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2010

Singular/Plural – Carte blanche for Marie Chantelot. Marie Chantelot proposed a meeting, in unique rooms or installations, between eight women – eight sensibilities, working on fragments and recompositions, the memories of people or nature… Creations by Marie Chantelot (B) and her guests: Laurence Deweer, Nathalie Doyen, Claire Kirkpatrick, Akashi Murakami, Sophie Ronse, Anima Roos, Lydia Wauters. 13 February to 28 March 2010.
Talent 2010. The young industrial designer Edwige Godart has proposed a bench for the audience at this event bringing together some fifty young creators. 3 to 9 March 2010.
Lingam. 121 contemporary fertility symbols. The LINGAM exhibition showed 121 interpretations of an ancient fertility symbol: the lingam. A symbolic representation of the phallus and of the god Shiva, the lingam represents the creative force on which the existence of the whole universe depends. In the Hindu and Buddhist religions, the lingam serves to honour the god Shiva and the phallic symbol is not in any way connected with sex. In western culture, the phallus is evocative of sexuality and pleasure. There was once a time when Christianity and Judaeo-Christian culture also emphasised that sexuality is a positive creative force. Since the separation of body and spirit, this aspect has been banished from it and sexuality has changed from a sacred reference to a necessary evil. With the LINGAM exhibition, the plastic artist Ruudt Peters (NL) wanted to re-establish this original meaning, as well its spiritual dimension. Starting from his fascination with the lingam, whose existence he discovered ten years ago while travelling in south-east Asia, he wished to suggest to contemporary artists and designers the creation of an object symbolising fertility, each creator interpreting the subject on the basis of their own sensitivity and personal perception of the subject. This resulted in the creation of 121 works, presented in a stage design where the original significance of the lingam is emphasised by presenting contemporary objects alongside their original models. The WCC-BF Gallery thus hosted the work of 121 creators from 24 countries around the world, who joined in the process of reinterpreting this powerful symbol, which is both specific and universal. From 8 May to 22 August 2010.

