The Word Magazine » opening party

The red album launch party: the pictures

Randa Wazen — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 08:53:45 +0000

Red shoes, red lips, red shirts, a red beard, red cardigans and a red album. All that in Brussels Le Bar Rouge. Thank you all for coming, great night.

Photography Toon Aerts, Vincent Dechamps, amongst others

View more photos… (54 pictures)

The black album launch party: the pictures

Randa Wazen — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:56:28 +0000

Here’s the first batch of pictures from last Friday’s launch party at Delecta. All in all, a good night, and the first of many more to come. Special thanks to both Sarah’s and our graphic designers Pierre and Damien, whom we shamelessly put to work on the night by handing them disposable cameras.

Photography Sarah Eechaut, Sarah Michielsen and pleaseletmedesign

Pictures below courtesy of Sarah Michielsen

Pictures below courtesy of Pierre and Damien

Come on feet

Fish for thought

Renasha Khan — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 09:41:50 +0000

At the Filip Kesteloot Sculpture Gallery, you are treated to the aquatic bronzes of Pieter Vanden Daele (Belgium, 1971) along with the slate and glass creations of mosaicist Sylvie Guyomard. Opening this Thursday, the artists will be on hand to talk about their art in the relaxed setting of this bijou gallery, located in the Sablon/Zavel neighbourhood.

Margareth by Pieter Vanden Daele

Pieter Vanden Daele’s fishes are wonderfully crafted sculptures of bronze, capturing the elegant and fluid agility of the aquatic creatures they are modelled on while exhibiting a robust and unpolished edge. Submersible and decorated with multicoloured patina, they exude the magical aura of being at an aquarium but without the screaming children.

Sylvie Guyomard

Less literal but equally evocative, the natural theme carries on with the slate mosaics of Sylvie Guyomard. Wall mounted textural pieces of interlaced slices and shards of slate and glass work together to create gliding visuals. Subtly, the silvers and greys of the slate glint and play with the light.

Sylvie Guyomard

A wonderful chance to see fine art and sculpture while also tasting Terre de Trente, a wine produced on the vineyards of the gallery’s owner, Filip Kesteloot, in Sicily. Good people, great art and glorious vino is a recipe for a great vernissage; we’ll see you there!

Thursday 25th November 2010, 7pm-10pm

Exhibition runs until 9th January 2011

Filip Kesteloot Sculpture Gallery
45 Rue Lebeaustraat
1000 Brussels
+ 32 (0) 475 62 98 29

FAntastic and FAbulous: the opening of FA Gallery

Nicholas Lewis — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 07:22:42 +0000

The project was an ambitious one right from the word go. The idea, although simple, was massive in its scope: to reinvigorate a dire and rather stale local fashion and art landscape (in this case, that of Kuwait), and infuse it with much-needed pep. Whilst style staples such as Villa Moda had dominated the local fashion scene for years, the multi-brand boutique department store (the first to bring the Gucci’s, Dolce & Gabbana’s and Yves Saint Laurent’s to the region) had in recent years outdated and outmoded itself. And, with a local client base now well-versed in what to expect when going out shopping (one of two main pastimes in the region, the other one being cruising), time was ripe for someone with a new vision to step in and take matters into his own hands.

The historical building in which FA Gallery set up shop

In steps local entrepreneur and all-round creative strongman Ebrahim Al-Qassab, the brainchild behind FA Gallery, a potent but, most importantly, timely mix of art and fashion. Housed in a historical building overlooking the Gulf of Kuwait, the new space is astutely divided into three distinct entities: an art gallery on the ground floor, a style emporium on the first floor and a VIP/personal shopping space on the top floor (complete with a private terrace offering dramatic views of the sea). Adding to the boutique-come-boudoir feeling, the style section is divided into four distinct universes: menswear, womenswear, shoes and scents (the latter, 100% natural). With the sole purpose of providing discerning and hard-to-please regional shoppers with a singular retail experience, one which fitted their increasingly demanding lifestyles and changing retail therapy needs, the vision was evidently a clear one from the start.

The gallery space

The gallery space's front room

The boutique's menswear section, with exquisite tiles imported from Lebanon

The women's shoes section

The private terrace

The fashion on offer is nothing short of revolutionary for the region, with countries such as Brazil and Colombia being given centre stage instead of the usual Paris-Milan-London-New York quartet. Top of our wish list is Osklen’s distressed, loosely-shaped and seemingly unfinished collection of hoodies, jackets and coats as well as Native’s colourful array of perforated rubber shoes. The art gallery, intended as a showcase for regional as well as international artists (the first show is of Syrian artist Nizar Sabour), also presents Al-Qassab’s Echo collection, a poetic, refined and elegant series of tables inspired by the Arabic alphabet as well as, in the words of the designer himself, by ‘the beauty of the Arabic language’.

