi ce was very white “ like a virgin memory,
the memory of a newborn,” says Mathieu. It
provided a space for the professor’s assistants
to carry out administrative work, and caches
hundreds of white archive boxes as discreet
storage for all the paperwork.
For the creative ( right ) hemisphere,
Mathieu created a space he describes as
“almost like a prehistoric grotto for a modern
mathematician”. Watching the professor at
LOVE WHAT YOU DO, WHEN YOU'RE DOING IT
09.
work helped Mathieu create an appropriate
working environment for his client. “I went
to a meeting between three scientists who
were talking about their inventions, and
they were all drawing calculations and equations
at the same time.” He gave the ‘grotto’ a
whiteboard fi nish so that it could constantly
be drawn on and wiped down. The cave also
has a conscious sonic dimension, rather like
a bubble of sound containing a conversation
; “you have the sensation of something
very intimate – the sound is very targeted.”
Mathieu worked with an acoustician to create
the effect of being inside a very precise, but
invisible sound fi eld.
In a sly dig at that most cerebral of architect/designers,
he created a furnishing element
called “Bucky’s Nightmare” – a leather
version of Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic
dome. “Buckminster Fuller is the personality
that links designers, engineers and scientists
– this was the meeting point between me and
the scientist,” explains Mathieu. Stitched in
soft leather, the dome collapses on contact
with the human body, allowing the professor
to use it as a chair, sofa or even a bed.
In the ground beneath it, Mathieu planted
a subterranean moss garden that humidifi es
the space, and permits the fantasy that one is
having a siesta in a garden rather than a nap
THE DESIGN SPECIAL
67
in the offi ce. For Mathieu, the vegetation also
acts as a reality check ; “even in a world where
science and technology play a great part,
nature is still there, just underfoot ; it’s there
to help them recall where they came from.”
Works by Front can be seen as part of
Visual Voltage at Design Vlaanderen.
11 th September to 25 th October.
Rue de la Chancellerie 19 Kanselarijstraat,
Brussels 1000.
Andrea, domestic objects that use plants
to fi lter air, designed by Mathieu Lehanneur
together with Professor David Edwards,
can be seen at Designed in Brussels.
18 th September to 1 st October.
Rue de Laeken 99 Lakensestraat,
Brussels 1000.
All three design studios are presenting a
conference at the Flagey auditorium during
Design September.
Mathieu Lehanneur on 18 th September,
BarberOsgerby on 24 th September and
Front Design on 25 th September.
www.barberosgerby.com
www.frontdesign.com
www.mathieulehanneur.com

68 THE NARROW ISSUE
Arik Levy in his Paris studio
This is Where We Are
— Challenges and questions don’t go away as a design
studio becomes more established, they just shift emphasis.
We asked three very different designers how things look
from where they are right now.
Writer Hettie Judah
THE PROGRESSION

Arik Levy’s projects this year have
included Osmosis; a rather subversive
offering for the Swarovski Crystal Palace in
Milan, and the design of the A Scent bottle
for Issey Miyake. In Paris, Levy works with
a 20-strong team at the multi-disciplinary
studio L Design that he founded with Pippo
Lioni in 1997
Could you describe the position that you fi nd
yourself at in your career right now ?
A career is something in constant evolution;
we don’t really know what is going to come.
This is a positive moment, since I feel that
all the different work I’ve done in the past
15 years in all the different fi elds are now
converging in a good way; art, design, experimentation,
industrial design, furniture. It’s like
fi shing; you cast out these great nets, and at
a certain point there’s one single string you
pull on to collect the whole net and gather
everything together. But I also feel my career
hasn’t started at all – I feel as though I’m in
the pre-preparation stage. I’m in pre-labour.
What’s been the most exciting thing that’s
happened this year ?
Because of the different fi elds I work in,
there are constantly different things happening,
so it’s diffi cult to say one is more
exciting than another on a work level. On a
personal level, the most exciting thing is that
the industry shows signs of motivation and
revival through this depressing crisis situation
– the industry is alive even if the virtual
money is not there.
There was a moment this year when the
owner of IKEA became the second richest
person on earth. It was exciting, because
what we do is real, not virtual; for years we
have looked at Bill Gates, and it’s been
pounded into our heads that software will
save the world. Then in the end a guy with a
nail and a piece of wood becomes the richest
guy in the world.
Beyond that I have lots of launches and
projects – most recently the new perfume
bottle for Issey Miyake for which I did the
whole concept – it’s out in September.
What are you fi nding diffi cult ?
I’m a positivist, so I don’t think in terms
of things being diffi cult, I think about
THIS IS WHERE WE ARE
complexity. People are complex; everything
is complex; whether it’s emotional, physical,
fi nancial or industrial. I look at how challenging
it is to fi nd a solution and not to compromise,
and therefore I see no diffi culties.
What is on your mind for the future ?
The crisis is the best thing that has happened
to our profession and our kids – what concerns
me for the future is oxygen and water;
much less plastic chairs. There are some
projects that are diverting towards industrial
science and environmental science – even
if I make one piece of packaging one mm
smaller, it doesn’t seem very much, but when
you multiply it by millions, then I feel that I
have done something. What’s on my mind for
the future is how to increase my awareness
and personal criticism of everything I do.
" The crisis is
the best thing that
has happened to
our profession and
our kids – what concerns
me for the future
is oxygen and water ;
much less plastic chairs. "
What have you learned recently ?
French. I came for two years, and that
was 17 years ago. I didn’t choose Paris,
Paris chose me ! I think I’ve been trying to
learn French for 17 years, but I have the
impression I’ve only learnt it now. There’s
a moment when it makes sense and when
you talk to people and they stop frowning at
you. Acquiring a language as a new tool is
fantastic. For every project I do I think in the
language of the environment I’m in – Italian,
French or Hebrew – it’s quite a minestrone
out there in my head !
How far ahead do you plan things ?
Where I can, I plan case by case. Every
project has its own speed, some take
fi ve years, some take fi ve minutes. What I do
plan ahead for are things that are to do with
other people – we all have the same sort of
time, even if we’re in different time zones. So
I know I booked my hotel room for Milan for
the next fi ve years. I know what I’m going to
do on January 26, 2010. Design is retroactive,
so I have to imagine what the future is
going to look like in order to design a product
that will launch in two and-a-half years and
THE DESIGN SPECIAL
69
look modern. We don’t control the world; the
world controls us. The more fl exible we are,
the more we can go with the fl ow and follow
the energy. The short answer is –I don’t plan.
How much of your work is taken up with actually
designing, how much with the business side ?
In an optimal world I’d like to say everything
is creative – if you don’t manage a business
in a creative way; you’re gone, you’re dead.
I have to answer about 50 to 60 emails a
day and I receive about twice as many, but it
doesn’t stop me from being creative. I don’t
feel I need protection from the administrative
side of the business – the best protection is
attack! I think the nature of fl exibility is the
nature of the new business environment. It’s
not how it was 20 years ago – but I don’t feel
that is an invasion in any way.
Are you where you planned to be ? Is this how
you imagined your career ?
Since I don’t plan, I don’t see it that way. I’m
in a process. This profession has a very long
life, we can draw and have ideas when we’re
90 or 100 – I think I’m just in the beginning.
But I’m happy to go to work, I’m happy about
where it is and what it does to me.
What advice do you have for those coming up
behind you ?
There’s no golden egg! You just need a lot
of love, a lot of work, a lot of passion, a lot of
desire, a lot of self-criticism and honesty. You
have to make your projects honest. It’s not
about magazine articles or that one chair; it’s
about a philosophy, and believing.

