15 reasons to still be in love with Bruxhell

I would be lying if I told you that me and Brussels haven't been going a bit of a rough patch recently. Between a lockdown, a despicable terrorist attack, the ever-present military on the streets and a terribly planned and implemented pedestrian project, that has transformed the very center of the city into a grey ghost-town, it's safe to say that it has been a bad year for our little city. Yet spring is here and nature is in full bloom so I thought I would share some of the oh so many reasons that Paris's ugly cousin is still worth your love.

1. The Marolles!

Since I moved in this part of town nearly 8 years ago I fell in love. Though this little gem is located in the center of Brussels and is swarming with tourists and life during the weekend it keeps its Belgian charm intact and let's face it who doesn't enjoy living in a cabinet of curiosities. We also happen to have one of the best flea markets (Jeu de Balle)  that's open every single day!

The ultimate map of our hood

Places to love in the Marolles:

The Chaff

also known as our local, right on the square of Jeu de Balle and perfect for a soup bowl sized latte (known as lait Russe) in the sun apres le flea market

PIN PON 
Located in an old fire station, perfect for an afternoon apero in the sun and delicious food is served upstairs under a glass roof

Les Brigittines 

Al Jannah 
The Lebanese solution to culinary boredom

The Bio Market at Tanneurs 
cause my quality of life increased exponentially since I started shopping there!

L'Idiot du village

Le Wine Bar des Marolles 

Recyclart

All the vintage shops

Chapelle skater park

2. The concerts

It's not like the Belgian crowd is particularly lively or has an exquisite musical taste however Brussels is on the way during any European tour and this means we get the chance to enjoy anyone who's on tour at a really reasonable price and at relatively intimate venues. It's not by chance that the Ancienne Belgique  is repeatedly listed as one of the best venues to play in and well at Botanique you get to see the newest bands before they explode into superstardom, or not, in a botanical garden! Hard to beat that! I remember that when I lived in London concert tickets had to be booked months in advance and cost a tiny fortune. And I will let you in on a little secret, you can show up on the eve of any sold out concert and find a ticket for the show at the original price, all you need to do is practice your negotiation skills or acquire some dodgy italian connections. 

Casually chilling with Ariel Pink after his gig.

God is in the house...

3. The food

Le Selecto

Resto Henri 

SAN

GRAMM 

Notos 

Jack O'Shea 

Viva M'boma 

La Guinguette en Ville

Les Filles 

4. The parteys

Well up until recently there was at least one party every weekend in the hood that is currently referred to as the cradle of terrorism, your beloved Molenbeek, and guess what every weekend the gays, the freaks and the hipsters invaded abandoned industrial spaces and danced the night away. Things may have slowed down a little but we still have incredible Djs, such as Matias Aguayo, who recently graced us with his presence at Beursschouwburg and restored our faith in the magic of the night. 

Keep an eye out for

HOLGER 

LEFTORIUM

VICUNA

CatClub

Bruxsel Jardin for when the days start getting longer

Blue Cheese a party organized by 2 of my favorite boys in town

5. BOZAR

A reason onto itself, probably along with MOMA one of the most progressive Modern Art Museums in the world, amazing exhibitions, electro parties, film premiers, classical music concerts and you even get the opportunity to meet some of your favorite authors and film directors! They also host an ultra geeky fantastic film festival in their basement every year, what is there not to love! Did I also mention they have an incredible CINEMATEK with impeccable programming and a delicious Brasserie in the beautiful building that was designed by Belgium's finest, Mr Horta himself.

6. That we all believe in the magic of the night and the power of alcohol AKA The Freedom 

The fact that bars don't close at 2:00 like in gay Paris or London and the fact that you are free to consume alcoholic beverages in parks

What used to be my first ever afterhours home in Brussels.

7. Cinema Nova

Those of you who have the pleasure of knowing me personally are aware of the fact that going to the cinema is possibly one of my all time favorite activities and I must admit regardless of all the silver screens I have seen Cinema Nova is SPECIAL!

