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The Guardian
15 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Brussels celebrates art deco's mass-produced objects for the middle class
The glazed porcelain vases with bold colours and geometric shapes of the 1920s and 30s are immediately recognisable to many people, says the art historian Cécile Dubois. Often given as a wedding present, these vases were usually passed down as family heirlooms, revealing the accessibility of art deco works, she says, gesturing to the glass cabinet beside her. 'If you were a collector, you could find works that cost a fortune, but these pieces were destined for people of more modest means for very reasonable prices.' Art deco was the first artistic movement that sought to appeal to a wider public beyond the elites, say the organisers of a new exhibition dedicated to the artistic movement of the interwar years, co-curated by Dubois, the president of the Brussels Art Deco Society. The exhibition, which opened this month at the BELvue museum in Brussels, brings together for the first time works owned by the King Baudouin Foundation, which was founded through a donation from the late Belgian monarch in 1976. It is part of the Belgian capital's year-long celebration of art deco – events and exhibitions to recognise and market Brussels as a centre for the artistic movement known for its geometric designs, exotic motifs and opulent materials. Through this modest exhibition of sculptures, vases, furniture and everyday artworks, the museum aims to chart the evolution of art deco: from luxurious hand-crafted goods for the few, to mass-produced objects aimed at middle-class consumers around the world. 'It's the first style that spread in all layers of society, from the richest to the poor people,' says Werner Adriaenssens, another co-curator and an art history professor at the Free University of Brussels. During the interwar years, brightly coloured geometric-patterned ceramic tiles were exported from Belgium's industrial heartlands all around the world. Ships left the port of Antwerp laden with tiles destined for kitchens, bathrooms and shops. Art deco was the first global style. From Paris, often credited as the birthplace of the movement, it spread to New York, Soviet Moscow, Shanghai, Beirut and Brussels. Many of the 'wedding gift' vases were designed in the southern Belgium town of La Louvière by the Franco-Belgian artist Charles Catteau, who oversaw production of decorative ceramics at Boch Frères during the interwar years. The company was a Belgian offshoot of the Franco-Luxembourgish ceramics dynasty, founded 14 years after the Belgian revolution of 1830. By 1935 it employed 1,350 people. Catteau did not design all the pieces but supervised the models, colours and finish of the glazes. His signature was stamped on every piece, a kind of trademark. As art met commerce, governments realised the creative sector had economic weight. Economic considerations led Belgium's government to participate in the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris in 1925, a show seen as the founding moment of the art deco movement, although almost no one used that term until decades later. 'The only reason to participate for Belgium in 25 was that the government was convinced that the decorative hearts had an economic impact,' Adriaenssens said. That Paris exhibition in 1925 heralded a shift from art nouveau of the prewar years, especially in the depiction of women. No longer the dreamy feminine ideal of art nouveau, women in art deco were often elegant, stylised and powerful. Emblematic of the shift is a 1925 sculpture by the Flemish artist Oscar Jespers: influenced by cubism, the work Fine Pearl shows a female face that is abstract, modern, ghost-like. Catteau's vases reflect cubist influences, as well as a fascination with exotic birds and animals, probably inspired by the Belgian Congo. According to Adriaenssens, art deco artists were the first to do market research. 'They were really searching, what does the middle class want?' So they did not shy away from older themes, such as ancient Greek-inspired pottery, but with modern geometric shapes and glazes. Art nouveau, as the name implies, wanted to be new, Adriaenssens observed. 'Art deco has not that aspiration to be completely new, but to be modern.'
Travel Daily News
23-05-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
Brussels Airport Fund launches third call for sustainable projects
Brussels Airport Fund offers up to 10,000 euros for local sustainability projects near the airport; 100,000 euros total available in 2026. For the third consecutive year, the Brussels Airport Fund, managed by the King Baudouin Foundation, commits to supporting sustainable projects in the vicinity of the airport. Local organisations have until 17 September to submit a proposal for financial support ranging from 1,000 euros to 10,000 euros for concrete initiatives that foster sustainability and social cohesion. An independent jury will make the final selection, which will be announced in early 2026. Starting 19 May, organisations located near the airport can apply for support from the Brussels Airport Fund, now in its third consecutive year, for projects that promote sustainability and community connection. Local associations, such as non-profit organisations, youth movements, or schools, have until 17 September to apply for financial support ranging from €1,000 to €10,000. In early 2026, an independent jury will make the final selection of projects following a thorough evaluation of all submissions. The Brussels Airport Fund aligns perfectly with the airport's mission: connecting people, businesses, and communities to create well-being and prosperity. Since 2023, the Fund has supported sustainable projects in neighbouring cities and towns that strengthen the connection between residents and their environment. The focus areas include nature, environment, energy, circularity, and mobility. An important condition is that the request must relate to a specific project, rather than the organisation's day-to-day operations. A total of 264,000 euros has already been invested in social and environmental initiatives Since the Brussels Airport Fund was established in 2023, 31 organisations have benefited from funding: 18 in its first year and 13 in 2024. Over the past two years, the Fund has invested a total of 264,000 euros in social and environmental initiatives, playing an active role in promoting sustainable development near the airport. One of the projects realised after the first call in 2023 is 'Veloveutwie,' developed by the non-profit organisation De Hulster in collaboration with the municipality of Kortenberg. This side-by-side tandem bike project promotes sustainable mobility, with a particular focus on less mobile residents of the municipality. Through the Fund, an electric side-by-side tandem bike was purchased, giving volunteer drivers the ability to take vulnerable residents on rides and fostering social bonds within the community. Last year, the 'Repair Café' in Evere also benefited from financial support. At the Repair Café, local residents can visit monthly to repair broken appliances and objects with assistance and advice from volunteers. With the Fund's support, the Repair Café was able to purchase new tools, improving the efficiency and quality of object repairs. The Brussels Airport Fund is an independent fund and is managed by the King Baudouin Foundation. A total of 100,000 euros will be allocated to the selected projects in 2026.