70
THE PEANUT ISSUE
Sylvain Willenz presented Landmarks,
his second collection of lights with British
producer Established & Sons this year, as
well as limited edition works created in
his studio, and the xxs mobile hard drive
for Freecom (see The Word’s May-June
2009 Issue). In May his Torch Lights Series
won Product of the Year and Best Lighting
Design at the Grand Design Awards (UK).
He is currently the designer in residence at
CIRVA in France, and has just been nominated
Belgian Designer of the Year.
Could you describe the position you fi nd yourself
at in your career right now ?
Since 2008 there’s been a nice turning point.
The collaborations with Established & Sons
and with Freecom are serious in terms of the
design world, and now producers are asking
to do things for me. I feel like I can choose
right now – I only want to work with people
that really interest me, whose vision I like as
producers. I feel pretty free and comfortable.
The collaborations don’t have to be high end
or glamorous – there are small producers
that have vision I appreciate as well.
I’m very enthusiastic about all the things that
are happening right now.
What’s been the most exciting thing that’s
happened this year ?
I would have to say being nominated
designer of the year – of course there are
more exciting things than that in my life – but
in terms of what I do and design that would
be it. At this point this means it’s not exciting
yet but there are lots of exciting things this
will bring; new products and exhibitions. I’ve
had some really nice meetings this year so
hopefully those will bring some collaborations
for Milan 2010, and some very exciting
business trips as well.
What are you fi nding diffi cult ?
To produce good ideas and good products
– it’s easier to have loads of ideas. I like
to have a consistency through everything
I do – even if the things are very different.
Whether works are intended for a gallery or
industrial production, it’s important to have
an approach that ties everything together, a
vision or a way of thinking. I want to make
things that are complete – not just good, but
for which the materials are right, the production
is right, that make for a good package.
It’s not just about the end result, but the
whole idea and life of the item or product.
What is on your mind for the future ?
I guess working with some brands I like
– and expanding the three avenues I like to
work in ; editions with producers, gallery work
THE PROGRESSION
Sylvain Willenz in his Brussels studio
and industrial design (although gallery work
is still on the way). I like the idea of being
able to multi-task and having these clear
three routes – I don’t feel it devalues the way
I work, I feel it’s more enriching. The experience
of working industrially might inform how
I could work for a gallery or for a producer.
I fi nd pure hard 100 percent industrial design
is kind of boring – people who only make
scissors and lawnmowers and screwdrivers
– it’s more interesting when you see that
someone is quite diverse in his approach.
Then when he does do a screwdriver it might
be infl uenced by how he might do something
for a gallery. The jobs that pay the best so
far are the industrial jobs because that’s
where there’s huge production – work with
producers is less for the money, more for the
recognition. Not one of these three activities
is more interesting than the other.
I’d like to make some good proper furniture
– I’m still not sure if I can make furniture. The
candy collection is still on the edge between
gallery and edition work. I’m not convinced –
that’s my challenge. I have a chair coming
this winter.
I’d like to continue building my offi ce – there
are loads of things I can’t actually do – I can
sketch and scribble but I can’t draw or do 3D
work, so I need other people.
What have you learned recently ?
That I shouldn’t be afraid.
How far ahead do you plan things ?
Usually a year ahead – at this turning point
it’s hard to plan very far ahead. So I like to
have plans for a year. The start of the year is
after Milan ; the end of the year is Milan. All
year I work on things aiming for Milan.
How much of your work is taken up with
actually designing, how much with the business
side ?
I don’t design that much – most of my
time is spent communicating with people
– 70 percent logistics and talking with
people and planning things and having
ideas – 20 percent of real technical work
and working out how something is going to
be made, where, what material, what detail.
For me that’s the real design work. The
10 percent left is design thinking, which
usually occurs when I’m going to bed,
sitting on a plane or when I’m relaxed and
on holiday. My job is 10 percent thinking of
things and dreaming about products and
what would be interesting to make and why
would it be interesting and new and what
it would bring? The real design is working
out stuff, driving to factories, speaking to
people, learning from them and fi nding
alternatives and convincing people that I’m
not crazy.
Are you where you planned to be ? Is this how
you imagined your career ?
I guess I’m just happy where I am right now ;
I don’t plan anything too precise in the long
term. I do have plans, but generally I’m just
very happy where I am right now.
What advice do you have for those coming up
behind you ?
It makes me feel pretentious to give advice
– I feel young! I usually think it’s just important
to listen to what you feel and work with
your gut feeling. Be curious and precise and
integral – think about every aspect, so that
something should make sense and be simple.

