THE YEAR OF THE SAX - Invest in Wallonia

Transcription

magazine
SUMMER 2014
Dinant celebrates
THE YEAR OF THE SAX
Plus: The Walloon companies cultivating healthy food
CONTENTS
12
04Big picture
Waterloo 2015 unveiled
06News
Headlines from across the region
08Business
Belourthe’s cereals are big export news
10Investment
Locus Traxx’s smart shipping comes to
Europe
12Technology
The Walloon companies who made
their mark at the World Cup in Brazil
22
14-17 File
WagrALIM spearheads the region’s
agro-food industry
18Home and Abroad
Editor Sarah Crew
Deputy editor Sally Tipper
Reporters Renée Cordes, Stephanie Duval
Jon Eldridge, Andy Furniere
Alan Hope, Karen McHugh
Senne Starckx, Georgio Valentino
Art director Paul Van Dooren
Managing director Hans De Loore
magazine
SUMMER 2014
AWEX/WBI and Ackroyd Publications
Pascale Delcomminette – AWEX/WBI
Marie-Catherine Duchêne
AWEX, Place Sainctelette 2
1080 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: 00.32(0)2.421.85.76
Fax: 00.32(0)2.421.83.93
email: [email protected]
Dinant celebrates
THE YEAR OF THE SAX
Plus: The Walloon companies cultivating healthy food
Cover Nicolas Vadot
2
wallonia and brussels magazine
SUMMER 2014
Foreign correspondents Rahul Venkit
and Céline Fion
20Culture
Editorial
Wallonia’s heritage is grounded in its rich agricultural past. The prosperity
of the region’s numerous abbeys during the Middle Ages was integral to
the development of a thriving food industry. Gembloux Abbey (pictured),
founded in the 10th century by the noble knight Wicbertus, evolved into a
capital for cereal production, which explains the proliferation of breweries
in the area. As the birthplace of farming in the newly created country of
Belgium, an agricultural faculty was established in the former Benedictine
abbey in the early 19th century. Today the University Faculty of Agricultural
Sciences educates thousands of students from Belgium and abroad. And its
scientists continue research into improving farming practice and making
the industry more sustainable. Gembloux is also home to Wagralim, the
Walloon Region’s agro-food competitive cluster. In this issue, we look at
how the industry has become a major employer in the region and a specialist
in the growing health food market.
With World Cup football dominating the headlines this summer, we tracked
down the enterprising technology companies that helped deliver live action
from Brazil. Also shining on the international stage were local designers
at Milan’s Design Week, while on the musical front, read how the city of
Dinant and the rest of the country is celebrating the 200th anniversary of
the birth of Adolphe Sax. There’s no shortage of cultural events to enjoy in
Wallonia and Brussels this summer.
Dinant celebrates the year of the sax
22Tourism
30
There’s more than just pandas to Pairi
Daiza
25Design
Creative Belgians join forces in Italy
28Panorama
Fashion designer Bernard Depoorter
30Agenda
Summer events across the region
SUMMER 2014
3
WORK
big picture
L
Into battle
4
Summer 2014
ess than a year before the 200th
anniversary of the Battle of
Waterloo, plans for the new
memorial have been unveiled by La
Belle Alliance. The consortium of
seven Belgian companies specialises
in scenography: graphic design,
architecture, audio visual, multimedia
and exhibition creation. Designed to
recreate the 1815 conflict, the centre
will plunge visitors into the sound and
action of the famous battle. The defeat
of Napoleon and the French army by
an alliance led by the British under the
Duke of Wellington ended 20 years of
fighting in Europe.
The 1,500m2 space, consisting of 10
galleries, is designed to show different
aspects of the combat as well as its
historical context. One of the highlights
is a 4D film by Oscar-winning Brussels
filmmaker Gérard Corbiau projected
on to a 26m panoramic screen. Work is
due to start in August and the memorial
officially opens at the beginning of next
June. The €6 million centre at the foot
of the landmark lion’s mound south
of Waterloo is expected to attract at
least 300,000 visitors a year, and was
commissioned by the Walloon Region’s
tourism authority.
 www.waterloo1815.org
Summer 2014
5
WORK
NEWS
The logistics port of Vaulx, near
Tournai (Hainaut province) has
been given an economic boost by the
inauguration of a bimodal platform
to load and unload goods transported
by boat. The project is funded by the
company Dufour, which currently
transports 560,000 tons of goods a year
and plans on doubling this amount in
five years’ time. Vaulx’s logistics port
on the Scheldt now has six warehouses
spread over 8,000m2, a 13,000m2
handling zone, parking and a reception
area. A second phase to the expansion
project will create a further handling
and storage zone of 18,000m2. The new
port area is part of a plan to create a river
highway in Wallonia, linking it to France
and the rest of northern Europe, as part
of the Seine-Scheldt project. Dufour
has offices in Paris, Lille, Dunkirk and
Tournai. Its activities also include waste
disposal and wind farms.
International salute
for Dardenne brothers’
latest film
Belgian businessman Jean Stéphenne, formerly chairman of GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals,
has been awarded an honorary knighthood in the British Queen’s birthday honours list,
for his services to the healthcare sector and his development of the British GSK group.
Stéphenne was previously ennobled by the Belgian king with the rank of Baron. The knighthood – in full, Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire – is
one of the highest honours Britain grants to non-citizens. However, Stéphenne will not be
allowed to call himself Sir Jean: that form of address is permitted only to knights of British
nationality. “I am honoured to receive this distinction from a personal point of view but I
will take this opportunity to thank all employees of GSK as they made all this possible,” he
said. “They believed in me and our mission and together we worked to contribute to health
worldwide.” Stéphenne is pictured here with GlaxoSmithKline CEO Sir Andrew Witty and
British ambassador to Belgium Jonathan Brenton.
Voice coach Marc Pinilla joins Mons 2015 team
Marc Pinilla, frontman of the group Suarez and a coach on the hit RTBF TV show The Voice
Belgique, has been signed up as musical coach for Mons 2015, European Capital of Culture.
Pinilla will give two workshops this summer to young singer-songwriters and audiovisual
technicians in the city. For the year of culture itself, he will produce a show looking at the
history of local song with presenter and producer Olivier Monssens. Pinilla is the fifth
artist to collaborate on the year of culture: the others are Quebec theatre director Wajdi
Mouawad, choreographer Frédéric Flamand, Liège fashion designer Jean-Paul Lespagnard
and Mons-born poet Carl Norac. Mons 2015 kicks off on January 24.
Top culture award for Wallonia museum
The Félicien Rops museum in Namur has won this year’s Museum Prize for Wallonia. It previously won the title in in 2008. The museum was praised for the way it manages to present
the work of the artist from an ever-changing perspective, and for its efforts to accommodate
visitors whose first language is not French. The prize for Brussels went to the Museum of
the City of Brussels, housed in the Maison du Roi on the Grand’ Place. The two museums
win €5,000 each. Meanwhile, the public prize for Brussels went to the Museum of Musical
Instruments in Brussels, and Liège’s Musée des Beaux-Arts won the Wallonia prize. The
children’s prize went to Autoworld in Brussels and L’Hôpital Notre-Dame à la Rose in
Lessines, Hainaut province, which won both the main prize and the public prize in 2010.