2009

Munich International Fair. In 2006, the Plastic Arts Department of the Francophone Community made WCC-BF responsible for organising an exhibition of a selection of Belgian jewellery creators within the Munich International Contemporary Art Fair. In 2009, WCC-BF, the Plastic Arts Department of the Francophone Community and the Wallonia-Brussels Design-Mode agency presented a selection of six jewellery creators on a dedicated stand. Nevin Arig, Nilton Cunha, Cécile Dalcq, Christine Keyeux, Maëlle Laduron and Claire Lavendhomme showed their creations to the Munich public and to the many professionals attending the event.
Talent 2009. Ceramicist Massami Yamamoto and designer Nicolas Gerkens exhibited their creations with those by some fifty original young artists from the four corners of the earth. Masami Yamamoto was awarded the Prix Talente for Ceramics in 2009, for his work entitled “Our elements”, made from moulded slipware pieces with simple repetitive shapes. Munich Fair and Talent 2009: 11 to 17 March 2009
From the ordinary to art and back: Carte blanche to Vincent Kempenaers. In this new creation from the Via Ceramica network (which promotes contemporary ceramics in the Francophone community, ceramicist Vincent Kempenaers invited seven creators to exchange ideas around the duality represented by utility ceramics / formal research. Potters who use (or have used) the wheel as the principal creative tool, and whose works contrast with their own techniques developed on modelling. This duality was also the common thread in exhibition design: diversity of expressions, contrasts between materials, plastic expression, giving a response to ordinary creativity. The various forms of creation born out of the work of these eight ceramicists have shown the richness and diversity of the plastic expressiveness which clay permits. A video portrait of Vincent Kempenaers by Vincent Bolly was part of the exhibition, as well as a catalogue book devoted to the carte blanche and containing a conversation with the creator. 21 March to 10 May 2009.
Johannes Peters – working with your hands in the unexpected. After the opening of “From the ordinary to art and back – carte blanche to Vincent Kempenaers”, German ceramicist Johannes Peters offered to reveal his personal creative approach to approximately thirty participants during the two days of the exhibition. This enabled them to explore his techniques for fashioning objects and using slips and oxides. The demonstrations took place on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 March in the Great Hall of the Old Abattoirs in Mons.
EU-nique. In June 2009, WCC-BF participated in the EU-nique International Fair at Karlsruhe, Germany. This new event in the European craft and design landscape was organised and hosted by the Karlsruhe Trade Fair and Exhibition Center in partnership with WCC-BF Europe. Several of our members had also been selected by WCC-Europe to be present on a stand named “Best of European contemporary crafts”, which showed a selection of European creators from all disciplines.
Design reaches out. Creators who exhibited abroad thanks to the support of WBDM(Wallonie-Bruxelles Design/Mode), an offshoot of the Wallonia Export Agency particularly devoted to the promotion and export of Belgian creations abroad. This vocation, which has many features in common with the aims of WCC-BF in matters of distribution and promotion, has led us into several collaborative situations in relation to events which had previously taken place outside Belgium. Observing that the activities of WCC-BF had not yet been highlighted in Belgium, we decided to organise an event which would take over the actions of WBDM through an exhibition bringing together their main players. Some twenty creators, designers and stylists were thus invited to the gallery on the site of the Old Abattoirs in Mons to show their works which had been exhibited abroad by WBDM during 2008. 27 June to 23 August 2009.
Springboard 2009. The Tremplin (Springboard) exhibition showed the graduation works of students below the age of 30 who completed their studies in the field of contemporary crafts at art schools in Wallonia and Brussels in 2009. Prize awarded by the Minister of Education for the Wallonia Region – Marie Beguin – Brussels Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Textile Design. Prize awarded by the Minister of Compulsory Education - Frédérique Coomans – Brussels Institute of Arts and Crafts, Jewellery. National Lottery Prize – Marie Gobert – ENSAV La Cambre, Industrial Design. Special Commendation of the Jury - Benoît Debrouwer – ENSAV La Cambre – Industrial Design. 12 September to 18 October 2009.
Dialogue and work(s). On the basis of new thinking instigated at the 2009 General Assembly and aimed at proposing a new exhibition concept to the Associate Members, the Dialogue and Work exhibition was born this autumn. Organised in parallel with the European Prize for Applied Arts, it gathered Associate Members of WCC-BF together around common projects. The exhibition concept was based on the idea of an exchange, a dialogue, an encounter between two creators who have chosen each other, their choice being based on an affinity (or a clash) in formal, technical or symbolic terms. The exhibition invited our creators to go beyond the boundaries of their personal work in order to come together in unusual works, created as a duo or in parallel. 28 November 2009 to 24 January 2010.
European Prize for Applied Arts. Created at the instigation of the World Crafts Council – Francophone Belgium and in partnership with the City of Mons, WCC-Europe and Flanders Design, the European Prize for Applied Arts brought to Mons 100 creators working in applied arts and craft design, selected from among the 600 artists of 28 European nationalities who had come forward as candidates. The works exhibited showed the degree to which the boundary between fine and applied arts has become tenuous, even imperceptible. The varied fields of expression represented included jewellery, wood, ceramics, design, textiles, glass, furniture, among others. A group of creators who brought together technique, innovation and a resolutely contemporary outlook. The Art Masters’ Prize, with 3,500 € donated by the Francophone Community, was awarded to Graziano Visintin, an Italian master-jeweller who is a teacher at the Padua School. The Young Talent Prize, with 3,000 € donated by WCC-Europe, was won by Rosa Nogués Freixas, a young Spanish creator who graduated from the Massana School in Barcelona. 28 November 2009 to 24 January 2010 in the Great Hall (site of the Old Abattoirs in Mons).