Raw-Edges in their London fl at
Raw-Edges (aka Shay Alkalay & Yael Mer)
were presented in the selection of Designers
of the Future at Design Miami: Basel this
year. They had previously worked with the
Design Miami team during the Craft Punk
project at Fendi, for which they spent four
days during the Miami design fair making
pleated chair seats live in front of visitors.
They currently live and work in London.
What’s been the most exciting thing that’s
happened this year ?
Many things: Getting the fantastic opportunity
to work with Ambra Medda and Wava
Carpenter from Design Miami. Finding a new
fl at in London with a fantastic wallpaper of
a Swiss landscape on one complete wall in
the living room. Getting a new motor for our
Grove, the revolving trees project, so now
it’s going to work forever (this is after our old
motor stopped working during the Milan’s
Salone at Spazio Rossana Orlandi). Meeting
interesting people at our shows that will
hopefully lead to new projects. For example,
we are now going to make a Seesaw version
of our Pleated Pleat project at Fendi. Having
THIS IS WHERE WE ARE
Stack by Established & Sons at the permanent
collection of the MoMA New York.
Speaking with Goni, Yael’s cousin back
in Tel-Aviv, she is only two years and six
months old and takes Skype and webcam
for granted. And receiving a new three year
working visa in the UK so we can now be
focusing in our creative interests and with
less bureaucracy involved.
What are you fi nding diffi cult ?
Everything ! But the most diffi cult one is
keeping our studio space tidy.
What is on your mind for the future ?
We going to have few projects in London
during the design festival in September,
also we hope to have a few new production
pieces ready for Milan.
What have you learned recently ?
How to grill Portobello mushrooms with a bit
of olive oil and garlic… that London is a fantastic
city when it is sunny and 32 degrees…
we know now how to use ATA Carnet when
exporting and importing goods to and from
Switzerland !
THE DESIGN SPECIAL
71

72
Wrap around the stock
THE SPECIAL SHOWSTOPPERS
— From essential, lifesaving accessories to limited-edition
designs, we mix-and-match it for this issue’s selection of
showstoppers. Eagerly torn up, we couldn’t wait to give
you a sneak preview, albeit through the cling fi lm.
Photography Studio Habousha
Writer Nicholas Lewis
VITRA Pretzel Chair
THE PETITE ISSUE
We were instantly taken aback by Vitra’s
Pretzel Chair’s curvaceous back rest and
clean-fl owing lines. Unbelievably light and
sturdy, the chair is elegant in its composure
and sits proudly like the woman everyone
wants to get a piece of at a dinner party.
Designed by Georges Nelson in 1952,
Vitra is today re-editing the chair – previously
simply known as the “Laminated
Chair” – in a limited edition series of
1,000 to celebrate the American designer’s
100 th birthday.
Approximately € 1,900
Available at InStore
Rue Tenbosch 90-92 Tenbosch
1050 Brussels
www.instore.be
DEDON Seashell Lounge Chair
If you’re anything like us, you’re probably
at a stage in your life when you’re ready to
trade in those generic plastic garden chairs
for slightly more distinguished alternatives.
And German outdoor furniture specialist
Dedon has just what you need in the form
of its low-seating Seashell collection. Made
up of an armchair, a side chair, a footstool,
a beach chair as well as a lounge chair (pictured),
the collection’s breezy design and
open mesh belie a sturdiness and comfort
well-suited for parties by the pool. Add to
that the lounge chair’s wide backrest – the
reason we made it ours – and we’d be surprised
if you got us back indoors.
DEDON’s Seashell Lounge Chair, € 879
Available from Dedon Showroom Antwerp
Leopoldstraat 57
2000 Antwerp
www.dedon.be

BROLESKINE Agenda
These tidy little agendas are a godsend in this
day-and-age of paper rationing and ‘don’t
print this email’ campaigns. Taking as central
point the recuperation of used paper stock,
Broleskine essentially is a binding specialist,
(re-) binding everything from accounting paper
and second-hand books to packaging and envelopes.
Founded by Bariza Benmehenni and
Corinne Clarysse, each agenda is a unique and
intimate affair – some include glued newspaper
cuttings and fi ctitious agenda entries whilst
others simply have the agenda dates scanned
in from other documents. Made-to-measure
pleasure…
Available amongst others from Bozarshop
Rue Ravenstein 15 Ravensteinstraat
1000 Brussels
www.brolsekine.be
WRAP AROUND THE STOCK
THE DESIGN SPECIAL
CAPELLINI Skitch Stool
We’re suckers for anything remotely comical
and functional, and this fold-away, colourpatched
high stool hit both tangents with
equal resonance. Designed by Australian
Adam Goodrum and launched at this year’s
Salone del Mobile as an addition to the
Skitch collection which already included a
chair, the Skitch stool is a fascinating design
solution which cleverly manages to combine
form, function and fun. Available in white,
yellow, red, blue, black lacquer as well as
in a mutli-coloured version (pictured),
Capellini once again confi rms its reputation
as an editor of serious designs which
doesn’t take itself too seriously.
www.cappellini.it
73

74 THE SHORT ISSUE
THE SPECIAL SHOWSTOPPERS
IKEA PS Pendel
Part of Ikea’s high-browed PS collection,
the Pendel clock has somewhat of a grandma
feeling to it. An extension of Sweden’s
ubiquitous Mora clock, the simpler – and
more affordable – Ikea interpretation comes
with a set of shelves, bringing new meaning
to the term ‘a bookshelf’. Designed by
Carl Hagerling to, as he says in the Ikea PS
catalogue ‘combine Sweden’s patrimony with
Ikea’s functionalism’, the clock’s imposing
presence will ensure we have no excuse for
being late.
Ikea PS Pendel, € 159
www.ikea.be
MAHAJAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS’
Ophthalmic Surgical Kit
We couldn’t believe our eyes – no pun
intended – when we stumbled upon this
lifesaving kit in the back alleys of Bangalore,
India. Invented by India’s leading manufacturer
of surgical equipment, the country’s
– and most probably the world’s – fi rst
Ophthalmic Surgical Kit is a sterile, convenient
and affordable alternative for third
world eye patients keen to minimise the risks
of infections when going under the knife.
With everything you need for a stress-free
eye operation in a neatly disposed 21x16cm
vacuum packed kit, the pack’s colour-coded
simplicity and single use functionality makes
it a sure shot amongst overworked and understaffed
Indian hospitals and their surgeons
who might otherwise skimp on hygiene
norms because of overfl owing waiting rooms.
This, judging by initial sales fi gures, is the
solution they’ve been waiting for.
From $10
www.mahajanophthalmic.net