6
SUMMER 2014
The new vuvuzela: made in Wallonia
The World Cup in Brazil had its successor to the vuvuzela, the one-note star of the 2010 tournament in South Africa. The Diabolica is a telescopic trumpet invented by David Dos Santos and Fabio
Lavalle from La Louvière in Hainaut. Small enough to fit in a pocket when dismantled and packed
away, the Diabolica works by vibrating a membrane made of a secret substance. It was available in
the colours of all of the nations taking part.
 www.diabolica.be
A public inquiry into the planned new
multimodal train and bus station
in Namur has been launched. The
station would extend from the Leopold
roundabout to Boulevard Mélot, with
trains on the lower level and buses
on top, reached by a 250m ramp. The
estimated cost of the project is €49
million, with €43.3 million coming
from the region, €4 million from the rail
authority SNCB and €1.8 million from
the city. If approved, work will begin in
April next year and last for three years.
© Stephane Cardinale/People Avenue/Corbis
British knighthood for former GSK executive
The Dardenne brothers, Luc and JeanPierre, narrowly missed picking up a
historic third Golden Palm at this year’s
Cannes Film Festival, despite their latest
film being proclaimed their best. This year’s
top honour went to Turkey’s Nuri Bilge
Ceylan for Winter Sleep. The Dardenne
brothers were presenting their latest, Deux
jours, une nuit (Two Days, One Night), in
which Marion Cotillard plays a working
mother who persuades her workmates to
give up a bonus so she can keep her job.
The social drama was the eighth film by
the brothers to be set in their home town,
the Liège suburb of Seraing. French Oscarwinner Cotillard was tipped early on to pick
up an award for her performance, but in the
end the Best Actress title went to Julianne
Moore in David Cronenbergh’s Map to the
Stars. Dardenne regular Fabrizio Rongione
plays Cotillard’s husband Manu.
Two Days, One Night also won the prestigious Sydney Film prize in June, while two
other films with Belgian connections were
feted at the Cabourg Film Festival in France.
Namur director Lucas Belvaux’s Pas son
genre was awarded best film, best actress
for Emilie Dequenne from Hainaut and best
actor (Loïc Corbery). The Cabourg jury
awarded Belgian short Solo Rex best actor
(Wim Willaert) and best photographer (Fiona Braillon). Directed by François Bierry,
the film was produced by Hélicotronc.
© FRANCOIS LENOIR/Reuters/Corbis
Business briefs
The contractor in charge of the project
to renovate the 19th-century baths
of Spa is reported to be in talks with
a Chinese investor who could save the
project. The plan has been on the table
for a decade; the first plan was to turn
the building into a convention centre,
but that has now become a luxury
hotel. The contractor, Foremost Immo,
reported one major investor had pulled
out and asked for an extension of the
contract to find another. A group of
interested Chinese parties visited the
site in December; Foremost’s parent
company, Denys, returned the visit in
January.
From Charleroi to Sao Paulo: One Shot! on show in Brazil
The successful exhibition on football and contemporary art, staged by BPSS 22 in 2010, was on
display at a Brazilian museum for the duration of the World Cup. Although the number of works was
reduced, the Mube (Museu Brasileiro da Escultura) spotlighted works by Brazilian artists. The exhibition captured the flare and passion for ‘the beautiful game’ from numerous angles, tackling head on
the social and political issues surrounding the sport.
SUMMER 2014
7
WORK
innovation
Against the odds
Walloon company Belourthe is exporting 99 percent of its
cereal production to 50 countries
By Andy Furniere
to that of a SME that makes customised
products,” explains Crahay.
Belourthe is especially active in the
emerging economies of Africa, Asia and
South America. Some of the countries,
like the politically unstable Pakistan
and Libya, are unattractive for other
producers because of the uncertain
circumstances. “But it’s definitely worth
the risk,” Crahay believes.
T
Although Nestlé
didn’t see the
potential, I believed in
a positive future here
in Hamoir
Vincent Crahay
8
SUMMER 2014
he factory of Belourthe, in the
picturesque town of Hamoir in
Liège province, is bustling with
activity. A staff of around 100 produce
cereals products meant for 50 countries
all over the world – from Angola to
Saudi Arabia and Vietnam. The annual
turnover amounts to €25 million and
the production capacity to 20,000
tons a year. But to reach this point, the
company has had to defy the odds.
The factory was established in 1932
by multinational Nestlé and grew to
become Nestlé’s biggest production
facility for baby cereals in Europe. But
in 2005 it decided to downsize activity
at Hamoir for strategic reasons. The
director of the factory, Vincent Crahay,
realised that a closure was imminent
and made the bold move to buy out
the Nestlé management. “Although
Nestlé didn’t see the potential of the
production facility, I believed in a
positive future here in Hamoir,” he says.
And so Belourthe was born.
After difficult early years, because of
a non-competition pact with Nestlé,
the independent Belourthe began to
develop thanks to its flexibility. After
leaving Nestlé, Belourthe had no
customers but succeeded in attracting
new clients and setting up partnerships
all over the world. “We had to switch
from the mentality of a multinational
To claim its place in the many markets
abroad, Belourthe adjust its products
to different standards and cultures.
“Not all countries, for example, have
the same standards for the necessary
amount of vitamin C in cereals,”
explains Crahay. “But we also adapt
our products to food cultures, by for
example adding vegetables and fish
to our cereals for the Asian market.”
Currently, Belourthe has developed
around 150 recipes.
To help other Walloon companies
become successful in exporting,
Belourthe has been awarded the label
of Entreprise Exportatrice Citoyenne
by AWEX and the Union Wallonne
des Entreprises. “We will voluntarily
assist with our experience two other
enterprises from Wallonia in taking
their chances on the international
market,” explains Crahay.
Quality and R&D are also essential in
Belourthe’s success. Around 10 percent
of its staff work in these departments
each day. “When you produce food,
especially for babies, you cannot
make any mistake in the quality,” says
Crahay, “but to compete, you also need
to diversify your offer.” Thanks to its
innovative approach, Belourthe’s brand
of cereals for babies – Ninolac – is now
also available in organic, halal and
gluten-free versions.
Belourthe is also one of the only
independent factories in the world that
can deliver hydrolysed cereals. Cereals
created through hydrolysis facilitate
digestion and are full of natural
sweetness without added sugar. There
are also various cereal formulas ideal
for growing children, and future or new
mothers can buy the cereals adapted
for pregnant women and breastfeeding
mothers.
However, Belourthe is also adapting
to trends in society like the ageing
population and the increasing number
of people with diabetes. There are
already cereals adjusted to the needs
of the middle-aged and senior citizens,
and products for diabetics are in
the pipeline. “We are still carrying
out clinical tests,” says Crahay. The
development of these cereals was
carried out thanks to the Cwality project
in collaboration with several Walloon
universities and research centres.
Another innovative project Belourthe
is involved in with Walloon research
institutions is Prototyping, the goal
of which is to create cereals that help
people recover from surgery. “This
Facts
What? Producer of cereals exporting
worldwide
Where? Headquarters at Hamoir
Who? CEO is Vincent Crahay, who took
over the management of the factory from
Nestlé
When? Founded in 2005, after Nestlé
decided to downsize activity at the factory
Figures
€25 million Turnover in 2013
50 Number of countries
to which Belourthe exports
product will be more like a medicine,”
explains Crahay.
Apart from cereals, Belourthe has also
begun producing pancakes for the
company’s own brand Chimay, which is
it’s only product on the Belgian market.