8. Pierre Marcolini 

Well Belgium is sort of synonymous to chocolate, along with beer, peeing boys and mussels, and guess what you should definitely believe all the hype! I recently paid 4 euros for the tiniest of ice creams from Pierre and it was totally worth every cent! I am not know for my sweet tooth yet I loooove chocolate and Marcolini takes it to the next level.

9. THE PEOPLE AKA ALL MY FRIENDS 

Anyone who's mad enough to give this insane little city a chance to become a home is worth loving, or at least in need of some sort of psychiatric help, so this one is for all the beautiful people from all over the world that make this city AWESOME!

10. ICON 

One of my all time favorite stores where you can find gems from ACNE, Isabelle Marant, Alexander Wang, Phillip Lim, EACH x OTHER, Roseanna and many many more

11. Parckfarm 

for all the eco-warriors out there

12. our very own little hidden park Egmont 

13. all the dance 

Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, The Great

14. This sky 

Cause Magritte was on to something

15. THE EU!!!!

Cause I work in the European Parliament and get to be an infinitesimal part of this incredible peace project!

2016: Resolution for the New Year: No lying, No biting

A peculiar and rather difficult year has come to an end and I expect a lot of you will be compiling lists of resolutions we so enthusiastically make and easily forget; so I thought I would share an unusual story and some odd and possibly inspirational maxims by 2 very talented artists. 

2016: NO LYING, NO BITING

Ladies first, so lets begin by this brief story by one of my favorite tortured souls, Ms Sophie Calle 

PS: For all the beautiful people living in or visiting Brussels one of her installations is on display at BOZAR for the Imagine Istanbul exhibition.

“I met him in a bar in December 1989. I was in New York for a couple of days. He offered to let me stay in his apartment and I accepted. He gave me the address, handed me the keys and disappeared. I spent the night alone in his bed. The only thing I learned about him came from a piece of paper that I found under a cigarette box. It said: “Resolutions for the New Year; no lying, no biting.” Later, I called him from Paris to thank him. We decided to meet and made a date for January 20th, 1990, Orly airport, 9:00 a.m. He never arrived, never called and did not answer his phone. On January 10th, 1991 at 7:00 p.m., I received the following call: “It’s Greg Shephard, I am at Orly airport, one year late. Would you like to see me?” This man knew how to talk to me.”

The Resolution
© Sophie Calle

And now for the fun part, on the back cover of the recent book "Werner Herzog—A Guide for the Perplexed" by Paul Cronin, are 24 maxims by the German director, find your golden rule! 

1. Always take the initiative.
2. There is nothing wrong with spending a night in jail if it means getting the shot you need.
3. Send out all your dogs and one might return with prey.
4. Never wallow in your troubles; despair must be kept private and brief.
5. Learn to live with your mistakes.
6. Expand your knowledge and understanding of music and literature, old and modern.
7. That roll of unexposed celluloid you have in your hand might be the last in existence, so do something impressive with it.
8. There is never an excuse not to finish a film.
9. Carry bolt cutters everywhere.
10. Thwart institutional cowardice.
11. Ask for forgiveness, not permission.
12. Take your fate into your own hands.
13. Learn to read the inner essence of a landscape.
14. Ignite the fire within and explore unknown territory.
15. Walk straight ahead, never detour.
16. Manoeuvre and mislead, but always deliver.
17. Don’t be fearful of rejection.
18. Develop your own voice.
19. Day one is the point of no return.
20. A badge of honor is to fail a film theory class.
21. Chance is the lifeblood of cinema.
22. Guerrilla tactics are best.
23. Take revenge if need be.
24. Get used to the bear behind you.

2016: STAY OPEN 

THE LOBSTER

THE LOBSTER is undoubtedly one of the most highly anticipated movies for me this year. The king of the Greek Weird Wave (Dogtooth, Alps and Kinetta) is back and with a vengeance. Lanthimos has upped his game, with his first English language production and an all-star international cast, and he brings us a dark and absurd tale about our quest for love and togetherness. 

In a dystopian world all single people are arrested and put in a hotel where they are given 45 days to find love or they will be turned into a wild animal of their choosing. 

For all the beautiful people living in Brussels the film is finally released tomorrow! An I really can't wait to watch it.