74 THE SHORT ISSUE
THE SPECIAL SHOWSTOPPERS
IKEA PS Pendel
Part of Ikea’s high-browed PS collection,
the Pendel clock has somewhat of a grandma
feeling to it. An extension of Sweden’s
ubiquitous Mora clock, the simpler – and
more affordable – Ikea interpretation comes
with a set of shelves, bringing new meaning
to the term ‘a bookshelf’. Designed by
Carl Hagerling to, as he says in the Ikea PS
catalogue ‘combine Sweden’s patrimony with
Ikea’s functionalism’, the clock’s imposing
presence will ensure we have no excuse for
being late.
Ikea PS Pendel, € 159
www.ikea.be
MAHAJAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS’
Ophthalmic Surgical Kit
We couldn’t believe our eyes – no pun
intended – when we stumbled upon this
lifesaving kit in the back alleys of Bangalore,
India. Invented by India’s leading manufacturer
of surgical equipment, the country’s
– and most probably the world’s – fi rst
Ophthalmic Surgical Kit is a sterile, convenient
and affordable alternative for third
world eye patients keen to minimise the risks
of infections when going under the knife.
With everything you need for a stress-free
eye operation in a neatly disposed 21x16cm
vacuum packed kit, the pack’s colour-coded
simplicity and single use functionality makes
it a sure shot amongst overworked and understaffed
Indian hospitals and their surgeons
who might otherwise skimp on hygiene
norms because of overfl owing waiting rooms.
This, judging by initial sales fi gures, is the
solution they’ve been waiting for.
From $10
www.mahajanophthalmic.net

76 THE SLIGHT ISSUE
THE FUTURE
A staggeringly
small world below
— What role is there for designers in the new
area of nanotechnology ? Are they there to create
products ? To serve the inventors with new
materials ? Or simply to explain what on earth is
going on to a public baffl ed by talk of dangerous
self-replicating nanobots and grey goo ?
Writer Hettie Judah
Fifty years ago, Richard Feynman delivered a
lecture – There’s plenty of room at the bottom
– in which he invited physicists into the vast,
but little explored world of the very, very small.
“In the year 2000, when they look back at this
age, they will wonder why it was not until the
year 1960 that anybody began seriously to
move in this direction,” he told his colleagues.
When Feynman was talking, computers were
still the size of a room. He fantasised of an era
when such machines might operate at a micro
level, then went further, to imagine storing
data at incredible intensity, the possibility of
micro surgeons that might be small enough to
operate within the human body ; and physicists
being capable of chemical synthesis, building
molecules at an atomic scale.
Feynman’s point of reference for what might
be possible in terms of function at a supersmall
scale was the human body. After all; all
the information about the immensely complex
human organism is contained in a DNA chain
2.2 to 2.6 nanometres wide. Feynman’s lecture
touches on most of what we popularly ‘know’
about nanotechnology - or at least what we
fear about it – 50 years down the line. While
we’re comfortable with the idea of information
and computing power happening at a
tiny level, there is still quite a large ick factor
attached to the idea of this area getting at all
biological. We have come to fear the spectre
of small robot surgeons running amok inside
our bodies, or rogue self-replicating machines
digesting life as we know it.
Words like “nano” are now being lavished
on countless products as promotional tags to
boost their market potential.
“But these products don’t always deliver
what they claim : at most one third of them
meet accepted defi nitions of nanotechnology
as used for example by the German Ministry
of Education and Research ( BMBF )”.
Dr Thomas Stegmaier
Denkendorf Institute of Textile and
Process Engineering
( From BASF promotional material
for Mincor® TXTT )
" Words like ' nano ' are
now being lavished
on countless products
as promotional tags
to boost their
market potential. "
Nanotechnology already surrounds us. Quite
literally, since the most evident products currently
on the market are fi lms or coatings ; sunscreen
that contains refl ective nanoparticles
of titanium dioxide or zinc oxide ; housepaint
and furnishing fabrics with a micro-textured
surface allowing dirt to sit proud of the surface
and wash off effectively in a shower of rain;
architectural glass coated with ultraviolet
fi lters. They are smart materials that either
utilise known properties of common materials
in a more refi ned form ( refl ective sun fi lters
that don’t form a white coating on the skin ),
or which take inspiration from the protective
responses of the natural world ( the waterrepellent
qualities of the lotus leaf ).
These re-jigged consumer products somewhat
lack the dangerous, sexy quality that
all the hysteria and hyperbole surrounding
nanotech seemed to promise. At the moment
nanotech can make us cleaner ( dirt repellent
materials ) and better behaved ( more likely
to apply suncream ), but this refl ects the
immediately fi nancially attractive areas of
the market – the known appetite for certain
common and very lucrative products. “The
stuff that is currently on the market described
as nano is often not that interesting – it represents
science that’s perhaps 30 years old,”
explains physicist and nanotechnology
advisor Professor Richard Jones. “The role
of more forward looking designers is to think
of products that won’t be on the market until
2030 or 2040, that may have a big impact.
Scientists have all sorts of schemes for doing
things – but we don’t have much of a sense of
what human needs are.”
“How have we got to this state, where we have
a backlash to a technology that has not yet
arrived ?”
Professor Richard Jones
Soft Machines: nanotechnology and life
Professor Jones spreads the blame for the
hysteria surrounding nanotech between K
Eric Drexler; an engineer for MIT, who fi rst
popularised the term (and the worst case scenarios
surrounding it) in his book Engines of
Creation (1986) ; and the scientists currently
engaged in the fi eld who hype up the potential
of the technology in their hunger for research
grants. One of the pressing human needs right
now is evidently a grasp of what the heck this
alarming sounding new fi eld actually is –
and it’s an area that Professor Jones has been
working on in partnership with the Design
Interactions department at the Royal College
of Art in London.
Would people still be scared of nanotechnology
if we could make it strawberry fl avour ?
This was the starting principle behind
Cathrine Kramer and Zoe Papadopoulou’s
Cloud Project ; a re-fi tted ice cream van from
which the two recent graduates serve frozen
yoghurt (mixed using liquid nitrogen to create
ultra-tiny crystals), strawberry fl avoured
clouds and create edible snow from a roofmounted
rocket launcher that seeds clouds
with strawberry ice cream-fl avoured bacteria.

