Museum of photography in Charleroi

In fact it's not in Charleroi, but for the sake of simplification let's say it is. Anyways I recommend visiting their website.

Apart from permanent collections they always have some temporary expositions. Currently there is one particularly interesting - Magali Koenig. Here is what is writen about her on their website:

L’œuvre de Magali Koenig s’est construite au gré de ses voyages. Géorgie, Sibérie, Russie, Cuba et bien d’autres contrées viennent rythmer comme des récits, ses images du quotidien qu’elle archive et collectionne depuis bientôt 30 ans. A propos du travail de Magali Koenig, Nicolas Couchepin écrit ceci :«Les photographies de Magali Koenig représentent rarement des personnes. Et pourtant, on pourrait presque dire que ce sont des portraits. Quelqu’un vient sans doute de passer par là, juste avant le déclic. Ces lieux qui semblent fraîchement abandonnés, ces espaces voués au désenchantement, ces paysages à la fois immenses et remplis de cachettes, sont investis de toute l’émotion de la vie qui se déroule, hors cadre, juste avant, juste après». Et de poursuivre sur la série Milieu de rien «Les photos de Magali Koenig montrent des tas d’endroits proches et lointains ; ils ont tous en commun d’être à la fois familiers et abandonnés, et de représenter des milieux de rien qui vous ramènent au milieu de tout. On y entre, on tombe dedans, on a la sensation de voler, on sent l’odeur du soleil sur les plumes, on se dit qu’il nous arrive quelque chose, et à la fin, on ne sait plus si le bonheur s’appuie sur la nostalgie, ou si c’est le contraire.»

The picture below is taken form the website of the artist, which I strongly recommend visiting.





Below some text about the photo technics, in French. Just to practice vocabulary – no hidden brilliant knowledge ;)

Investing in art - 10 tips

Personally - no matter how much I would like to be - I am not an expert in investing in art. Therefore I am not going to re-invent the wheel. Here are some tips which I found useful for a beginner. All the credits go to the author - Tom Johansmeyer - and the website luxist.com. The article is 3 years old, but the tips haven't gotten any less useful...

1. Take a recreational interest in art
If you're going to commit several thousand dollars to an art investment, you really ought to be interested in it. Start by going to museums, just to get a sense of the breadth available to you ... and to decide what you like. Some of the most attractive pieces may be way out of your price range. I love Francis Bacon's work, but there's no way it will grace my walls anytime soon, not even with the help of the current art market slump. But, you can use the masters to get a sense of the styles that turn you on, which you can use to choose pieces that are closer to your price range.

2. Know where to find insights
Okay, my bias toward Luxist's art market reporting is pretty obvious, but the articles here can help you get started. Also, check out art market publications like ArtInfo, ArtPrice and Art Market Blog. Bloomberg also provides solid art market coverage. Once you have the basics nailed down, spend some time on the auction house websites, like Sotheby's and Christie's. Get a feel for how the marketplace operates.

3. Decide how much you have to invest
It's important to understand the market before you put some money aside. If you don't have enough money to enter the space (it really takes about $10,000 to get started), maybe you should keep your interest recreational for a while. But, if you have the resources to enter the market, figure out how much you can afford to have tied up for a while. Art is not a market for flippers; it's decidedly "buy and hold" for the foreseeable future.

4. Understand the differences in media
The barriers to entry vary with medium. Sculpture tends to be the toughest, since the cost to create the artwork is so high. Intricate pieces in bronze can cost $20,000 to start and go much higher, even for emerging artists. Paintings tend to be easier for entry-level artists. And, don't be afraid to search outside your comfort zone. Glass art is often overlooked, despite being one of the most collected art media, and the cost to enter can be as little as a few hundred dollars, even to pick up a piece by a well-known artist such as Charley Keila.

5. Hunt for your first positions
To invest in art, you need to find some art to buy. Unless you have a few hundred thousand dollars to put into play, you may not want to start with the auction scene. Look for local art fairs (not flea markets) that feature artists selling works for more than $1,000. The threshold for investment grade is around $10,000, but if you have a decent eye, you can find artists on the cusp of becoming emerging (i.e., artists who are about to matter) at a 1/10 of that amount.

6. Explore the artist's financial accomplishments
For an artist, an appearance at auction is like an initial public offering (IPO) in the financial markets. In the art world, selling at auction provides a public and transparent valuation. The best way to find out what something is worth is to see what someone else has paid for it. Artists whose work has been sold at auction make it easier for you to do some due diligence. Absent an auction history, look for artists who have displayed at art shows and galleries, and try to find out how much the pieces sold for.

7. Learn the artist's personal story
As much as an artist creates, his story can drive future sales. Interesting artists will have an easier time engaging collectors, which means they will sell more pieces ... and at higher prices. New York artist Julio Aguilera, for example, was an international martial arts champion before turning to painting and sculpture. This makes a sales pitch more interesting, which translates to future returns.

8. Pedigree matters
Artists who have been through the right training programs and apprenticeships are more likely to find bigger opportunities. The Eden Rock Gallery in St. Barth's, for example, tends to draw artists from the New York Academy of Arts. So, if you invest early in artists who have been through this program, you are positioning yourself for a higher likelihood of success. Also, explore which collections hold works by the artist who interests you. Nelson Diaz, a strong emerging artist, has created works held in the Guggenheim Collection ... which is a good reason to put it in your collection, too

9. Stay in touch with your artist
Especially for emerging artists, the latest prices aren't published daily, unlike the financial market results. The best way to stay on top of what your collection is worth is to call the artist every now and then. Ask what he's created lately, how many pieces he's sold and whether the price point has moved. This will help you understand what your art portfolio is worth.