From the trailer and things I have read or seen so far I get the impression that we will once again be transported into an absurd, violent, subversive world that is deeply moving without relying on any of the emotional peaks or dramatic conventions that most films employ. 

What struck me when watching the Press Conference of the movie at the Cannes Film festival, where it was awarded the Jury Prize,  was that none of the actors seemed to really know what the movie is about. There appears to be no clear message that Lanthimos wants to hammer out. Lanthimos seems to hypnotize both actors and audience alike into his universe where all thoughts and actions are conducted in a realistic and somewhat mechanical manner. 

Though Lanthimos is much funnier and includes a strong element of satire in his movies, he often makes me think of Michael Haneke who I had the pleasure and honour of meeting last week at BOZAR. Haneke's movies tend to illicit a very strong emotional reaction from their audience through a cinematography and storytelling that is very cold, calculated and meticulous. They include a horror and violence that touches us in a profound manner and on a moral level by indicating that we are all capable of everything whilst we constantly balance between nothingness and the divine. Haneke stated that he tries to be as realistic as possible "because if the audience becomes aware of the fact that I want to manipulate them, they just won't let me do it." Similarly Lanthimos's universe is based on basically zero technical help or special effects (apparently barely any artificial lighting was used during filming) but relies entirely on Lanthimos's imagination.  The interactions between the actors are very childlike and innocent in a wickedly funny and sinister environment since the film has a very oppressive quality, present in many of Haneke's movies as well,  that makes you feel that something terrible is about to happen at any moment.

Placed in this dilemma of being confined in a hotel, that feels like a prison, and forced to find love in 45 days or being a loner that has given up on love and is rebelling in the woods what would you choose?

Alternatively you can also take this quizz to find out which animal you would be if your 45 came to an end and a partner was nowhere in sight...MEOW, guess what I would be!

And since we are talking about the king of the Greek Wierd Wave some Greek New Wave provides the ideal soundtrack

 With the master

And regarding Greek music, the cover band from the new Gucci campaign is also from Greeceland! These are the most beautiful clothes I have seen for 2016 from a brand I had forgottern existed! I'm seriously impressed by Alessandro Michele! Enjoy!

As sweet as it gets

I was blown away by Belgium's very own Mr Michael Borremans whose work is currently exhibited at Bozar. Rarely has a contemporary painter made such a strong impression on me! At first glance you see a realistic representation of beauty yet Mr Borremans subtly burns little holes into logic, whilst ensuring that  an underlying sense of menace is present in every canvas. The sarcasm with which he represents the telekinetic powers of The German, the jet black face of the otherwise romantic and breathtaking in size Angel and the playful, red, one-size-fits-all Devil's Dress are examples of how emptiness invites manipulation. Simplicity is deceptive and a touch of humour inserts some lightness in to characters that appear to be at the mercy of their creator. 

"My work has to be very lavish, very charged and, at the same time, light, nothing."

"I like being sharply dressed while I am working. Like when  you're going out or, in the past, going to mass. Out of respect for the work. I have noticed that my attitude and concentration improved as a result...You don't want to get dirty, so you paint a bit like a peintre seigneur. It has really brought about a change pf style in my work and technique. Suddenly, you feel like an aristocrat who is doing some painting, whereas previously you rooted around in the paint like a Jackson Pollock."

"I realise that my work both attracts and repels, but no, I don't do that deliberately...Lovely but peculiar. That is my character. I subscribe to the idea that the painter depicts nature and in doing so shows his own soul; but I don't depict nature, I just paint culture. So, actually I'm a bit of a no-romantic as well. I paint in the way that is the right way for me to present a particular image. Why, I don't know. Intuition, instinct, necessity...Why does a dog piss against a wall? An instinct, that's all it is."

Lovely people of Brussels and visiting friends this is definitely not to be missed! Enjoy a selection of my favourite pieces (out of the 100 pieces that are currently on display!).

The Angel

The Ear

 

The Devil's Dress 

 

The Wind  

 

Eating the beard 
 

We have art in order not to die from the truth

NIETZSCHE  

And a taste of the best gigs I've been to lately!

Blown Away by Planningtorock