It turns out that people will happily eat ‘nanotechnology’
and freaky science if it comes
in a cone. The point of the cloud project is
both to communicate modern science at a
popular level, and to break through some of
the hysteria surrounding the subject ; during
this summer the van also hosted discussions
with prominent scientists and thinkers in the
fi eld. Zoe says that her whole neighbourhood
" ( Ginsberg ) fantasises
about a world
in which the hybrid
organisms re-invigorate
human biology,
creating new-wave
pathologies such as
luminescent kidney
stones or pollution
sensing lung tumours. "
has now become nano-savvy as they have
watched she and Cat decorating and fi tting
out their van on the street outside her house.
Instead of taking to the street, Daisy
Ginsberg has been taking to the laboratory.
In her Synthetic Kingdom project, she examines
how synthetic biology – nanoengineering
that takes its material components from
the living world – might be classifi ed, and
where to draw the line between the natural
and artifi cial. Her Tree of Life bears a new
branch – Synthetica – and she fantasises
about a world in which the hybrid organisms
re-invigorate human biology, creating newwave
pathologies such as luminescent kidney
stones or pollution sensing lung tumours. The
human body becomes a site of production –
in Nano Ecologies she pictures the substances
exuded by the body ( sweat, dead skin, other
unmentionables ) as harvestable and nutritious
nano-particles that can form part of a
micro ecology: in her scenario this involves
feeding such substances to a goose that in turn
lays eggs for the human donor to eat.
Interest in nanotech and the fi eld of human
harvest is not unique to the design courses at
the RCA. Over in Eindhoven, Mike John
Thompson’s graduation project Growing
Pains imagined the potential for adapting the
living skeleton – cultivating the body’s own
material during life to provide custom-shaped
bone products – such as a pipe or work tool –
to be retrieved after its death.
A STAGGERINGLY SMALL WORLD BELOW
01.
“What would be the utility of such machines ?
Who knows ?”
Richard Feynman
Amateurs prodding around in the fi eld
of nanotechnology quickly hit the broad
Rumsfeldian plateau somewhere between the
known and unknown unknowns – a vague
awareness that they basically know nothing
about the fi eld, but are not quite sure of just
how enormously ignorant they are. Is it folly to
imagine that designers should be fully engaged
with every scientifi c aspect of an area ? Is it
enough that they understand the properties
of a new material or technology, and then
work out the ways it might interestingly be
harnessed ? As the science involved becomes
increasingly specialised, it seems logical that
DESIGN
This Page
01. Daisy Ginsberg's pollution sensing
lung tumor
Next Page
02. Ginsberg's take on unlimited energy:
The Luminaire
03. The New Tree of Life
77
some kind of interface evolves to allow designers
to fi nd a role for these new technologies in
the world beyond the laboratory.
In 2006 BASF, the worlds largest chemical
company, opened up its Designfabrik – a dedicated
facility for designers to communicate
with their scientists. The result has been two of
the most prominent industrial design launches
of the past two years – Konstantin Grcic’s

78 THE SMALL-SCALE ISSUE
02.
Myto chair made in the company’s Ultradur
High Speed plastic, and the Bouroullec
Brothers Vegetal chair, made in Miramid.
Up to 50 years ago the oh-so-naughties nanometre
would have been called 10 ångströms.
But fashion plays its role in science too: these
days talking nano is what gets you attention.
There is still plenty of space at the bottom –
products are already coming on to the market
making reference to the picometre (10 -12),
and surely femto (10-15), atto (10-18), and
zepto (10-21) can’t be far behind (just wait to
see what the next small car or MP3 player ends
up being called). As for the utility of the really
tiny things ? We all need to talk about it.
For further information on
Professor Richard Jones:
www.softmachines.org
Cathrine Kramer and Zoe Papadopolous:
www.thecloudproject.co.uk
Daisy Ginsberg and the Synthetic Kingdom:
www.daisyginsberg.com
Mike John Thompson:
www.miket.co.uk
The full text of Richard Feynman’s lecture
www.zyvex.com/nanotech/feynman.html
03.
THE FUTURE