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2008

White Noise. This is the second exhibition organised in the framework of the the Via Ceramica association, a network of contemporary ceramicists from the Francophone Community, made up of Les Chiroux Cultural Centre in Liège, the Andenne Cultural Centre, and the Famenne-Ardenne Culture Centre from Marche-en-Famenne: it was also the first exhibition in the cycle initiated by WCC-BF. ISELP also hosted the exhibition, where Caroline Andrin explored the concept of white. Like the “snow” which invades the screen of a poorly-adjusted television set, white was the non-colour constituting the common denominator of the objects exhibited. Everyday objects which were highly, but also transformed through this concept – white acting as a photographic developer. In a setting evocative of the domestic space, a house, each object by its whiteness abandoned its ordinariness to take an original place in its own context. A video portrait of Caroline Andrin made by Jonas Luyckx accompanied the exhibition, together with a catalogue written by Maarten Delbeke.
15 March to 27 April 2008.
Conferences with Patricia Glave and Philippe Barde (CH) On Saturday 15 March 2008, in the context of the White Noise exhibition, ceramicists Patricia Glave and Philippe Barde spoke about their experience and work in a workshop/meeting.
Munich International Fair. In 2006, the Plastic Arts Department of the Francophone Community asked WCC-BF to organise an exhibition of Belgian jewellery creators within the Munich International Crafts Fair. In 2008, we worked together with the Wallonia Brussels Design Mode agency (WBDM) to coordinate an exhibition of 12 creators on a shared stand from 28 February to 5 March 2008.

Talent 2008. In 2008 two creators were selected who had also taken part in our “Tremplin 2007” exhibition: they were Laurence Moyens, who works in the field of contemporary ceramics with productions suggesting the soft forms of a feminine universe, and Louise Charlier, an industrial designer who designed a prototype shelter for ramblers. 28 February to 5 March 2008.
European Triennial for Contemporary Jewellery. The third edition of the European Triennial for Contemporary Jewellery took place in the Great Hall on the site of the Old Abattoirs in Mons from 10 May to 17 August 2008. It was the result of a partnership between WCC-BF, the Culture Department of the City of Mons, and Design Flanders. BNO, the sister association of WCC-BF in the Netherlands, and Galerie ViceVersa from Lausanne, were also involved. After Great Britain in 2002, and Spain and Estonia in 2005, creators from the Netherlands and Switzerland were invited this year to dialogue with Belgian artists. The referees deliberately allowed the young creators to speak, although sometimes giving way to older speakers who were their teachers or who influenced them. The Francophone Community Prize was presented to the Dutch artist Felieke van der Leest.
Tribute to Doris Stein. In May 2007, a great lady of contemporary Belgian jewellery passed away. In parallel with the European Triennial of Contemporary Jewellery, we were determined to pay homage to her work, for which we reserved a special space designed to accommodate her creations. A 166-page full-colour catalogue was published for the occasion: in three languages (French, Dutch and English), it covers our tribute to Doris Stein as well as a presentation of each creator participating in the European Triennial of Contemporary Jewellery.
10 May to 17 August 2008 in the Great Hall.
Meeting day and conferences about contemporary jewellery(in the context of the European Triennial of Contemporary Jewellery. On Saturday 10 May, five contributors from the Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium came to share their vision of contemporary jewellery, from a personal, general or philosophical point of view.
Johana Dahm (CH) from the University of Pforzheim (D), Jewellery and Everyday Objects Section (1990-2005).
Monica Gaspar (CH) Art historian and independent referee.
Ruudt Peters (NL) Head of Jewellery Department at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam (1990- 2000)
Luc Richir (B) Doctor of Phiosophy and psycho-analyst.
Christoph Zellweger (CH) Professor of Art and Design at Sheffield Hallam University (UK), Lecturer in the Department of Industrial Products and Style and Design at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Zurich.
Who does what ? The 2008 summer exhibition “Qui fait Quoi” enabled visitors to be introduced to WCC-BF associate members through settings presenting an object and its creator.
28 June to 21 September 2008.
Springboard 2008 For the third consecutive year, WCC-BF put on the “Tremplin” exhibition of work by young graduates (aged less than 30) from the art schools of Wallonia and Brussels , working in the area of applied arts in contemporary expression.
Prize awarded by the Minister of Training for the Wallonia Region, Caroline Leconte - ENSAV La Cambre, Textile Design
Prize awarded by the Minister for Compulsory Education – Isabelle Marquet – Francisco Ferrer College, Textile Design
National Lottery Prize - Judicaël Cornu – ENSAV La Cambre, Industrial Design
30 October to 30 November 2008.
Demonstration and Workshop. Introduction to moulding: production of ceramics by moulding. Structured in two stages, one day of demonstrations and a 3-day workshop, the aim of the course was to make the techniques for ceramics production by moulding available to all, by means of various simplifications in the preparation of the mould. The instructor, Dominique Devaud (F), graduate from Applied Arts in Paris, ceramics modeller-technician, part-time instructor and author of an introductory manual on ceramics moulding, offered trainees a workshop introducing them to the creation of moulds and enabling them, in a minimum time, to reproduce shapes. The demonstration day was held on 25 October 2008 in the WCC-BF Gallery. The workshop was held from 26 to 28 October and from 30 October to 1 November 2008 in the “Frigo” (site of the Old Abattoirs in Mons).
European Tour of the Applied Arts: Germany. After Slovakia in 2006 and Flanders in 2007, this new phase, organised in conjunction with a Bundesverband Kunst-handwerk team, showed to visitors works by more than thirty German creators exploring a wide variety of disciplines including jewellery, ceramics, glass, wood, gold and silver, textiles and paper.
13 December 2008 to 8 February 2009.