10. Manage downside risk
Like any investment, there's no guarantee that your art collection will appreciate ... but there are steps you can take to make sure you'll always appreciate it. When I spoke with art market guru Michael Moses, of Beautiful Asset Advisors a few years ago, he suggested using your preferences as the first measure of whether to purchase a piece. Even if it never goes up in value, at least you'll own a piece that you enjoy.

Donald Trump’s tips for a success

I guess everybody has heard about Donald Trump. A real estate guru, a TV celebrity, a billionaire, a true New Yorker. Many, many people cannot stand him, point out his nouveau-riche taste, but one thing is sure – he is a man of success!!! And he shares his experience with the others. On the internet you can find plenty of list with Donald’s tips. He is one of them, one of my favorites.

1.                         Be focused. Put everything you’ve got into what you do every day.

2.                         Believe in yourself. If you don’t, no one else will.

3.                         Be tenacious.

4.                         Trust your instincts.

5.                         Maintain your momentum and keep everyone moving forward.

6.                         See yourself as victorious and leading a winning team.

7.                         Be passionate about what you do.

8.                         Live on the edge. Do not become complacent.

9.                         Leadership is not a group effort. If you’re in charge, then be in charge.

10.                     Never give up!

Geogre Friedman's Geopolitical Journey

George Friedman - founder of Strafor, a company providing intelligence – decided to spent some time in travelling Europe. The idea is to be able to better understand the countries he is supposed to write about. Below a very interesting part of his first article. More can be found on Stratfor website.

There is another part of geopolitical travel that is perhaps the most valuable: walking the streets of a city. Geopolitics affect every level of society, shaping life and culture. Walking the streets, if you know what to look for, can tell you a great deal. Don’t go to where the monuments and museums are, and don’t go to where the wealthy live. They are the least interesting and the most globally homogenized. They are personally cushioned against the world. The poor and middle class are not. If a Montblanc store is next to a Gucci shop, you are in the wrong place.

Go to the places where the people you will never hear of live. Find a school and see the children leave at the end of the day. You want the schools where there is pushing and shoving and where older brothers come to walk their sisters home. You are now where you should be. Look at their shoes. Are they old or new? Are they local or from the global market? Are they careful with them as if they were precious or casual with them as they kick a ball around? Watch children play after school and you can feel the mood and tempo of a neighborhood.

Find a food store. Look at the food being offered, particularly fruits and vegetables. Are they fresh-looking? What is the selection? Look at the price and calculate it against what you know about earnings. Then watch a woman (yes, it is usually a woman) shopping for groceries. Does she avoid the higher priced items and buy the cheapest? Does she stop to look at the price, returning a can or box after looking, or does she simply place it in her basket or cart without looking at the price? When she pays for the food, is she carefully reaching into an envelope in her pocketbook where she stores her money, or does she casually pull out some bills? Watch five women shopping for food in the late afternoon and you will know how things are there.

Go past the apartments people live in. Smell them. The unhealthy odor of decay or sewage tells you about what they must endure in their lives. Are there banks in the neighborhood? If not, there isn’t enough business there to build one. The people are living paycheck to paycheck. In the cafes where men meet, are they older men, retired? Or are they young men? Are the cafes crowded with men in their forties drinking tea or coffee, going nowhere? Are they laughing and talking or sitting quietly as if they have nothing left to say? Official figures on unemployment can be off a number of ways. But when large numbers of 40-year-old men have nothing to do, then the black economy — the one that pays no taxes and isn’t counted by the government but is always there and important — isn’t pulling the train. Are the police working in pairs or alone? What kind of weapons do they carry? Are they everywhere, nowhere or have just the right presence? There are endless things you can learn if you watch.

All of this should be done unobtrusively. Take along clothes that are a bit shabby. Buy a pair of shoes there, scuff them up and wear them. Don’t speak. The people can smell foreigners and will change their behavior when they sense them. Blend in and absorb. At the end of a few days you will understand the effects of the world on these people.

On this I have a surreal story to tell. My wife and I were in Istanbul a few months ago. I was the guest of the mayor of Istanbul, and his office had arranged a lecture I was to give. After many meetings, we found ourselves with free time and went out to walk the city. We love these times. The privacy of a crowded street is a delight. As we walked along we suddenly stopped. There, on a large billboard, was my face staring down at us. We also discovered posters advertising my lecture. We slunk back to our hotel. Fortunately, I am still sufficiently obscure that no one will remember me, so this time we will try our walk again.

There are three things the geopolitical traveler must do. He must go to places and force himself to see the geography that shapes everything. He must meet with what leaders he can find who will talk to him in all parts of society, listening and talking but reserving a part of his mind for the impersonal reality of the world. Finally, he must walk the streets. He won’t have time to meet the schoolteachers, bank tellers, government employees and auto repairmen who are the substance of a society. Nor will they be comfortable talking to a foreigner. But geopolitics teaches that you should ignore what people say and watch what they do.

If you want to know why Belgium is such a mess…