www.rado.com CERAMICA CHRONOGRAPH

80
Desktop
reading
— Seeing the amount of
books we get through, we
thought it high time to get
our eyes tested. Once at
the doctor’s practice, we
liked the place so much we
decided to make it our own,
bringing this issue’s pick of
publications with us.
Photography Yassin Serghini
Writer Nicholas Lewis
There I Was (2008)
By Collier Schorr
Steidl MACK
Based on three articles the artist’s father
wrote for Car magazine, There I Was is
Collier Schorr’s chalk coaled tribute to drag
car racer Charles ‘Astoria Chas’ Snyder. At
times laced with sorrow yet always belying a
truly American narrative, Schorr’s drawings
effortlessly move between his childhood
racetracks to the battlefi elds of Vietnam,
where Snyder died. Brutally honest in his
observations yet refreshingly light in his
pencil touch, Schorr’s canny ability to
portray the emotive in that most manly of
environments – namely, drag car racing –
makes him an unlikely hero of the tracks.
Grote Verhalen (2009)
By Matthieu Keuter
Nooderlicht
THE TIGHT ISSUE
An intimate and visibly personal account of
the world surrounding him, you get the sense
that most of Keuter’s work is made in the fi rst
person, for his and his friends’ enjoyment
only. Sometimes poetically surreal, at other
times hard-hitting, you’re somehow always left
wondering what the story is about, and what
is trying to be said. Add to that the book’s
quasi-homemade fi nish and collage aesthetic,
and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve
stumbled upon someone’s personal diary.
Trees + Flowers
– Insects Animals (2009)
By Man Ray
Steidl
“The only thing consistent about Man Ray’s
art is its deliberate inconsistency” writes
Merry A. Foresta in her opening essay
for the book, and what an understatement
that is. Famed for his versatility, Man Ray
often made several versions of a single idea
in a multitude of medias – from painting
and printmaking to fi lmmaking and object
making. The latest book to celebrate his
considerable artistic estate, it presents over
4,000 items from the Man Ray Trust, meticulously
categorised under such headings as
Trees, Landscapes, Hats and Automobiles.
We were particularly enthralled by his series
on Masks.
Micro, Very Small Buildings (2007)
By Ruth Slavid
Laurence King
The book’s name says it all. From concrete
shelters and capsule lofts to tree house spheres
and urban community spaces, Ruth Slavid’s
study and celebration on the use of small
spaces is an ode to creativity and an inspiration
to all confi ned urban dwellers the world over.
Zones (2008)
By Michel Mazzoni
Yellow Now
THE SHELF
Eerie, soft and discreet, Michel Mazzoni’s
lens focuses on those hidden parts of life
you probably knew existed, but never really
paused at. Finding beauty where others
might see banality, his static yet emotive
prints exude a welcome calmness whilst at
the same time revealing a certain artistic
confi dence. The fi rst book to be published
by the Brussels-based French photographer,
we already can’t wait for one to follow.
Atropa Bella Donna (2009)
By Arnoud Bakker
Nooderlicht
Describing his photographic work as
research, Arnoud Bakker essentially photographs
women in all their form: “Their light,
their souls, their shapes in 3D, their mouths,
their looks and so on,” as he explains, the
purpose of which is to explore the idea of a
perfect, universal girl. Photographed using a
pinhole camera, his body of work is sweaty
and sensual, showing women in all their
grainy glory…
Never Use White Type on a Black
Background And 50 other Ridiculous
Design Rules (2009)
BIS Publishers
An anti-rigidity cry to the design world, the
book lists 50 design dictums it says shouldn’t
be followed. Everything from ‘K.I.S.S (Keep
it simple, stupid)’ and ‘Forms Follows
Function’ to ‘Less is More’ and ‘Kill your
Darlings’ is contradicted in a visual manifest
against the sheepish following of rules and
catchphrases.
Just like a Woman (2008)
By Bettina Rheims
Galerie Jerome de Noirmont
‘Just like a Woman’ shows photographs of
women on the verge of, or having just had, an
orgasm. Red-cheeked and sweat-faced, the
unrestricted and unashamed prints reveal
a world of unabashed honesty, set against a
backdrop of womanly pleasure.
The Little Book of Cheese Tips (2005)
By Andrew Langley
Absolute Press
Novice cheese heads need not be worried
anymore, the answer to all their worries has
arrived in the form of Andrew Langley’s
book. A jam-packed mini-tome of cheesy
advice, you’ll fi nd in it 50 tips to cheesebuying,
cheese-eating and cheese-storing
such as ‘Give your cheese room on the board’
and, our favourite, ‘Always buy your cheese
from a specialist shop’.
With Thanks to
C.H.U Saint Pierre Site Césaer de Paepe
Rue des Aléxiens / Cellebroersstraat
Service Ophtalmologie and Lea Munsch

DESKTOP READING
CULTURE
81

82 THE UNDERSIZED ISSUE
THE PENCIL
Far from impressed
— You could throw a hurricane their way or, more
dangerous yet, have an octopus tear up their prized – and
regular – beach spot, our unfazed compatriots wouldn’t
bat an eyelash for a thing.
Illustration Eledone

FAR FROM IMPRESSED
CULTURE
83

84 THE UNPRETENTIOUS ISSUE THE EYE
— Renowned for its world-leading universities and
research facilities, Belgium is clearly in pole position when
it comes to scientifi c advancements leading to market
introductions. We visit both ends of the spectrum – from
research to commercialisation – keen to meet, speak
to and capture the people, universities and companies
responsible for making a tiny country such as ours a major
player in the world of nano research.
Photography Sarah Michielsen
Writer Nicholas Lewis