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2007

European Triennial of Ceramics and Glass. The star event of 2007 for WCC-BF, the first edition of the European Triennial for Ceramics and Glass opened its doors on 9 November 2007 until January 2008. Organised in close collaboration with the City of Monset Design Vlaanderen, the Triennial hosted works by more than 50 creators, not only from the North and South of Belgium but also from all over Europe, who showed their best creations in ceramics and contemporary glassware in the unique setting of the Great Hall on the site of the Old Abattoirs in Mons. In addition to the exhibition, encounters, projections, master classes and training courses for novice or experienced creators were among the events organised throughout the Triennial in collaboration with Design Innovation and Maison des Ateliers.

10 march to 29 April 2007.
Springboard 2007. For the second time, WCC-BF exhibited work by young graduates (aged less than 30) from the art schools of Wallonia and Brussels , working in the area of applied arts in contemporary expression. To give these young creators a further boost in the early years of their careers, WCC-BF joined forces with the Wallonia Brussels Francophone Community, the Wallonia Region and Design Innovation for the creation of three prizes. The Prizes awarded by the Presiding Minister of the Wallonia Brussels Francophone Community, the Minister of Training of the Wallonia Region and WCC-BF were awarded by a Jury of experts and will enable the winners to bring a professional project into concrete reality. The prize-winners received their awards on 21 September 2007 during the opening evening of the exhibition.
22 September to 25 November 2007.
Contrasts in Clay – carte blanche to Alain Hurlet. With an emphasis on clay, its contrasts and the multitude of shapes which it can adopt in the practice of ceramics, Alain Hurlet, in his own works and a selection of pieces by other artists, drew the spectator into an encounter with a discipline in perpetual mutation. Creators invited by Alain Hurlet: Jean-Claude Legrand (B), Thérèse Lebrun (B), Philippe Brodzki (B), Sonja Delforce (B), Michel Gardelle (Fr), Brigitte Labb (Fr) and Dominique Dalloun (Fr). Exhibition imagined and designed by “Via ceramica”, a network promoting contemporary ceramicists from the Francophone Community, made up of Les Chiroux Cultural Centre in Liège, WCC-BF in Mons, the Andenne Cultural Centre, and the Famenne-Ardenne Culture Centre from Marche-en-Famenne.
At WCC-BF from 7 July to 2 September 2007.
European Tour of the Applied Arts. Bonjour voisin ! With the collaboration of Design Vlaanderen, a selection of work by creators from the North of the country was on display for visitors from Wallonia to Flanders and elsewhere. Ceramics, cutlery, furniture, gold and silver, glass, textiles, etc.
Applied Arts, Design and Company. Spring exhibition by WCC-BF Associate Members.
Artifact 2007. The 2007 edition of the Artifact show took place from 21 to 23 April at the Belfry of Bruges. Rendez-vous for lovers of new forms and of contemporary creation, Artefact gives the public a chance to view the work of Past masters in the field of the applied arts. New for this year, a circuit named “Artifact en plus” enabled visitors to explore the City of Bruges through its shops, restaurants and galleries.
Booth of Belgian jewellery makers from the Francophone Community of Belgium. WCC-BF, the plastic arts department and Wallonia-Brussels-Design-Mode presented work by a wide selection of craft jewellers, in parallel with the prestigious SCHMUK show. This event, which was part of the Munich International Crafts Fair, gathered work by creators from the four corners of the Earth. The artists present were Mei Lee; Bernard François; cécile Dalcq; Christian Wuytack; Patrick Marchal; Christine Keyeux; Isabelle Azaïs; Bénédicte Vanham; Michel Mousset; Gwennaël Therasse; Laurent Diot and Caroline Remacle .
Objects of light. WCC-BF invited visitors to explore the work of 11 designers from Wallonia and Brussels. These works were characterised by an eclectic use of materials: light fittings resembling sculptures, light and aerial models, and installations which were more poetic, far-removed from the functional. Exhibition produced by Filip Roland. 27 January to 25 February 2007. Exhibition organised in the framework of the international promotion of businesses and creators by the Wallonia Agency for Exports and Foreign Investment (AWEX), the Wallonia-Brussels Design-Mode organisation, the General Commission for International Relations (CGRI), the Wallonia-Brussels Centre in Paris, the International Relations Division (DRI) of the Directorate-General for External Relations of the Ministry for the Wallonia Region, and hosted by the World Crafts Council – Belgium, Francophone community (WCC-BF).