The Osklen selection

Native shoes

A table from Al-Qassab's newly-launched Echo interiors brand

Beyond the eye-opening nature of the trip (I was lucky enough to be invited out there for six days), the boutique in itself is testament to the region’s coming-of-age when it comes to the type of retail experiences on offer, and provides as good a view as possible of the shape of things to come.

Guests at the opening, which took place on 10th October 2010, in Kuwait

Tour operator

Devrim Bayar — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 15:06:09 +0000

It’s only been a year now, but Brussels can finally pride itself on having a collective reopening of art galleries worthy of a true art capital. Simply labelled Brussels Art Days, two days of intense gallery hopping and openings just took place this past weekend, with no less than 30 new exhibitions, among which some held in brand new spaces. We overcame this art marathon to share our selection of the best shows on view.

Photography Olivier Vandervliet

1. Sol LeWitt at Barbara Gladstone Gallery (until 30th October)

Sol LeWitt, Wall Drawing #792: Black rectangles and squares, 1992

Without a doubt the most talked about show of the weekend, this one tops our pick. Since the opening of a Brussels branch in 2008, the renowned New York gallery has allowed art lovers to see works of major contemporary artists in the cosy atmosphere of an elegant town house. This new season is inaugurated by a major figure of the history of 20th century art: the American artist Sol LeWitt (1928-2007), who presents a wall drawing. The drawing covers the gallery’s two floors, and consists of rectangles and squares of black paint applied directly onto the wall The extreme precision with which this is exectued is mesmerizing, as is the organic way in which the grid takes into account the premises’ architecture (the measurements of the windows, doors, fireplaces, etc.). The result is nothing short of radical,with LeWitt’s approach giving viewers as realistic and physical experience of his oeuvre as possible.

2. Manuel Graf at Etablissement d’en Face (until 23rd October)

Manuel is a young German artist based in Istanbul who mainly produces films. Mediterraneo is his new project specifically designed for the small but leading non-profit space, Etablissement d’en Face. Within the interiors of a retro living room, a ten-minute film shows delightful views of the sea, punctuated by images of ceramics handmade by the artist and visible in the window. Over this holiday landscape, a voice recites a text by French historian Fernand Braudel, about the development of the Mediterranean region, at once the cradle of civilization, a trade hub, a cultural reservoir, a victim of pillage and a war zone. This modest yet telling project plunges us into a universe that could be that of an amateur ethnographer, but which strangely resonates with the diverse reality of the Dansaert area to which we return at the end of the screening.

3. Novel group show at Dependance (until 16th October)

Novel exhibition

This exhibition gathers a selection of works by past and present contributors to Novel, a publication of writings by artists. In the the gallery’s limited space, visitors can discover an impressive selection of contemporary artists, such as R.H. Quaytman, Sergej Jensen, Oscar Tuazon, etc. Some works specifically use written language – such as Josef Strau’s typewritten texts or artists collective Bernadette Corporation’s books compiling customer reviews found on the Internet – and if others may seem more hermetic, they probably respond to one of the objectives of Novel, namely to « think of writing as something distinct from information, as at least one realm of cultural production that is exempt from the encompassing obligation to communicate ».

4. Sixeart at A.L.I.C.E Gallery (until 9th October)

Sixeart, Caminando en el desierto, 2010

The re-opening of A.L.I.C.E was always going to be the talked-about event of the weekend. Formerly situated on Rue A. dansaertstraat (an area the gallery is often said to have single-handedly redefinied), the purveyor of everything that is urban culture in the art world recently set up shop insomewhat of an upgraded fashion, going for the classic white cube with concrete floor look in a bid to cement her identity as an established gallery. For its first show, Spanish artist Sixeart has been granted the honour to consecrate the space’s white walls. The colourful compositions of this former graffiti artist blend heterogeneous sign systems in very coherent and fascinating images. A highly personal visual language that makes do with your usual street art clichés.