Other non-cereals products in the
pipeline are biscuits and herbal teas,
which should be launched next year.
As an innovative company, Belourthe is
investing in sustainability. This summer,
it will switch to liquefied natural gas
for its energy production, reducing its
carbon dioxide emissions considerably.
The company is also involved in a
European project, BioActiveLayer,
which aims to reduce the amount of
waste produced by the dried food
sector through the development of
biodegradable packaging.

www.belourthe.be
SUMMER 2014
9
WORK
INVESTMENT
Eye in the sky
A leading US freight-tracking player is investing in a joint venture
in Wallonia to develop satellite technology
By Jon Eldridge
more diverse. We can find young talent
and incorporate it now.”
but with someone with engineering
and know-how in the satellite area
and pushing forward on the Galileo
space station, maybe there could be an
opportunity for us in the future to use
the Galileo satellite or one of the other
lower orbiting satellites that we don’t
use now,” says Hoffman.
The SmartTraxx Go system monitors the temperature and location of a shipment in real time and sends alerts to clients
U
We can find young
talent in Wallonia and
incorporate it now
Ray Hoffman
10
Summer 2014
S freight-tracking company
Locus Traxx has chosen
Wallonia’s Vitrociset Belgium
as a partner in its bid to move into the
European market. The Florida-based
specialist in real-time monitoring
of perishable or high-value goods
shipments is initially investing around
€2 million in a joint venture with the
local subsidiary of Italian company
Vitrociset.
Based in Libin in Luxembourg province,
Vitrociset Belgium specialises in
technology and software for satellite
applications. The joint venture, Locus
Traxx Worldwide Europe, aims to
create a system that tracks not only the
location of a shipment but also a range
of parameters such as temperature
and humidity or whether a package
has remained upright. It is expected
to create up to 40 jobs at the Galaxia
European Space Applications Park in
Libin.
Another objective of teaming up with
Vitrociset is accessing the Europeanled Galileo global navigation satellite
system, says Ray Hoffman, CEO and
managing director of Locus Traxx in
the EU. “We have satellite capability,
Partnership with Vitrociset will also
allow the company to move faster into
the European market, Hoffman says.
“When you have a new product coming
to market, it takes a bit of time. You have
to find a location and build it up. The
opportunities that we saw would come
to market much faster in co-operation
with Vitrociset,” he explains.
The new jobs at Libin range from entrylevel technician posts to engineering
positions and software programmers.
“At the end of this year, there are going
to be 10 to 12 jobs, and eventually that
will rise to 40. That’s a commitment
we’ve made to the government in the
Walloon region,” says Hoffman. In fact,
the co-operation and enthusiasm of the
Walloon government has been central
to the agreement. “Because of who
we are, and who we come to engage
with, the Walloon government has
been particularly helpful by sponsoring
us when we were signing the joint
venture.”
Hoffman says he has received particular
support
from
local
politicians.
“Everyone is excited about engaging
with the new, leading-edge technology
coming to this region,” he says.
The region’s low-density population and
location in Europe are also strategically
important for the company. “We need
to have a bit more space in order to
provide the logistics – for shipping
out and bringing the product back
in. Wallonia provided us with instant
access to the Benelux region and port
activity. We have a solution in Wallonia
for that market,” Hoffman says.
The company says it will also benefit
from the high number of qualified
graduates in the region. “There are a lot
of programmes in the bachelor fields in
the universities that really are classified
as logistics,” says Hoffman. “There
aren’t too many logistic graduates
in the Americas, but here you have
graduates in logistics, finance and so
on, and so the work pool for us is a bit
The system and service offered by
Locus Traxx is particularly useful for
establishing damage claims should the
consumer and high-end products that
it tracks become spoiled or damaged. It
also allows shippers to take preventive
measures. “Let’s say you’re a butcher
and you want to make sure your
meat gets to market without spoiling:
you can use our systems to monitor
the entire transport. It’s intelligent
transport because should anything fall
out of range in terms of temperature, it
sends a message to you, and if that’s not
acted on it has an automated isolation
process, whereby if no one has taken
action, we jump in because we have
a large support team that calls the
customer and says ‘Houston, you have a
problem’,” explains Hoffman.
Locus Traxx’s experience so far in
Wallonia has been entirely positive.
“You see how warm and receptive it
is, from the local government level
to the highest level. So that’s a very
encouraging sign – even the minister
and the government called us and said,
‘Anything you need, let us know and we
can help you.’ It’s very reassuring!”

www.locustraxx.com
Summer 2014
11
WORK
BUSINESS
Field of vision
Walloon technology companies starred at the World Cup in Brazil this summer
By Andy Furniere
EVS
Multinational EVS, which has a
branch in Liège, has been covering
international sports events for 20
years. In Brazil, it installed its cameras
in every stadium, from where images
were sent to EVS servers and analysed
in the press centre. “EVS solutions
were at the heart of the International
Broadcast Centre in Rio de Janeiro,”
says
spokesperson
Geoffroy
d’Oultremont. “An innovative feature
is our tablet application, which enables
livestream viewers to watch the game
from six camera angles and to review
the key moments from around twenty
angles.” EVS had a team of around 40
in Brazil to make sure everything went
smoothly.
 www.evs.com
A
variety of enterprises from
Wallonia
signed
contracts
related to football’s World Cup
in Brazil this summer. Their technology
was indispensable in bringing the action
to the screens of viewers worldwide.
Deltacast
Deltacast from Ans, in Liège province,
develops virtual and real-time onair graphics for sporting events. “We
cover the majority of sports, but focus
strongly on football,” says spokesperson
12
Summer 2014
Sandrine Slegers. “It was therefore
essential for us to develop a special
World Cup package.” That package
was a highly interactive presentation
tool that allowed broadcasters to
present extensive information and
advanced statistics while discussing all
the aspects of the competition, ideal
for both recaps and live game analysis.
Wallonia’s RTBF TV network used the
package, as did networks in Angola
and China.
 www.deltacast.tv
I-MOVIX
I-MOVIX, from Mons, is a world leader
in extreme slow motion for broadcast
and has sold cameras to customers
including TV Globo and Sky Italia,
which were active at the World Cup.
TV Globo is a huge television network,
composed of more than 100 Brazilian
TV stations, which opted for I-MOVIX’s
innovative technology because their
cameras are able to register up to 2,600
images per second in high definition
and to create the best slow-motion
plays in the world. “We are involved in
tons of sport events all year long as a
camera manufacturer, ” says CEO and
founder Laurent Renard.
It was of the greatest
importance to us to
be part of this event
Marie-Gabrielle Kokken, Schréder
 i-movix.com
PRODILED
As a specialist in the development of
large LED screens, PRODILED from
Fleurus in Hainaut has designed new
concepts specially for the World Cup.
“These screens were used during both
the opening and closing ceremony,”
says CEO Jean-Marc Van Bever.
“This event provided our company
with a window on the world.” Their
160 square-metre screen was at the
centre of the opening ceremony for
25 minutes, in front of an audience of
around 1.8 billion people.
 www.prodiled.com
Schréder
An expert in lighting sporting venues,
Schréder delivered lighting solutions
for several stadiums. Schréder is
a multinational with a branch in
Fernelmont, Namur province. Its
lighting meets the players’ needs while
minimising light pollution and glare
for spectators. It also satisfies the
strictest criteria for high-definition
broadcasting to avoid flickering and
to capture sharp images for viewers
at home. One of Schréder’s 48
subsidiaries worldwide – Schréder do
Brazil – is in Vinhedo, a municipality
in the state of São Paulo. Schréder
also has experience in lighting other
stadiums – such as the Olympic
Stadium in Kiev during Euro 2012
or the Moses Mahbida Stadium in
South Africa at the 2010 World Cup.