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2006

European Tour of the Applied Arts – The Slovakian Touch. The first phase of the “European Tour of the Applied Arts”, inaugurated in 2006, The Slovakian Touch presented more than 30 creators, where for 7 weeks beginners and experienced artists rubbed shoulders with students from the Bratislava Academy of Fine Arts and Design. The “European Tour of the Applied Arts” drew the public into contact with Slovakian creators.
17 November 2006 to 6 January 2007.
Springboard 2006. From 30 September to 5 November 2006, WCC-BF opened its doors to the younger generation by inviting creators graduating in 2006 to take part in an event specially designed for them: the Springboard Exhibition, covering interior decoration, furniture (interior and urban), styling, design, ceramics, textiles, jewellery creation, working with glass, etc. All these techniques and artists invited visitors to discover the multiple facets of the new Belgian creativity.
Creators' Showcase and Documentation Centre. In parallel with the opening of the Springboard exhibition, WCC-BF inaugurated the Creators' Showcase, where our members' work is shown to the pub, and its new Documentation Centre. An information and research tool open to the public and to professionals, it will enable users to access a database and a library of over a thousand entries, made up of books, magazines, text-books, catalogues, videos and DVD's, etc. devoted to the applied arts.
The applied art challenge. On 26 April 2006, WCC-BF inaugurated its new premises in The Stable, a superbly-renovated building on the site of the Old Abattoirs in Mons. This was the occasion for a multi-disciplinary exhibition entitled "The applied art dare", presenting the work of some forty creators, associate members of WCC-BF. 29 April to 13 August 2006.
Talent 2006. Laure Kasier was selected, by an international multi-disciplinary jury of experts, on the basis of her work exhibited at Talent 2006, in the framework of the Munich Fair from 16 to 22 March 2006.