5. La Jeune Peinture Belge at La Marie Joseph Restaurant (Permanent exhibition)

Culinary art @ La Marie Joseph

After having braved the crowds and indulged in champagne glasses on an empty stomach, we were more than happy to head to La Marie Joseph on the Sainte Catherine square for a reinvigorating Belgian specialty. This Brussels institution dating from the 70′s exhibits an impressive collection of Belgian artists (similarly to the two other restaurants of the same family, the Vieux Saint Martin in the Sablon and the Canterbury along Ixelles’ ponds). Here, what is probably the city’s best ‘filet américain’ is enjoyed in the illustrious company of Alechinsky, Christian Dotremont, Maurice Wijckaer… If the menu may seem expensive, the quality of the food and the friendliness of the staff with an authentic Brusseleer accent matches the art on view. To see and to eat!

Last but not least:

Champagne sipping @ Almine Reich Gallery

Eddie Martinez, Bouquet for a Lonely Clown & Entertainer, 2010 @ Sorry we're closed

Vaast Colson, Dots (), 2010 @ Naked State

Camp David, Untitled, 2010 @ Dependance

Vintage framed puzzle @ Hunting & Collecting

Sterling Ruby, SP114, 2010 @ Xavier Hufkens Gallery

Aliceday Gallery

Aline Bouvy & John Gillis, Flag Bag, 2010 @ Komplot

Our second exhibition!

Nicholas Lewis — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:56:52 +0000

So you have it, our second exhibition. This time, we’ve gone for something a little closer to home, presenting the works of five of the magazine’s photographers: Ulrike Biets, Sébastien Bonin, Kris De Smedt, Sarah Eechaut and Sarah Michielsen.

The show opens on Friday 23rd April, from 18h00, in the centre of Brussels. Strong work, free drinks and a good vibe. Come and have a look.

Attend (or not) on Facebook by clicking here

Follow the Guide – The Video

Nicholas Lewis — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 10:20:46 +0000

Photography Sarah Eechaut

Over two months after, it’s high time to refresh your memories and remind you of the interactive design exhibition we organised early September with a three minute video directed by Gaetan Saint-Remy of Sep Stigo Films. The three opening nights were as good a success as we had hoped for (this being our first truly “Word” event), with close to 650 people coming to say hello and no suicides, emergency room visits nor DIY disasters to speak of (although we did get the odd drunk trying to slap a lawsuit on us for being hit by a paper plane).

Dance moves, envelopes, business cards and perfect songs. The three days (and the rest of the month for that matter) had somewhat of a kindergarten feel to it, with cissors and felt pens the weapons of choice.

Photography Yassin Serghini

Photography Sarah Eechaut

Thanks again to all the exhibiting artists for taking part: Félicia Atkinson, Atypyk, Base Design, Nicolas Buissart, Benoit Deneufbourg, Sarah Eechaut, Face to Face, Damien Hirst, Félicie Haymoz, Hvass & Hannibal, Label Architecture, Anais Massini, Pleaseletmedesign, Robin Renard, David Trubridge, Sylvain Willenz, Wallpaper Magazine.

Sylvain Willenz and Félicie Haymoz (Photography Sarah Eechaut)

Damien Hirst (Photography Sarah Eechaut)

Hvass & Hannibal (Photography Sarah Eechaut)

Sarah Eechaut (Photography Sarah Eechaut)

And an extra special dose of thanks to the following people for their unremitting assistance putting on the show: Melisande McBurnie, Rena Smith, Yassin Serghini, Benoit Berben and Lea Munsch.

See you all next year for Follow the Guide part two….

Brussels given the Wallpaper* treatment

Nicholas Lewis — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:40:46 +0000

With Antwerp having aquired the W* cachet a while back now, it was high time for the global style bible to take a closer look at our capital city, in the shape of its Wallpaper* City Guide Brussels edition, which launches this Friday from 19h00 at Brussels’ Sterling Books.

Edited by Brussels-based journalist Guy Dittrich, the guide continues in its quest to, as he puts it, “give the design-savvy traveller a snapshot of the best of the best a city has to offer.”

Confirming its reputation for shining a new light on citites you thought you knew, the guide casts a wide – and very sharp – eye over Brussels, with Guy (who is also responsible for the guide’s Prague, Frankfurt and Munich versions) digging deep into the city’s arteries to reveal his pick of design, architecture, travel, culture, food and retail outposts worth a nod. The ususal suspects are all present (Chez Moeder Lambic‘s cellar for example) as are rather more daring inclusions (Ingo Maurer‘s lighting for the Atomium to name but one). Combining its customary mix of arresting photography, crunchy wordbites and useful tips, the W* guide remains one of the most exhaustive directories available to the city-hopper and, although really meant for the Prada-totting traveler, will also appeal to locals seeking to re-discover their city’s cool-factor.