“It was thus naturally of the greatest
importance to us to be part of this great
event in Brazil,” says spokesperson
Marie-Gabrielle Kokken.
 www.schreder.com
Skylane Optics
Based in Fraire, Namur province,
Skylane Optics (main picture)
developed the transceivers that were
connected to a 4,000km fibre-optic
network between four Brazilian
stadiums. A transceiver is a small
module that transforms an electrical
signal into an optical signal, enabling
data transmission over optical fibre.
The Skylane equipment thus enabled
live broadcasting of World Cup
matches to the whole world. “Thanks
to these Brazilian contracts, Skylane
Optics will generate the equivalent
of last year’s turnover,” explains
spokesperson Noémie Riefolo.
 www.skylaneoptics.com
Summer 2014
13
AGRO-FOOD
©Fabrice lerouge/onoky/corbis
FILE
The best is yet to come
Smart innovation, research and investment have transformed the region’s food
companies into world leaders in the nutrition and health food market
By Senne Starckx
W
It’s our goal to grow
even further in the
coming years.
François Heroufosse
14
Summer 2014
allonia’s agro-food industry
is the region’s fifth biggest in
terms of exports, but second
when it comes to employment. Six years
after its creation, WagrALIM, the agroindustry’s competitiveness cluster, can
boast excellent results. And with more
innovation yet to hit the market, the
cluster will further increase its yield.
With an annual turnover of €7.6 billion
and employment of 21,000 people, the
industry is the second largest industrial
employer in Wallonia. Since 2000, it
has posted an annual average growth
of 4 percent of production – placing it
neatly above the European average.
The Walloon agro-food sector also has a
strong potential in emerging countries,
and is already the world leader in the
area of highly nutritional ingredients
and health foods.
WagrALIM was created six years ago, as
part of the ambitious Marshall Plan to
boost the Walloon economy. The goal of
the cluster – one of six – is to shore up
companies’ competitiveness and boost
business and jobs in the sector. There
are several ways to do this: establishing
new or strengthening existing relations
between partners in the agro-food
industry; developing and maintaining
a culture of innovation by setting up
research projects; and increasing the
cluster’s international visibility as it
is one of Wallonia’s most important
export sectors.
It has identified four priorities for
the industry. All are connected with
ongoing trends that are currently
reshaping the global production of
food, such as sustainability (energy
efficiency, use of sustainable raw
materials, biodegradable packaging),
food safety (organic food, natural
additives) and preservation (reducing
the use of additives and preserving
intrinsic qualities). Ensuring future
growth, WagrALIM brings together
business, training centres and public
and private research centres in the
agro-food industry.
There are currently about 155
members. “Two-thirds of them are
private companies – larger firms as well
as SMEs,” says François Heroufosse,
director of WagrALIM. “The third part
is occupied by research and training
centres. It’s our goal to grow even further
in the coming years. Additionally we
want to welcome fifteen to twenty new
members to our cluster network.”
Over the past six years, WagrALIM has
initiated 21 research projects, all of
which are financed in whole or in part by
the Walloon government. They include
research, innovation, investment and
training. Projects aimed at research
and innovation are directly linked to
the four focus areas, determined by
WagrALIM’s four priorities. There are
Summer 2014
15
AGRO-FOOD
©bernard foubert/photononstop/corbis
FILE
two types of projects: core and applied
projects.
“A core project builds a sustainable
network of partners and brings together
an extended knowledge base, which
is both diverse and complementary,”
explains Heroufosse. “It comes at a
stage before there are concerns about
competition, and it is intended to
develop useful skills and technological
tools for all those interested in one of
our four priority areas.”
One example is Walnut-20, a project
that brought together eight companies
(including mineral water producer
Spa, pictured, and oil manufacturer
Vandeputte)
and
12
scientific
institutions from universities and high
schools in Wallonia. The project ran
from 2006 until 2010, and its goal
was purely research. Heroufosse says:
“Walnut-20 was about very basic,
fundamental research in food science.
However, the ultimate goal was to
create products and ingredients based
on polyunsaturated fatty acids, fibres
and polyphenols with indisputable
16
Summer 2014
scientifically proven nutritional and
health claims. But as this is a core
project, the development of a concrete
commercial product was something for
an applied, follow-up project.”
The Walnut-20 partners developed
several methods and models that can
now be used to assess the bioactive
properties of its ingredients. “The next
step will be the creation of a range of
products with heath benefits. These
can be launched commercially to help
combat two major public health issues:
metabolic syndrome and gut health,”
says Heroufosse.
Besides core projects like Walnut-20,
WagrALIM also supports applied
projects. “On the basis of core
projects, more targeted industrial
projects are built which focus on
specific products or markets. These
projects involve more restricted
partnerships, and use the scientific
and technological tools developed
within core projects to develop
products or technology that will be
marketed.”
One example of an applied project is
Florpro, led by the Liège food company
GHL Group. The aim here is to develop
an entirely new range of fresh food
products characterised by a longer
shelf life, a higher safety level and a
better taste. “This is all possible thanks
to the stimulation of natural protective
bacteria,”
explains
Heroufosse.
“These bacteria are already present
inside the food, so instead of adding
artificial and chemical compounds
as a preservative, we can use these
bacteria to prolong the shelf life of
food. Due to the higher presence of
the naturally present bacteria, the
growth of degrading bacteria will be
limited, and thus the food is preserved
for longer.”
The strategy of WagrALIM is to
stimulate innovation in the agrofood industry. Every participant in a
project is responsible for some of the
investment. The total amount spent on
all 21 projects over the past six years
has been €77 million, €50 million of
which comes from public funding via
the Walloon government.
Due to WagrALIM’s support for research
and innovation in the Walloon agrofood industry, more than 2,000 jobs
have been created since the launch of
the cluster in 2008. Many of these are in
production and sales. “Our projects have
resulted in the creation of up to sixty new
products and services,” says Isabelle
Grommet, WagrALIM’s international
and communication manager. “About
ten of them are already commercially
available, together with twelve new
production processes. When a new
production line is set up, this provides
jobs for dozens of people. Besides that,
the new products have to find their way
to the customer, so a lot of the newly
created jobs are in sales.”
Although the number of new jobs is
impressive, many people have also
received intensive training with an eye
on future employment in the Walloon
food industry. Grommet says: “New
production processes require specific
training. So the majority of the 7,500
people we have trained over the years
are workers from private companies.
The others are students, PhD
researchers and unemployed people
who have been re-educated to find a job
in this industry.”
Research, fundamental and applied, as
well as innovation, needs to be framed
by a correct policy regarding intellectual
property. However, for the food
industry, gathering as many patents
as possible is unusual. “It’s not like the
pharmaceutical industry, where every
new substance is patented for years or
decades,” explains Heroufosse. “The
average food company doesn’t benefit
from patenting a new ingredient or
production process. Another reason is
that by applying for a patent, a company
has to describe its in-house production
process, which they prefer not to do.