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2005

Board of Administration: Anne Leclercq (President), Denise Biernaux (Vice-President and National Delegate), Willy Fondu (Treaurer), Eddy Jonckheere (Advisor), Simon du Chastel, Vincent Kempenaers, Thérèse Lebrun, Yannik Leën. Laurent Galas (Head of Projects); Gaëlle Cornut (Documentation)

Artifact. WCC-BF played a part in organising Artifact 2006. For the first time, room at the Belfry of Bruges were given over to contemporary applied arts. The selection covered a wide range of disciplines, from ceramics to ironwork, from lighting to wood, in many different forms and aspects. The Artifact show promoted quality and authenticity in contemporary creation. 18 to 21 November 2005.
Talent 2005. Repeated in the official context of celebrations for the 175^thanniversary of the birth of Belgium and the 25^th anniversary of Federalism, Talent invited individuals, galleries, schools and academies present in Belgium, offering them a presentation platform aimed both at professionals and the general public.
6 to 10 October 2005 on the “Tour et Taxis” site in Brussels.
Workshop with Vincent Beague.A throwing workshop which took place in Hastière from 22 to 26 August 2005. In collaboration with IFAPME.
Moulding for casting in resin. Colombe Roulin
Workshop from 1 to 6 August 2005 in the studio of Félix Roulin at Biesmerée. In collaboration with IFAPME.
European Triennial of Contemporary Jewellery, second edition.For the second edition of the “European Triennial for Contemporary Jewellery”, jewellers from the Francophone community showed visitors creations from the North and South of Europe. In the course of this second edition, more so than in the first, jewellery from Spain and Estonia entered into a dialogue, exchanging emotions and experience, or defying each other in their extremes. 28 May to 4 September 2005.
Creator protection. Following the success of a study day held in 2004 on the subject of “copyright and protection of creations”, we wanted to pursue the thinking in 2005, targeting three topics for more detailed consideration:
Creation exhibited: session on 30 April 2005
Creation protected: session on 1 October 2005
Creation exploited: session on 19 November 2005
The workshops were conducted by lawyers specialising in intellectual property. In the morning, they presented the principles on the basis of concrete examples and recent legal decisions. The afternoon was devoted to discussions in smaller groups. With the collaboration of the Plastic Arts Department of the Francophone community and IFAPME.
Double-wall throwing, burnished clay, terra sigillata and smoked clay. Workshop with Tjok Dessauvage, in Hastière and conference + demonstration at la Vénerie, Brussels. In collaboration with IFAPME.
Meeting with Kadri Mälk, Estonia, Silvia Walz and Ramon Puig Cuyas, Spain. Conference in which the Spanish and Estonian Triennial referees described the situation of contemporary jewellery in their countries. 28 May 2005. In collaboration with IFAPME.
Talent 2005.Ismail Ozek (furniture) and Diane Steverlynck (textiles) were selected by an international, multi-disciplinary jury of experts and saw their creations exhibited during the event. Diane Steverlynck was awarded a prize for her work (bedcover in recycled cardboard and goblets in waterproofed cotton)

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2004

Board of Administration:Anne Leclercq (President), Denise Biernaux (Vice-President and National Delegate), Willy Fondu (Treasurer), Eddy Jonckheere (Advisor), Simon du Chastel, Vincent Kempenaers, Thérèse Lebrun, Yannik Leën. Laurent Galas (Head of Projects); Gaëlle Cornut (Documentation)

Organisation in February 2004 of a one-day conference-workshops on Copyright and Protection of Creations, in collaboration with the Plastic Arts Department of the Francophone community in Belgium.

Meeting with the English ceramicist David Roberts around Naked Raku Ware. February 2004: a one-day conference and demonstration at the Brussels Academy of Arts on Naked Raku Ware, led by David Roberts in the studio of Bernard Thiran at Hastière and an exhibition of work by David Roberts at Galerie Traces in Hastière.

Professional Development. WCC-BF works in association with IFAPME to create a Skills Centre for design activities at Péronnes-lez-Binche: scheduled to open in 2007. A series of courses in jewellery and ceramics will take place in the autumn of 2004. The opening of a preparatory section for contemporary jewellery is planned for September 2005, in the IFAPME Centre at La Louvière. In 2004, in connection with the “Péronnes” project and working with IFAPME, we organised the five workshops mentioned below:

Lights on! I’m sitting dow.
Copyright and Protection of Creations
Talent 2004.

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