Inside IMEC’s 300 mm Clean Room, the largest in Europe
Our national nano tour of duty started with a
visit to IMEC, with its campus a stone’s throw
away from Leuven’s Catholic University.
Europe’s largest independent research center
on nanotechnology and nanoelectronics, it
opened its doors in the eighties, on the back
of the Flemish government’s insistance that
certain key industries should (and would)
bring about major economic opportunities.
Awarded a 270 million euro yearly budget
(2008) and employing 1750 people worldwide,
IMEC currently has three global offi ces
- one in Silicon Valley opened in the 90s, one
in Shanghai opened in 2000 and a last one in
Taiwan, opened last year.
In part funded by the Flemish government’s
IWT spin-off (whose main purpose
it is to encourage research and development
in Flanders) in part funded by such research
partners as Intel, Panasonic and Samsung,
IMEC is an incredibly slick affair; well-oiled,
well-funded and well-reputed. Its ability to
attract researchers who’d normally opt for a
stay in the US is essentially down to its infrastructure
and facilities (the center has one of
the best 300mm clean rooms in the world, pictured
above), the numbers of research papers
ONE FOR THE NATION
it manages to get published (approximately
1,500 per year) and the amount of spin-offs it
successfully launches (at least one company a
year is set up using IMEC technology).
“(Every research project) is awarded with
the sole consideration for its exploitation
potential and ability to create economic
added value for Flanders,” says IWT director
Lea Van de Loock, who isn’t one to understate
the importance of innovation for the region.
The same innovation is just as important to
the region of Wallonia, who relies on its own
stimulus agency, the AWEX, to support, and
partly subsidise, Wallonia’s exports.
Nanocyl, one of the recipients of AWEX’s
largess, is one of the international success
stories of the country. Located in a large
industrial park in Sambreville, the company
was created in 2002 as a direct result of two
university laboratories merging. A Carbon
Nanotube specialist, Nanocyl fi rst began
its work at lab-scale, going on to develop a
pilot reactor study and then fi nally starting
full blown industrial production towards the
end of 2007. Employing 45 people (of which
35 are chemists), the company manufactures
Nanotubes which eliminate the damages of
CULTURE
85
static electricity in electronic packaging and
automotive full pumps, known as ‘electronic
packaging’. It also specialises in what is
known as ‘mechanical reinforcement’ of fi ber
composites, prevalent in the aerospace and
sport industries, as well as researching ways
to replace steel by aluminum thus making the
latter stronger, and lighter, reducing its weight
by a third. But its core product remains its
Nanotubes, which are a hit with Asian chipmakers
and hard-drive manufacturers.
Korea’s electronic packaging and boat
making industries have proven especially
interesting industries for Nanocyl, who now
commands a 75 percent market share in the
country, even usurping local companies and
leading it to open offi ces in Seoul made possible
thanks to AWEX subsidies.
All this, according to Nanocyl’s Global
Commercial Executive Director Monique
Lempereur, have made the company ‘the
Google of chemicals’ in Belgium, effortlessly
attracting top university talent looking for
their chance to work with the hottest topic in
chemistry – namely nanotubes.

86 THE LILLIPUTIAN ISSUE
THE EYE
The changing room : Before entering the Clean Room, researchers need to change into full bodied suits and walk through a giant vacuum to remove all dust particles

An IMEC researcher at work
ONE FOR THE NATION
CULTURE
87

88 THE MINI ISSUE
THE EYE
Chemist Fang-Yue Chan getting the equipment ready before the extraction of the Carbon Nanotubes

Aurélie De Pra in Nanocyl’s warehouse
ONE FOR THE NATION
CULTURE
89

90 THE SMALL-MINDED ISSUE
THE EYE

ONE FOR THE NATION
Carbon Nanotubes being weighed once extracted from the reactor
CULTURE
91

92 THE UNOBTRUSIVE ISSUE
THE EYE
Nanocyl’s marketing material
Check The Word Blog for more photographs of our national nano tour of duty. www.thewordmagazine.be

Small Wonders
Office Shenanigans
Stuff on our Radar
Daily Dribbles
Everything we couldn’t, and wouldn’t,
run with in the magazine goes on
The Word Blog.

94 THE IMPERCEPTIBLE ISSUE
THE STOCKISTS
A
Absolut Five
www.absolut.com
Absolute Press
www.absolutepress.co.uk
Agnès B
www.agnesb.com
Boulevard de Waterloo 27
Waterloolaan, 1000 Brussels
+32 (0)2 512 08 77
Alain Figaret
www.alainfi garet.com
B
Balthazar
Avenue Louise 294 Louizalaan
1050 Brussels
+32 (0)2 647 77 37
Bavetton
www.labaronnepython.com
www.espacebizarre.com
BIS Publishers
www.bispublishers.nl
Burberry
www.burberry.com
C
Calvin Klein
www.calvinklein.com
Closed
www.closed.com
Chauncey
www.chauncey.be
Comme des Garcons
Available from Houben
Place du Nouveau Marché aux
Grains 6 Nieuwe Graanmarkt
1000 Brussels
+32 (0)2 502 32 05
COS
www.cosstores.com
Rue Neuve 66 Nieuwstraat
1000 Brussels
+32 (0)2 223 36 00
Cotton & Milk
www.cottonandmilk.com
D
Delvaux
www.delvaux.be
The Stockists
Degand
www.degand.be
Avenue Louise 415 Louizalaan
1000 Brussels
+32 (0)2 649 00 73
E
Ermenegildo Zegna
www.zegna.com
Boulevard de Waterloo 30
Waterloolaan, 1000 Brussels
+32 (0)2 511 41 57
Essentiel
www.essentiel.be
F
Francis Ferent
www.ferent.be
G
Giorgio Armani
www.giorgioarmani.com
Place du Grand Sablon 37
Grote Zavel, 1000 Brussels
+32 (0)2 551 04 04
Givenchy
www.givenchy.com
H
Hackett
www.hackett.com
Handpresso
www.handpresso.com
www.eurcoquick.nl
Hermès
www.hermes.com
H&M
www.hm.com/be
Rue Neuve 17-21 Nieuwstraat
1000 Brussels
+32 (0)2 210 00 00
Hugo Boss
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I
J
J.M. Weston
www.jmweston.com
K
Karl Lagerfeld
www.karllagerfeld.com
L
Labrador T-shirts
www.labradortshirts.be
Lacoste
www.lacoste.com
Galerie Porte de Louise 228
1050 Brussels
+32 (0)2 512 20 32
Laurence King
www.laurenceking.com
Leica
www.leica-camera.be
www.debeukelaer.be
Louis Vuitton
www.louisvuitton.com
Boulevard de Waterloo 59
Waterloolaan, 1000 Brussels
+32 (0)2 289 28 28
LustAball
www.karienvanderkerkhove.
com/soap
M
N
Noorderlicht
www.noorderlicht.vpro.nl
O
P
Q
R
Ralph Lauren
www.ralphlauren.com
Boulevard de Waterloo 52
Waterloolaan, 1000 Brussels
+32 (0)2 511 82 08
S
Steidl Mack
www.steidlville.com
T
Tommy Hilfi ger
www.tommy.com
U
V
Veuve clicquot
www.veuve-clicquot.com
W
X
Y
Yves Saint Laurent
www.ysl.com
Z