The partners of a consortium behind a
project remain the owners of any results
obtained, with a view to using them
in their industry. They wouldn’t be
happy to throw them away, but there’s
no excessive secrecy surrounding the
results. You could call this a form of
open innovation.”
also growing. The agro-food industry
has established and consolidated its
presence in important areas such as
Canada, South Korea, southeast Asia
and, most importantly, Brazil.
According to Heroufosse, Brazil is
the most important new market for
Wallonia’s agro-food industry. “At the
moment, our main clients are still to be
found in neighbouring countries and
Eastern Europe. But for the future, we
are targeting Brazil. The country has
huge potential, in terms of agricultural
innovation and access to raw materials.
At the moment, a dozen food companies
from the Wallonia region are setting up
branches and joint ventures in Brazil.
In the area of innovative food additives
and ingredients, we consider Brazil a
unique opportunity for our industry.”
 www.WagrALIM.be
Meanwhile, the prospects for the food
and agriculture industry on a global scale
are good. WagrALIM is an active partner
in two major international clusters
and research centres: the World Food
Innovation Network and the European
Food Alliance. Wallonia’s export market
for food products as raw materials is
Innovation meets chocolate and beer
Smart innovation is giving two of the most famous Belgian exports a new look. Wagralim’s platform for innovation has yielded some
extraordinary new food products, such as rejuvenating chocolates and non-perishable beers. Yvan Larondelle, bioengineer at the
University of Louvain, has studied the rejuvenating properties of pomegranate extract. He was able to identify some anti-inflammatory
molecules and managed to culture them in his laboratory. Afterwards he injected them into the filling of a newly created praline. Antiinflammatory substances are believed to slow down the ageing process of our cells, tissues, organs and body.
Another innovation currently under scrutiny is an optimisation of the preservation period of high-fermentation beer. Walloon brewers
Dubuisson (known for its strong beer Bush, pictured) and Lefebvre (Hopus) are collaborating to prolong the preservation period,
enabling them hopefully to export their products to further-flung markets.
Summer 2014
17
LIFE
HOME AND ABROAD
Rahul Venkit
Céline Fion
All-round multimedia journalist Rahul Venkit has been reporting for the Chinese Xinhua news agency in Brussels for the past three years. Originally from India, Venkit
has previously worked in China, the UK, Singapore and India
Originally from Tournai, journalist Céline Fion is now based in Paris where she
reports for the Belgian francophone newspaper L’Avenir and various tourism
magazines
Describe a typical day reporting from Brussels, if there is such a thing?
You said it – there’s no such thing. Most of the reporting tends to centre on the
European institutions, economy and foreign affairs. Back in 2011, the EU story was
more exciting – at least as far as journalists were concerned – with the euro crisis at
its peak. These days, the worst of the crisis is over and EU summits don’t tend to run
into the wee hours. In the quieter summer months, we tend to pitch feature stories
... mostly to visit breweries and music festivals!
Where are you from and where did you study?
I grew up in Tournai and studied first at the Free University of Brussels (ULB) before
going to journalism school at the University of Louvain.
Why did you move to Paris?
At first it was for an internship, but I always had it in mind to stay. I think I had the
impression that I would encounter more professional opportunities as well as enjoy
the stimulating and exciting surroundings.
What stories interest the Chinese and what is the image of Brussels in China?
I would say the average Chinese reader is more interested in European culture and
travel than its politics and economy. Many of them feel the West is picturesque but
boring and back home it’s chaotic but interesting. As for the image of Brussels in
China, it’s the usual beer, chocolate and famous landmarks such as the Manneken
Pis.
How has the work of a foreign correspondent changed in recent years?
The digital and social media revolution has made our roles far more dynamic and
demanding. It has also given us more direct access to readers and newsmakers than
ever before. In the Chinese context, however, different platforms such as Weibo and
Renren are used since others like Facebook and Twitter are banned in China.
You met your French wife while reporting from the Olympics in Beijing and
she now works for the same news agency. What do you both appreciate about
living and working in Brussels?
We both love that Brussels is one of the smallest, truly international cities of the
world. We don’t spend hours every day on public transport like in other big cities
since we live near work. In fact, the older we get, the more we appreciate the
Brussels lifestyle over what London or Beijing offers.
What are your career plans?
I’ve always gone where opportunity has taken me. As long as I’m building on my
multimedia skills and taking part in the global conversation on improving the state
of the world, I’m happy.
18
SUMMER 2014
What is a typical day reporting from Paris?
One of the best things about my job is that there is no typical day, even if it does
revolve around certain set tasks, such as preparing interviews, writing articles,
prospecting and researching future topics etc. I also spend some time abroad.
The digital and
social media
revolution has
made our roles far
more dynamic and
demanding
France has great
talents and the
concentration in
Paris makes my
work very enjoyable
Rahul Venkit
Céline Fion
Do you think France is still a cultural beacon for francophone Belgians?
The French are frequently criticised for being arrogant, and it’s true that this can
appear irritating. But from my viewpoint here, I find that Belgians can sometimes be
too humble, constrained by this continual feeling of inferiority. France undeniably
has great artists and talents, and the concentration in Paris makes my work very
enjoyable.
Do you return here, and what do you miss about your home country?
Yes, I return frequently. It’s mainly people that I miss, and steak tartare and chips!
What are your career plans?
I will not live eternally in Paris, but I think that I will remain abroad. In parallel to
the written press, I would very much like to develop documentaries, so I’m working
on that.
SUMMER 2014
19
CULTURE
Philippe Dehuit
LIFE
doesn’t end there; he continued to
develop new instruments until his
death in 1894. Among Sax’s other
innovations was the Wagnerian tuba,
commissioned by German composer
Richard Wagner himself.
ensconced in the courtyard of Dinant
town hall. Mr Sax’s Clepsydra is a
monumental glass saxophone sculpted
by Bernard Tirtiaux. The object towers
three metres and weighs a whopping
four tons.
The celebration isn’t confined to
Dinant city limits. For its part,
the Belgian federal government is
marking the occasion by issuing a
special Adolphe Sax stamp and
minting a series of collector’s
coins (pictured). The annual
summer classical musical feast,
Festival of Wallonia, performs
tribute shows to Sax within its
150-concert programme staged
in every corner of the region.
The cultural authorities in Dinant
decided there was only one way
to applaud such an important and
industrious fellow: with a year-long,
city-wide party.
The joy of sax
Dinant’s own Adolphe Sax was born 200 years ago, and his home town – and
country – have laid on a very special party
By Georgio Valentino
T
Everyone is invited to
the Great Gathering
of Saxophonists
20
Summer 2014
he saxophone has become a
staple in modern music, from
contemporary classical to jazz
to rock’n’roll (at least in its early days,
when the sax ‘skronk’ was king). The
instrument is so ubiquitous that we
take it for granted. But if you stop to
think about it, this stylised industrial
alphorn, studded with strange buttons
and valves, is a profoundly weird
instrument. And if you delve into its
history, you’ll find that it’s a relatively
recent creation whose inventor was a
fascinating character indeed.
The saxophone is only the most
successful of hundreds of instruments
dreamt up by a 19th-century Walloon
tinkerer, one Adolphe Sax. This year
Sax’s home town, Dinant, in the
province of Namur, celebrates its
favourite son’s 200th birthday with a
programme of inspired events.
