Happy National Day, Belgium!

Seen at: rue du Musée, 1000 Brussels

Photography: "The Crooked Path" - Jeff Wall at Bozar

Jeff Wall @ Bozar

Looking for something to do during this rainy weather? Grab the opportunity and  discover Canadian contemporary photographer Jeff Wall. The Bozar Fine Arts Centre in Brussels shows an exceptional exhibition of the artist's work, who is especially known for his  large-format photographs displayed in light boxes. Doesn't ring a bell? Might be that you have seen some of Jeff Wall's pictures in your music collection - Sonic Youth as well as Iggy Pop used his photographs for album covers.

The show "The Crooked Path" displays 25 of Jeff Wall's works from the 1970s to today which the artist selected  himself. But it is not just an ordinary retrospective: some 130 works of Wall's favorite artists are integrated in the exhibition. The goal: to focus on Wall's rich creative process and make visible the relationships with and influences by other pieces of art - be it literature, cinema, paintings or photography, from Rainer Werner Fassbinder to Marcel Duchamps. And this is exactly what makes the exhibition so fascinating.  It  vividly reveals one of the most striking aspects of Wall's work: his references to the history of art and more particularly to classical painting.

So stop whining about the weather, grab an umbrella and prepare to be captivated by the haunting work of one of the great photographers of our time!

The Thinker by Jeff Wall (1986)

Bozar Centre for Fine Arts

Entrance rue Ravenstein 23, 1000 Brussels

27.5.2011-11.9. 2011

Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm

Thursday, 10 am to 9 pm

Tickets: 8 Euros

For the child inside you!

Probably every single one of us played with Lego pieces in their childhood. Nostalgic? Revive your inner child and play Lego at lunch with this original set!

Drinking bottle 8.99 Euro

Lunch box 14.99 Euro

Seen at: Bozar Shop

Address: rue Ravenstein 15, 1000 Brussels 

Open Monday to Sunday from 10:00 until 19:00

Waiting for the Summer

"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."
Author unknown, commonly misattributed to Mark Twain

This year you can easily replace San Francisco with Brussels. Seems like the Belgian capital has a lot in common with the city on the US west coast.

The sky is grey and so is the weather forecast for the rest of the week. Not exactly what one wishes for in the middle of July.  

While summer still keeps us waiting and we dream of pool parties, barbecues, sunny days in the parc and those magical long summer nights, these summery tunes will hopefully colour up your days until it's sunscreen time again:   

Metronomy: The Bay. Indisputable the song of summer 2011. No party that can do without the dancy sounds of the English hipster band. Also one of the best music videos in recent history - and more summer you can hardly fit into a clip.

 The Kinks: Sunny Afternoon (1966)

Help me, help me, help me sail away,
Well give me two good reasons why I oughta stay.
'Cause I love to live so pleasantly,
Live this life of luxury,
Lazing on a sunny afternoon.
In the summertime

Weezer: Island in the Sun. The summer anthem from 2001 just never gets old. Admittedly not only selected for the summer but also for the cuteness factor.

If you still don't get the summer feeling: Stop complaining and take these rainy days as an excuse to buy those cool wellies you've always wanted. And it could be worse: The Norwegian city Bergen is blessed with around 265 days of rain a year.

One last thing to think about before you let the grey weather spoil your mood: 

"People don't notice whether it's winter or summer when they're happy." Anton Chekhov

Happy Easter, Brussels!

Did you know there are four little falcons growing up in a Brussels church tower? Since 2004 the St. Michael and St. Gudula Cathedral is home to peregrine falcons. They are not exactly Easter biddies, but just as cute!

You can follow the development of those adorable little creatures yourself - the city has installed a live camera. Check out what the birds are up to here.

For more information visit the website of the Falcon Observation Post: Falcons for everyone.

Breaking News: Urban Outfitters finally coming to Brussels!

Store in Antwerp

Good news for all fashion lovers! On Urban Outfitter's Facebook fan page it now has been officially confirmed and on their website you can already find job postings for the new Brussels branch: The hip British brand is finally opening a store in the Belgian capital! Doors will open in August. Stay tuned for updates.

Campaign 2011

  

  










Urban Outfitters

Location: Place Stephanie 19, Brussels

Without Words

Seen at: Rue Joseph Stevens, Brussels