96 THE OUT OF SIGHT ISSUE
THE ROUND UP
pages 02 – 03
Essentiel
www.essentiel.be
page 07
Levis
www.fashionforwalls.be
page 17
WWW.ESSENTIEL.BE
FASHION FOR WALLS
by Levis Ambiance
Brussels Philharmonic – het Vlaams Radio Orkest
Michel Tabachnik, chief conductor/music director, orchestra in residency at Flagey
Dare to discover…
the wonders of classical music
> Mahler 4 Flagey, 3/10/2009
> A New World Flagey, 29/10/2009
> Beethoven 9 BOZAR, 12/11/2009
www.brusselsphilharmonic.be
Brussels Philharmonic – het Vlaams Radio Orkest is een instelling van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap.
Vlaams Omroeporkest en Kamerkoor vzw | Eugène Flageyplein 18 B-1050 Brussel | T +32 2 627 11 60 | info@brusselsphilharmonic.be
Brussels Philharmonic
www.brusselsphilharmonic.be
MATHIAS SCHOENAERTS PHOTOGRAPHED BY MICHEL DE WINDT
WIN FREE TICKETS!
www.levis.info
Send an e-mail with your favourite classical piece to
tickets@brusselsphilharmonic.be, and you could be
the winner of a free concert ticket!
page 09
E.R. : J. Nijskens - NWMD - 221, Rue de Birmingham - 1070 Bruxelles Ogilvy
Perrier
www.perrier.com
page 19
Personal Trainer
in Yoga
Spa Expert
Stressed?
Let the experts help
Business Coach
Body Jam Instructor
What we have for you
Aspria Club’s sports and well being experts will help you through
the back to work stress. Together with The Word Magazine we
have 30 invitations to give away enabling you to kick-start your
de-stress programme with a full complimentary day in the Club.
What you should do
Send an email to marketing@aspriaclub.be together with your details
(name, address and phone number) and you’ll receive a confirmation
email from the club. The first 30 readers to register will each receive a
free invitation.
Aspria
www.aspriaclub.be
With the onset of autumn
and the return of hectic schedules
the Aspria Executive De-Stress
Package will put an end to stress.
Complete with advice, new
stress-busting ideas and free gifts
- including a free Swiss ball and
a relaxing Swedish massage -
our package is all you need
to unwind.
Find out more on
www.aspria-experts.be
Aspria Club:
the sports and wellness experts
Rue de l’Industrie 26
1040 Brussels
Tel 02/508.08.12
page 05
Bombay Sapphire
www.bombaysapphire.be
page 13
Met steun van de
Vlaamse minister
van Cultuur,
Jeugd, Sport en
Brussel
Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen
www.symfonieorkest.be
page 43
Notre savoir-faire se déguste avec sagesse - Ons vakmanschap drink je met verstand
Brussels.
Palais des Beaux-Arts
BRILLIANT OVERTURE
Thursday 15th of October 2009. 20:00
L. van Beethoven. Coriolanus Overture
B. Bartók. Concerto for violin n° 2
L. van Beethoven. Egmont Overture
A. Borodin. Symphony n° 2
NING KAM. violin
(2nd Prize Queen Elisabethcompetition 2001)
Etienne Siebens. conductor
Veuve Clicquot
www.veuve-clicquot.com
reservation & tickets
www.symfonieorkest.be
www.veuve-clicquot.com

page 47
Cachemire Coton et Soie
www.cachemirecotonetsoie.com
page 79
Rado
www.rado.com
page 99
THE WORD & CACHEMIRE COTON ET SOIE
cachemire coton et soie
a contagious and creative sensation
a crash course in seduction
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a clear cut superiority
a conspicuous consumption satisfi ed
the cherry on the cake of style…
cachemire coton et soie
C / C / & / S
cachemirecotonetsoie.com
Rue Franz Merjay 53 Franz Merjaystraat
1050 Brussels
02 647 09 88
Opening Hours
From Monday to Saturday / 11h00 to 18h30
Dining in style
Ristorante italiano , part of The Rocco Forte Collection “Hotel Amigo”
Rue de l'Amigo 1, 1000 BRUXELLES | Tel. : 02.547.47.15 | Fax : 02.547.47.67
www.ristorantebocconi.com | bocconirestaurant@roccofortecollection.com
Ristorante Bocconi
www.ristorantebocconi.com
ADVERTISERS
pages 75
Bema – Graphics
www.bemagraphics.com
page 93
The Word Magazine
www.thewordmagazine.be
page 100
Small Wonders
Office Shenanigans
Stuff on our Radar
Daily Dribbles
Everything we couldn’t, and wouldn’t,
run with in the magazine goes on
The Word Blog.
Absolut
www.absolut.com
page 95
O-live
www.o-live.net
THE LASTS
the world vecto.indd 1 24/04/09 15:37:32
97

98 THE UNDETECTABLE ISSUE
WHAT'S NEXT
Get your chops on — Practice your Konami Dance Dance — Ditch your Bathing Ape t-shirt in favour of a Visvim polo
K n o w
your Udon from your
Ramen, your Nigiri from your
Sashimi — Forget about spray-on
Eagles for your pimped-up truck. ‘Decorata’
is the new black — And don’t even
mention Hello Kitty and Koala March — Close
to jetting off to the land of the neon for a little
inspiration, we thought we’d list all the things we
know about Japan, and investigate the exact opposite
for fear of falling into a clichéd perception
of the country — And believe us, a cliché
The Nippon Issue will not be ( ok, we might
indulge in a bottle or two of cold sake
whilst producing it but that’s as
close to a cliché as we’ll
come )
The Word's Nippon Issue — Because it’s high time for a new cliché — Out Friday 30 th October 2009

Dining in style
Ristorante italiano , part of The Rocco Forte Collection “Hotel Amigo”
Rue de l'Amigo 1, 1000 BRUXELLES | Tel. : 02.547.47.15 | Fax : 02.547.47.67
www.ristorantebocconi.com | bocconirestaurant@roccofortecollection.com