Sax was born in the fortress town on
November 6, 1814. It was in Dinant,
too, that Sax began crafting his own
musical instruments at the tender
age of 15. This was before becoming
a qualified clarinet master at the
Royal Conservatory in Brussels and
then moving to Paris to continue his
experiments. After years of what
we would now call beta testing, Sax
officially unveiled his signature horn
– the saxophone – in 1846. The story
Everything starts at the Sax
House, situated – naturally – on
Rue Sax. The museum will show
and tell you all you ever wanted
to know about Sax, from his
precocious youth to his technical
innovations to his personal and
professional challenges to his
ultimate success. The multimedia
presentation also emphasises the
legacy of the saxophone in the 20th
century. This part of the story stars
famous players like jazz musician
Charlie Parker, US president Bill
Clinton and even cartoon character
Lisa Simpson.
From there the bicentennial spills
out into the streets. The exhibition
Showcasing Mr Sax marries two of
Belgium’s most famous contributions
to European culture: the saxophone
and the comic strip. Twenty
contemporary illustrators continue
the tradition of caricaturing the man
and his horn, which evidently began
during his own lifetime. But instead
of publishing these new works in a
weekly or exhibiting them at a gallery,
Dinant has mounted them in windows
throughout the city. These pieces
supplement the walking exhibition Art
on Sax.
Another intervention in public space is
Finally there’s the more modest openair concert series Mr Sax’s Sundays.
Every summer Sunday a different jazz
combo put on their walking shoes
to deliver live music from terrace to
terrace under the sign of Sax.
Luc Luycx
There are also musical performances
aplenty organised by the sax
enthusiasts of the International
Adolphe Sax Association. Every four
years the IASA puts on two unique
events. The Adolphe Sax International
Competition is a chance for young
players to earn their stripes. This sixth
edition of the contest is held from
October 25 to November 8.
You don’t have to be a virtuoso
to participate in the IASA’s other
quadrennial event. Indeed, everyone
is invited to the Great Gathering
of Saxophonists. Musicians from
around the country and beyond
converge on Sax’s home town in a
pilgrimage of sorts. In 2006, the
street party was attended by nearly
2,000 sax players.
Brussels is also feting this famous
Belgian with a year-long exhibition,
SAX200, hosted by the Musical
Instruments Museum. It’s no small
affair, either. Curator Géry Dumoulin
had an entire floor of Renaissance
lutes and clavichords cleared to
make room for Sax, Sax and more
Sax. MIM’s collection of Sax-related
instruments is already recognised as
the most extensive in the world and it’s
being augmented on the occasion by a
plethora of pieces loaned by museums
and private collections from the world
over. Some of these have never before
been exhibited in public. Add concerts,
guided visits, workshops and other
related events and you have an expo
every bit as prolific as its subject.
Merry-making will likely be in demand
this autumn, after what is sure to be
an emotionally exhausting centenary
of the outbreak of the First World
War. The festive levity of this Sax
celebration is the perfect chaser.
 sax.dinant.be
Summer 2014
21
tourism
JL Massart
LIFE
ibises and pink flamingoes to dozens
of storks soaring and nesting above.
Behind the scenes, Pairi Daiza is active
in about 40 breeding programmes
for endangered species such as the
Siberian crane and European sea
eagle.
This side of paradise
Home to 5,000 animals including giant pandas Xing Hui and Hao Hao,
Paira Daiza in Brugelette is one of Wallonia’s major tourist attractions
By Renée Cordes
M
What visitors see is
real and is gathered
from the ends of the
earth. That gives
Paira Daiza its soul
Eric Domb
22
summer 2014
ore than two decades after
buying 55 hectares of land
on the site of the former
Cistercian Cambron Abbey and
creating one of Belgium’s top nature
attractions, Eric Domb (pictured)
still has ambitious plans for Paira
Daiza animal park. “We would like
to continue to offer the beauty of the
world to people who may not have
the means to travel far,” says Domb,
the park’s founder, CEO and main
shareholder.
Since opening Paradisio bird park in
Brugelette, Hainaut province, in 1993,
Domb has been on a mission to expand
and add species to what he likes to
call an ‘emotions park’. Indeed, a walk
through Paira Daiza takes visitors
through several distinct worlds as
they marvel at 5,000 animals in their
natural habitats, lush gardens and
abbey ruins.
The ambitious founder opened the
Nautilus aquarium in 2001; pedestrian
suspension bridges in 2004; a Chinese
garden in 2006; the Indian-themed
Kingdom of Ganesha in 2006, when the
park changed its name to Paira Daiza
(Persian for ‘enclosed garden’); and
La Terre des Origines in 2012, home
to Africa’s big five: the lion, elephant,
Cape buffalo, rhino and leopard. Birds
are still everywhere, from wading
This spring, the park welcomed giant
pandas Xing Hui and Hao Hao from
China. Their appearance provoked
a media circus, from the moment
of their arrival at Brussels national
airport to the inauguration of their
pavilion by Chinese president Xi
Jinping, accompanied by King Philippe
and Queen Mathilde.
The pandas, which lured a record
number of visitors in the first two
weeks of the season, are now happily
settled into their new home and boast
nearly 1,300 Twitter followers. The
park hopes the celebrity couple will
welcome a baby in the next two years.
But even in this Year of the Panda,
Domb won’t speculate on whether
the number of visitors will exceed last
year’s record 1.24 million, saying that
the main determining factor is always
the weather. “If it’s a rainy summer this
year, the number will be poor, pandas
or no pandas,” he says.
Despite fickle weather, visitor numbers
have gone up every year since the
beginning. That’s not always been
the case with revenues, although they
rose 27 percent to €24.3 million in the
fiscal year 2013. Paira Daiza attributed
the increase to more visitors spending
money at the park, thanks to its 2010
acquisition of the Ciney-based catering
company Traiteur Paulus.
summer 2014
23
LIFE
tourism
Domb has put much of his own money
into Paira Daiza. Earlier this year, he
bought out the 15.3 percent stake held
by one of the original investors, SRIW,
the Walloon regional investment
agency. Through Wildo Properties,
Domb now owns 69.4 percent of Paira
Daiza, which is listed on the small-cap
NYSE Alternext exchange.
Domb is grateful for the long-time
financial support of SRIW and Hainaut
venture capital and private equity firm
Hoccinvest (now called Wapinvest)
for their backing when he started the
business. “It does not happen every
day that an entrepreneur – perhaps
unconsciously – knocks on their doors
with such an ambitious project,” he
says. “They were undoubtedly moved
by the audacity, the ambition and the
originality of the project.”
Besides enabling Paradisio to open,
the investors helped with a refinancing
in 1995 during a critical stage in the
company’s development, and then
again with a capital increase from
SRIW in 1999 at the time of the stock
market launch. Although SRIW is no
longer a shareholder, it continues to
provide support in the form of loans.
Asked whether there’s a risk in being
too ambitious, Domb says there’s
always the danger of having two
or three bad years in a row, though
that has not yet happened due to the
public’s “extraordinary loyalty”.
Looking back, he says Paira Daiza owes
its success to its three-tiered ‘DNA’ as a
zoological, botanical and architectural
garden. “More than anything, visitors
find something there they rarely find at
any amusement park: the authenticity
of the worlds recreated there,” he says.
“What they see is real and is gathered
from the ends of the earth. That gives
Paira Daiza its soul.”
