Summer Camp 2022 in Brussels: Welcome to Belgium!
Last year, it was the wonderful city of Barcelona that welcomed the 20 young artists for the first edition of Comic Art Europe’s summer Camp. This year, it’s in Brussels that the talented participants will join each other for an amazing week.
Let us then introduce you to the great city where this second edition of the Summer Camp will take place.
A city full of treasures
Brussels is the capital of Belgium, a small but friendly country located between France, the Netherlands and Germany, which is famous for its chips, waffles, beer, chocolate, main square, and its “Manneken-Pis”, a tiny statue that just…pees.
Belgium is small but extremely multicultural, which makes it a great place for international gatherings. First of all, the country recognises 3 national languages: French, Dutch, and German. Beyond that, Belgium, and Brussels in particular, is a cosmopolitan place. No wonder the city is sometimes called the “capital of Europe”. It is home to the Council of the EU, the European Commission, the European Parliament and the headquarters of NATO.
But the charm of Brussels lies in its diversity. Alongside the European quarter, which is made up of large buildings, you can walk to the typical little streets that seem to have been frozen in time. Just a stone’s throw from the most prestigious museums – such as the Magritte Museum, the Musical Instruments Museum and, of course, the Comic Strip Museum – it is possible to stroll through the flea markets, and through the artists’ quarters and the thrift shops , with a good waffle in hand.
Belgium, a home for comics
If Belgium cannot boast of having Picasso, Shakespeare, Apollinaire, Michelangelo, Beethoven, Mozart, or even Plato among its cultural heritage, there is one artistic field in which the country has long distinguished itself: Comics.
Indeed, the country is still currently considered as one of the most important centres of the ninth art. In 1920, Belgium saw the appearance of the first real outstanding figure of the comic strip, with the author Hergé and his hero Tintin.
Later, the author Franquin emerged with his famous hero Spirou. From these two emblematic characters were born two magazines, two styles, and two schools: “the Brussels school” and “the Marcinelle school”. Opposite, of course, but this rivalry pushed the authors to surpass themselves, to try new things, to distinguish themselves, while being inspired by the best of what these schools had to offer. The 2 pioneers of the Belgian comic strip allowed Belgium to attend the emergence of dozens of authors, and with them some great classics of the ninth art.
The Belgian Comic Strip Centre
© Daniel Fouss
Since 1989, the Belgian Comic Strip Centre welcomes visitors from all over the world to discover the universe of Belgian comics. This year, the centre will also host the 20 participants of the Summer Camp!
The Belgian Comic Strip Centre is located in the heart of Brussels, a stone’s throw from the city centre. The museum collects an incredible density of elements belonging to the Belgian comic heritage. You can find great exhibitions, but also sets and sculptures that make this place really enjoyable to visit, because you are immersed in the universe of the most famous national comics.
© Daniel Fouss
But that is only part of the richness of this beautiful museum. Look up, look at the walls, the ceilings, the staircases, and you will see… The building that houses the museum is as much a national pride as what it contains. The Belgian Comic Strip Centre is housed in a unique Art Nouveau building designed by Victor Horta in 1906. The place thus combines the national heritage of the ninth art with the work of one of the most talented architects of his time. Summer Camp participants will have the chance to visit this emblematic place and spend as much time as they want to soak up all the richness of this place.
