Just in my last post I mentioned the "missing water element" in Brussels, but of course, there is the canal. However, it is quite well hidden, and it was only a month ago, when I went to see the Brussels Affordable Art Fair at Tour & Taxis exhibition complex, I finally saw it. The neighborhood seems to have developed in recent years and some nice apartment buildings have been built along the canal. Unfortunately, the full potential of the neighborhood is all but used.
The canal is only a few hundred meters away from the cool neighborhoods of Dansaert and Sainte-Catherine, but it is also a clear social border that divides different communes. Just after the canal, you find the infamous commune of Molenbeek, which is known for high rates of poverty, social problems, and concentration of immigrants. You don't need to live long in Brussels to hear about Molenbeek and how it should be avoided. It is among the poorest communes in whole Belgium, but only a walking distance from the fancy shops of Avenue Louise, which only highlights the drastic inequalities in the Brussels region.
I must admit that only now, looking more closely at the map, I realize that this is where Molenbeek starts. I only walked along the canal so I didn't venture more inside to the neighborhood. By the canal, it was rather nice.
My destination was the Affordable Art Fair, an annual art fair where you can buy contemporary art with a more modest budget (I think the upper limit is 6 000 Euros, but most pieces were around 1000 Euros). I can definitely recommend this event even for those not planning to do any art purchases. Below some nice sculptures that caught my attention. Next February again!
No comments:
Post a Comment