So what advice would he give to other
aspiring entrepreneurs based on his
experience? “Believe in your dreams
and show audacity. It can work!”
 www.pairidaiza.eu
A day out at Pairi Daiza
While the pandas are currently the star
attraction at Pairi Daiza, the African- and
Indonesian-themed pens containing
the ‘big five’ offer serious competition.
Looking down from a safe vantage
point at the park’s lion family, you get a
lesson in animal behaviour. Parents Dany
and Dana welcomed four cubs last year
and the boisterous youngsters are now
entertaining the crowds with their play
fighting and tussling over rubber tyres.
Over in the Kingdom of Ganesha, the
sounds and sights of southeast Asia and
Indonesia in particular are recreated in
every detail, from a Balinese temple to
rice fields, stone sculptures and exotic
plants. The elephant herd is majestic and
includes African and Asian species. They
are taken for regular walks in the park as
well as bathed in a freshwater pond, to
the delight of visitors.
One of the attractions of Pairi Daiza is the
opportunity for the public to interact with
the animals by feeding and petting some
of them. For children, or adventurous
adults, the suspended and swinging
walkway offers an elevated view of the
landscaped park which is an intriguing
combination of the medieval and exotic:
abbey ruins, 18th-century architecture,
ancient walls, ponds and water features
and botanical gardens.
The abbey towers provide a dramatic
backdrop to the Raptors Village, which
features speckled owls, American
eagles and other birds of prey, while the
amphitheatre hosts two daily shows. The
worlds theme extends to all of the eating
outlets: in the Chinese garden there’s a
tea house as well as restaurant, while the
main Oasis restaurant doubles up as an
aviary. Alternatively, there are picnic spots
throughout the park if you prefer to bring
your own food. Sarah Crew
24
summer 2014
giulia Iacolutti
The Italian job
Local talent joins forces to take Milan’s Design Week by storm
By Stephanie Duval
D
This type of event
is very important,
especially for
designers who are
new to the industry
Designer Michaël Bihain
esign Week in Milan is
the highlight of the year
for
professionals
in
the
industry. Labels present their newest
collections, designers offer a sneak
peek at prototypes in development and
journalists try to get an idea of what’s
in store. The entire city is transformed
into a buoyant hive, buzzing with ideas,
news and connections. It’s enough to
make anyone feel a little overwhelmed,
and to many up-and-coming designers,
capturing the attention of the crowds
seems like an almost insurmountable
challenge.
The main event is the Salone
Internazionale del Mobile furniture
fair, which takes place just outside
Milan’s city centre at the enormous
Fiera Milano fairgrounds. This year’s
edition in April offered 145,000
square metres of display area to 1,363
exhibitors, and more than 300,000
visitors from around the world dropped
by. Nearly 3,000 further square metres
were devoted to 700 young and
promising designers who showcased
their work at Salone Satellite. The city
centre, in the meantime, was taken
over by the FuoriSalone: almost 1,000
events in showrooms, shops and public
spaces throughout the city. In such
a chaotic and busy environment, it
makes sense for local companies and
designers to present a united front.
Summer 2014
25
DESIGN
Colin Thomas
LIFE
Before 2012 there was no one umbrella
under which designers from Wallonia,
Brussels and Flanders could pool their
resources. After some experiments
with joint communication on various
public and private initiatives in 2011,
a more collaborative approach to
promoting creative entrepreneurship
grew, and was named Belgium is
Design. This label unites the various
actions organised in Belgium and
abroad by Wallonie-Bruxelles Design
Mode (WBDM), MAD Brussels
Mode and Design Centre and Design
Flanders, and is supported by the
organisations promoting exports in
each of the three regions.
Every year Belgium is Design coordinates two events in Milan, explains
Laure Capitani of WBDM. “At the
Salone Satellite, we present the work
and prototypes of about ten designers
in a joint booth. The designers are
26
Summer 2014
Patrick Beyaert, one of the local
participants, says: “I think it’s the best
strategy to present all Belgian design
under the same label.” Brussels-based
designer Pauline Coudert, agrees,
saying: “Our shared booth and its eyecatching scenography made us more
visible, and that reflects a greater
credibility.” Fellow participant Magali
Cruysmans, also based in Brussels,
feels local designers are lucky to
receive so much support from their
government. “It is encouraging and
always pushes me beyond my limits,”
says the designer. “In Milan I learned
a lot about how editors and design
companies work, and the way a
project develops. I left with more selfconfidence, feeling more ambitious
than ever.”
The other event taking place in Milan
under the Belgium is Design label is
a yearly exhibition at the Triennale
di Milano Design Museum in the city
centre. This year, Inge Vranken of
Design Flanders curated the exposition,
which was focused on mirrors and
reflective surfaces. Vranken selected
myriad products created by Belgian
designers and companies, who were all
invited to be present at the exposition
during its 10-day run. “We try to make
the participating designers aware of
the opportunity this presents to them,”
says Capitani. “It’s true that the Design
Museum draws the general public
in, but designers who invest time
in the exhibition always leave with
interesting industry contacts. Some of
them have found an agent or producer
for their designs in this way.”
Colin Thomas
chosen by Cosmit, the organisers of
the fair. We arrange everything for
them, from the communication about
the event to the transport and the
insurance of the prototypes.” This year
nine designers from Belgium were
invited to Milan, where they presented
a varied selection of products ranging
from furniture to lighting. Presence at
the show is crucial to young designers,
because it’s the most straightforward
way of getting in touch with design
labels and editors, paving the way for
possible collaborations.
“I think this type of event is very
important, especially for designers who
are new to the industry,” says Brusselsbased participant Michaël Bihain,
whose mirror and glassware (pictured
below and right) were selected for
the exposition. “I made some very
interesting contacts in Milan, and am
currently developing some projects as
a direct result of my presence there.”
Fellow participant Ann Van Hoey
shares Bihain’s enthusiasm for the
inclusive aspect of the project. “Even
individual artisans like myself get the
opportunity to join and promote their
product, which is quite unique and
refreshing,” she says. “Often artisans
don’t get out of the crafts world and
yet they have so much to offer to the
design world. The mix of all levels is
very stimulating.”
Designers who invest
time in the exhibition
always leave with
interesting contacts
Laure Capitani, WBDM
It was a mix that even included some
fashion, as Vranken chose to include
Le Rêve, a version of leather company
Delvaux’s iconic Le Brillant handbags
(pictured).
Brand
spokesperson
Jessica Volpe says, “It was an honour
for us to be able to represent Belgium
in Milan.
The event at the Triennale di Milano
is an important one in the design
industry, and it brings with it an
important visibility both in and
outside Italy. As Delvaux is a growing
company, this is more than welcome
for us right now. Besides, we think of
our accessories as more than just that.
They are little sculptures that come to
life.”
 www.WBDM.be
Summer 2014
27
Create
PANORAMA
Black is back
28
Summer 2014
W
avre
designer
Bernard
Depoorter is inspired by
flamboyant
periods
in
history, recent and distant, when
sketching new collections of ready-towear and haute couture clothes. From
18th-century Russia to the New Look of
the 1950s, Depoorter redefines elegant
and timeless fashion. The starting point
for his designs is the fabric, always
locally made. Then comes colour: black
is frequently contrasted with signature
violet or pink, or, more recently, less
vivid hues such as olive green, caramel
and cognac. Finally the accessories:
vintage tropical feathers, veils, buttons
and lace. Hand-made silk flowers are
a personal fetish; an antique press
flattens the delicate material into an
engraved mould for an exclusive final
touch.
