Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Le Palais Royal de Bruxelles

Definitely worth a more prolonged visit. Most of Brussels was seen from the window of a van until we found a spot near here to do the photoshoot for the new Studio Unicps collection. I'd love to go back again, as soon after we finished the shoot in the park across from the palace we saw a little more of the area.





Entrance to the park and view up the street. Salut Bruxelles et à la prochaine fois!

Rue des Aduatiques


Where the offices of the Arnhem-Nijmegen City Region can be found. On a short break for a smoke looking up at the building where the Dutch, Belgian and European flags seem to be fighting for supremacy. Just the breeze or a sign of things to come?

Rue du Midi



Across the street from the hotel Bedford we were staying in lies the Acadamie Royal des Beaux Arts & l'École des Arts Decoratief in a most fitting building.

And just down the road this amalgamation of old and new art blended into a statement on war. Impressive and grim!

Friday, October 12, 2007

Manneken Pis


*Ahem* Another night time photo. One of the highlights of a trip to Brussels, this 50 cm (give or take a centimetre) sculpture of a small boy peeing in a fountain is quite the tourist attraction. Occasionally he is dressed up in one of several hundred costumes. There are a number of similar statues like this one in Belgium and there is some dispute as to which city has the oldest. There used to be a statue made of stone here as early as the 14 or 15th century. This bronze, there since 1619, was made by Franco-Flemish Baroque sculptor Jerome Duquesnoy.

Legends aplenty about Manneken Pis. One of them is that Brussels was under siege by a foreign power in the 14th century. The city had held their ground for quite some time. The attackers had thought of a plan to place explosive charges at the city walls. A little boy named Juliaanske from Brussels happened to be spying on them as they were preparing. He urinated on the burning fuse and thus saved the city.

The official Manneken Pis website can be found here but this 360 degree view of the statue and surrounding buildings is actually a lot nicer.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Bruxelles






Just came back from a two day trip to Bruxelles with Studio Unicps. Here are a few of the photos I took last night of La Grande Place (Grote Markt) last night in the pouring rain. I didn't get to see the square during the daytime when our models went there for a photo shoot, but the night adds something special with all the buildings lit up. It's definitely a city I'd like to visit again. It's a strange city to visit, there is a beauty and a grandure there but somehow it feels unloved. maybe that's just my interpretation of a certain grime and grubbiness that the city has, I'm not sure yet. Worth another visit!