FROM BRUSSELS WITH LOVE

Five years ago, an article in The New York Times with a probing title: “Why Brussels Is the New Berlin?” brought mainstream confirmation of a trend Brussels has been undergoing, with international artists flocking into the city, and galleries and art events following. As with so many other cities that have experienced similar trends, there are many reasons for this cultural flourishing, but they can be broken down to the simple conditions of the city itself: it is cosmopolitan and cheap. And there is available space. Beyond the visible art venues – museums and galleries, theatres and concert halls, established institutions, or converted industrial spaces – there is space where artists can live and work, go out and exchange ideas. The production of culture happens (also) in clubs and salons, offices and lofts, studios and ateliers. Our aim was to investigate these spaces and identify an urban prerequisite for such an elusive category as culture. Furthermore, we wanted to examine how spatial types can be appropriated for a new (cultural) practice.