Depoorter’s passion for creating
women’s clothes began as a child
when he discovered his grandmother’s
couture dresses in the attic of the family
home. Eschewing college, he headed to
Paris, where he served internships for
four years with Christian Dior, JeanLouis Scherrer and Dominique Sirop,
among others. His first orders came
in 2004 and for the past 10 years he
has been presenting his collections in
the sumptuous settings of castles and
stately homes. He also offers a more
accessible line of personalised black
dresses. Clients include Princess Claire
of Belgium and Belgo-Canadian singer
Lara Fabian.
 www.bernarddepoorter.com
Summer 2014
29
CREATE
AGENDA
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EXHIBITION
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MUSIC
AFTERWORK SUMMER
APEROS
BRUXELLONS!
LES MUSICALES DE BELOEIL
ADDENDA
From offering a single play in its first year,
Bruxellons has gone from strength to strength
and is celebrating its 15th anniversary this
summer with 35 shows. Delivering a mix of
classic and contemporary theatre, for the first
time it will feature plays in Dutch. In the airy
surrounds of Karreveld castle, spectators can
also treat themselves to a pre-theatre buffet
dinner and enjoy a drink at the lakeside bar.
A late summer cultural jewel is a feast of music
in the gorgeous environs of Beloeil castle.
Classical music dominates, while world music
and circus shows also play their part. The
self-styled Versailles of Belgium plays host
to a plethora of performers on eight stages,
including Belgian jazz guitarist Philip Catherine
and French pianist Jean-Philippe Collard, with
the Belgian National Orchestra also among the
line-up. A fireworks show tops off the evening.
If you’re interested in medicine, the Addenda
exhibition at this former hospital will be of
interest to you. Now a museum, it houses
this exposition exploring the confrontation
between historical and contemporary attitudes
to medicine and the merits and diversity of the
respective approaches throughout the ages.
Through sculpture, paintings and videos, the
works reflect on subjects such as ethical issues
in medicine, the influence of religion and the
roles of the body and the mind in illness.
WHAT? BRUXELLONS!
WHEN? JULY 11-SEPT 27
WHERE? KARREVELD CASTLE, BRUSSELS
WHAT? LES MUSICALES DE BELOEIL
WHEN? SEPTEMBER 6
WHERE? BELOEIL CASTLE, HAINAUT
www.bruxellons.net
www.lesmusicalesdebeloeil.be
ESPERANZAH!
WHAT? ADDENDA
WHEN? Until NOVEMBER 30
WHERE? MUSÉE DE L’HÔPITAL NOTREDAME À LA ROSE, LESSINES
Although at heart a world music festival,
Esperanzah! promotes its core values of respect,
tolerance and equality through its varied
programme of art, cinema, and music. The usual
three-day programme has been extended to four
to welcome a delicious opening line-up of Manu
BRUSSELS: APÉRO SAINT-GILLES
WHEN? FRIDAYS, 17.00
WHERE? PLACE MAURICE VAN MEENEN
www.brusselsaperos.be/en/stgilles
Baudouin Litt
WAVRE: ZE AFTERWORK
WHEN? THURSDAYS, 18.00
WHERE? DOMAINE DU BLE, WAVRE
Chao, the Broken Circle Bluegrass Band and La
Chiva Gantiva. Revellers can also enjoy Radio
Esperanzah, which broadcasts non-stop during
the event, and a riverside campsite is available
for those who want to take full advantage of
the relaxed atmosphere. Artisanal food is on
hand for mid-fest sustenance and the festival
welcomes children in its Village des Enfants.
WHAT? ESPERANZAH!
WHEN? JULY 31-AUGUST 3
WHERE? FLOREFFE ABBEY, NAMUR
WHAT? NUIT DES CHOEURS
WHEN? AUGUST 29 & 30
WHERE? VILLERS-LA-VILLE ABBEY
WHAT? REFLETS DANS LA FORÊT
WHEN? JULY 18-AUGUST 17
WHERE? RECOGNE CASTLE, BASTOGNE
www.esperanzah.be
www.nuitdeschoeurs.be
www.habay-tourisme.be
Gaëtan Nadin
www.facebook.com/aperosurbains
www.facebook.com/
LesAperosDuParcJosaphat
For fans of choral music, the Nuit des Choeurs
is a must. Taking place over two nights in the
atmospheric ruins of Villers-la-Ville Abbey, it’s a
chance to discover six choirs with performances
ranging from classical to gospel, jazz to pop.
This year’s edition features Sister Act and the
James Brown Choir, with the St Petersburg
Choir also in attendance. The groups repeat
their sets many time during the course of the
night to allow the audience to enjoy the music
at their own pace. The event culminates in a
firework display and impressive finale concert.
SUMMER 2014
BRUSSELS: APÉROS URBAINS
WHERE? Location changes every
week
BRUSSELS: LES APÉROS DU PARC
JOSAPHAT
WHERE? PARC JOSAPHAT, SCHAERBEEK
NUIT DES CHŒURS
30
Get ready for the party concept that makes
a day in the office all worthwhile – the
afterwork aperitif. Happening at various places
throughout Brussels and its environs, it’s a
chance to meet new people or simply have a
relaxing drink in the great outdoors and, if
you’re lucky, the sunshine.
EVENTS
REFLETS DANS LA FORÊT
In the context of ‘slow tourism’, Recogne
castle shines brightly this summer. Using
projection-mapping, the history of the region
will be revisited every night through the media
of sound and light, using the castle walls as a
canvas. The nearby Village du Forêt with its bars
and chalets is the perfect place to relax and
sample local produce.
LASNE: LES APÉROS DE SPORT
VILLAGE
WHERE? SPORT VILLAGE COUNTRY
CLUB, LASNE
PLAYING THE FOOL
Brussels-born Daniel Hanssens is a Bruxellons! regular. Not only does he star in Le Dîner
de Cons, he is also one of its directors. After studying at the Conservatory in Brussels,
Hanssens went on to give classes at the institute for another 10 years before founding his
own theatre company in 2004.
He loves the capital. “Brussels is a big city and at the same time a village. It’s not too
big, nor too small. It never stops, there are always great shows happening.” He also has
high praise for Belgian cinema, as “it is starting to be recognised abroad and at festivals
like Cannes and in the United States.” He describes Belgian actors as talented and hardworking. Another trait: “We don’t label people as much. We’re more free, we’re not
restricted. We’re free to be in a comedy, then a drama – to play different roles.”
At Bruxellons!, the same actors can be seen throughout the summer. “The actors are
accessible to the public, they talk with the audience after the show,” Hanssens says.
“There’s a very nice atmosphere.” As for Le Dîner de Cons, he says it can teach us something.
“It’s very touching. It can happen in both senses – we are all someone’s fool. We can find
ourselves in it. Sometimes it’s us who is the idiot.”
www.benjamin-leveaux.com
http://bip-liege.org
SUMMER 2014
31
The world is my stage, #Wallonia is my home
FRANCO DRAGONE
Franco Dragone dazzles the planet with his amazing shows.
Along with thousands of other Walloon entrepreneurs, artists,
actors, writers, designers and creators spreading their Belgian
creativity and innovation capacity all over the world.
Wallonia is in the World.
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12/12/13 10:37

THE YEAR OF THE SAX - Invest in Wallonia

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