Make sure to tag along to Sterling Books this Friday 4th December 2009 from 19h00 to get a first peek at what made the pages, and what didn’t…

Wallpaper* City Guide Brussels, available from Amazon

An inside spread showing a view over Brussels

A map of Brussels gets the W* touch

Dissecting Brussels by districts

An inside spread with essential information

The Wallpaper* City Guide Brussels'cover

Launch of Unit Editions’ first book, Studio Culture

Nicholas Lewis — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:15:19 +0000

Unit Editions, a young upstart publishing imprit based in London, celebrated the launch of Studio Culture – its first book which delves into the sometimes insular world of graphic designers and their studios – with a party at the big smoke’s Haunch of Venison gallery (aptly billed as a “Launch at the Haunch”).

The night’s invitees read like a guest list at a design geek’s surprise birthday bash, with big name agencies such as Spin, Biblioteque, APFEL and Tomato all present, as well as Adrian Shaugnessy (Studio Culture’s author and former agency director at Intro), Patrick Burgoyne (editor of Creative Review), Tony Hung (responsible for shaping Kylie Minogue‘s graphic identity) and, a personal favourite, Neville Brody (celebrated, amongst others, for his work with the now defunct The Face and for designing the record sleeves of Depeche Mode).

Big shout out to Frédéric at Coast (the only Belgium agency included in the book) for his account of the night’s happenings (white wine galore and a curry at Busaba Thai, although I personally would have opted for their Pad Kwetio), for sending through the pictures and for hauling a copy of the book (soon to be reviewed) back from his London trip for us.

And of course, we wish nothing but the best to Unit Editions…

Coast's Frederic Vanhorenbeke and Studio Culture author Adrian Shaugnessy

A Kinda Gang opening party in Amsterdam

Hettie Judah — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 07:56:06 +0000

We asked Rena, our latest intern who has since left us, to go up to Amsterdam to party it up with the city’s cool cats for the opening of Puma’s A Kinda Gang. Here’s her account of how the night went down:

“Puma kicked off the launch to their newly-released Suede Classics with a pop-up street gallery and store of rough-around-the-edges cool. At Why Not/Blue Boy, a disused sex cinema in downtown Amsterdam, were Parisian artist Ettek’s portraits of 12 Belgian and Dutch trendmakers wearing the sneaks, done in the style of street art from the 70s perfect for the uber-slick kicks originally launched in that era. These had already done the rounds of Antwerp and Amsterdam, wheat pasted to walls in huge format, sealing along with them Puma’s name as a hands-and-feet-on streetwear brand. Down-sized, they were set against a white washout background and punctuated with a relaxed, urban feel; words black marker-ed onto cardboard on the floor, a gaffa-tape diamond on the ceiling and huge letters made of old vinyl’s spelling out Puma’s name leant haphazardly against the walls. In between, the best of Benelux mingled with cocktails before moving on to plush club Jimmy Woo’s for a 2 hour set from DJ Scratch, all famous and shiny from the US of A; in the mix was an enormous pair of Puma’s new footcandy, which those on the dancefloor were only too happy to try out. Sightings of the night included members of Starflam and Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig. The travel arrangements of your secret agent for The Word stood out as a personal highlight; a 50-seater coach had been commissioned for guests from Brussels and Antwerp, taking off from the iconic Atomium, but we were but 3 lonesome travellers in the empty bus, myself along with two lovely Antwerp stylists, Xandra and Marjan, who later disappeared, so the return was VIP all the way! And to the after-party, I perched on a bicycle with Puma organiser Matthijs in extra-authentic Amsterdam style.”

Here’s a selection of pics of the beautiful people present at the opening

In case you had any doubt about the party's host...

Our undercover agent posing in front of one of the works on display

Big footed

Hogging the dance floor

Belgian rapper Baloji keeping it down

10 years of Showstudio – The party

Hettie Judah — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 07:15:07 +0000

We rediscovered 10 years of old Showstudio projects at the opening party of the exhibition at Somerset House on Monday; there were plenty of highpoints, including Alexander McQueen turning a bridegroom into a bride for Transformer and Julie Verhoven’s erotic interactive wallpaper, and we loved the way they managed to keep the audience-participation tone of the website. But the film that held us rooted to the spot was Gareth Pugh’s extraordinary, almost masochistic make-up fest. The quality’s not great and you’d do better playing your own music in the background, but check it out – birthdays will never be the same again:

A selection of Showstudio’s groundbreaking and genre-defining photography and art direction over the years: