Canal district: channelling energy

When you look at the names of the neighbouring streets, it's easy to imagine a monastic, rustic and even drinking past: rue des Chartreux, rue des Remparts aux Moines, rue du Vieux Marché aux Grains, rue des Poissonniers or rue du Houblon... It's hard to imagine that these same streets, which are now lined with trendy boutiques flirted with the underworld in the 80s. That's why we still salute the courage of Sonja Noël, the art historian who, in 1984, decided to open a fashion shop selling collections by the Antwerp group in Rue Antoine Dansaert. It was a bold step, and since then everything has changed.

In the mid-2010s, it was another step, a real stride in fact, that made it possible to cross the water with the first developments on the banks of the canal. For a long time, the banks of the canal were in a state of disrepair. derelict factories. Then in 2013, when there was nothing around, part of the former Belle-Vue brewery was converted into a hotel, before another part became home to a museum, the Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art Brussels, in 2016. A convincing example.

Today, MIMA, the brainchild of gallery owners Alice van den Abeele and Raphaël Cruyt, is a beautiful space dedicated to art and subcultures, where the worlds of skateboarding, dance, music and the arts come together. street arttattooing and cinema. "Since its launch, MIMA has succeeded in attracting a growing number of visitors, and the permanent collection continues to expand.explains Alice van den Abeele. We have bought around a hundred pieces, and we organise exhibitions showcasing both unknown and prestigious artists."

Around MIMA, things are starting to change, with a clothes shop here and an artisan bakery there. "The Phare du Kanaal café and coworking space is also a huge success, attracting a very mixed audience. The whole area is in transition, with factories being emptied and transformed, buildings being renovated, community gardens springing up and the surrounding area evolving."concludes Alice van den Abeele.

Creative support

The Food Hub, another of MIMA's neighbours, is a cooperative 100 % organic - with a communal vegetable garden - sourced from local producers, and most of the vendors are young people on social reintegration schemes. IMAL, a digital art centre currently undergoing renovation and expansion, opened nearby in 2007, while La Vallée - also known as La Smart - has been home to 150 creative businesses made up of visual artists, video makers, carpenters, fashion and jewellery designers and communications professionals since 2014. This 6,000 m² dedicated to creativity, offering workshops at modest prices.

By 2023, a major museum of modern and contemporary art will open on the site of the former Citroën garages. Yves Goldstein, the Brussels government's representative for the Kanal project, explains that the €125 million initiative is not just a museum. Rehabilitating this 40,000 m² will mean creating a real cultural and social life, a focal point within the district. "The Kanal's mission will be to help raise the profile of Brussels, as the Belgian capital has until now lacked a museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art.says Yves Goldstein. The museum will also be a place where the people of Brussels can express themselves, thanks to the presence of all kinds of associations. It will serve as a cultural and social lever."

Brussels is home to almost 200 different nationalities, with its nineteen communes experiencing significant social and economic disparities. The Kanal aims to reflect this multicoloured city and often atypical. "The municipality of Molenbeek is one of those bordering the canal and has an extremely high youth unemployment rate of around 30 %.continues Yves Goldstein. A series of partnerships between the museum and local facilities, associations and cultural centres should have a positive effect.

Opened provisionally in May 2018 under the name "Kanal brut", the venue offered Brussels residents a first experimental approach until it closed last June. Work is due to start this autumn and be completed by the end of 2022, with opening planned for the first half of 2023. The museum, affiliated for ten years at the Centre PompidouThe museum will eventually have its own collection, thanks to an initiative by the Brussels-Capital Region. It will then become independent, but will continue to maintain links with the Centre Pompidou and a collaborative dynamic with other European museums. "The Canal district is a real priority for the region, with a strong commitment to diversity and integration. We want to avoid gentrification at all costs"concludes Yves Goldstein. As an illustration of the district's renewal, a footbridge reserved for pedestrians and cyclists is soon to be built, linking the canal to the historic centre of Brussels. What a symbol!